Pre-sessional English Course Overview
Learn more about our range of Pre-sessional English courses to help you prepare for admission onto your degree course at Â鶹ֱ²¥app.
Still thinking about joining a pre-sessional English course? Here's some reasons to apply:
- No more IELTS - we assess your progress throughout the course and you do not need to take another IELTS test at the end
- Flexible format - settle into life in Sheffield with our in-person course, or study with us online
- Improve academic skills - A pre-sessional course covers more than just English language
- ELTC Social Programme - Meet new friends and practise your English outside the classroom with our programme of trips and activities
- Combined CAS - Join our in-person pre-sessional course and your degree programme on a single visa with a combined CAS, saving you time and hundreds of pounds in visa fees!
Applications for our 2024-25 academic year pre-sessional courses are now open.
In-person pre-sessional courses
Our in-person pre-sessional English courses take place in face-to-face classroom based lessons in Sheffield.
- Full-time In-person year round
-
Start Date: Various start dates throughout the year
End Date: Depends on course length
Entry Requirements: Approximately 1 to 2 IELTS bands away from the English requirements for your degree course (see Entry Requirements links for more details)
Hours: 15 hours of tutor-led classes, a 1 to 1 tutorial and at least 5 hours of guided independent study per week
Cost: Varies by course length and start date. £459 per week for courses starting between June 2024 and April 2025.
Term 2 January 2025 Entry Requirements
- Summer 2025 - 10 week in-person pre-sessional course
-
Start Date: Monday 30 June 2025
End Date: Friday 5 September 2025
Application Deadline: Monday 9 June 2025 at 11:59pm (BST)
Cost: £4,590 (£459 per week)
Entry requirements:
Your Overall IELTS score:
- No more than 1 IELTS band below the overall English language requirement for your degree course
Your Individual IELTS component scores (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening):
- No component below 5.0
- A maximum of two components at 5.0
- No component more than 1.5 bands below the overall IELTS requirements for your degree course
- No component more than 1.0 below the minimum requirements for that component
You must also hold a conditional or unconditional offer to study a degree course beginning in September or October 2025 at Â鶹ֱ²¥app before applying for this course.
- Summer 2025 - 6 week in-person pre-sessional course
-
Start Date: Monday 21 July 2025
End Date: Friday 29 August 2025
Application Deadline: Monday 30 June 2025 at 11:59pm (BST)
Cost: £2,754 (£459 per week)
Entry requirements:
Your Overall IELTS score:
- No more than half (0.5) an IELTS band below the overall English language requirement for your degree course
Your Individual IELTS component scores (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening):
- At least 5.5 in every component and no more than half (0.5) an IELTS band below the minimum IELTS component requirements for your degree course
You must also hold a conditional or unconditional offer to study a degree course beginning in September or October 2025 at Â鶹ֱ²¥app before applying for this course.
- Accepted English Tests - in-person pre-sessional courses
-
We accept the following results for entry onto our in-person pre-sessional courses:
- IELTS for UKVI (including One Skill Retake)
- Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) taken in the UK
- Pearson Test of English Academic UKVI (PTE Academic)
- LanguageCert Academic SELT
Entry requirements for each of our courses in IELTS can be found by clicking on the entry requirements link under each course listed above. If you have a Pearson PTE Academic or LanguageCert Academic result, you can convert it into an equivalent IELTS score to check your entry requirements using our test comparisons webpage:
English Language Test Comparisons
If you have a different test result, or are still unsure about the requirements for our pre-sessional courses, please send us an email containing your latest test result, and the IELTS requirements for your chosen University of Sheffield degree course and we can advise you on which courses you are eligible for.
- Visa Information - in-person pre-sessional courses
-
If you are an International student, it is likely you will require a Student visa to study in the UK. To apply for a student visa, you will require a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Further information about obtaining a CAS can be found on our Arriving in Sheffield webpages:
Early applicants to our Summer Pre-sessional courses may be eligible for a combined CAS. A combined CAS allows you to apply for a single Student Visa to remain in the UK for the duration of both of your courses (e.g. a Pre-sessional English course and a postgraduate MSc course).
