English language entry requirements

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

Programme requirements

English language requirements vary between degree programmes and you should check you have the necessary qualifications before applying.

Find the specific language requirements for your chosen programme in our degree finder.

Postgraduate degree finder

Accepted English language qualifications

We accept a wide range of international English qualifications and English language tests.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate degree, PGCE, PGDE or postgraduate degree, including a one-year Masters degree, that has been taught and assessed in English, either:

1. In a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).

UKVI Majority English speaking countries

or

2. On our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries.

Approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Transfers

If you have transferred from a university where teaching and assessment are conducted in a language other than English to a university in a majority English speaking country, or to an approved university in a non-majority English speaking country, at least 50% of your studies must have been undertaken in English, including your final year of study.

Degrees from UK universities with campuses overseas

We do not accept degrees awarded by UK universities where all study has taken place at an overseas campus in a non-majority English speaking country, unless they are on the list of approved universities.

Degrees jointly awarded by the University of Edinburgh

We accept degrees jointly awarded by the University of Edinburgh with partner universities in non-majority English speaking countries where teaching and assessment are conducted in English, even if the partner universities are not on the list of approved universities.

Degrees awarded by the Open University

We accept degrees awarded by the Open University to meet our academic English requirement, when they are offered by nationals of a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).

UKVI Majority English speaking countries

We do not accept degrees awarded by the Open University to meet visa English requirements.

Other qualifications and tests

We also accept a wide range of international English qualifications and English language tests.

The qualifications we accept meet both our English language proficiency requirements and the minimum standards for Student route visas.

Expiry of qualifications

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old. 

Two year expiry

Three and a half year expiry

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes

We also accept satisfactory completion of our English for Academic Purposes programme or the University of Glasgow Pre-Sessional English programme as meeting our English language requirements. You must complete the programme no more than two years and one month before the start date of the degree you are applying to study.

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes

Professional qualifications

The following professional registrations can be accepted as meeting English language requirements:

• Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS)/ Membership of the Faculty of Dentistry (MFD)
• NHS Dental Vocational (Foundation) Training and Dental Core Training
• Overseas Registration Examination (ORE)
• General Medical Council (GMC)
• Membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCV)
• Registration with the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC)
• Membership of the Royal College of Physicians
• Royal College of Surgeons
• The Membership Examination of the Surgical Royal Colleges of Great Britain (MRCS)
• Irish Medical Council (IMC)
• General Dental Council (GDC)

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country and are no longer domiciled in a majority English speaking country your professional qualification must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Certificates

We will need to verify your qualifications and/or test results. If your certificates are not in English you will also need to submit a certified translation.

Submitting your certificates

Students who require a visa to study in the UK

In addition to our English language proficiency requirements, the UK Home Office sets its own minimum standards for applicants who require a Student route visa to study in the UK.

Degree study

If you require a Student route visa to study in the UK, the English qualification that you use for admission to a postgraduate degree must be included in our list of accepted qualifications, unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

Majority English speaking countries

English language education

If you are interested in our English language programmes as preparation for degree entry you must have an IELTS for UKVI test from a UKVI-approved test centre.

UKVI approved test centres

English language courses

If you do not have the English grades we require for entry, you can improve your language skills through our range of English courses.

English language courses at Edinburgh

Related Links

University policy on English language entry