Pre-sessional English courses on campus
Find out how to apply for an on-campus pre-sessional English course at Sussex.
Why study Pre-sessional English?
These courses are for you if:
- English is not your first language
- you need to improve your language skills before starting your undergraduate or postgraduate degree at Sussex
- you need to develop your study skills to prepare for your degree at Sussex.
About the on-campus courses
There are several different lengths of Pre-sessional courses. Choosing the right one for you will depend on your incoming language level and the level you need to achieve for your chosen degree.
We currently offer 28-week,16-week,10-week and five-week courses.
Learn more about the courses below, including tuition fees, application deadlines and entry requirements.
- 40-week Pre-sessional
When: 23 September 2024 to 29 August 2025 (Winter break: 13 December 2024 to 17 January 2025, Spring break: 11 April to 2 May, Summer break: 16 June to 20 June)
Tuition fee: £17,321
Application deadline: 9 September 2024
Entry requirements: For conditional degree offers of IELTS 6.0 or 6.5 or 7.0 – IELTS 4.5 overall, with no less than 4.0 in all other sections (or equivalent).
If you do not meet the requirements stated above, or have alternative English language qualifications, contact us at: efl@sussex.ac.uk.
Who is the course for?
The 40-week course is designed for international students who plan to study an undergraduate, postgraduate taught or postgraduate research degree at Sussex.
If your English language skills do not meet the required level for entry onto the 16-week, 10-week or five-week Pre-sessional courses, or direct entry onto your degree course, then the 27-week course could be for you.
The aims of the course are to:
- improve your level of general English
- introduce you to to academic English.
Course structure
The course is intensive. You will study for 21 hours per week in the classroom.
In addition to improving your language accuracy, the course also introduces you to Academic English Skills.
For the final 10 weeks of this course you will join the 10-week on-campus Pre-sessional course. You’ll be placed into groups according to your future degree subject areas.
- 28-week Pre-sessional - enrolment suspended for 2025
When: Enrolment suspended for 2025. Enrolment for 28-week course starting in January 2026 will open in August 2025.
Tuition fee: Enrolment for 28-week course starting in January 2026 will open in August 2025.
Application deadline: Enrolment for 28-week course starting in January 2026 will open in August 2025.
Entry requirements: For conditional degree offers of IELTS 6.0 or 6.5 or 7.0 – IELTS 5.0 overall, with no less than 4.5 in Writing and 4.0 in all other sections (or equivalent).
If you do not meet the requirements stated above, or have alternative English language qualifications, contact us at: efl@sussex.ac.uk.
Who is the course for?
The 28-week course is designed for international students who plan to study an undergraduate, postgraduate taught or postgraduate research degree at Sussex.
If your English language skills do not meet the required level for entry onto the 16-week, 10-week or five-week Pre-sessional courses, or direct entry onto your degree course, then the 28-week course could be for you.
The aims of the course are to:
- improve your level of general English
- introduce you to to academic English.
Course structure
The course is intensive. You will study for 21 hours per week in the classroom.
In addition to improving your language accuracy, the course also introduces you to Academic English Skills.
For the final 10 weeks of this course you will join the 10-week on-campus Pre-sessional course. You’ll be placed into groups according to your future degree subject areas.
- 16-week Pre-sessional
When: 6 May to 29 August 2025 (Summer break: 16 June to 20 June)
Tuition fee: £6,881
Application deadline: 14 April 2025
Entry requirements:
- for conditional degree offers of IELTS 6.0 or 6.5 – IELTS 5.0 overall, with no less than 5.0 in Writing and 4.5 in all other sections (or equivalent)
- for conditional degree offers of IELTS 7.0 – IELTS 5.5 overall, with no less than 5.0 in Writing and 4.5 in all other sections (or equivalent).
If you do not meet the requirements stated above, or have alternative English language qualifications, contact us at: efl@sussex.ac.uk.
Who is the course for?
The 16-week course is designed for international students who plan to study an undergraduate, postgraduate taught or postgraduate research degree at Sussex.
If your English language skills do not meet the required level for entry onto the 10-week or five-week Pre-sessional courses, or direct entry onto your degree course, then the 16-week course could be for you.
The aims of the course are to:
- improve your level of general English
- introduce you to to academic English.
Course structure
The course is intensive. You will study for 21 hours per week in the classroom.
In addition to improving your language accuracy, the course also introduces you to Academic English Skills.
For the final 10 weeks of this course, you will join the 10-week on-campus Pre-sessional course and placed into groups according to your future degree subject areas.
