Pre-sessional English language courses

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
• 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

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

• 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 and you will need to pay the deposit if required
• 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

The 4 week EAP programme will be taught online this summer. 

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

Dates - 2020 entry

The 4 week EAP programme starts on Monday 31 August and ends on Friday 25 September.

Cost for 2020

The cost for the 4 week EAP programme is £1,420.  

Deposits

Undergraduate applicants do not need to pay a deposit.

Postgraduate applicants will need to pay a deposit of £150.  Details on how to pay the deposit will be sent to you in the email confirming that the programme has been added to your offer.

Deadline to be considered for the programme

5.00pm (UK time) 17 July 2020 - subject to availabilty

The 10 Week PELP programme will be taught online this summer. 

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 is 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 - 2020 entry

The 10 week PELP programme starts on Monday 29 June and ends on Friday 4 September.

Cost for 2020

The cost for the 10 week PELP programme is £3,020.  

Deposits

Undergraduate applicants do not need to pay a deposit.

Postgraduate applicants will need to pay a deposit of £150.  Details on how to pay the deposit will be sent to you in the email confirming that the programme has been added to your offer.

Deadline to be considered for the programme

5.00pm (UK time) 12 June 2020 - subject to availabilty.

Programme outline

The 10-week programme will be delivered through a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The programme has been designed to be a supportive and engaging experience for the learner and aims to help improve your current English language score to be meet the minimum standard required by your degree programme. You will learn by both real-time, face-to-face contact with your English tutor and through your own independent study.

What will you study?

• Academic listening and speaking

  • How to follow lectures and make useful notes

  • How to effectively take part in seminars

• Academic reading and language

  • how to read different academic texts

  • How to develop effective reading skills

• Academic writing and research skills

  • How to organise an essay using the correct formal language

  • How to find and use supporting ideas from relevant sources

• Independent study portfolio

  • Completion of set tasks based on weekly content

  • Language development

How will you study?

a) Real-time face-to-face delivery

Each week your English tutor will meet you to introduce and explain the planned work for the week. This meeting will be via live video-conferencing, live chat or instant messaging and will be your opportunity to ask your tutor questions, to meet other students on your course and to help create a sense of community. During the course, these sessions will vary to involve the whole group, smaller breakout groups, and individual 1:1 tutorials to provide you with more personal feedback.

b) Independent work

A variety of materials, tasks and additional reading for each week of the course will be available on the VLE 24 hours a day. This content will include:

• Course documentation, including the handbook
• PowerPoints, with added audio or video
• Audio or video academic lectures
• Online quizzes, surveys and comprehension tasks
• Guided reading to support and extend your knowledge
• Discussion forums, wikis or blogs to discuss ideas and deepen your understanding
• Links to external resources 
• Activities to promote critical reflection

The ability to study independently is one of the most valued skills of UK universities and the materials provided on our VLE are designed to help you develop this skill over the duration of the course. In order to be successful you will need to spend time each day on both the work set by your English tutor as well as on your own independent study.

How will you be assessed?

You will be assessed through a combination of course work, submitted to the VLE, and on-line exams. These on-line exams will test your skills in academic listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as your engagement with the on-line materials. In addition, your English tutor will give you feedback on how you are progressing in your 1:1 live tutorials and formative assessment.

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.

Postgraduate applicants are required to pay a deposit of £150 for all pre-sessional programmes.

The easiest way to pay the deposit is by using our payment portal, where you should 'pay as an applicant'  

If the payment cannot be made online, other payment methods are available.

When making payments, please ensure that you quote your application number in order for us to identify you. 

If I am a sponsored student, do I need to pay a deposit for the pre-sessional programme?

No. If you are sponsored by your government, a company or other recognised institution you do not have to pay a deposit. However, you must upload proof of your sponsorship to MyApplications. 

Is my pre-sessional deposit refundable if I do not come to Lancaster?

Your deposit may be refunded or transferred under certain circumstances, please see full terms and conditions.

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. 

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.

Yes – you have been accepted for study at Lancaster after successful 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.

No, you will not need a Tier 4 (General Student) Visa to study on our pre-sessional English language programmes as these will be taught online. However, if you are an overseas student, it is likely that you will need a visa for your academic studies.

Further information about Tier 4 visas and the CAS process can be found on our webpages:

Undergraduate After you apply information

Postgraduate After you apply information

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