Your course
The Pre-Masters is a one- or two-semester course specially designed to meet the needs of international students who want to study postgraduate degree at the University of Sussex. The course provides a unique combination of academic modules, study skills training and English language tuition, ensuring you are fully prepared to meet the challenges of a taught Masters degree.
The one semester option consists of 3 subject modules, 1 skills module and 1 ESUS module. This option is suitable for students seeking a shorter route to their postgraduate degree and typically requires a higher academic and English language ability (IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in all other bands).
The two semester option consists of 4 subject modules, 2 skills and 2 ESUS modules. This option has the advantage of allowing students to study the course material in more depth and be better prepared in regards to subject knowledge and academic research skills for their postgraduate degree at Sussex.
Choose from one of the following subject routes:
- Computing
- International Relations and International Development
- Law
- Management and Finance
- Media, Journalism and Film Studies
Once you successfully complete the programme and achieve the required grades, you can enter your chosen postgraduate degree at the University of Sussex.
Focus on your career
As part of your Pre-Masters degree you will benefit from our unique careers service, called CareerAhead. The service is designed to give you a head start in today's competitive graduate employment market by helping you become a confident, highly skilled and extremely employable graduate.
Course structure
The course is modular in structure. You'll study a combination of core and subject-specific modules, designed to focus on your studies and the academic areas most useful for your degree.
Assessment
You’ll be regularly assessed throughout the course to make sure you meet the standard required to progress to your chosen Masters degree. Assessments include coursework, unseen final examinations, presentations, extended essays and case studies.
English for Pre-Masters
If you need some help to reach the level of English language required to study a Pre-Masters course, additional language training is available at the International Study Centre.
Study plan options
| Overall IELTS | Semesters | June- August | September- December | January- April | May- August | September |
| 4.5 | 4 | EPM | EPM | ✓ | ✓ | Start your Masters degree |
| 5.0 | 3 | EPM | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 5.0 | 3 | EPM | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 5.5 | 2 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| 5.5 | 2 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| 6.0 | 1 | ✓ | ||||
| 6.0 | 1 | ✓ |
Please note: January 2016 & September 2016 start dates are available for Management and Finance, Media Journalism and Film Studies routes only.
English language courses
If you need to improve your English language and/or raise your IELTS score, you can study one of our English language courses before or during your Pre-Masters course.
- Find out more about English for Pre-Masters (EPM) and Language Lift.