Pre-sessional English Language Courses

A group of students sitting at desks in a classroom A group of students sitting at desks in a classroom

Our Pre-sessional English language and academic skills development course is for international students who need to meet an English language condition for entry to degree-level study at the University of Chester. 

Courses vary in length depending on students' current level of English. Students on the course will aim for an overall UKVI IELTS equivalent score of 6 (undergraduate) or 6.5 (postgraduate).

Pre-sessional English Language Course (September/October 2024)

The Pre-Sessional English course for the September/October 2024 intake is being delivered online.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Pre-sessional 

5 Week Pre-sessional

  • Undergraduate Entry Requirements:  IELTS 5.5 with no less than 5.0 in each band (or other English Language Test equivalent)
  • Postgraduate Entry Requirements: IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in each band (or other English Language Test equivalent)
  • Price: £1,600
  • Dates: 15th July 2024 - 16th August 2024

9 Week Pre-sessional 

  • Undergraduate Entry Requirements:  IELTS 5.0 with no less than 4.5 in each band (or other English Language Test equivalent)
  • Postgraduate Entry Requirements: IELTS 5.5 with no less than 5.0 in each band (or other English Language Test equivalent)
  • Price: £2,500
  • Dates: 10th June 2024 - 16th August 2024

13 Week Pre-sessional 

  • Undergraduate Entry Requirements:  IELTS 4.5 with no less than 4.5 in writing and 4.0 in all other bands (or other English Language Test equivalent)
  • Postgraduate Entry Requirements: IELTS 5.0 with no less than 5.0 in writing and 4.5 in all other bands (or other English Language Test equivalent)
  • Price: £3,250 
  • Dates: 13th May 2024 - 16th August 2024

Payment: All students wanting to join a PSE programme will be expected to pay for the PSE fee in addition to the main course deposit. 

If applicable, you will be offered a place on one of the above courses after an application has been submitted.

Entry Requirements

All English Language Tests will be accepted for entry into this programme subject to results being equivalent to the IELTS entry requirements outlined above.

Key Features of our PSE Course

The PSE course will involve UK-based tutors teaching students in class groups of up to 15 students online.​ There are 35 hours of learning time per week which consist of:

  • Guided input, specific for each day, for you to work through on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), called Moodle
  • Live interaction with UK tutors in the form of larger group webinars and smaller group seminars conducted via Microsoft Teams or in-person
  • 1-1 tutorials conducted via Microsoft Teams or in-person with UK tutors for personalised feedback on your work
  • Live interaction with classmates during guided input time
  • Guided and structured independent study
  • Weekly writing tasks with formative feedback provided
  • Structured and guided research projects with formative feedback provided
  • A personalised portfolio containing work from the course
  • Exit assessments of your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills which you will need to pass in order to progress onto your chosen degree programme.