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English Requirements

Home › International Students › English Requirements

To study for a degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read and write English fluently. These skills will allow you to understand lectures, produce high standards of written work and perform well in examinations. Language proficiency is mainly assessed by referral to candidates' IELTS, TOEFL or PTE Academic qualifications. If you possess English Language qualifications other than IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE Academic you are advised to contact our Language Centre for guidance on equivalencies. All English Language qualifications must be taken within two years of the start date of your desired course.

If you require a visa to study in the UK please make sure you are familiar with the UK Border Agency's English Language requirements.

English Language Requirements - Postgraduate

You must refer to the College you will be studying in to confirm the English Language requirements for your programme of study.

College of Arts and Social Science

All postgraduate programmes (both taught and research) have the following English Language requirements:

 

IELTS	Listening - 5.5 or above  Reading – 6.0 or above  Speaking - 5.5 or above  Writing - 6.0 or above  Overall - 6.5
TOEFL iBT  TOEFL DI code is 0818	Listening - 17 or above  Reading - 21 or above  Speaking - 20 or above  Writing - 21 or above  Overall – 90
PTE Academic	Listening - 51 or above  Reading - 54 or above  Speaking - 51 or above  Writing - 54 or above  Overall - 62 or above

College of Physical Sciences

For postgraduate study, there are two distinct English Language criteria, referred to as Postgraduate Standard and Postgraduate Higher as outlined in the table below. Postgraduate Standard refers to the English Language proficiency required for entry to the majority of Postgraduate programmes within the College of Physical Sciences. Postgraduate Higher courses currently include MSc Oil and Gas Enterprise Management and MSc Integrated Petroleum Geoscience.

	Postgraduate Standard	Postgraduate Higher
IELTS	Listening - 5.5 or above Reading - 5.5 or above Speaking - 5.5 or above Writing - 6.0 or above Overall - 6.5	Listening - 5.5 or above Reading - 5.5 or above Speaking - 5.5 or above Writing - 6.0 or above Overall - 7.0
TOEFL iBT  TOEFL DI code is 0818	Listening - 17 or above Reading - 18 or above Speaking - 20 or above Writing - 21 or above Overall - 90	Listening - 17 or above Reading - 18 or above Speaking - 20 or above Writing - 21 or above Overall - 100
PTE Academic	Listening - 51 or above Reading - 51 or above Speaking - 51 or above Writing  - 54 or above Overall - 62 or above	Listening - 51 or above Reading - 51 or above Speaking - 51 or above Writing  - 54 or above Overall - 70 or above

 

College of Life Sciences and Medicine

All postgraduate programmes (both taught and research) have the following English Language requirements:
 

	Postgraduate Standard
IELTS	Listening - 5.5 or above  Reading - 5.5 or above  Speaking - 5.5 or above  Writing - 6.0 or above  Overall - 6.5
TOEFL iBT  TOEFL DI code is 0818	Listening - 17 or above  Reading - 18 or above  Speaking - 20 or above  Writing - 21 or above  Overall - 90
PTE Academic	Listening - 51 or above  Reading - 51 or above  Speaking - 51 or above  Writing - 54 or above  Overall - 62 or above

English Language Requirements - Undergraduate

The standard English Language criteria for undergraduate study at the University of Aberdeen are listed below (referred to as Undergraduate Standard). Please note that this standard does not apply to Medicine (MB ChB) where a higher level of English is required. Alternative English Language qualifications are NOT accepted for Medicine (MB ChB) applicants.

	Undergraduate Standard	Medicine (MB ChB)
IELTS	Listening - 5.5 or above  Reading - 5.5 or above  Speaking - 5.5 or above  Writing - 6.0 or above  Overall - 6.0	Listening - 5.5 or above  Reading - 5.5 or above  Speaking - 7.0 or above  Writing - 6.0 or above  Overall - 7.0
TOEFL iBT  TOEFL DI code is 0818	Listening - 17 or above  Reading - 18 or above  Speaking - 20 or above  Writing - 21 or above  Overall - 87	Listening - 21 or above  Reading - 22 or above  Speaking - 28 or above  Writing - 21 or above  Overall - 100
PTE Academic	Listening - 51 or above  Reading - 51 or above  Speaking - 51 or above  Writing  - 54 or above  Overall - 54 or above	Listening - 51 or above  Reading - 51 or above  Speaking - 70 or above  Writing  - 54 or above  Overall - 70 or above

English Language Programmes

International students who are planning to study at the University of Aberdeen or any other British university, but whose English language skills are slightly lower than the minimum required for direct entry can apply to study English at our Language Centre. It offers a number of programmes including:

• Arts and Science Focused Academic English Language Summer Schools: Depending on your English proficiency, you can apply to study a number of courses of varying duration to enhance your language skills prior to the commencement of your degree.
• LLM Pre-Sessional English Language Courses: This course aims to develop your understanding and use of legal terminology, develop your ability to read different types of legal texts effectively and provide you with practice in group-based discussion work and increase your confidence in speaking. The length of the course will depend on your level of English proficiency.
• Academic English Preparation Programme: If your current English language skills are significantly lower than the minimum required for direct entry to your chosen degree programme, you can apply to attend the University's Academic English Preparation Programme.This lasts a full academic year with different entry points depending on your level of English and the entry requirements for the programme you ultimately expect to join.
• In-Sessional Support in English Language & Academic Skills: During term time, as an international students studying at the University of Aberdeen you can access a range of Language Centre support services. These are widely publicised around the University or you can obtain further details by contacting the Language Centre directly. Courses typically focus on the development of language and academic skills in key areas such as Academic Writing, Giving Oral Presentations and Seminar Skills.

British Council English School

The British Council is the UK's international organisation for educational and cultural relations between the UK and the rest of the world. The British Council provides English language courses from 135 outlets in 58 countries world-wide.

If you visit the British Council website you can find out about courses that are available in your own country. If the British Council office in your country does not offer courses in English, it will be able to recommend other English language courses in your own country that you may wish to attend before beginning your studies in Aberdeen.