Pre-Master's Courses

Guaranteed Entry To A US Master's After Only 1-2 Semesters

A Pre-Master's is for international students who want to study a master's degree in the USA, but do not have the academic or English qualifications required for direct entry¹. Most courses teach a combination of subject knowledge, study skills and research methods. In addition, you will learn English to a high standard for use in your studies and research.

Courses start in January, May and August and take 1 - 2 semesters to complete, depending on your English level. For most pre-master's, you are guaranteed progression to your chosen master's degree on successful completion of the course.

Why Choose This Course

A pre-master's course is perfect if you want to study a master's degree in the United States and:

• You need to improve your English level to meet the entry requirements.
• Your bachelor's degree class or GPA is borderline for direct entry.
• You have not taken a GRE or GMAT test.
• You have a bachelor's degree from your own country, but it is not accepted for entry to a master's degree in the United States.
• You already have the qualifications for direct entry, but you want to develop your subject knowledge, English ability and research methods before starting a master's degree in a new country.

Entry Requirements

* If you do not meet the English requirements for a pre-master's course, you may still be accepted if you study an academic English course first. Please ask your advisor for further details and availability.

Also In This Section

• International Year One
• Academic English
• List of Colleges & Universities
• The US Education System
• Why Study In The USA?
• Subject Guide: Business
• Subject Guide: Engineering

¹ For direct entry to a master's degree, you will need an internationally recognised Bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 (on the 4.0 scale) or equivalent. You will also need an English level of IELTS 6.5 and good GRE / GMAT test scores.
Note: You do not need a pre-master's course if you already have the qualifications for direct entry to a master's degree. If you are not sure, see our guide to US university entry requirements or ask your student advisor for advice.