International Pre-Master's

You must show that you have a strong academic background by usually demonstrating a minimum of a lower second-class degree (2:2) or an overseas equivalent.

If you are just below these requirements, we will consider your application if you have work experience relevant to your future degree.

You can check the specific entry requirement for your country using the 'region search' on the International Students website. After navigating to your country, look for the Graduate Programmes subheading to check the equivalent grade for the lower-second class (2:2) requirement.

If your country, region or area is not listed, or you have any questions, please email pre-masters@ucl.ac.uk.

If you hope to progress to a postgraduate degree at UCL, you should also check whether your first degree meets the academic requirements of the course you want to apply for.

You can find the specific academic requirements for your chosen course in UCL’s degree finder.

You may also apply if you hold:

• an offer for a UCL postgraduate degree for 2026-27 entry and would like to start a year later, you can read more in the how to apply section.
• a postgraduate unconditional offer, or a postgraduate offer with only an English language condition, from a Russell Group university that will fulfil our academic requirements.

You must be able to show us that your English is sufficient to study this course.

Your English language qualification must be no more than two years old by the course start date and we may need to request additional information from you to assess your suitability for the course.

We accept the following English language qualifications at the levels specified:

• IELTS Academic and IELTS Academic Online: a minimum of 5.5 overall and in each component.
• TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition, tests taken from 21 January 2026: a minimum of 4.0 overall and in each component.
• TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition, tests taken before 21 January 2026: a minimum of 82 overall, with 22/30 in reading and writing, and 18/30 in listening and speaking.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic) and PTE Academic Online: a minimum of 59 overall and in each component.
• Cambridge English Scale: a minimum of 162 overall and in each component.

We do not accept the following to meet the requirement:

• IELTS One Skill Retake
• TOEFL iBT MyBestScore

If you have completed a degree in the UK or another country that UCL considers to be majority English-speaking, you do not need to submit an English language qualification as part of your application.

The qualification must be awarded within two years of your IPM enrolment. This includes the summer two years before enrolment if starting in September.

If you have studied for a degree in more than one country, such as a joint degree between a Chinese and UK university, you must complete at least three years of undergraduate study or one year of postgraduate study in the majority English-speaking country.

See UCL’s English language requirements page for the full list of countries UCL considers to be majority English-speaking.

You will study in classes with an average of 14 students, giving you more opportunities for personal attention.

You will work in peer study groups of 3 to 4 students from the same class. These guided activities help you prepare for classes and follow up on what you have learned.

The course also includes workshops and lectures.

You will complete self-study tasks independently, with work monitored and reviewed by your teacher. You will also spend time on independent study and revision.

You will have a 30-minute personal tutorial every week with your personal tutor, who is also a member of the teaching team.

Personal tutorials are designed to support your learning during your time on the course. Your personal tutor will help you get the most out of your studies and provide encouragement and guidance throughout the year.

This personal attention is a distinguishing feature of the course and is highly valued by students for helping them achieve their educational goals.

You will complete a staged Research Project guided by your tutors, with feedback and support at each stage.

This component develops your ability to communicate, build and share knowledge in academic contexts through reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Aims and objectives

• Improve your abilities in academic reading, writing, listening, speaking and study skills.
• Give you the opportunity to develop and practise these skills and the language needed to participate in the higher education system in the UK.

Outcomes

By the end of this component, you should be able to:

Reading

• Use strategies for effectively reading academic English texts.
• Recognise and understand a range of academic texts.
• Critically evaluate texts.
• Determine the meaning of unknown general academic and subject-specific vocabulary and record it for personal use.

Writing

• Write effective extended essays based on background reading and research.
• Write effective short, timed essays under examination conditions.

Listening

• Understand and interpret spoken English in lectures and seminars more effectively.
• Listen and take notes more effectively in lectures.
• Use knowledge of English pronunciation to help you understand spoken English more accurately and confidently.
• Give formal presentations and answer post-presentation questions more effectively and confidently.

Speaking

• Lead and participate in seminars and group discussions more effectively and with increased confidence.
• Communicate more fluently and accurately in academic discussion.

