What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm Thursday 8am - 4:30pm Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Murray State English as a Second Language Program

Home
United States
Murray, KY
Murray State English as a Second Language Program

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Murray State English as a Second Language Program, College & University, Murray, KY.

The English as a Second Language Program at Murray State University emphasizes language proficiency in all skill and knowledge areas (speaking, listening, writing, reading, and grammar) and provides students with an overview of American culture.

09/02/2026

Over the past 24 years, our ESL program has hosted students from 57 countries and regions around the world.

Every student brings something unique to our campus and classrooms, creating an incredible global community we’re proud of here at Murray State.

Where did you visit us from? Share your country or region in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!

08/28/2026

These pictures say it all.

A new semester is underway, and we couldn’t be more excited!

August is the time for students from around the world to arrive in Murray, eager to learn English and make new friends, experiencing new things in a new place.

Sure, there’s the logistical stuff, like placement testing, orientation, and registration. But there’s also the “people” stuff, like getting to know your classmates outside of the classroom and learning that teacher and student share the same interests.

The semester is off to an energetic start, and there’s so much more ahead. Keep an eye out for our monthly recaps to follow along with everything our students are doing.

Food image credit: Thanks to current student Gwonbeom Koh for wanting to share a recent memory with new classmates (and friends) at Texas Roadhouse.

08/21/2026

Orientation Day is probably one of those "I’m really here, and this is really happening” moments for the students in our ESL program.

Placement testing is finished and students have ventured around campus (probably to Starbucks in the Curris Center or Einstein Bros. Bagels at Waterfield Library). Even having been in Murray for just a few days, most have probably made more than one trip to Walmart to stock up on supplies. (It's OK, we all do it.😉)

Orientation Day gets the excitement going. We talk about everything from campus resources to your class schedule.

We love this day too because it’s when we really get to start knowing our students.

Here's to new starts!

What’s something you remember about your Orientation Day?
a. the people
b. the food
c. the excitement
d. other (Tell us in the comments!)

08/13/2026

Missed the first start date? No worries. You’re not too late to join us for the second round!

Our online ESL classes run in multiple terms, and the second fall term (Oct. 20-Dec. 11) still has space available.

Study English with Murray State University from wherever you are and build the skills you need for academic or personal success.

Whether you’re preparing for university admission or simply want to strengthen your English, we’re here to help you reach your goals.

Explore Term 2 details and get started today:
https://www.murraystate.edu/admissions/international/ESLMain/online.aspx

08/05/2026

Murray's Dairy Queen (one of our students' most favorite places) is only open from March 1 - October 31.

The lines are especially long on opening and closing days, rain, shine, or even cold weather!

It’s really more than ice cream now. It’s a Murray tradition.

Join us at Murray State University's ESL Program and make the tradition your own. 🍦

Thanks to former ESL student, En Hsu Kuo, for sharing photos from his tradition-making experiences at DQ.

07/29/2026

When it comes to studying English, you have options.

For En Hsu Kuo, choosing Murray State University’s ESL Program came easily. He’d already visited Murray when his older brother studied here.

Once he became a student himself, he quickly realized that he had made the right choice. As En Hsu put it:

“I think every moment here [was] helpful for me to improve my English skills.”

He especially enjoyed practicing listening and speaking with classmates from around the world while strengthening his pronunciation, word choice, and grammar.

And when he needed a quiet place to focus, Waterfield Library was his go-to spot.

Now preparing to study computer information systems at Murray State this fall, we’re excited to see En Hsu continue growing and reaching his goals.

07/23/2026

Do you need to strengthen your English skills before starting the degree you’ve been dreaming about?

Let Murray State University’s English as a Second Language Program help you get there, in person or online.

We’re proud that many of our ESL students have gone on to study at MSU in undergraduate and graduate programs, including:

▪️Accounting
▪️Animal Science
▪️Business
▪️Computer Information Systems
▪️Computer Science
▪️Education
▪️Music
▪️Nursing
▪️Psychology
▪️Master of Business Administration
▪️Master of Earth & Environmental Sciences
▪️Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Ready to build on your English foundation?

Check out what we offer 👉 https://www.murraystate.edu/admissions/international/ESLMain/index.aspx

07/17/2026

When you're a student in Murray State's ESL Program, you never know what you'll get to do!

In addition to improving your English, we also encourage our students to experience life outside of the classroom…

🍴 We’ve shared many meals at local restaurants, like Sirloin Stockade. (Or “The Big Cow” as locals call it!)

🐎 One thing Kentucky is known for is its horses. Your chances of seeing one or even riding one is pretty likely.

🏰 And who knows? You might even get to slide down a bouncy castle in between classes!

Do you have a memorable moment from your life in Murray?

07/08/2026

Murray State University, home of the Racers, and your ESL Program, has not one but two mascots.

You’ll find Racer One in the fall, running the track at football games when our team scores a touchdown. (It’s really quite exciting if you’ve never seen it!)

Come fall and winter, you can’t miss seeing Dunker at every home game, pumping up the crowds and cheering on our basketball players. (Who knew a horse could energize a crowd so much?)

And they don’t stop at game days. You'll likely see them helping spread Racer pride all year long.

Wherever they show up, they always bring the fun up a notch.

When it comes to Racer sports, which do you prefer? 🏈 or 🏀?

06/23/2026

Jianing An wanted to improve her academic English as she continued pursuing her degree.

But traveling to Kentucky wasn’t possible at the time, so she joined our Spring 2026 online Academic Writing Course instead.

As Jianing reflected on her experience and growth, she shared her deep appreciation, especially for her instructor, Karen Larsson.

“I can’t believe our ESL course is over so soon. First, I want to say thank you so much to Ms. Karen.

You always patiently correct our mistakes in our homework and explain things in a fun and easy way. You made English, which used to be boring, become interesting and easy to learn.

Whenever we were shy and not confident, you always encouraged us gently and helped us speak up bravely.

In class, you listened to everyone carefully and gave us kind feedback and advice. After class, you graded our homework carefully and provided detailed comments.

Your hard work and care have given me so much confidence in my English speaking and writing.

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for everything you have done for us.”

Thank you for sharing, Jianing. Stories like yours are why we do what we do in our ESL program.

Jianing’s experience also reminds us how powerful online learning can be, especially when students are supported, encouraged, and challenged. We’re excited to offer that same experience to more learners this August.

Address

Murray, KY
42071

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8am - 4:30pm
Friday	8am - 4:30pm

Website

http://www.murraystate.edu/esl

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Murray State English as a Second Language Program posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Murray State English as a Second Language Program:

Want your university to be the top-listed University in Murray?