Program Overview

---

Pre-sessional English

The online Pre-Sessional English course is designed for students who need better English language skills to study at UEL.

EXCELLENT LOCATION

30 minutes by train to central London

DIVERSE

Over 135 nationalities have come to study at UEL

LIVE ON CAMPUS

Our stunning riverside accommodation cost is more affordable than you think!

How to apply

You do not need to apply directly for the Pre-sessional English Programme. When you apply to study at UEL, we will automatically assess your eligibility for the programme if you do not meet the English language requirements for your chosen degree.

Who is it for

If you do not meet the academic English language requirements for your course, you may be eligible to enrol onto a pre-sessional English programme. The length of the course will depend on your current level of English and the requirements for your degree programme. We offer a 5-week pre-sessional course.

What you will learn

Course Content

The Pre-sessional course mirrors what you will need to do on your main course and will include a mixture of presentations, interactive group meetings, private tutorials with the tutor and independent study. The exact content depends on your strengths and weaknesses because the teacher will tailor the course to your individual needs, but will cover the following areas:

• Developing referencing and study skills
• Planning and structuring your writing
• Expanding grammar and vocabulary to academic standards
• Cultivating your independent voice through forming effective arguments, critical thinking and drawing conclusions from information
• Developing your listening skills through regular presentations, meetings and note-taking
• Develop your ability to extract information by using content from lectures, group meetings and readings in your writing
• Presentation skills

A typical week

The course is made up of 20 hours of contact time a week with classes running Monday to Friday with two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon each day. An important part of the course is a one-to-one weekly online meeting between yourself and your personal tutor. This is a time when you can talk through individual concerns, assess the progress you are making and get individual help on any particular areas of difficulty. You will be given additional tasks to complete outside of class to supplement what you do in class with the teacher.

Admissions deadlines

11 Week Pre-Session English Course (Online)

• Application deadline: 16 May 2025
• Deposit deadline: 22 May 2025
• Pre-CAS interview deadline: 4 June 2025
• Maintenance and TB documents deadline: 4 June 2025
• CAS deadline (Outside UK): N/A
• Start date: W/C 9 June 2025

5 Week Pre-Session English Course (Online)

• Application deadline: 20 June 2025
• Deposit deadline: 27 June 2025
• Pre-CAS interview deadline: 9 July 2025
• Maintenance and TB documents deadline: 9 July 2025
• CAS deadline (Outside UK): N/A
• Start date: W/C 14 July 2025

For other deadlines, after you have submitted your application, please visit the International Admission Deadlines page.

Entry requirements for undergraduate programmes

5 Week Pre-Sessional

• For programmes with IELTS 5.5 requirement: IELTS 5.0 (with no less than 5.0 in any component) or equivalent.
• For programmes with IELTS 6.0 requirement: IELTS 5.5 (with no less than 5.5 in any component) or equivalent.

Entry requirements for postgraduate programmes

5 Week Pre-Sessional

• For programmes with IELTS 6.0 requirement: IELTS 5.5 (with no less than 5.5 in any component) or equivalent.
• For programmes with IELTS 6.5 requirement: IELTS 6.0 (with no less than 5.5 in any component) or equivalent.

Attendance and Assessment Regulations

The programme is designed to enable you to cope with all aspects of studying and living in the UK, including understanding lectures and academic texts, writing assignments, speaking in seminars and giving presentations.

To get the most out of the Pre-sessional programme you should contribute to every session. Attendance is monitored each week and if it falls below acceptable levels then you may be withdrawn from your course and may not be eligible for a refund.

Course assessment

At the end of the course, you will be required to pass an online assessment under exam conditions in order to progress to the degree programme. If successful you will be presented with a certificate of results which can use as a supporting document for UKVI student visa application. Please note that success is not automatic, and you need to engage fully with the programme to give you the best chance to succeed.