10-week Blended Learning (Online and On-site) Pre-sessional course 2020 entry
The 10-week Blended Learning Pre-sessional course will run in summer 2020. This course is for students who have the language qualifications to do a 10-week Pre-sessional course, and for students who may experience delays in obtaining visas, English language test scores or completing undergraduate courses because of COVID-19/coronavirus disruption.
The 10-week Blended Learning Pre-sessional course is closed for applications for 2020 entry.
The traditional on-site 10-week Pre-sessional course has been replaced by the 10-week Blended Learning Pre-sessional course due to the coronavirus disruption. If you accepted an offer for the course before Friday 20 March 2020 you will receive an email with further instructions.
This course was recently separated into two phases: an online phase and an on-site phase. However, due to the continued disruption caused by the Covid-19 crisis, the University has decided to deliver the final four weeks of the course using a teaching method known as ‘dual delivery’ where classes take place online and on-site at the same time.
Students will attend classes in either of the following ways:
- All classes online for the ten weeks
- All classes online for the first six weeks and on-site for the last four weeks
Successful applicants do not have to be in St Andrews to start attending their pre-sessional classes.
The 10-week Blended Learning Pre-sessional course will cover similar content to the traditional on-site 10-week Pre-sessional course.
This course is designed to prepare you for your degree programme by focusing on the academic language and skills required for successful study at the University of St Andrews. You will develop your ability to use English in academic contexts, as well as learn about academic, social and cultural life in St Andrews. In summer 2019, 99% of students who studied on a Pre-sessional course progressed to degree programmes within the University.
Course type
Full-time pre-degree course to prepare students who use English as an additional language for postgraduate degree programmes.
Course dates
- Orientation: 25 June to 26 June 2020
- Start date: 29 June 2020
- End date: 3 September 2020
Tuition fees
£4,000 (this fee covers orientation and 10 weeks of teaching)
To reserve your place on this course, you must pay a non-refundable deposit of £300. There is a limited number of Pre-sessional places each year, and these are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
The full tuition fee must be paid by Friday 10 July 2020.
Students who need a visa must provide their required English language evidence by Monday 6 July 2020 (see the entry requirements section for details). Students who are unable to provide satisfactory English evidence by Monday 6 July 2020 can withdraw from the course before Friday 10 July 2020 without paying the full tuition fee.
You can pay your deposit and your fees by:
- International bank transfer
- Credit card through the online payment portal.
When making a payment by bank transfer or credit card, please choose the ‘Tuition fees’ option and enter the relevant amount. This applies to deposits and balance payments.
Entry requirements
To apply for the 10-week Blended Learning Pre-sessional course, you must have a conditional offer for any postgraduate degree programme at the University of St Andrews.
You must have an IELTS (Academic) or equivalent score that meets the minimum requirement in your subject area for the 10-week Pre-sessional course. See English language requirements for pre-degree students. It is not necessary to provide your English language evidence to start the course, but you must present it by Monday 6 July 2020.
Students who have an English language score which satisfies requirements for the 10-week Pre-sessional course should send evidence as soon as possible to ie@st-andrews.ac.uk including full name and student ID number.
To apply, you will need to provide a copy of your passport.
Application deadline
Applicants do not need to provide an English language test score by this date, but they must hold a conditional offer for any postgraduate degree programme at the University of St Andrews.
Students who require a visa must submit their required English language evidence by 6 July 2020 to allow time for processing their visa if they are planning to attend classes in St Andrews.
Students who do not require a visa must submit their English language evidence before the start of the course.
Combined visa
You can apply for a combined visa (for your pre-sessional course and your degree programme) if you are a Tier 4 student and you have an offer for a programme in one the following subject areas:
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Economics and Finance
- International Relations
- Management
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Physics and Astronomy
- TESOL
If you are eligible for a combined visa you can submit one of the following as evidence of your English language ability:
- Secure English Language Test (SELT) scores.
- Equivalent scores on other tests listed on the English language requirements for postgraduate students page.
When to apply for your combined visa
Even if you decide to attend all of your pre-sessional classes online, you can apply for your combined visa to begin in late August. This will allow you to arrive in plenty of time for your degree.
Students who do not apply for a combined visa
If you are not able to apply for a combined visa, you will have to wait until you receive your final grades for your pre-sessional course and then apply for a visa to start your degree. This may result in you having to delay your degree visa application and start your degree online. To avoid this, you could do a part of the pre-sessional course in St Andrews, and then apply for your degree visa once you have arrived in the UK.
