Our Pre-sessional courses are designed to help prepare students for academic study at university. These short intensive courses include language development, study skills and an introduction to the university culture. They are for students who have the academic qualifications to start an undergraduate or postgraduate course at the University of Gloucestershire, but who need to improve their English level to meet the entry requirements.
Course Information and Entry Levels
We have three courses available this summer. Two are for ten weeks and one is for four weeks. The course you take depends on how much you need to improve your English by.The four-week course is for students who have the overall requirement but who need to improve their writing and communication by 0.5 IELTS. If you are not sure which course is the right one for you, then please email cilc@glos.ac.uk and we can advise you.
Undergraduate Courses
| IELTS 5 |
IELTS 6 |
PRES 1 |
10 |
25 |
8 July 2013 |
Tuition £2670
Halls £1080 |
| IELTS 5.5 |
IELTS 6 |
PRES 2 |
10 |
20 |
8 July 2013 |
Tuition £2500
Halls £1080 |
| IELTS 6 |
IELTS 6 |
PRES 3* |
4 |
20 |
19 August 2013 |
Tuition £1000
Halls £360 |
Postgraduate Courses
| IELTS 5.5 |
IELTS 6.5 |
PRES 1 |
10 |
25 |
8 July 2013 |
Tuition £2670 |
| IELTS 6 |
IELTS 6.5 |
PRES 2 |
10 |
20 |
8 July 2013 |
Tuition £2500 |
| IELTS 6.5 |
IELTS 6.5 |
PRES 3* |
4 |
20 |
19 August 2013 |
Tuition £1000 |
*You must have a minimum of IELTS 5.5 or equivalent in each skill in order to take Pre-sessional 3
Course Content
Our Pre-sessional courses are designed to help develop your English language level and skills for your academic studies. The course includes development of:
- Essay writing skills to help you organise and write longer pieces of academic writing
- Listening and note-taking skills to help you understand talks and lectures
- Reading skills to help you improve your understanding of longer academic texts and articles
- Speaking and pronunciation skills to help you organise and give presentations and to give you the confidence to participate in group discussions and seminars
- Grammar and vocabulary to help you use language accurately when you speak and write
- Study skills to help you use the library resources, manage your time, communicate with staff and manage your academic course
The course programme is based around 'can do' statements for each skill and each week the tutors will send you a copy of the weekly programme which shows you what you are studying and when.
Timetable
Lessons take place in the day between 9am and 5pm. A sample weekly timetable for Pre-sessional 2 is shown below (the lesson focus, exact times of lessons and the sports activity afternoon may be different).
| Monday |
Grammar |
Listening |
|
Subject Vocabulary |
Project Work |
| Tuesday |
Vocabulary |
Study Skills |
|
Presentations |
Project Work |
| Wednesday |
Grammar |
Writing |
|
Talk or Lecture |
Project Work |
| Thursday |
Vocabulary |
Reading |
|
Sports Activities or Free Time |
| Friday |
Grammar |
Speaking |
|
British Culture |
Project Work |
| Saturday |
Full day excursion |
Teaching and Learning
Lessons are student centred and you can expect to work with other students in your group as well as on your own. The maximum class size is 20 so you can expect to have lots of opportunity to practise and participate. You will have regular assessments to help you see your progress. Assessments include:
- Progress tests
- Writing assignments
- Presentations
- Portfolio (project work)
You will also have regular one to one tutorials to discuss your progress. You will also have some directed self study time to allow you to do research for your assessments. We expect you to work hard but we also hope you enjoy your lessons.
Accommodation
The university has an international accommodation officer who arranges student accommodation. For Pre-sessional students this is usually in a hall of residence with other students. However, if you would prefer to be in homestay accommodation, please us know and we will try to arrange this (Homestay is full board at the weekend and half board Monday to Friday).
Accommodation is in Halls either on the Park Campus or within walking distance of the campus. All rooms are single rooms and can be with shared bathroom or en suite (with their own bathroom). Halls accommodation is self-catering (no meals) and each room has access to a shared kitchen/dining area.
Accommodation for pre-sessional courses 1 and 2 is for 9 weeks and for the pre-sessional 3 course 3 weeks. The accommodation team will help you find accommodation for September.
You can find more information about the accommodation here
Social and Sports activities
On Saturdays we run full day excursions to places such as Oxford, Bath and London and we will give you information about these before the activity takes place. One Thursdays you can join sports activities (such as basketball, football, badminton) at either the local sports centre or on the campus playing fields.
Meet and Greet
There is a free Meet and Greet service at Heathrow Airport, dates and times TBC.
If you are arriving on these days and want to travel with us then you need to reserve a seat on the coach. You can do this by emailing internationalstudents@glos.ac.uk
You will be able to find more information about the meet and greet service here once it is available.
We can also arrange taxi pick up from the airport and give you information about travelling to Cheltenham by coach from Heathrow.
Induction and Orientation
Arriving in a new country can be exciting but it can also be a little strange as the customs here may be very different to your country. Our pre-arrival guide (this is the guide for 2012 we will update as soon as 2013 is available) gives you some information about what you need to do before you start your journey and also what to do when you arrive in the UK.
When you first arrive in Cheltenham, we will give you a little time to relax and find your way and we will also give you important information about living and studying here. We call this our Induction and Orientation Programme. This will take place in the first few days you are here. During this time we will show you the campus and the town, talk to you about accommodation, help you open a bank account and register with a doctor and the police (if this is necessary).We will also introduce you to the university systems including using email and the library.
Placement Test
We will give you a test when you arrive. This is to give us an idea of your level and also to help put you into a suitable class.The test includes reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary and listening. There is also a short group interview .
Fee Information
Course fees include tuition, a coursebook, a university ID card, use of the library,e mail and the internet, accommodation (for 9 weeks or 3 weeks), a weekly sports activity, and weekly excursions. They do not include any entrance fees, social activities or examination fees.
How to Apply
If you have a conditional offer for an undergraduate or postgraduate course at the University of Gloucestershire and you need to improve your English to meet the condition, please contact the International Admissions team admissions@glos.ac.uk