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Here are some sample timetables for face-to-face and online Pre-sessional students starting with us in 2026.
Your weekly timetable will typically include:
- 15 hours of contact time with your tutor in lessons
- a minimum of 15 hours of independent study (research and lesson preparation)
- 15 minutes of online contact time with your tutor in individual tutorials.
The Pre-sessional course operates during standard UCL working hours, and the teaching and assessment schedule is fixed and cannot be changed.
You are expected to fully attend and actively participate in scheduled teaching activities.
The minimum attendance requirement is 85%. If you cannot meet the minimum attendance requirement, you may be withdrawn from the course.
Students who are withdrawn due to poor attendance are not eligible for a full or pro rata refund.
Face-to-face timetable
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lessons (09:30am–1pm BST, incl. 30-min break) | Research Skills: academic integrity and citing your sources | Academic Reading Circle: working together to understand a complex text | Research Skills: understanding your audience & their expectations; defining key terms | Speaking and Presentation Skills: how to talk about your research; signposting language for presentations | Micro-presentation, Q&A, and peer feedback: your Research Project so far |
| Independent study (after 1pm BST) | Independent Research (1 hour) Read journal article and prepare for lesson (2 hours) Individual Tutorial (15 minutes) | Independent Research (3 hours) | Independent Research (3 hours) | Independent Research (2 hours) Prepare micro-presentation (1 hour) | Independent Research (3 hours) |
Note that this is a typical week, and there may be week-by-week variations during the actual course.
Online timetable
Students based in time zones to the west of the UK (i.e. the Americas) may find it difficult to study the Pre-sessional course online due to the early start time of lessons and assessments, and the significant time differences between themselves, their tutor, and their classmates.
We therefore strongly recommend that students based in times zones to the west of the UK take a face-to-face Pre-sessional course.
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent study before 9:30am BST | Independent Research Project (3 hours) | Independent Research Project (1 hour); Read journal article and prepare for lesson (2 hours) | Independent Research Project (3 hours) | Independent Research Project (3 hours) | Independent Research Project (2 hours); Prepare micro-presentation (1 hour) |
| Lessons 09:30am–1pm BST (including 30-min break) | Research Skills: academic integrity and citing your sources | Academic Reading Circle: working together to understand a complex text | Research Skills: understanding your audience and their expectations; defining key terms | Speaking and Presentation Skills: how to talk about your research; signposting language for presentations | Micro-presentation, Q&A, and peer feedback: your Research Project so far |
| Between 1pm and 3pm BST | Individual Tutorial (15 minutes) |
Note that this is a typical week, and there may be week-by-week variations during the actual course.