Pre-sessional online courses
Jump to
Pre-sessional courses are designed to help international students improve the academic English and study skills required for postgraduate study in art and design at the RCA.
These online courses can help you raise your English language level, and develop the specific communication and academic skills needed for your Master’s degree at the RCA.
Why choose an RCA pre-sessional course?
Our courses are specifically customised for the unique learning activities and requirements of art and design postgraduate programmes. They will help you communicate at the appropriate level and prepare you with effective academic skills for your chosen RCA programme.
Key benefits
- Specialised focus: All materials, tasks, and discussions use authentic texts and themes from Art and Design disciplines across the College.
- Academic skills: You will practise skills crucial for postgraduate study, including critical reading, reflective thinking, research, planning writing, and dialogic speaking.
- Expert tutors: You will work in a small class group (12–14 students) with an experienced pre-sessional tutor who provides regular personal feedback to help you identify and meet your learning needs.
- Authentic tasks: The coursework is designed to reflect the learning outcomes of your main MA programme. For example, you will learn how to critically evaluate ideas and express your position on relevant issues.
- Online learning: The courses are delivered online via Zoom, Monday to Friday, and include integrated independent study tasks. You will also take part in a weekly webinar with invited speakers from the RCA research community.
BALEAP accreditation
Our pre-sessional courses have been accredited by BALEAP, the national industry body. They noted that the course is "exemplary in its design, reflecting the academic discourse needs of receiving Arts & Design disciplines."
“The course was very helpful for me. I became more confident in speaking, discussing ideas, and explaining my design practice in English. I also learned how to reflect on my work more critically and how to use sources to support my ideas. The tutorials and group discussions helped me prepare for my future study at the RCA.”
“The course was very well designed. I learned a lot beyond English, especially different ways of thinking about art and developing my ideas. It felt more like a transition course into studying at the RCA, which was really helpful for me.”
Course options and entry requirements
We offer two types of pre-sessional courses, depending on your English language scores. These intensive, full-time courses are designed for students who have not yet reached the required English language level for their main RCA programme and need to boost their score.
Pre-sessional courses will also benefit any student with the minimum language requirement score who would also like to develop their Academic Skills for postgraduate study such as critical reflective thinking and dialogic learning.
1. The ten-week online course
Minimum entry requirements:
- IELTS: 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills
- Password Skills PLUS: 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills
- LanguageCert Academic: 60 overall with a minimum of 60 in all skills
- PTE Academic: 46 overall with a minimum of 45 in all skills
Course fees: £6,490
Assessment: You must complete all coursework and maintain 95% attendance to pass the course and continue to your RCA programme. There is no final exam.
2. The six-week online course
Minimum entry requirements:
- IELTS: 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills
- Password Skills PLUS: 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills
- LanguageCert Academic: 65 overall with a minimum of 60 in all skills
- PTE Academic: 55 overall with a minimum of 54 in all skills
Course fees: £3,915
Assessment: You must complete all coursework and maintain 95% attendance to pass the course and continue to your RCA programme. There is no final exam.
Key course information
| Course | Duration | Dates | Requirement | Fees | Application deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spring Online Pre-sessional 10-week course |
10 weeks |
22 Feb - 14 May |
Overall IELTS 5.5 or equivalent (minimum 5.5 in all skills) |
£6,490 |
8 Feb, 12 noon |
Spring Online Pre-sessional 6-week course |
6 weeks |
5 Apr – 14 May |
Overall IELTS 6.0 or equivalent - all skills 5.5 |
£3,915 |
22 Mar, 12 noon |
Summer Online Pre-sessional 10-week course |
10 weeks |
14 Jun – 27 Aug |
Overall IELTS 5.5 or equivalent (minimum 5.5 in all skills) |
£6,490 |
31 May, 12 noon |
Summer Online Pre-sessional 6-week course |
6 weeks |
19 Jul – 27 Aug |
Overall IELTS 6.0 or equivalent - all skills 5.5 |
£3,915 |
12 July, 12 noon |
Class schedule
- Live sessions: Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 12:30pm UK time.
- Format: Taught via Zoom, including one-to-one tutorials and collaborative tasks.
Time commitment: You must also spend at least 12 hours per week on integrated self-study tasks outside of the online teaching sessions.
How to apply and book your place
You register for a Pre-sessional course as part of your admissions process. The Admissions team must confirm your language test results and your eligibility for either the six-week or ten-week course.
- Once you receive an offer and have accepted your place and paid deposit in full, you will receive an email inviting you to consider an English Language pre-sessional course.
- Complete the application form: Access the Pre-Sessional Course Application form via your invitation email link.
- Check eligibility: Check our website to ensure you meet the entrance requirements for your chosen course option.
- Select your Pre-Sessional Course: Your invitation email will take you to the relevant section within our admissions system and you will be able to select the course you wish to apply for from a drop-down list
- Upload test certificates: Enter your language test scores and upload your test certificate within the applicant portal.
- Submit your application: Confirm your pre-sessional course application by submitting the request within the system. You will be able to view the details of the course you have selected, including the amount due and any payments made, by viewing your offers page within the application portal (pre-sessionals will be shown separately from you programme applications on this page)
- Confirm and pay: Once approved, you will receive an approval email. Complete your payment via Flywire on the Applicant Portal within 14 days.
Contact
If you have any questions, please email admissions@rca.ac.uk.
Terms and conditions
A link to the external webpage containing the Pre-Sessional Terms and Conditions will be provided shortly.
Academic skills support during your studies (in-sessional)
The Academic skills team continues to support students with their academic skills development once they start their main RCA programme. This is known as In-sessional support.
- Academic and professional skills workshops: For all students, these workshops run online and in person weekly throughout the academic year. We aim to introduce strategies to support the development of effective research, communicative and reflective academic and professional skills.
- Programme-embedded workshops: The Academic Skills team works closely with Programmes to deliver workshops and support to all students which link directly to the skills and assessment needs of programmes
- One-to-one tutorials: Our team can offer supportive advice and a chance to talk through academic skills development. Current students can refer to our Moodle pages for more details.
Most of these courses are open to all students at the College; some of them are delivered through your programme.
Related content
Contact us
If you require more information about the Pre-sessional course content and details, please email:
presessional@rca.ac.uk
