International Foundation Year
Our International Foundation Year course will prepare you to succeed in your undergraduate...
Full-time
5, 10 or 15 week
June 2024
Do you need to improve your English language skills to study for a postgraduate or undergraduate degree at Salford?
You can take our British Council accredited Pre-sessional English course to improve your skills in speaking, reading, writing, and listening. If you pass you can progress onto your chosen degree course at Salford.
Our team of language experts will support you to develop your academic English through written assessments, presentations and projects including critical analysis and discussions.
You will also gain valuable skills to help you prepare for studying for a UK degree, and you will meet students from our friendly and diverse community.
To take this Pre-sessional English course, you must be an international student with UKVI IELTS 4.0 or above and have a general level of education that is suitable for entry into UK universities. You must also have a conditional offer to study an undergraduate or postgraduate course at the University of Salford.
students accepted
The English language skills you need to get an unconditional offer for your future degree course.
Academic writing skills, including essay writing.
Research skills, including notetaking and referencing.
Digital skills, including using software to create presentations, academic posters and reports.
Presenting and communicating skills.
Skills in critical thinking, listening to lecturers and time-management.
How will I be taught?
Here is an example timetable. Please note, this information is a guide, and your actual schedule may vary.
This is a full-time course and so you should expect to spend around 30 – 35 hours studying each week. Here is a guide to the schedule:
*Hours displayed are academic hours which is 50 minutes of teaching
Where will I be taught?
How will I be assessed?
You will have regular assessments, which are opportunities to practise for success. This includes:
You will also have a final assessment at the end of the course in each of the four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. This final assessment will determine your IELTS equivalent grade. If you achieve the stated IELTS requirement in your degree offer letter, you will be able to progress onto your future degree course.
How will this course benefit my career?
This course focuses on preparing you for academic study so you will succeed in your chosen degree. You will also develop skills that will be beneficial for your career, including communication, critical thinking, presenting, time-management, digital skills and more.
You will have access to the School of Languages' Language Resource Centre which offers state-of-the-art audiovisual and IT facilities for the teaching and learning of languages. It provides a high-speed network environment giving access to advanced software packages used by language students for a range of purposes, including computer-assisted language learning and oral summarising.
Explore our location and watch a video with our current students.
askUS are our student support service. Visit their pages for information on all areas of your university life.
You can also find information about accommodation options.
Course length - which one do I need?
The course duration depends on your current level of English (UKVI IELTS) and what level you need to get into your future degree. We offer courses over 5 weeks, 10 weeks, and 15 weeks, you can check which one you need by looking at the entry requirements below.
The Pre-sessional English programme that you should apply for depends on two things:
To be accepted for this course, you must have a conditional offer for either an undergraduate or postgraduate course at the University of Salford. Your offer letter will state the minimum English language qualification you must have to gain entry onto your chosen degree. This will be written as a UKVI IELTS score. Check the table below to see what Pre-sessional course you need:
I need UKVI IELTS 5.5 with minimum 5.5 in each skill band to get onto my future degree course
Your current level of English |
Course you need to apply for |
UKVI IELTS 4.0 with a minimum of 4.0 in each skill band score |
15 week course |
UKVI IELTS 4.5 with a minimum of 4.0 in each skill band score UKVI IELTS 5.0 with a minimum of 4.0 in each skill band score |
10 week course |
UKVI IELTS 5.0 with a minimum of 5.0 in each skill band score |
5 week course |
I need UKVI IELTS 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each skill band to get onto my future degree course:
Your current level of English | Course you need to apply for |
UKVI IELTS 4.5 with a minimum of 4.0 in each skill band score | 15 week course |
UKVI IELTS 5.0 with a minimum of 4.0 in each skill band score | 10 week course |
UKVI IELTS 5.5 with a minimum of 5.0 in each skill band score | 5 week course |
See course dates and fees below.
I need UKVI IELTS 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in each skill band to get onto my future degree course:
Your current level of English | Course you need to apply for |
UKVI IELTS 5.0 with a minimum of 4.0 in each skill band score | 15 week course |
UKVI IELTS 5.5 with a minimum of 4.5 in each skill band score | 10 week course |
UKVI IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.0 in each skill band score | 5 week course |
See course dates and fees below.
Our Pre-sessional English course is available to students who are starting their degree in September. The courses are available on the following dates:
Course |
Start date |
Fees |
15 weeks |
22 May 2023 |
£5,400 |
10 weeks |
26 June 2023 |
£3,600 |
5 weeks |
31 July 2023 |
£1,800 |
Remember to check what course length you need by looking at "Entry requirements".
You can find application deadlines on our apply page.
You should also consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. For more information about additional cost, please see the following:
Money advice for international students
Applications for our Pre-sessional English course must be completed online.
Before beginning your application, please read our Guidance notes.
Also check our application deadlines.