- 10-week Pre-sessional
When: 23 June to 29 August 2025
Tuition fee: £4,271
Application deadline: 9 June 2025
Entry requirements:
- for conditional degree offers of IELTS 6.0/6.5 – IELTS 5.0 overall, with no less than 5.0 in every section (or equivalent)
- for conditional degree offers of IELTS 7.0 – IELTS 5.5 overall, with no less than 5.5 in every section (or equivalent).
If you do not meet the requirements stated above, or have alternative English language qualifications, contact us at: efl@sussex.ac.uk.
Who is the course for?
The 10-week course is designed for international students who plan to study at Sussex and whose English language skills have not yet met the required level for direct entry.
By the end of the course you should be able to:
- deal effectively with the reading and listening requirements of you proposed University course, including the ability to engage in critical reading of secondary sources, understand and take notes on academic lectures, and use the notes to answer questions related to the lecture
- engage in spoken communication in an academic setting and answer questions on a subject related to your proposed course. Additionally, you should be able to actively engage in seminar discussions on topics of general academic interest
- write well-structured essays that are linguistically accurate and develop an argument on topics of general interest
- accurately apply academic conventions of citing and referencing when paraphrasing, summarising and quoting.
The above should be at a post-intermediate level (CEFR C1/B2, depending on entrance level required).
Course structure
The 10-week Pre-sessional course consists of two modules over the summer:
- a five-week language accuracy module, which will also include some of the basic skills of academic English
- a further five-week module with a more detailed focus on academic English.
The course consists of 21 contact hours a week, with Wednesday and Friday afternoons free for the summer social programme or self-study.
The course content incorporate three aspects:
- academic language
- academic practice
- academic culture.
These aspects are interconnected and will provide you with transferable skills. They are also linked to your final assessments and your future studies.
You will be divided into groups according to your future degree programmes and broad subject areas. Each group will be taught by two tutors who cover different academic English skills.
- Five-week Pre-sessional
When: 28 July to 29 August 2025
Tuition fee: £2,070
Application deadline: 14 July 2025
Entry requirements:
- for conditional degree offers of IELTS 6.0 – IELTS 5.5 overall, with no less than 5.0 in every section (or equivalent)
- for conditional degree offers of IELTS 6.5 – IELTS 6.0 overall, with no less than 5.5 in every section (or equivalent)
- for conditional degree offers of IELTS 7.0 – IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in every section (or equivalent).
If you do not meet the requirements stated above, or have alternative English language qualifications, contact us at: efl@sussex.ac.uk.
Who is the course for?
The five-week course is designed for international students who plan to study at Sussex and whose English language skills have not yet met the required level for direct entry.
It is also popular with students who have already met their condition for direct entry but would like to improve their understanding of academic language before starting their Sussex degree.
By the end of the course you should be able to:
- deal effectively with the reading and listening requirements of you proposed University course, including the ability to engage in critical reading of secondary sources, understand and take notes on academic lectures, and use the notes to answer questions related to the lecture
- engage in spoken communication in an academic setting and answer questions on a subject related to your proposed course. Additionally, you should be able to actively engage in seminar discussions on topics of general academic interest
- write well-structured essays that are linguistically accurate and develop an argument on topics of general interest
- accurately apply academic conventions of citing and referencing when paraphrasing, summarising and quoting.
The above should be at a post-intermediate level (CEFR C1/B2, depending on entrance level required).
Course structure
The five-week Pre-sessional course consists of 21 contact hours a week, with Wednesday and Friday afternoons free for the summer social programme or self-study.
The course content incorporate three aspects:
- academic language
- academic practice
- academic culture.
These aspects are interconnected and will provide you with transferable skills. They are also linked to your final assessments and your future studies.
You will be divided into groups according to your future degree programmes and broad subject areas. Each group will be taught by two tutors who cover different Academic English skills.
How to apply
There are two ways you can apply for a Pre-sessional English course:
- (you will be asked for a pre-payment), or
- by downloading, and emailing a completed form of our application form to us [PDF.159KB] Email it to: efl@sussex.ac.uk. (This must be accompanied by either proof of a bank transfer or proof of scholarship such as a financial guarantee letter).
If you are a scholarship holder, or a sponsored student, you must . You will need to show evidence of your scholarship or sponsorship.
Already applied?
If you've already been accepted on to a Pre-sessional English course, you can , including the rest of your tuition and accommodation fees. If you pay by bank transfer you must email the receipt to efl@sussex.ac.uk.
