October 11 2021

Pre-Master: what is it and why take preparatory courses abroad?

Do you want to study for a Master’s degree abroad, but you aren’t sure what you need and what are the requirements?

This article about pre-master’s programmes is for you!

Maybe you are planning to study abroad for a Master’s degree or know someone who wants to do a master’s abroad, but doesn’t know exactly is required to qualify for and be accepted into a master’s program.

If you have approached some universities or agencies, you may well have been recommended to do a programme called pre-master.

Do you know what this course is? Would you like to know or understand more about it?

Those who are looking for postgraduate courses and universities abroad, especially master’s degrees, will often come across this course as they begin their search. It is a popular programme in countries like United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, and it can be an excellent option for international students.

With this article, we aim to help you decide if it is the best choice for your academic plans abroad.

In order to understand the course’s purpose at first, we could say that attending a master abroad is not only a matter of having a higher education degree and mastering the language of the country where you want to study. There are more factors involved in your postgraduate training abroad.

What is a pre-master’s course?

It is an academic program designed specifically to provide a direct pathway and preparation for different master’s degrees at a university abroad. It was devised by universities and pre-university schools a few years ago, and has become increasingly popular as more students are searching for their postgraduate education abroad.

To attend postgraduate studies abroad, it is crucial to master specific academic skills and tools to follow the programme, and to fit into an international university context.

The mission of a pre-master’s course is to provide master’s candidates with these tools and skills, such as

– Academic writing

– Active listening

– Terminology of the field of study

– Methodology of the country where they will study

– Understanding of how higher education systems work in the country they will study;

– How to take notes efficiently in class

– How to take part actively in class discussions

– Research skills for the final dissertation.

In case one is wondering: “I took these theory subjects at my home university already. Why should I do it again? It is that dissimilar to what I have already done?” Well, it would be highly recommended as it is very different to take a course in another country, another culture and another educational system and you never experienced international education.

Take the example of the UK. British Masters courses are intensive, typically a 12-month course during which you will take six to eight subjects, sit exams, and write your Master’s dissertation (which may average between 15,000 and 25,000 words). In addition, you will undertake tasks such as producing essays, bibliographical research, academic reviews, attending and presenting at seminars – all in the 12-month timeframe.

A pre-master’s programme will teach you to manage your time wisely, without losing your productivity, to study independently, using your time to fulfil all your assignments as a Master’s student. Then, of course, you will learn the academic language and terminology of your field. It is a comprehensive preparation for the master’s degree.

The course, also, will allow the candidate to gain the confidence to board the Masters with all the preparation to be successful in their studies.

The pre-master may also provide an alternative for those who wish to attend specific universities, but whose undergraduate final classification does not meet the criteria required for admission to their preferred universities. Here, the pre-master’s degree can play a crucial role as well.

In a nutshell, the pre-masters combines various elements such as study skills, language classes with an academic focus and also subjects, as it meets the specific needs of an international student who is starting his or her educational path in an education system other than what they are used to in their homeland.

What is the duration of a pre-master?

The average length is two to three terms, subject also to the programme of the school or university where you will attend the course, and your level of language knowledge. The poorer your language level, the longer your course will be.

“What are the admission requirements for a pre-master’s degree?”

A first degree in the area you want to study, or not, if you wish to change some of the focus of your research. For instance, you can be an engineer who wants to do a postgraduate degree in project management. It is a valid application, the most important thing is that you have higher education.

You should have a minimum fluency in the language required for the course. In the UK, you must take an IELTS or Pearson PTE tests, which are official tests for visa purposes. Other countries accept equivalent tests, but it is important is that you take an official test.

Depending on the institution you are applying to, there may be other admission criteria such as interviews, the grades from your first degree, a portfolio with examples of your work in case you are a visual arts or architecture candidate, or you may need to submit an essay or a text written by you.

“What kind of subjects will I study in the pre-master?”

Standard subjects focus on academic language and study skills, such as writing, essay production, bibliography creation, discussion, etc.

The academic style of the country where you will be studying will probably differ a lot from your own. Therefore, these will be subjects that may feel unnecessary will be essential for you to adjust to the new system and the new environment.

We have examples from two different pre-master’s curricula for a better insight into the course.

1. Queen Mary University of London: Pre-Master’s in Finance and Economics (one of our partner universities)

– Research Methods

– Economics

– Finance

– Introduction to Econometrics

– Topics in Econometrics

– English Language and Study Skills

– Independent Research Project

2. University of Nottingham: Pre-Master’s in Science and Engineering

– English for Academic Purposes

– Independent and Collaborative Study (you also learn to work in groups)

– Research Project

– Advanced Statistics

– Engineering, Science & Society

– Project Management

– UK Society and culture.

Society and culture of the UK, although it may not sound relevant to a science student, is the type of subject that will help develop writing, comprehension, discussion and critical thinking skills in English.

We can realise that all elements of a pre-masters are part of a training process to undertake the masters smoothly – including the introductory academic subjects in your chosen field of study. Those subjects are in-depth disciplines in the master’s degree.

Why study a pre-master abroad?

A pre-master is a preparatory and transfer course, as the name suggests. If you are not sure about which area to study abroad; if you decide to change your research focus from your undergraduate degree, or if you don’t feel 100% prepared to study a Master’s degree abroad because you don’t master the academic language, the pre-master’s course is an excellent way to prepare yourself, being already at an international university.

When you transition to a master, you will be both confident and adjusted to your new environment. This will allow you to ‘get down to business’ – focus on your master and your research. Instead of having to settle in and getting used to the learning style – which could slow down or hinder your performance and development.

