Pre-sessional English language courses

If you do not meet the English requirements for your chosen academic course, you may still be able to come to Lancaster if you complete an English language course before you start your studies.

In response to the changing needs of our students, we are offering both an online and an on-campus pre-sessional course for 2021.

All our pre-sessional courses will help you develop skills and strategies to:

  • meet the English language expectations of your chosen academic programme
  • communicate in a range of academic contexts
  • succeed in a UK higher education context
  • help you to create a network of friends and establish you as a valued member of our student community

If you choose the on-campus version, you will need to arrive in Lancaster for the start of the programme. Any arrangements we make for face to face teaching will be subject to Government guidelines at that time. The UK's rules on red-list countries, quarantining and testing are changing frequently. Please ensure that you check the UK Government webpages regularly for updates.

Please be aware it will not be possible to move between the online and on-campus courses after you have applied for and accepted your place on the course.

The programmes vary in length, depending on the standard of your English when you apply.

To be eligible, you must have:

  • An active offer for an academic course at Lancaster University
  • An English language test score that meets the requirements for entry to one of our pre-sessional programmes

If you are still waiting for your academic results, you need to be confident that you are on track to meet the academic requirements before you start a pre-sessional programme. If you fail to meet the academic requirements after starting a pre-sessional programme you will not be able to progress to your academic course.

How to apply

Information on how to apply for our pre-sessional programmes is detailed below.

Accordion

  • Undergraduate applicants

    The requirements for entry to a pre-sessional English programme vary by course. You can find more details on our English language page.

    If you have not met the English language requirements for direct entry you should send us a copy of your English language certificate and contact us to enquire if you are eligible for one of our pre-sessional programmes.

    How to apply

    • To be considered for a pre-sessional programme you need to have made Lancaster University your firm choice in UCAS
    • We will ask you to confirm if you want to take the pre-sessional programme online or on campus
    • If you are eligible for a pre-sessional programme we will let you know by email and you will need to reply, confirming that you want to take the pre-sessional programme
    • If you opt to take the pre-sessional programme, we will send you an email confirming that you have a place on the pre-sessional programme
    • The confirmation email will include the revised start date of your studies and the documents that you need to provide
    • If you decide not to accept a place on the pre-sessional programme, you will need to meet the English language condition originally stated in the offer letter
  • Postgraduate applicants

    Our English language requirements vary depending on which course you have an academic offer for, the requirements can be found on the English language page.

    You don't need to contact us to apply for our pre-sessional programmes. If you have not met the English language requirements for direct entry, we will automatically consider you for one of our pre-sessional programmes when we receive a copy of your English language certiticate. You should upload this to your MyApplications account.

    How to apply

    • We will ask you to confirm if you want to take the pre-sessional programme online or on campus
    • If you are eligible for a pre-sessional programme we will let you know by email and you will need to reply, confirming that you want to take the pre-sessional programme
    • If you opt to take the pre-sessional programme, we will send you an email confirming that we have added the pre-sessional programme to your offer and you will need to accept the updated offer using MyApplications.
    • The revised offer will update the start date of your studies and the offer letter in your online application will show that a pre-sessional programme has been added to your offer. You will not be issued with a separate offer letter for the pre-sessional programme
    • If you decide not to accept a place on the pre-sessional programme, you will need to meet the English language condition originally stated in the offer letter

Pre-sessional English language programmes

The following programmes are available for both undergraduate and postgraduate applicants if your chosen academic course offers the option of a pre-sessional course.

Accordion

  • 4-week English for academic purposes (EAP)

    4-Week EAP programme

    The EAP programme is for students intending to study at Lancaster University who are required, or wish to improve their English language and study skills before starting their academic studies.

    If you are taking the 4 week EAP programme as a condition of your offer, you will need to successfully complete the 4 week EAP programme to progress to your academic course.

    Dates - 2021 entry

    The 4 week EAP programme starts on Monday 6 September and ends on Friday 1 October.

    Cost for 2021

    The cost for the 4 week EAP programme for online and on-campus delivery is: £1,650.

    Deposits

    We do not require a deposit for the EAP programme.

    Deadline to be considered for the programme

    5.00pm (UK time) 23 July 2021 - subject to availability.

    Programme outline

    Find out more about the structure of our 4-week EAP programme.

  • 10-week pre-sessional English language programme (PELP)

    10-Week PELP Programme

    The PELP programme is for students intending to study at Lancaster University who are required, or wish to improve their English language and study skills before starting their academic studies.

