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Here are some sample timetables for face-to-face and online Pre-sessional students starting with us in 2025.
Your weekly timetable will typically include:
- 15 hours of contact time in lessons
- up to 15 hours of independent study
- 15 minutes of online contact time 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 If you cannot meet the minimum attendance requirement, you may be withdrawn from the course.
Students who are withdrawn due to poor attendance are not eligible for a full or pro rata refund.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
Note that this is a typical week, and there may be week-by-week variations during the actual course.
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Research Skills Lesson (three hours) Academic integrity; citing your sources | Seminar Skills Lesson (three hours) Academic reading discussion; dealing with complex texts | Research Skills Lesson (three hours) Understanding your audience & their expectations | Seminar Skills Lesson (three hours) Identifying main points in a discussion; asking effective questions in a discussion | Research Skills Lesson (three hours) Critical evaluation of a source text |
| Afternoon | Seminar Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Read journal article for tomorrow’s discussion | Research Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Examine different types of academic texts | Seminar Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Watch lecture and take notes for tomorrow’s discussion | Research Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Selecting suitable academic sources to evaluate | Research Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Explaining key terms to non-specialists |
| Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | |
| Individual Tutorial (15 minutes) |
Online timetable
Note that this is a typical week, and there may be week-by-week variations during the actual course.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 9.30am BST | Seminar Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Read journal article for tomorrow’s discussion | Research Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Examine different types of academic texts | Seminar Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Watch lecture and take notes for tomorrow’s discussion | Research Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Selecting suitable academic sources to evaluate | Research Skills Preparation (1.5 hours) Explaining key terms to non-specialists |
| Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | Independent Research Project (1.5 hours) | |
| Individual Tutorial (15 minutes) | |||||
| After 9.30am BST | Research Skills Lesson (3 hours) Academic integrity; citing your sources | Seminar Skills Lesson (3 hours) Academic reading discussion; dealing with complex texts | Research Skills Lesson (3 hours) Understanding your audience & their expectations | Seminar Skills Lesson (3 hours) Identifying main points in a discussion; asking effective questions in a discussion | Research Skills Lesson (3 hours) Critical evaluation of a source text |