A combined CAS saves you time and money as you only need to apply for a single visa before travelling to the UK and you will not need to make a new visa application between completing your pre-sessional course and starting your degree programme or Â鶹ֱ²¥app Abroad course.
Further information about obtaining a combined CAS is available here:
Fully online pre-sessional courses
Suitable for distance learners, our fully online pre-sessional courses can be studied from your home country and finish earlier in the Summer leaving enough time for you to make travel and visa arrangements before coming to Sheffield to start your degree course.
- Summer 2025 - 10 week online pre-sessional course
-
Start Date: Monday 23 June 2025
End Date: Friday 29 August 2025
Application Deadline: Monday 2 June 2025 at 11:59pm (BST)
Cost: £4,590 (£459 per week)
Entry Requirements:
Your Overall IELTS score:
- No more than 1 IELTS band below the overall English language requirement for your degree course
Your Individual IELTS component scores (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening):
- No component below 5.0
- A maximum of two components at 5.0
- No component more than 1.5 bands below the overall IELTS requirements for your degree course
- No component more than 1.0 below the minimum requirements for that component
You must also hold a conditional or unconditional offer to study a degree course beginning in September or October 2025 at Â鶹ֱ²¥app before applying for this course.
- Summer 2025 - 6 week online pre-sessional course
-
Start Date: Monday 7 July 2025
End Date: Friday 15 August 2025
Application Deadline: Monday 16 June 2025 at 11:59pm (BST)
Cost: £2,754 (£459 per week)
Entry requirements:
Your Overall IELTS score:
- No more than half (0.5) an IELTS band below the overall English language requirement for your degree course
Your Individual IELTS component scores (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening):
- At least 5.5 in every component and no more than half (0.5) an IELTS band below the minimum IELTS component requirements for your degree course
You must also hold a conditional or unconditional offer to study a degree course beginning in September or October 2025 at Â鶹ֱ²¥app before applying for this course.
- Accepted English tests - online pre-sessional courses
-
We can accept the following English language tests for entry onto our online pre-sessional courses:
- IELTS for UKVI (including One Skill Retake)
- Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) taken in the UK
- Pearson Test of English Academic UKVI (PTE Academic)*
- LanguageCert Academic SELT
- IELTS (Academic)
- IELTS Indicator (taken after July 2020)
- Pearson PTE Academic (non UKVI)*
- Cambridge English C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency
- TOEFL iBT and Special Home Edition
- NCUK English Language Test
* The online version of Pearson PTE Academic is not accepted.
We do not accept any other English language tests (such as Duolingo) for admission onto our online pre-sessional courses.
Entry requirements for each of our courses in IELTS can be found by clicking on the entry requirements link under the courses listed above.
If you have a Pearson PTE Academic or LanguageCert Academic result, you can convert it into an equivalent IELTS score to check your entry requirements using our test comparisons webpage:English Language Test comparisons
If you have a different test result, or are still unsure about the requirements for our pre-sessional courses, please send us an email containing your latest test result, and the IELTS requirements for your chosen University of Sheffield degree course and we can advise you on which courses you are eligible for.
Academic Literacy and University Culture programme
A 4 week full-time introduction to life as a student at the University of Sheffield, purposefully designed to familiarise you with academic methodology and British university culture, providing a head-start before you begin your degree programme in September 2025.
- Summer 2025 - 4 week in-person programme
-
Start Date: Monday 18 August 2025
End Date: Friday 12 September 2025
Application Deadline: Monday 28 July 2025 at 11:59pm (BST)
Cost: £1,836 (£459 per week)
Entry requirements
This programme is for students who have already met the English requirements for their degree course.
You must hold a conditional or unconditional offer to study a degree course beginning in September or October 2025 at Â鶹ֱ²¥app which you have already met the English language requirements for in full before applying for this course.
Still need help?
If you're not sure which Pre-sessional Course is best for you then please get in touch and our Admissions Team will be happy to help:
eltc-admissions@sheffield.ac.uk
For more information on how we hold and process your personal data, please see the University's Privacy Notice for prospective, current and former students.