Postgraduate Degrees - English Requirements

To study for a postgraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write academic English fluently. These skills will allow you to understand lectures, produce high standards of written work, and perform well in examinations. UK degree holders are not required to provide proof of English proficiency.

We can assess your English language proficiency through a variety of means: through your nationality, through the qualifications you gained in high school, through the degree you undertook or are undertaking at university, or through a recognised English language test. Please use the checklist below to determine how you can meet our English language requirements:

1. Are you a national of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, or The United States of America?

If YES then no further evidence will be required of your English language proficiency.

2. Have you undertaken or are you undertaking a qualification equivalent to a Honours degree in Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Ireland, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, The United Kingdom, or The United States of America?

If YES then all we require is a copy of your transcript or certificate.

3. Have you undertaken one of the high/senior school qualifications on our approved list and achieved the minimum grade? If yes your certificate must be no older than 10 years at the start of your programme of study.

If YES then all we require is a copy of your high school transcript and certificate.

4. Have you achieved the required grades in a recognised English language test as shown in the table below?

If YES then all we require is a copy of your certificate, which we will verify with the awarding organisation. Please note certification must be within the two years prior to commencement of your course, unless otherwise stated.

If NO you will need to register for one of the tests listed below and achieve the required grade prior to commencement of your studies with us, we will make this a condition of your offer.

5. Have you undertaken or are you undertaking a degree that is taught and assessed fully in English from a university on our approved list?

If YES then all we require is an official medium of instruction (MOI) letter from your university confirming that your degree was/is taught, assessed, and examined fully in English.

For postgraduate study, there are two main distinct English language criteria, referred to as Postgraduate Standard and Postgraduate Higher as outlined in the table below.

Postgraduate Standard requirements are used by the Schools of Biological Sciences; Engineering; Geosciences; Natural and Computing Sciences; and Psychology.

Postgraduate Higher requirements are used by the Schools of Business; Divinity, History and Philosophy; Education; Language, Literature; Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition; Music and Visual Culture; Law; and Social Sciences. The MSc in Oil and Gas Enterprise Management and MSc in Integrated Petroleum Geoscience also make use of the Postgraduate Higher requirements.