Pre-sessional English courses on campus
Source: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/international-students/english-language/pre-sessional-english/on-campus Parent: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/international-students/english-language/pre-sessional-english
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.
Discover the right Pre-sessional course for you
Start your Sussex journey with confidence. We offer a range of on-campus Pre-sessional courses designed to help you achieve the language level you need for your chosen degree.
Choosing the right course for you will depend on your incoming language level and your degree's requirements.\ \ We’re pleased to announce that the on-campus Pre-sessional course fees will remain frozen for 2026. This means more students can take advantage of this incredible opportunity to join our vibrant campus, improve their academic English, and experience all the benefits of Sussex life before their degree begins, making it easier than ever to invest in their future without extra cost.\ \ Whether you need extra time to build confidence or just a final boost, we have the perfect option for you.\ \ Click below to find out more about entry requirements, tuition fees, and course dates.
- [16-week Pre-sessional course](#)
When: 20 April to 28 August 2026 (Summer break: 30 May to 22 June)
Tuition fee: £6,881
Application deadline: 6 April 2026
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 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 course
When: 22 June to 28 August 2026
Tuition fee: £4,271
Application deadline: 8 June 2026
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 your 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 the entry 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 incorporates 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 course
When: 27 July to 28 August 2026
Tuition fee: £2,070
Application deadline: 13 July 2026
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 conditions 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 your 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 the entry 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 incorporates 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
Applications for the Pre-sessional English course are submitted online (you will be asked for a pre-payment).
If you are a scholarship holder or a sponsored student, you must apply for the Pre-sessional course via our online shop. You will need to show evidence of your scholarship or sponsorship.
Already applied?
If you've already been accepted onto a Pre-sessional English course, you can pay the remainder of your fees, 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
Find out about applying for a visa to study in the UK.
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 the accommodation 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 private rented sector. You may be able to find accommodation through our Sussex University Facebook House Hunt page. Please note that for short-stay accommodation (less than 6 months), you may need to use sites such as Spare Room and Airbnb.
Residence: Brighthelm\ Deadline to apply: Monday 2 June 2025\ Move in: Sunday 22 June 2025 (If you arrive in the UK before Sunday 22 June, you will need to organise a hotel to stay in. Brighthelm accommodation will not be ready for student arrival until Sunday 22 June 2025)*Move out: Sunday 7 September 2025\ Accommodation cost:* £2,496\ \ Brighthelm residences are shared student houses with shared bathroom, kitchen and lounge facilities. The bedrooms are single study bedrooms with a sink.
By applying for 10-week Pre-sessional Brighthelm accommodation, you are agreeing to adhere to the Pre-sessional accommodation T&Cs [DOCX 46.09KB].
Apply now. - Accommodation for students on the Five-week Pre-sessional English course
Residence: Stanmer Court\ Deadline to apply: Tuesday 14 July 2025\ Move in:Saturday 26 July 2025*Move out:Saturday 7 September 2025\ Accommodation cost:* £1,584
Stanmer Court residences are flats with a shared kitchen and lounge area, single study bedrooms with a private ensuite bathroom per bedroom.
By applying for 10-week Pre-sessional Stanmer Court accommodation you are agreeing to adhere to the Pre-sessional accommodation T&Cs [DOCX 46.09KB].\ \ Apply now.
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 courses](#)
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. To progress on to your degree course, you will be expected 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 course](#)
This option is for undergraduate students. Postgraduate students who have not yet met the academic requirements of their degree programme can also choose this option.
You will be expected 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 course. - [10-week Pre-sessional course](#)
All students on this course will hold conditional offers and will therefore be expected 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. - [Extended Pre-sessional courses](#)
All students on these courses will hold conditional offers and will therefore be expected 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 applicants 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 a 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.