Study skills and independent learning

• Work autonomously to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines effectively.
• Take responsibility for your own learning by responding to feedback and using self-study time to improve your language and skills.

Assessment

You are assessed through four final exams in listening and note-taking, reading, speaking (a viva) and writing (an open-book exam).

This component examines research methods used at graduate level, while developing the critical, analytical and argumentative skills needed at that level.

Aims and objectives

• Develop your awareness of the research methods and approaches to building knowledge used at Master’s level, and develop your skills of analysis and argumentation.
• Give you the opportunity to practise these skills and become familiar with the UK higher education system, its expectations and academic conventions.

Outcomes

By the end of this component, you should be able to:

Criticality and argumentation

• Recognise philosophies of enquiry.
• Develop a process for understanding and describing information.
• Analyse the relationship between information in texts and data.
• Clarify the meaning of a text in spoken or written form.
• Find and analyse arguments.
• Assess claims and arguments.
• Question evidence and propose alternatives.
• Present and defend arguments.
• Reflect on your learning critically.

Research methods

• Recognise and distinguish different approaches to research.
• Use a range of sources effectively to find information.
• Read and record information effectively.
• Follow the conventions of academic practice about plagiarism and the use of generative AI.

Study skills and independent learning

• Use reflective practice to inform and improve your learning.
• Use an awareness of the expected roles of students and teachers at UK higher education institutions to your advantage.

Assessment

You are assessed through a reflective essay of 800 to 1,000 words, as well as shorter reflective writing tasks.

This component builds on the first two components by further developing your research, argumentative and critical skills in a chosen discipline, or one closely related to it.

You will explore what knowledge is and how it is constructed and communicated in the context of your chosen academic discipline, or a closely related discipline.

Options

• Architecture and Urban Design
• Business, Economics, Management and Finance
• Education and Psychology
• Humanities, Social and Political Sciences
• Law
• Life and Medical Sciences
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Aims and objectives

• Introduce and familiarise you with the key features of your chosen academic discipline, or a closely related discipline, and the approaches to building knowledge used within it.

Outcomes

By the end of this component, you should be able to:

Discipline-specific approaches to research and advanced scholarship

• Understand and describe what is meant by knowledge in your discipline, or a closely related discipline.
• Identify areas of current research interest and/or current academic controversy.
• Identify and understand underlying philosophies of enquiry in your discipline, or a closely related discipline.

Criticality in the disciplines

• Understand and describe what it means to be critical in your chosen field of study.
• Recognise, describe and comment upon aspects of current research in your chosen field.
• Examine and discuss the uncertainty and limits of knowledge in your discipline.
• Construct arguments and/or solve problems using appropriate ideas and techniques from your chosen field.

Discourse in the disciplines

• Identify, understand and produce several academic text types which are common in your discipline.
• Communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions by effectively following appropriate discourse norms in your discipline.

Study skills

• Work autonomously to prioritise work and meet deadlines effectively.
• Take responsibility for your own learning by responding to feedback and using self-study time to improve your discipline-specific language and skills.
• Understand the differences between the role of students in a UK higher education institution and home institutions when pursuing a course of study in your discipline.

Assessment

You are assessed through a final essay of 1,800 to 2,000 words on a topic related to your intended degree.

• Final essay: based on the Research Project on a topic related to your intended degree course (1,800 to 2,000).
• Reflective essay: 800 to 1,000 words.
• Several shorter reflective writing tasks.

You will complete final exams in:

• listening and note-taking
• reading
• speaking (a viva)
• writing (an open-book exam)

There are also non-graded formative assessments to monitor and support your learning, including a research plan, essay plan and draft essays, seminar discussions and presentations.

These do not count towards your final marks, but they are used to give you individual feedback to help you reach your educational goals.

Please remember to include all supporting documents:

• statement of purpose
• academic transcripts and, if available, your degree certificate, with a translation if these are not originally in English
• evidence of your English language level
• copy of your passport
• any offers to study a Master’s degree that you already have

We do not consider letters of recommendation or CVs as part of your application.

Statement of purpose

Maximum 350 words.

