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  4. Pre-sessional English Language Programme (PREP)

Pre-sessional English Language Programme (PREP)

Attendance mode
Full-time

Start date(s)
April, June, July

Duration
20, 10 or 6 weeks

Location
City Campus

UK and international students can apply

Overview

This programme fully prepares you for life and study at the University of Bradford.

The PREP is a flexible suite of courses which improve your English language and academic skills to enable you to engage fully with higher education study.

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the British Council.

Accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK logo

Entry requirements

To be accepted onto the PREP course, you should already have a conditional offer of study for a degree course at the University of Bradford.

To start your chosen University of Bradford degree course, you will need to reach the required IELTS level - the score needed can be found in the entry requirements section of each course page.

We have a number of different pre-sessional options to help you get to the required level, outlined on the Language Centre website.

What you will study

PREP is an exciting and challenging course that fully prepares you for life and study at the University of Bradford. By the end of the PREP you will feel confident in your English language skills and be well prepared to progress to your degree studies.

You will also become familiar with the University, the city, and the UK through our welcoming approach, social programme and our attention to your personal welfare.

You are taught by English language teachers using interactive, learner-centred and task-based methods in groups of up to 16 students.

Additional resources and support activities will also be used through the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Course structure

  • The course is made up of four blocks. You should start the course at the block which matches your IELTS score.
  • There will be 20 hours of timetabled classes and learning activities each week.
  • There will be a maximum of 16 students in each group and the focus will be on group and pair work as well as task-based sessions.

Content

  • All classes will concentrate on improving English vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and language skills as well as English for Academic Purposes (EAP).
  • As well as studying reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, other classes will include seminar discussions, note-taking, essay and report-writing and exam techniques.  
  • There will be sessions on how to use the library resources and IT services.  
  • There will be a programme of social and cultural orientation events organised by staff in the .
  • There will be more emphasis on EAP as students progress through the blocks.
  • The final block will focus on the research and writing of academic texts, as well as presentation and seminar skills.

Assessment

You will be assessed at the end of each block, and must have successfully completed a block before progression to the next is permitted.

You should be a minimum CEFR Level B2 in all skills by the end of the course.

Fees, finance and scholarships

Tuition fee

20 weeks – £5800

10 weeks – £2900

6 weeks - £1740

Additional costs

There may be additional costs that you may incur as a student. Though these are not essential to your programme of study you need to be aware of them as a student of the University. A list of the sort of costs you might expect can be found on our fees and finance section.

Financial support

See our fees and financial support section.

Scholarships

Every year we award numerous non-repayable scholarships to UK, EU and international students on the basis of academic excellence, personal circumstances or economic hardship. For full details, visit our scholarships section.

Which visa should I apply for?

Student Visa Route

If you have a minimum overall IELTS score of 4.0 (with no sub-tests less than 4.0), you should apply for a student visa. You can obtain a visa that covers the duration of your English language course and degree programme. However entry on to the degree programme is conditional upon successful completion of the English language course.

Upon successful completion of the English language course, you may apply in the UK for the student visa required for your degree course, as long as there is not a gap of more than 3 months in between courses. The gap between the end of your current visa and the start of your new course must not be more than 28 days.

Visa advice

For more detailed visa information and contact details for the Visa Support Team, please visit our Visas website.

Career support

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website.

Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

Career prospects

Starting salaries will vary depending on the career path you choose. Below are the average starting salaries for a few key areas:

  • Chemistry & Forensic Sciences - £21,419
  • Pharmacy ( 5 years) - £28,852
  • Nursing - £22,417
  • Midwifery Studies - £23,412
  • Computer Science - £25,100
  • Management (business/accounting/marketing/HRM) - £22,186

Got a question?

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This is the current course information. Modules and course details may change, subject to the University's programme approval, monitoring and review procedures. The University reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses, services and facilities as described on our website without notice and to amend Ordinances, Regulations, fees and charges at any time. Students should enquire as to the up-to-date position when applying for their course of study.