    If you are taking the 10-week PELP as a condition of your offer, you will need to successfully complete the 10-week PELP programme and related assessments to progress to your academic course. The requirements for progression will be detailed in the offer letter.

    Dates - 2021 entry

    The 10 week PELP programme starts on Monday 12 July and ends on Friday 17 September.

    Cost for 2021

    The cost for the 10 week PELP programme for online and on-campus delivery is: £3,110.

    Deposits

    We do not require a deposit for the PELP programme

    Deadline to be considered for the programme

    5.00pm (UK time) 28 May 2021 - subject to availability.

    Programme outline

    Find out more about the structure of our 10-week PELP programme.

More information

Below is some information that you might find useful:

Accordion

  • Do I need to re-take my IELTS at the end of the course?

    No. You will be assessed during and at the end of the pre-sessional programme. If your assessment is successful and you reach the English level required you can progress directly to your academic course.

  • Visa and CAS information

    The timing of your CAS will depend on the mode of delivery you choose, either online or on campus.

    For applicants opting to study on-campus:

    Undergraduate applicants

    You will be issued with a CAS for the pre-sessional programme 8-10 weeks before your studies are due to start.

    For the 4 week EAP programme, we will issue you will a single CAS for your pre-sessional programme and academic course if English language is the only condition left for you to meet.

    For the 10 week PELP programme we will issue you with 2 CASs, one for the pre-sessional programme and a separate CAS will be issued for your academic course when you have met the conditions and successfully completed the pre-sessional programme.

    Postgraduate applicants

    You will be issued with a CAS for the pre-sessional programme 8-10 weeks before your studies are due to start.

    For the 4 week EAP programme, we will issue you will a single CAS for your pre-sessional programme and academic course if English language is the only condition left for you to meet.

    For the 10 week PELP programme, we will issue you will a single CAS for your pre-sessional programme and academic course if English language is the only condition left for you to meet. If you still have other conditions to meet, such as your current studies, we will issue you with 2 CASs, one for the pre-sessional programme and a separate CAS will be issued for your academic course when you have met the conditions and successfully completed the pre-sessional programme.

    Do I have to return home to apply for my visa for the academic course at the end of the pre-sessional?

    No. If you have a CAS for the pre-sessional only then UK government regulations currently state that you do not have to return home. If you successfully complete the PELP you will need to extend your PELP visa to the academic course at Lancaster. We have an International Student Adviser who will help you with this process.

    For more information about UK visas and regulations please visit the UK Border Agency.

    For applicants opting to study online:

    You will not require a CAS to study online from your home country. If you are taking the 10 week PELP online, you will receive a CAS for your academic course when you have met all your offer conditions and successfully completed the pre-sessional programme. If you are taking the 4 week EAP online, you will receive a CAS for your academic course when you have met all your offer conditions and you have registered for the EAP. You will be able to apply for your visa prior to completing EAP.

  • How do I apply for on-campus accommodation?

    Once you accept an offer of a place at Lancaster you will receive an email from our accommodation team with further information about the application process. Further details are available on our accommodation pages.

  • If I improve my IELTS score can I take a shorter pre-sessional programme?

    This may be possible. However, you must meet the entry requirement for the shorter pre-sessional programme. If you have been accepted one pre-sessional and then meet the requirements for another you should contact us.

  • If I have met the language requirement and have an unconditional offer to study at Lancaster, can I still still apply for a place on a pre-sessional English language programme?

    We are unable to offer a pre-sessional place to applicants who do not need to take a pre-sessional programme as part of their offer conditions.

  • My offer says 'unconditional', do I still need to successfully complete the pre-sessional programme?

    Yes – you have been accepted for study at Lancaster aftersuccessful completion of one of our pre-sessional programmes. This means that you have to attend all classes, contribute in class, submit all pieces of work and demonstrate that you are ready for academic study at Lancaster. If you are unable to do this for any reason, you may not be able to progress to your academic studies.

  • If I have further questions relating to the pre-sessional programmes, who should I contact?

    4 week EAP programme

    Please contact the Summer Programmes Administration Coordinator: globalschools@lancaster.ac.uk

    PELP programmes

    Please contact the International Study Centre: isc@lancaster.ac.uk

Contact the admissions team

If you need any further information, please contact us:

Undergraduate Admissions
ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk or telephone us on +44 (0)1524 592028

Postgraduate Admissions
pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk or telephone us on +44 (0) 1524 592032