This is a key part of your application. Tell us why you are interested in the course, why you think you are suitable for it, and how it fits with your future academic plans.

Your statement must be your own work, without help from anyone.

It is not used to assess your English language level. It helps us decide whether the course is right for you.

Academic transcripts and degree certificate

You need to submit your final degree transcript confirming the title of your award, final grade and date of completion.

If these are not in English, you will need to provide an official translation.

If you have not completed your degree, we may make you a conditional offer and ask you to send us your final results as soon as they are available.

Evidence of English language level

You need to provide an English language qualification accepted by the course.

Your English language qualification must be no more than two years old by the course start date.

Passport

You will need to provide a copy of your passport.

Offers to study a Master’s degree

You should include any offers to study a Master’s degree that you already have.

You do not need to have an offer to study a Master’s degree to apply for this course.

If you already meet our English language requirements but have not yet finished your undergraduate degree, we can offer you a place on the IPM on the condition that you achieve a lower second-class degree (2.2) or equivalent.

If you complete your undergraduate degree with a 2.2 or above, your offer will become unconditional.

An unconditional offer means that you already meet all the entry requirements of the IPM. A conditional offer means that you have met the English language requirement, but you have not yet met the academic requirement. You will need to show that you have met the academic requirement before you receive an unconditional offer for the IPM.

If you have already completed your undergraduate degree and did not achieve a 2.2 or above, you cannot apply for a conditional offer. However, you can still contact us and ask us to consider your application.

If we make you an offer after reviewing your application, we will state whether your offer is conditional or unconditional.

To clear your condition and accept your offer, email your final official transcript, your degree certificate if it states your grade, or both, to pre-masters@ucl.ac.uk.

If you have not met the conditions of your offer, you should still contact us and provide evidence of your grade. Although we cannot promise you a place on the IPM, we will still consider your application.

If we make you a conditional offer, we will normally expect you to meet all academic conditions in your offer by Monday 20 July 2026. We encourage you to contact us as soon as you receive your grade, as this gives you more time to apply for your visa and arrange accommodation.

If you have not been able to meet the deadline to provide evidence of your grade, but you do meet the academic requirements, we will be able to reopen your application if the IPM still has places. Please contact us as soon as possible.

After submitting your application and relevant documents, you will be directed to the UCL Online Store.

You will need to pay the application fee of £90 by credit or debit card.

Exceptional circumstances

UCL understands that prospective students living in conflict zones, displaced by conflict, who are seeking asylum in the UK or have been granted refugee status in the UK may find it difficult to pay an application fee.

We are committed to making the application process accessible to those affected.

Financial hardship

If financial hardship is the result of conflict, related displacement, or your presence in the UK as an asylum seeker or refugee, you can apply for a fee waiver.

It is not possible to apply for an application fee waiver under any other circumstances.

Applying for a fee waiver

If you think you are eligible, please email us a written request for suspension of the application fee.

Once you have submitted a complete application and paid the application fee, our Admissions team will review it.

You can normally expect to receive a decision within two to three weeks.

If we have any queries about your application, we will contact you for further information.

If your application is successful, we will send you an offer letter by email.

If you hold an offer for a UCL postgraduate degree for 2026–27 entry and would like to start a year later so that you can take the Pre-Master’s, you will be able to request a deferral.

We will include further information about how to request a deferral in our IPM enrolment letter, after you have paid the tuition fee in full.

You must make your deferral request at least two weeks before the start date of the postgraduate degree you originally applied for and be deferring for the first time.

Read more about deferring your graduate taught offer.

If you need a visa to study in the UK, you will need to apply for a Student visa.

To apply for your Student visa, you will first need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

We will provide information about how to request a CAS during your application process.

The Short-term study visa is not suitable for Pre-Master’s students.

For further advice about visas, please visit the UCL Immigration and Visas website.

Once you have accepted your offer and have been issued with a UCL student number, you can apply for UCL Accommodation.

The UCL Accommodation application is separate from your IPM application.

For 2026–27 IPM students, UCL Accommodation is guaranteed if you submit your accommodation application by 10 June 2026 and meet the eligibility criteria.