Meet us in your country
Whether you have questions about your application or student life, or you would like to meet a member of staff from the School you wish to study in, you can do so no matter where you live.
Course information
This intensive course will help you to:
- enhance your academic English
- develop your academic skills
- learn about studying at the University of St Andrews as a postgraduate or undergraduate student
- adapt to living and studying in the UK
- meet English language offer conditions.
Classes for the last four weeks of this course are delivered online and on-site at the same time. This means that if you need a visa to study in the UK you can start your course online, get your visa, and then travel to complete the last four weeks in St Andrews.
You will participate in online learning activities for approximately 18 hours per week and will work individually on assignments. Online classes will take place in the late afternoon and evening for students from East Asia, and during the day and afternoon for students in other time zones. Online learning activities will typically include:
- watching lectures and other videos created for the course
- completing interactive worksheets
- contributing to discussion forums
- engaging in peer assessment of written work
- joining live video tutorials or classes.
You will also have to submit assignments and will receive electronic feedback from your teacher.
You will complete formative assessments and will receive feedback to help you improve your results before taking summative assessments later on in the course. You are expected to participate fully in classes regardless of whether you decide to attend online or on-site. Your participation will be monitored throughout the ten weeks of the course.
Students will attend English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classes, combined with a series of academic lectures and seminars. These sessions will help you to enhance your academic reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, as well as your understanding of good academic practice in higher education.
You will have approximately 18 contact hours per week. Online classes can vary in size.
Your EAP assessments will focus on the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Assessment and learning outcomes
The assessments are benchmarked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Your overall score is calculated using the University of St Andrews 20-point scale.
Scores are benchmarked to CEFR levels as follows:
- a score of 4.0-6.9 is equivalent to CEFR B2 level
- a score of 7.0-10.9 is equivalent to CEFR B2+ level
- a score of 11.0-13.9 is equivalent to CEFR C1 level
- a score of 14.0-16.9 is equivalent to CEFR C1+ level
- a score of 17.0-20.0 is equivalent to CEFR C2 level
These scores can be used as evidence of English language ability to meet English language offer conditions (see progression requirements below).
Students who complete this course with an overall score of 11.0 or higher should be able to:
- Write clear, well-structured texts on complex topics in an appropriate style of their field, using supporting evidence and examples from sources as required.
- Give clear, well-structured presentations on complex subjects in their field, expanding and supporting points of view with appropriate reasons and examples.
- Demonstrate detailed understanding of a wide range of lengthy, complex texts where stated opinions and implied points of view are discussed, given time to reread where necessary.
- Demonstrate sufficient understanding to follow extended speech on abstract and complex topics of academic relevance.
- Produce work that demonstrates an understanding of good academic practise and scholarship, including strategies to avoid plagiarism.
Other features of the course
When students are on-site, the course introduces them to different services across the University, including the:
- Library
- Student Services
- Careers Centre
- Sports Centre
- Music Centre.
Progression requirements
In addition to maintaining satisfactory attendance on the course, you must also achieve a grade of either 7.0, 11.0 or 14.0 to progress onto your chosen degree programme. You can check which score you need to achieve in the Equivalent scores for English language tests section of the English language requirements for postgraduate students web page.
Further explanation of assessment and progression will be provided during orientation.
Accommodation
All students who want to attend classes in St Andrews for the last four weeks of the course will be able to book University accommodation. This accommodation will be available from Wednesday 5 August 2020. Students will have to move out of their allocated room on Friday 4 September 2020.
To apply for University accommodation, you must complete the online accommodation application form.
When you complete the online accommodation application, you must ensure you check the box for the 4-week Pre-Sessional course and not the 10-week option.
Students who plan to travel to St Andrews before Wednesday 5 August 2020 should contact ie@st-andrews.ac.uk to discuss their travel plans with University staff.
If you do not wish to apply for University residential accommodation, please be aware that you are responsible for making your own alternative arrangements. Find out more about private accommodation in St Andrews.
Contact
International Education Institute
University of St Andrews
Kinnessburn
Kennedy Gardens
St Andrews
KY16 9DJ
Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2255
Email: ie@st-andrews.ac.uk
Policies
Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our admissions policy.
Curriculum development
As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online (PDF, 72 KB).
Tuition fees
The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online (PDF, 84 KB).