On the plus side, in universities and schools that offer this type of course, you will have a direct progression from pre- master to master without having to undergo further selection. After successfully completing the preparatory, you will automatically have all the requirements to take up your postgraduate studies.

You may want to apply to a university where the pre-master’s course is compulsory. This is another reason for joining the programme.

We can also highlight other reasons, such as

“Access to your dream university”: You will build on the knowledge you gained during your undergraduate studies besides complementing the grades you bring from your country. If you lack the grades for the institution where you wish to study, with the pre-master’s course, you will fulfil the institution’s requirements.
Improving career prospects by building an experience abroad.
The opportunity to enter a new field of study to change careers. If you are shifting the focus of your studies, it will teach you new terminology and new subjects for such a career transition.
Reinforcing the understanding of your professional area in English.
Improving your study skills and gain new abilities for an international educational and professional context.
Building an international network of contacts within your field of study. During the pre-master, you will interact with colleagues, students, and professionals from other countries. You will exchange ideas and experiences from day one.
The possibility of a faster and smoother transition into the Master’s programme with a higher chance of a successful outcome.

” My experience has given me a huge advantage when starting my postgraduate studies in the UK. I already know how to write a dissertation and about UK culture”.

Chao Feng, China (The University Of Sheffield, MSc Management) , student of one of our partner schools

Where to go for a pre-master’s degree? How can UK Student Solutions help me?

UK Student Solutions provides a great opportunity to do a pre-master’s degree.

We have access to the best pre masters programmes in the UK, and not only that, we have options in other countries too.

Having worked hard to partner ourselves strictly with outstanding educational institutions, we want to deliver the best to our students and the countries we serve. We are rigorous with the very institutions we link our name with.

We wouldn’t want our students to waste their time or money. Besides, we know that our working countries have an urgent need for well-trained professionals.

Our role is to be a bridge between the student and the school – in assisting during the enrolment process, in organising the relevant documentation, advising on issues related to the visa, etc.

Whereas this work is expected from a consultancy or agency, UK Student Solutions provides a differentiated and tailor-made approach, which covers identifying courses and universities based on the candidate’s study interests, budget and professional objectives.

We work across the UK university system, “beyond Oxford and Cambridge”; meaning that from our long experience of schools and universities across the country – where we have advised hundreds of students in several professional fields – we go a little further than other agents and consultants typically offer.

UK Student Solutions is constantly updating its database of interest and research areas in colleges and universities across the country. The sort of detail we offer is not easily found, especially in the Portuguese-speaking world.

Along with our students, we will identify the best academic pathway for all those candidates planning to study abroad.

We work with ONCAMPUS Global, whose name reflects the school’s philosophy: “to live and study on campus, being part of the university community from the moment the student arrives in the country.”

ONCAMPUS delivers its courses within the campuses of the member universities, under the supervision of the university itself.

Candidates have options at top universities in London, Birmingham, Reading, Hull, Southampton, Sunderland, Preston (University of Central Lancashire), and also options in the rest of the world, such as Holland, Sweden and the United States. Get in touch with us to learn more about all our ONCAMPUS partner universities.

We also partner with the British Study Centres (BSC) programme, a very reputable network of schools in the UK, which offers a distance learning pre-masters programme, online, in real time, with all the rigour of a face-to-face course. NCUK accredits British Study Centres (The University Consortium United Kingdom), a group comprising over 20 prestigious UK universities, including the Universities of Manchester, Bristol and Leeds. BSC grants direct progression to one of the group’s universities to applicants who successfully complete the BSC&NCUK Pre-Master’s degree.

BSC also runs corporate programmes and has the expertise to serve companies and other organisations with specific training needs. This can be an ideal option for organisations planning to send their staff to postgraduate programmes in the UK, or individuals who would rather do the pre-master’s in their own country and only move when transitioning to the master’s.

We have other direct associations with universities, and you can contact us for a full list or talk to us about those universities.

Likewise, we represent Munich Business School (MBS), which is an exponent in Germany in terms of postgraduate business courses – all in the English language. We have an association with New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, and Canada.

Is it worth?

Is this additional training worth doing? To incur an extra cost, over an already expensive programme like the Master’s degree?

We believe that attending such a programme will put the student at a tremendous advantage over their study abroad. It is a highly valuable preparation for the master’s programme.

In our personal experience, we pursued a Master’s degree in the UK when this programme still didn’t exist. We had been living in the country for some time, had a strong academic background in Brazil and work experience. We were proficient in English. However, we believe that if this programme had existed, and we had done it, instead of going straight into the Masters, our ultimate results would have been better.

We spent a substantial part of our time in the process of familiarisation, adaptation to the academic language and getting the tools and abilities with which the pre masters equips students. We had to learn “on the fly”!

Therefore, with a preparation we would have had more time to focus on our research and subjects. We had to redo some exams, for example, due to not mastering the academic writing form initially. We received academic support at this specific university, and our course had a happy ending, having been successfully completed.

However, later on, during our years of supporting students and professionals who came to the UK directly for their master’s programmes, we witnessed several cases that did not have such a happy ending because of the lack of this training.

Some of them did not finish the course. In other instances, they did not get enough marks to get a Master’s Diploma, and left the country with a Certificate of Attendance This can be very frustrating, as we are not just talking about a financial investment, but a lifetime investment, where they have dedicated time and invaluable efforts and have not achieved the desired outcome. Those were expectations created and expectations that were not achieved because of a poor preparation.

Therefore, we regard the pre-masters programme as a vital process to be considered by all those with no prior experience of studying abroad, who wish to take a postgraduate course outside their country.

We hope we have shed some light and given you the basis for deciding whether this would be a programme for you.