Visa information
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How to apply for accommodation
If you're attending a ten-week or five-week Pre-sessional English course, you can stay in University-managed accommodation during the summer months only. Please see accommodation application information below.
If you're here for your course during the academic year (September to June) we cannot always offer University-managed accommodation. It is important to check the accommodation guarantee to establish your eligibility.
We cannot guarantee rooms, and dates are not flexible. From Sunday 3 to Saturday 23 September, campus accommodation is not available.
If you're going on to study a postgraduate or undergraduate degree at Sussex, you can apply for University-managed accommodation, once you have confirmed your term time course. Applications for accommodation must be received by the accommodation application deadline.
All summer accommodation is in single rooms and is self-catering (no meals provided). There are cafes, a small supermarket on campus and major supermarkets just a short bus ride away.
If you are not eligible for accommodation, we would recommend that you actively search for accommodation in the . You may be able to find accommodation through our . You will also be able to look for accommodation using , where whole properties and resident landlord rooms are advertised. Please note that for short stay accommodation (less than 6 months) you may need to use sites such as and .
- Accommodation for students on the 10-week Pre-sessional English course
Residence: Brighthelm
Deadline to apply: Saturday 1 June 2024
Move in: Sunday 23 June 2024 (If you arrive in the UK before Sunday 23 June, you will need to organise a hotel to stay in. Brighthelm accommodation will not be ready for student arrival until Sunday 23 June 2024)
Move out: Sunday 8 September 2024
Accommodation cost: £2,262
Brighthelm residences are shared student houses with shared bathroom, kitchen and lounge facilities. The bedrooms are single study bedrooms with a sink.
. - Accommodation for students on the Five-week Pre-sessional English course
Residence: East Slope
Deadline to apply: Monday 1 July 2024
Move in: Saturday 27 July 2024
Move out: Saturday 8 September 2024
Accommodation cost: £1,320
East Slope residences are flats with a shared kitchen and lounge area, single study bedrooms with a private ensuite bathroom per bedroom.
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Progression on to your degree at Sussex
The pass rate for students progressing from our Pre-sessional courses to a degree at Sussex each year is typically 99%. You will not be required to take another IELTS or any other external assessment when you finish your Pre-sessional. However, the procedure for progression depends on whether you are on an integrated or standard Pre-sessional.
- Five-week and 10-week Integrated Pre-sessional
If you are a postgraduate student on the Five-week and 10-week Pre-sessional courses only, you can receive a combined CAS for both your Pre-sessional and degree at Sussex. This means you can apply for one student visa to cover the entire duration of your study (combining the Pre-sessional and the degree). You must have met all academic requirements for your degree, in order to receive an integrated offer of this kind. In order to progress to your degree course, you will still be required to meet the required standard in all end of course assessments.
An integrated CAS for both the Pre-sessional course and Masters degree is available for the Five-week Pre-sessional where the English requirement on your degree offer is IELTS 6.0, 6.5 or 7.0, and for the 10-week Pre-sessional where the English requirement is 6.0 or 6.5. If you are taking the 10-week Pre-sessional and the condition of your degree offer is 7.0 you are not eligible for an integrated CAS for both courses and you will need to apply for another visa, using another CAS which you will receive in September, approximately 10 days after your course finishes.
- Five-week Pre-sessional
This option is for undergraduate students. Postgraduate students who have not yet met the academic requirement of their degree programme can also choose this option.
You will be required to reach the required grade in all assessments in order to progress to your degree programme. This means you will need to extend your visa at the end of the Pre-sessional.
- 10-week Pre-sessional
All students on this course will hold conditional offers and will therefore be required to meet the required standard in all end of course assessments. This means you will need to extend your visa at the end of the Pre-sessional.
- Extended Pre-sessional courses
All students on these courses will hold conditional offers and will therefore be required to meet the required standard in all end of course assessments. This means you will need to extend your visa at the end of the Pre-sessional course.
Terms and conditions
Late applications cannot be guaranteed a place on the course. There can be no refund or discount for late arrivals or early leavers. Please note you have 14 days after you have paid in which to cancel and receive a refund for tuition deposits. However, refunds will only be made if cancellation notice is received 4 weeks (28 days) before the start of the course. In the case of a refund, an administration charge of £50 will be made.
If you can provide proof of testing positive for Covid 10 days or less before the course starts we will give you a full refund.
If your country, or the UK, will not allow you to travel due to Covid, we will give you a full refund.
The University will be closed on UK public holidays and other University minimum service days. No teaching will take place on these days. See the full list of closure and minimum service days.