Entry requirements for international students
Before applying please check whether you meet the entry requirements for the degree course you are interested in.
Please see our country webpages for specific entry requirements.
If your country is not listed, the University's standard entry requirements are listed on this page. If you don't yet meet these requirements, please contact us to check your qualifications.
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Pre-sessional English
If you have not achieved the required English language level for entry to your chosen degree course, we offer pre-sessional English short courses and a HIC pathway.
Please note, you must ensure that you undertake one of the new UKVI Secure English Language Test (SELT), Academic IELTS or Trinity College Tests of English (UK only) in order to be eligible for a Student visa for a preparatory course. We will be unable to accept any other English test providers in light of recent changes made by the Home Office to English language provision. Please visit the Home Office website for details of approved test centres where you may undertake one of the new style SELT IELTS.
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Academic requirements
Please visit our course page for specific entry requirements in terms of international qualifications. If you have a query relating to the equivalence of your local qualification please contact us.
Undergraduate
The normal entry requirements for undergraduate degrees are completion of 12 years of school education and successful completion of a school leaving certificate equivalent to UK 'A' Levels.
A Levels
Please see our course pages for the A Level requirements for your course of interest.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
- IBO Level 3 Certificate in Higher Level (HL) subjects
- IBO Level 3 Certificate in Standard Level (SL) subjects
- IBO Level 3 Certificate in Extended Essay
- IBO Level 3 Certificate in Theory of Knowledge
Subject areas
The subjects available for study are divided into six groups:
- Group 1: a literature course or a language & literature course in the student’s best language
- Group 2: second language course (a modern or classical language)
- Group 3: individuals and societies, including history, geography and economics
- Group 4: experimental sciences, including biology, chemistry and physics
- Group 5: mathematics and computer sciences, including two Standard Level courses (mathematical studies and mathematics standard) and two Higher Level courses (mathematics Higher Level and further mathematics Higher Level)
- Group 6: the arts, including visual arts, music and theatre.
Students must study one subject from each of groups 1 to 5. Their sixth subject may come from Group 6, or be a second choice from one of the other groups, or be an authorised school-devised syllabus. The wider UCAS tariff table can be found on the UCAS website.
IBO Certificate in Higher Level
Grade UCAS Points H7 56 H6 48 H5 32 H4 24 H3 12 H2 0 H1 0 Postgraduate
Before you apply you should check whether you meet the entry requirements for the degree course you are interested in. The normal entry requirements for postgraduate degrees are completion of a Bachelor degree in a relevant subject area at a level equivalent to a UK second class honours degree.
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University English language requirements
We require you to demonstrate your English language proficiency before an unconditional offer will be made to you. For the majority of our courses, we accept the following tests
- GCSE English Language: Grade C or above.
- IGCSE English: Grade C or above.
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Score of 6.0 (with no less than 5.5 in any band) for undergraduate or 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in any band) for postgraduate.
- Cambridge English Qualifications: B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE) score of 169 (with no less than 162 in any band) for undergraduate or 176 (with no less than 162 in any band) for postgraduate. C2 Proficiency (CPE) score of 180 (with no less than 162 in any band) for both undergraduate and postgraduate.
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): 51 (with no less than 42 in any band) for undergraduate or 58 (with no less than 42 in any one band) for postgraduate.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): 72 with band scores of reading 18, writing 17, listening 17, speaking 20 for undergraduate or a score of 79 with band scores of reading 18, writing 17, listening 17, speaking 20 for postgraduate.
- LanguageCert International ESOL: B2 (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) Listening: 33/50; Reading: 33/50: Writing: 33/50; Speaking: 33/50
- Skills for English: SELT and Skills for English: Global: Minimum B2 Pass in all four components (equivalent to IELTS 6.0), minimum B2 Pass with Merit in all four components (equivalent to IELTS 6.5).
- Oxford International English Test Centre (OIETC): Overall grade B2+ with B2 in each skill (equivalent to IELTS 6.0), overall grade C1 with B2 in each skill (equivalent to IELTS 6.5).
- Local English language qualifications including Indian Standard XII English Language (65% undergraduate/70% to 75% postgraduate).
This is not an exhaustive list. Please refer to the UKVI for a full list of approved English language tests.
IELTS, PTE and TOEFL tests are valid for 2 years and must be valid up to the date the CAS (Certificate of Acceptance for Studies) is issued.
The following courses have a different English language requirement:
IELTS 6.5 (minimum band scores also apply)
- All postgraduate Business courses
- All undergraduate and postgraduate Humanities courses
- All postgraduate Art, Design, Film, Music and Media courses
- All undergraduate and postgraduate Nursing courses
- All undergraduate and postgraduate Social Work courses
- Most courses in the School of Health and Emergency professions
- BSc Nutrition
- BSc Pharmaceutical Science
- MPharm
- MSc Biotechnology
- MSc Pharmacology
- MSc Molecular Biology
- MSc Environmental Management
- MSc Business Psychology
- MSc Psychology
- All postgraduate education programmes
IELTS 7.0 (minimum band scores also apply)
- BSc Physiotherapy
- BSc Dietetics
- MSc Social Work
- MSc Advancing Pharmacy Practice
- MSc Organisational Psychology
- Clinical MD (General Internal Medicine) - Pathway 1
IELTS 7.5 (minimum band scores also apply)
- Clinical MD (General Internal Medicine) - Pathway 2
Course webpages include English language requirements.
UKVI minimum requirements listed below differ from the University's overall English entry criteria.
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UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) minimum English requirements
For ease of reference please see below the UK Visa and immigration agency (UKVI) minimum equivalences of B1, B2 and C1 English language levels.
*where available, this refers to listening, reading, writing and speaking 7.0 in all four components.Equivalence to Common European Framework level score Test B1 B2 C1 Test validity IELTS (Academic and
General Training)4.0 in all four
components5.5 in all four
components2 years N/A Pearson Test of
English Academic
(PTE Academic)36 in all four
components42 in all four components < 65 in all four
components< 2 years City
and Guilds IESOL and ISESOLN/A C1 Expert
Pass
in all four componentsN/A 2 years Cambridge English (Advanced level) N/A Reading – Weak;
Listening – Weak;
Speaking- Weak;
Writing – WeakReading – Borderline;
Listening – Borderline;
Speaking- Borderline;
Writing – BorderlineN/A Trinity College London,
ESOL Skills for Life and
Integrated skills in EnglishEntry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (pass in all components) ISEI (pass in all components) Level 1 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (pass in all components) ISEII (pass in all components) Level 2 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (pass in all components ISEIII (pass in all components) N/A -
Taking an English test
If you have not already demonstrated that you have the required English language proficiency for your course, you will need to take a secure English language test. Please note, if your offer has an English language condition included, this is expressed as an IELTS requirement. We do, however, accept other English language test providers.
Test centre details - please follow the links to find out more or book a test:
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Online English tests
The University now accepts the following online English languages tests and will use their approval equivalencies to compare against our entry tariff.
- Oxford International English Language Test
- Password Online English Test
- IELTS Indicator