Pre-sessional courses
The International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI) provides four pre-sessional courses for students who use English as an additional language and who have an offer to study at the University.
If you do not have an offer to study at the University of St Andrews, you are welcome to apply for our Academic English Qualification Course. Find out more about our Academic English Qualification Courses.
Pre-sessional courses provide an excellent orientation to the University and enable students to develop:
- language knowledge and academic literacy
- attributes of reflectiveness, criticality, autonomy, confidence and academic integrity
- critical analysis skills and the ability to incorporate sources and evidence in academic work
- knowledge of academic and discipline-specific conventions
- familiarity with institutional services, processes and forms of assessment
What pre-sessional course can I apply to?
The type of pre-sessional course you can apply to depends mainly on:
- whether you are an undergraduate or a postgraduate student
- the type of offer you have received from the University
Postgraduate students with:
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As a postgraduate student with an offer with an English language condition, you can apply for any of the following courses:
- 10-week pre-sessional course (not running in 2027)
- 10-week pre-sessional course (blended learning)
- 10-week pre-sessional course (online)
- 4-week pre-sessional course
- 4-week pre-sessional course (online)
Your eligibility to apply is also subject to the language requirements in your subject area. See more on language requirements for pre-degree students
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As a postgraduate student with an offer without an English language condition, you can apply for any of the following courses:
- 10-week pre-sessional course (blended learning)
- 10-week pre-sessional course (online)
- 4-week pre-sessional course
- 4-week pre-sessional course (online)
Undergraduate students with:
-
As an undergraduate student with an offer with an English language condition, you can only apply for the 4-week pre-sessional course, either on-campus or online.
Your eligibility to apply is also subject to the language requirements in your subject area. See more on language requirements for pre-degree students.
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As an undergraduate student with an offer without an English language condition, you can only apply for the 4-week pre-sessional course, either on-campus or online.
10-week Academic English pre-sessional course for postgraduate offer-holders
Due to the Open Golf tournament, the 10-week fully on-campus version of this programme will not be running in 2027. Please choose one of the alternative options below.
10-week Academic English pre-sessional course for postgraduate offer-holders (blended learning)
A full-time pre-degree course for users of English as an additional language.
- Dates TBC
- Fees: TBC
- Six weeks of online tuition then four weeks taught on-site in St Andrews
- Designed for postgraduate applicants with offers with an English language condition, or offers without an English language condition
10-week Academic English pre-sessional course for postgraduate offer-holders (online)
A fully online pre-degree course for users of English as an additional language.
- Dates TBC
- Fees TBC
- Ten weeks of online tuition
- Designed for postgraduate applicants with offers with an English language condition, or offers without an English language condition
4-week Academic English pre-sessional course for postgraduate or undergraduate offer-holders
A full-time pre-degree course for users of English as an additional language. Course dates below include compulsory orientation sessions on the first two dates of the course.
- Dates TBC
- Fees TBC
- Taught entirely on-site in St Andrews
- Designed for undergraduate or postgraduate applicants with offers with an English language condition, or offers without an English language condition
4-week Academic English pre-sessional course for postgraduate or undergraduate offer-holders (online)
A fully online pre-degree course for users of English as an additional language. Course dates below include compulsory orientation sessions on the first date of the course.
- Dates TBC
- Fees TBC
- Designed for undergraduate or postgraduate applicants with offers with an English language condition, or offers without an English language condition
Looking for a short introduction to University life?
Undergraduate students with unconditional offers can apply for the Academic Induction course, a two-week introduction to academic study at St Andrews.