Established in September 2008, the School of English for Specific Purposes (SESP) offers English language courses to undergraduate and graduate students from non-foreign-language majors at Beijing Foreign Studies University, as well as the Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) program. It also conducts research on teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The school focuses on cultivating internationally minded talents with strong local roots. It aims to enhance students' cross-cultural communication skills, critical thinking, team spirit and independent learning abilities, while strengthening their English proficiency. The school's mission is to build a teaching and research system aligned with the university's goal of nurturing interdisciplinary and multilingual talents with a global perspective. 

The school's General Affairs Committee formulates and implements policies related to personnel, finance, teaching, research, and international exchange and cooperation. The Academic Committee recruits talent and reviews the faculty's research outcomes and applications for academic promotion. The Degrees Committee drafts policies on master's thesis composition and degree conferral, and assesses the qualifications of master's candidates. Additionally, the school houses a Faculty Development Center and an ESP Research Center. The Faculty Development Center organizes teaching competitions, classroom observations, pedagogy workshops and faculty training. The ESP Research Center develops ESP courses, textbooks and teaching methodologies, and publishes the Chinese Journal of ESP.

Each year, SESP offers EFL courses to over 2,000 undergraduate students seeking to enhance their English proficiency or pursue a double degree/major in English, as well as nearly 500 master's and doctoral students with non-English majors. Since September 2016, the school has offered the MTI program with the aim of producing professional translators and interpreters.

Adhering to the philosophy of "diversified teaching for cultivating a diverse talent pool", SESP consistently enhances the quality of its English programs, emphasizing humanities education, innovative teaching approaches and the holistic development of students' capabilities. This has significantly contributed to the university's comprehensive reform initiatives.

The school's faculty comprises highly qualified and experienced educators. As of June 2025, the school employed 52 staff members, including six professors, 15 associate professors and 27 lecturers. Among them, 28 hold a PhD degree (including postdoctoral researchers), and 23 have a master's degree.

SESP has established robust connections with global academic institutions. Since 1988, the school has maintained an annual faculty exchange program with Skagit Valley College in Washington State, the United States. Since 2014, SESP has expanded its international partnerships to include the University of Cambridge, the University of Nottingham and the University of Kansas, achieving significant progress in student exchanges and faculty collaborations.