Pre-Master's Certificate - English Language and Study Skills
Certificate
Remaster your future
Key facts
Start dates
May 2025 / September 2025 / January 2026 / May 2026 / September 2026
Location
Course length
Full time: One semester
School(s)
Overview
If you are a non-native speaker of English, and want a short course to prepare you for your future Master's course, this course will suit you. You will develop your study skills, academic language level and subject knowledge in your chosen area. You will understand the demands of British postgraduate higher education so feel confident to start your degree.
Native and near-native speakers of English who would like to study in the summer semester (May-August) also have the option of taking this course. The individual needs of all students, including their language proficiency, will be taken into account on the programme.
All students who study in the summer semester will develop an independent study supervised by a subject specialist as part of their preparation for their Master's, in addition to modules in academic writing, reading and seminar skills. This course can be studied either online or on-campus this summer. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this course and whether it is suitable for you.
Start this course in January or September
This course has entry points in September, January and May. Your course is 12 weeks (or one semester) so if you start in September, you will study between September and December. If you start in January, you will study between January and April and if you start in May, you will study between May and August.
How to apply
Entry requirements
Academic entry requirements
- A UK Honours Degree Third-Class, Ordinary Degree (pass), or equivalent.
Minimum age
The normal minimum age for this course is 21. We will admit students under 21 on a case-by-case basis.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 (with 6.0 in reading and writing and 5.5 in all other skills) or equivalent.
If you are a native or near-native speaker of English, or have IELTS 7.0, you should take our Pre-Master's Certificate: Study Skills if you are starting in January. However, you are still welcome to apply for this course if you are starting during the Summer (please see introductory text above).
Applicants are welcome from any academic discipline, as well as those in work and seeking continuing professional development.
English requirements for visas
This course is classed as a B2 level for visa purposes. To apply for a student visa you will need to meet the minimum B2 English language requirements.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Application process
For assistance with your application contact our admissions team on admissions@brookes.ac.uk
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Deposits and refunds
A £3,000 deposit is required to secure your place on this course.
In the unlikely event that you decide to leave within the first four weeks of the course we will refund the tuition fees minus the £3,000 deposit. No refunds are available after the fourth week of the course. For more information see our terms and conditions.
The fees that EU/EEA students starting courses at UK universities after the UK has formally left the EU are required to pay will depend on what is agreed as part of the UK's exit negotiations. Please see Brexit FAQs for the most up-to-date information.
Financial support and scholarships
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
It's your responsibility to purchase core texts and cover print/binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online.
Learning and assessment
The Pre-Master's Certificate will fully prepare you for your future master's course.
You will improve your study skills and use of academic English - the essential skills you will need for your Master's course. You also have the opportunity to specialise in a subject of your choice through a module from the range of subjects offered at Oxford Brookes.
Your chosen subject module will improve your knowledge of the area you wish to study in the future, and allows you to gain experience of studying at a UK university.
You should choose this course if:
- your undergraduate qualifications do not meet the level required for postgraduate study
- you wish to take a Master's in a subject that is different from your undergraduate degree
- you wish to improve your study skills before starting your Master's course
- you want to better understand what is required at Master's level in the UK
- you have had a break from education and want to build your confidence before starting your Master's
Start this course in January or September
This course has entry points in September, January and May. Your course is 12 weeks (or one semester) so if you start in September, you will study between September and December. If you start in January, you will study between January and April and if you start in May, you will study between May and August.
Study modules
The course consists of three language and study skills modules, together with your chosen subject module. You can choose your module from a range of subjects that include business, tourism, hospitality and leisure, law, social sciences, arts, humanities, computing and technology.
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
You will be taught by highly qualified academic staff who have many years of teaching experience in the UK and overseas.
Learning methods include:
- lectures, seminars and tutorials
- group and individual project work and presentations
- supervised independent learning
- critical thinking tasks.
There will be a maximum of 18 students in a class in your compulsory modules. Your subject modules may be larger.
Teaching hours
You will have 16-18 class hours each week, with approximately 20 hours per week of additional time needed for homework, projects, assignments and independent study. Classes are Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays), usually between 9am and 4pm. Some subject modules may be between 5pm and 8pm. Most classes are 3 hours long including a 10 minute break.
Progression
The Pre-Master's Certificate is a recognised qualification. Most students who complete the course go on to study a Master's degree at Oxford Brookes or other universities. A Pre-Master’s Certificate enables you to progress to the subject areas listed below.
- Arts, Publishing and Humanities
- Biological and Medical Sciences
- Business
- Computing and Information Technology
- Education
- Health and Social Care
- Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
- Law
- Real Estate, Construction and Built Environment
- Social Sciences
You must reach the level entry requirements of the Master’s programme. Normally, you can progress to your chosen Master's by achieving an average grade of 60% (55% for business/hospitality degrees) on the Pre-Master's Certificate. If you would like to check your eligibility for a Master’s course, contact the admissions team on admissions@brookes.ac.uk or call + 44 (0) 1865 535000 for further information.
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.