If you miss this deadline, we strongly recommend that you secure alternative accommodation.

The UCL Accommodation team can provide useful resources and information to help with your search. IPM students are treated as undergraduates for UCL accommodation.

We will send you pre-arrival information.

You should aim to arrive in good time and no later than the weekend before the course start date.

Please check your IPM confirmation email for further information.

We will refund all course fees paid, including the tuition fee deposit, in the following circumstances:

• you change your mind about attending the course and request a refund within 14 days of accepting your offer, unless there are 14 days or fewer before the course starts, in which case no refund will be made
• you do not secure the necessary clearance to enter the UK to study on the course and a further visa application is not possible; claims must be supported by a Refusal of Entry Clearance letter
• you provide appropriate evidence before the course begins that you have received full funding for the course
• you do not meet the academic conditions set out in your offer letter and, after considering the evidence you provide, UCL decides that you should not be admitted

Except in the circumstances above, the tuition fee deposit is non-refundable. Any other refund requests will be considered at the sole discretion of UCL CLIE.

Requests for full or pro rata refunds received after the course has started will not be considered.

Refund requests must be submitted by email to pre-masters@ucl.ac.uk.

As well as paying your tuition fee, you should consider how you will cover your living costs while studying.

You will need to pay for your accommodation, food and travel, as well as study-related costs. For example, you will need a device such as a laptop or tablet to complete your work. You should also plan for everyday costs such as clothes and entertainment.

To learn more, please see the cost of studying at UCL guide.

UCL

• Anthropology and Professional Practice MSc
• Art Education, Culture and Practice MA
• Banking and Digital Finance MSc
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health MSc
• Digital Anthropology MSc
• Digital Innovation Built Asset Management MSc
• Digital Media: Education MA
• Education and Technology MA
• Educational Leadership (Pre-service) MA
• Engineering for International Development MSc
• Entrepreneurship MSc
• Management MSc
• Materials and Molecular Modelling MSc
• Organic Chemistry: Drug Discovery MSc
• Prosperity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MSc
• Psychological Sciences MSc
• Russian and Post-Soviet Politics MA
• Sociology of Education MA
• Special and Inclusive Education MA
• Urban Economic Development MSc

Other Russell Group universities

King’s College London

• Transnational Law LLM

University of Warwick

• Educational Leadership and Management MA
• Management MSc

Other UK universities

Bayes Business School

• Management MSc

UCL

• Business Analytics MSc
• Child Development MSc
• Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition MSc
• Environment, Politics and Society MSc
• Global Healthcare Management MSc
• Law LLM
• Management MSc
• Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine MSc
• PhD at the IOE
• Philosophy of Education MA
• Project and Enterprise Management MSc
• Risk, Disaster and Resilience MSc
• Social Policy and Social Research MSc
• Spatial Planning MSc

Other Russell Group universities

Imperial College London

• Clinical Research MRes
• Finance MSc

King’s College London

• China and Globalisation MSc

London School of Economics and Political Science

• Accounting, Organisations, and Institutions MSc
• Law LLM

University of Manchester

• International Business and Management MSc

Queen Mary, University of London

• Corporate Finance MSc

University of Warwick

• International Business MSc

UCL

• Aesthetics (Minimally-Invasive Aesthetics) MS
• Comparative Education MA
• Education Assessment MA
• Global Management of Natural Resources MSc
• Philosophy of Education MA
• Smart Buildings and Digital Engineering MSc
• Strategic Management of Projects MSc
• Urban Development Planning MSc

Other Russell Group universities

University of Edinburgh

• Public Policy MSc

Queen Mary University of London

• Laws (General) LLM

Southampton University

• Finance and Economics MSc

Warwick University

• Business Analytics MSc

Other UK universities

Bath University

• Sustainability and Management MSc

Birkbeck, University of London

• Psychology (Conversion) MSc

City, University of London

• Project Management, Finance and Risk MSc

Goldsmiths, University of London

• User Experience Engineering MSc

University of Kent

• Clinical Psychology MSc
• Strategic Project Management MSc

Loughborough University

• Cyber Security and Data Analytics MSc