Our pre-sessional courses offer the best possible preparation for your undergraduate or postgraduate studies at the University of Bristol. They will provide the academic language and literacy skills you need to succeed.

We offer online and on-campus course options.

Read on for information about:

• Study options
• Course content
• Timetable, workload and study support
• Teaching staff
• Location
• Social programme
• Progression

Study options

Our courses are suitable for conditional and unconditional international students with a range of language abilities. Check our entry requirements page to see which length of course would be most appropriate for you. 

Study options for our 10-week pre-sessional course

Online course	On-campus course
Induction: 29 to 31 May 2024 (online) Teaching: 3 June to 9 August 2024 (online)	Induction: 12 to 14 June 2024 (on campus) Teaching: 17 June to 23 August 2024 (on campus)

Study options for our 6-week pre-sessional course

Online course	On-campus course
Induction: 26 to 28 June 2024 (online) Teaching: 1 July to 9 August 2024 (online)	Induction: 10 to 12 July 2024 (on campus) Teaching: 15 July to 23 August 2024 (on campus)

The induction will be a compulsory part of your course, and you will be expected to attend all sessions.

Course content

Our unit catalogue contains full details of what you will learn and how you will be assessed. Visit the following unit catalogue pages for information on:

• course content for 6-week students at postgraduate level
• course content for 10-week students at postgraduate level
• course content for 6-week students at undergraduate level
• course content for 10-week students at undergraduate level.

The online and on-campus options of each course will have the same course content.

Timetable, workload and study support

All our pre-sessional courses include:

• a preparatory induction
• teaching in small groups of up to 16
• 50 per cent synchronous interaction with classmates and teacher
• opportunities for one-to-one synchronous interaction with a teacher
• guided learning tasks for you to complete in your own time
• regular opportunities for personalised feedback on your work from your teacher and classmates.

Classes and one-to-one interactions will take place either online or in person, depending on which course option you have chosen.

Teaching staff

Many of our current teaching staff work on the pre-sessional courses. We also recruit extra teachers to work over the summer. Our reputation for excellence means we employ highly qualified and experienced people.

Location

6-week and 10-week on-campus students

Your induction sessions and all taught classes will take place on our Clifton campus. You will need to attend in person.

The UK government’s rules on travelling to England from another country can change. Please ensure you check the UK government webpages regularly for updates.

6-week and 10-week online students

Your induction sessions and all taught classes will take place online. We have taken many steps to ensure online students get an equally high-quality learning experience. Read our online learning page for details.

Social programme

All on-campus pre-sessional students will have access to our Global Lounge. This intercultural hub will run activities for all students who are on campus during the summer. Attending Global Lounge events will help you learn more about Bristol, and make new friends from around the world and from the UK.

Progression

In 2023, 100 per cent of on-campus students and 99 per cent of online students who completed a pre-sessional course progressed on to a degree at Bristol.

To progress to further study, you will need to fully engage with the pre-sessional course. Fully engaging with the course will also provide the best possible preparation for your studies. Engagement throughout the course is mandatory.