Pre-sessional English courses

  • Take a pre-sessional University English course to meet the language requirements of your degree. This course is accepted instead of IELTS as proof of your language ability. You can take the course before a bachelor's or master's degree.

    If you have a degree offer already, send us your IELTS for UKVI language test. We will then advise you on when to start your pre-sessional English programme: pathways@brookes.ac.uk

  • Pre-sessional English student, Ameerah Al-Maski from Saudi Arabia

    The course developed my English and academic study skills to help me be more successful in my master’s and PhD. The classes were well mixed by nationality and I met many students from different cultures and abilities – we all learned from each other.

    Ameerah Al-Maski, Saudi Arabia

  • 6 reasons to take a pre-sessional English course at Oxford Brookes

    1. You are taught by university lecturers who are experts in preparing you for your degree
    2. You will get to know the university before your degree and you can use the same services and facilities as degree students
    3. Class sizes are limited to 18 students so you get the attention you need to succeed
    4. You will experience one of the world’s greatest cities of education
    5. You will have a personal academic adviser to guide you through your studies
    6. You will meet people from all over the world: students from 21 countries enrolled on pre-sessional English in 2015/16

  • What will I learn?

    You will develop a wide range of academic English language skills so you are qualified and confident to start your degree.

    I've really learned a lot of things that I wouldn't have learned if I wasn't doing the course. So many things like how to write a good essay, research, reading - I've improved my skills in all these areas.

    Bruno Samara Lopez, Brazil

    Writing

    • Improve your skills in writing a range of essay formats.
    • Develop your planning skills including pre-writing, brainstorming, text organisation, editing and more.

    Reading

    • Learn how to understand and get the most from different sources.
    • Develop your micro-skills in note taking, summarising, scanning, skim reading, referencing and more.

    Academic grammar and language development

    • Grow your vocabulary.
    • Improve your pronunciation.
    • Develop your understanding of sentence structure and word patterns.
    • Learn self-correction techniques and more.

    Listening and speaking

    • Develop your presentation, feedback and questioning techniques.
    • Learn how to listen for gist and detail and more.

    Research

    • Improve your ability to undertake research and analyse data.
    • Learn how to describe and present your findings and more.

    For detailed course information please visit our:

  • How long do the courses last?

    Pre-sessional English is taught in 6-12 week blocks at four different levels. You will be taught with students of a similar language ability to your own. You will take consecutive course blocks until you reach the level required for your degree course. The tables below show approximately how long you need to study depending on your current and required language level.

    Example course lengths (tables are a guide only)

    Postgraduate

    If you need IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in speaking and listening (required for most postgraduate courses). 

    Your current IELTS* score Course length
    4.5 with at least 4.0 in all skills 36 weeks (over 3 semesters)
    5.0 with at least 4.5 in all skills 24 weeks (over 2 semesters)
    5.5 with at least 5.0 in all skills 12 weeks (over 1 semester)
    6.0 with at least 5.5 in all skills 12 or 6 weeks
    6.5 with at least 5.5 in all skills 6 week course

    Undergraduate

    If you need IELTS 6.0 with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in speaking and listening (required for most undergraduate courses).

    Your current IELTS* score Course length
    4.5 with at least 4.0 in all skills 24 weeks (over 2 semesters)
    5.0 with at least 4.5 in all skills 12 weeks (over 1 semester)
    5.5 with at least 5.0 in all skills 12 or 6 weeks
    6.0 with at least 5.5 in all skills 6 week Summer course

    *The only language test accepted for entry on to University English is an IELTS for UKVI test.

    Dates and fees

    For dates and fees information please visit our  University English course webpage.

  • Apply

    Use our online application form to apply for your pre-sessional University English course.