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Course Details
Highly qualified Centre for English and Global Languages tutors, all of whom have considerable English language teaching experience, provide tuition on the course. Our staff are on hand to offer all the necessary support to students throughout the course. Teaching will be conducted in small groups, lectures, seminars and tutorials. This is an intensive course, and students are expected to engage in guided self-study in the form of homework and assignments; such independent learning forms an essential element of this course.
Choosing the right course
Pre-Sessional courses offer language proficiency pathways to undergraduate and graduate programmes without the need to re-take IELTS. The length and type of course you need will depend on your current level of English, and the language requirements for your chosen degree programme here in UCD. Our experienced team can advise applicants based on their individual profile and requirements.
Course Details
| COURSE NAME | DURATION | Dates | FEES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Week Combined |
18 Weeks |
14th April - 15th August 2025 | € 6,610 |
| 10 Week On-Campus | 10 Weeks | 9th June - 15th August 2025 |
€ 3,675 |
| 7 Week On-Campus | 7 Weeks | 30th June - 15th August 2025 |
€ 2,570 |
| 7 Week Online | 7 Weeks | 9th June - 25th July 2025 |
€2,570 |
English Language Requirements
| Direct Entry Requirements | Pre-Sessional Entry Requirement | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Week | 10 Week | 18 Week | |
| IELTS - 6.5 with no component below 6.0 |
IELTS - 6.0 with no band less than 5.5 |
IELTS – 5.5 with no band less than 5.0 | IELTS - 5.5 (with minimum of 5.0 in Writing and a minimum of 4.5 in all other components) |
| IELTS - 6.5 with 6.5 in Reading & Writing and 6.0 in all other components |
IELTS - 6.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading & Writing and no other component below 5.5 | IELTS - 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading & Writing and no other component below 5.0 | IELTS - 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading & Writing and no other component below 4.5 |
| IELTS - 7.0 with no component below 6.0 (e.g. Smurfit Graduate Business School) |
IELTS - 6.5 with no component below 6.0 | IELTS - 6.0 with no component below 5.5 |
IELTS - 6.0 with no component below 5.0 |
Alternative English Language Requirements
| IELTS | TOEFL iBT | Pearson | Duolingo English Test |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 with min. of 5.0 in writing and no other band less than 4.5 | 55 overall with a minimum of 17 in Writing, 13 in Speaking, 4 in Reading & 4 in Listening | 47 overall with a minimum of 43 in Writing and no other communicative skill below 35 | Overall 100 with 90 in Production and Literacy and no other component below 80 |
| 5.5 with no band less than 5.0 | 60 overall with a minimum of 17 in Writing, 15 in Speaking, 8 in Reading & 7 in Listening | 47 overall with no communicative skill below 43 | Overall 100 with no component below 90 |
| 6.0 with no band less than 5.5 | 70 overall with a minimum of 20 in Writing, 17 in Speaking, 12 in Reading & 11 in Listening |
55 overall with no communicative skill below 51 | Overall 110 with no component below 100 |
| 6.5 with no band less than 6.0 | 90 overall with a minimum of 21 in Writing and 19 in every other section |
63 overall with no communicative skill below 59 | Overall 120 with no component below 110 |
Course Assessment
Students are tested on entry and on a regular basis throughout the course. Ongoing feedback is provided. At the end of the course, there will be a final assessment: this includes a written examination, a written research project on a relevant academic subject with an accompanying oral presentation, as well as a review of the portfolio of tasks built up by the student during the programme. A transcript of final results and a report on the student’s English language competence will be forwarded to the UCD Degree Programme to which the student is applying.
Attendance
In order to successfully complete the Pre-Sessional course, students must have 90% attendance and complete all of the assignments and assessment on the course to a level appropriate to their chosen course of study. By the end of the course, students should be in a position to gain the maximum benefit from their academic programme of study and successfully complete their UCD degree.
Progression Requirements
Students who enter onto the Pre-Sessional EAP Programme with the following IELTS (or equivalent) scores, must achieve the below grades in order to successfully complete the programme and progress onto their UCD undergraduate or graduate degree.
For programmes requiring an overall IELTS of 6.5 with no component below 6.0
Students need to achieve both the following in the Pre-Sessional:
- A minimum overall grade of C+
- At least a C- in each individual component
For programmes requiring an overall IELTS of 7.0 with no component below 6.0 (Smurfit Master's)
Students need to achieve both the following in the Pre-Sessional:
- A minimum overall grade of B-
- At least a C- in each individual component
For programmes requiring an overall IELTS of 7.0 with no component below 6.5
Students need to achieve both the following in the Pre-Sessional:
- A minimum overall grade of B-
- At least a C in each individual component
For programmes requiring an overall IELTS of 7.5 with no component below 7.0
Students need to achieve both the following in the Pre-Sessional:
- A minimum overall grade of B
- At least a C+ in each individual component
If you are unclear on the progression requirement for a specific programme, please contact the team at presessional@ucd.ie.