Delivery format
In person
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Course overview
If you are an international student and hold an unconditional offer for the University of Birmingham, the 4 Week University Preparation Course gives you an excellent opportunity to develop your Academic English, settle in, and experience the city of Birmingham and university life on campus.
- Courses dedicated to your future, learn Academic English from specialised tutors.
- You will also develop academic skills and gain an understanding of higher education academic culture to help you succeed in university study.
- The course will give you a strong start to your degree programme and help you feel confident in your studies.
- Small classes with no more than 18 students will develop your confidence in using English and participating in academic life.
The 4 Week University Preparation Course created a supportive and welcoming learning environment. The positive feedback from tutors helped build students’ confidence and made them feel more relaxed and prepared for university study.
The teachers are brilliant they taught me a lot and very encouraging, very engaging and overall very helpful and sympathetic.
Course highlights
- Develop confidence and communicative competence in Academic English
- Become immersed in English through classroom learning and campus life
- Develop academic skills and an understanding of higher education academic culture
- Get acclimatised to studying at a UK university before your degree programme begins
- Build friendships with students from a range of international backgrounds
- Experience life in Birmingham and study at the University of Birmingham campus
- Communicate in English outside the classroom through social and cultural activities
- Gain a strong and confident start to your university studies
Course delivery
Learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the course and mostly consist of lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops.
- Taught content – these include lectures, small group settings and workshops.
- Research-based tasks – working on your own and in groups, enjoy regular supervision and directed project work.
- Performance and progress - measured on a weekly basis
Class sizes are a maximum of 18 students. You will have 15.8 hours of tuition every week. This is 19 classes of 50-minute lessons. Up to 20 hours per week should be allowed for completion of all pre- and post-class activities and coursework.
The first week of your course includes an introduction to the academic content and to the facilities and student support services at Birmingham. The last 1-2 weeks of the course are usually timetabled for assessment and feedback on your progress.
Classes on campus are held Monday to Friday and are scheduled between 9.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m, UK time. Timetabled online sessions will consider the needs of students studying in different time zones. There is no teaching on Saturday or Sunday.
Talk to our students
Hear more about studying at Birmingham. Chat to one of our friendly students to get their thoughts on our courses, stunning campus and life in a vibrant and cultural city.
Entry requirements
To gain a place on our Presessional English programme, you must be a Birmingham offer holder.
You must be at least 16 years old to apply for one of our Presessional English courses.
To meet UKVI entry requirements, Presessional English applicants who need a Student Route visa must provide a valid official Secure English Language Test (SELT) certificate, attaining at least a B1 level of English in all skills.
For our campus-based Presessional courses, we accept IELTS (UKVI), Pearson Academic (UKVI) and LanguageCert (SELT). Students who are eligible for an integrated CAS can also apply with IELTS Academic (non-UKVI), TOEFL “At Home” Test, Pearson Academic online and LanguageCert online.
Check your eligibility for an integrated CAS (for students on the 10, 6 and 4-week courses only) below.
Fees and scholarships
You will need to pay the full course fee by the end of the first week of the course. There are no additional course costs.
Fees by course length
| Course length | Period | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 32 week | Autumn 2025 | £18,240 |
| 22 week | Autumn 2025 | £12,540 |
| 11 week | Autumn 2025 | £6,270 |
| 6 week | Autumn 2025 | £3,420 |
| 31 week | Spring 2026 | £17,670 |
| 21 week | Spring 2026 | £11,970 |
| 11 week | Spring 2026 | £6,270 |
| 20 week | Summer 2026 | £11,400 |
| 15 week | Summer 2026 | £8,550 |
| 10 week | Summer 2026 | £5,700 |
| 6 week | Summer 2026 |
£3,420 |
| 4 week | Summer 2026 | £2,280 |
Payment of fees
Find out more about the payment options available.
Cancellations and refunds
Read details of our Presessional refund policy.
Application process
To apply for an Academic English University Preparation 4-week course, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online.
The apply link will take you to an application portal where you will create an account with the University application system. You will submit your application and supporting documents to us online.
Alternatively, you may wish to apply for our longer 6 or 10 week programmes starting in the summer of 2025. Full details can be found on our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course page.
Student experience
At Birmingham, your university experience isn’t just about studying. You will have the opportunity to discover new experiences, develop different skills and make friends for life.
Our bustling campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of accommodation options in the UK’s second city, exciting activities to get involved in outside your studies, as well as all the support and advice you need.
Accommodation
Coming to Birmingham to study might be your first time living away from home. Our student accommodation will allow you to enjoy your independence in safe, welcoming and sociable surroundings.
Living in Birmingham
As one of the original pioneering cities, Birmingham is a melting pot for shopping, food and drink, nightlife, sport, culture, and industry. It’s no wonder our students fall in love with the city.
Student support
Whoever you are and wherever you come from, we are committed to providing the best possible support to all of our students so that you can get the most out of your university experience.
Campus life
Our green and spacious campus is the place where our community comes together to learn, relax and socialise. Like a town of its own, just minutes from the hustle and bustle of the UK’s second city.
Take a virtual tour
Explore our beautiful campus from wherever you are. Get a feel for the wide range of historic and modern spaces and state-of-the-art facilities.