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 Presessional English 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 in your chosen Birmingham study.
- Small classes with no more than 18 students will develop your confidence in using English.
- A pre-sessional English course offers you a learning experience that prepares you with academic skills and opportunities to get ready for what comes next.
If you have an unconditional offer and wish to study a longer course, you are welcome to apply for the 6 and 10 week online and on-campus courses.
If you are unable to access YouTube, you can access this video on Panopto.
The Presessional English course helped me a lot for my future study. It taught me how to write an essay, how to search for an article online, how to use citation correctly.
Course highlights
- Gain confidence and communicative competence on a Presessional English course
- Become immersed in the language
- Get acclimatised to studying at a UK university before your main programme
- Make friends with people on your future course
- Start getting used to British culture in a safe and friendly international environment
- Communicate in English outside of the classroom by participating in social activities
Our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses are accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.
- Focus on the academic skills in English you need to succeed in higher education in the UK and participate in class-based discussion, speaking and listening tasks.
- Receive tutor feedback on reading and writing tasks and receive regular 1-1 tutorials to discuss progress and ask questions.
- To apply for this course you must be an international student and have an unconditional offer for a main degree programme at the University of Birmingham.
Birmingham International Academy
International students at Birmingham International Academy
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.
Module information
Over the duration of your course, you will study three modules. Each module assesses your language skills.
- Reading and Writing
- Speaking and Listening
- Academic Orientation/English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP).
Progress is measured on a weekly basis when you and your tutor will look at your peformance in class activities, formative assignments and seminar tasks. At the end of the course you will write an essay and give a presentation and receive detailed feedback to progress your skills.
Teaching staff
Hayley Maxwell
Director of English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
Birmingham International Academy Academic English
Ian Martin
Academic English Programme Manager
Birmingham International Academy Academic English
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.
- £2,200
4 week intensive course fee
Payment of fees
How to pay these fees is detailed on the methods of payment for the Presessional English courses page.
Cancellations and refunds
Read details of our Presessional refund policy.
Application process
To apply for a presessional english programme, 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.
Please note that online Presessional English courses are marked 'DL' (Distance Learning) in the University application system.
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.