Admission

We want to make the international admissions process as smooth as possible for students applying to The Norwich College from outside of the UK.

The application procedure varies for undergraduate and postgraduate students, so we publish separate information for each.

General Requirements

For your application to be successful, you will need to satisfy our general entry requirements and also the requirements of your chosen course.

Many overseas qualifications are acceptable for entry to The Norwich College.

You’ll also need to be able to provide evidence of a specified level of ability in the English language.

English language requirements

Applicants from outside the UK usually need to meet specific English language requirements in order to study at Norwich College.

The UK Visa and Immigration Authority (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English language (Common European Framework (CEFR) B2 level) in order to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above B2 level, as the academic content of a UK degree can be linguistically demanding. Academic English entry requirements vary by course, and can be found on individual course profiles.

Majority English-speaking countries

For Student Route visa purposes, the UKVI has a prescribed list of Majority English-speaking countries.

If you are a national of one of the following countries (or have a bachelor’s degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency:

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
UK
USA

Acceptable English language tests

For courses below degree-level

A UKVI-approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) is required if you are joining a course below degree-level, including:

separate/non-integrated foundation courses;
separate/non-integrated Pre-Sessional English courses;
separate/non-integrated English for Academic Purposes courses.

These are taken in person in a UKVI-approved secure English language testing centre.

The UKVI-recognised SELTs are:

IELTS Academic (UKVI);
Pearson PTE Academic (UKVI). We do not accept Pearson PTE Academic Online or Pearson PTE Academic Home;
Language Cert International ESOL (UKVI) – 4-skill;
Trinity College London Integrated Skills ISE – ISE II, ISE III or ISE IV (available in UK only).

Please note that IELTS, Pearson and Trinity ISE are only valid for two years after the test date.

For entry to degree-level study or higher

We accept a wide range of tests if you are joining a degree-level course or above, including:

an undergraduate degree;
a postgraduate degree;
an integrated course with a joint CAS (where a foundation year or pre-sessional English course are part of the full bachelor’s degree). Please note: a UKVI-approved test or Secure English Language Test (SELT), as defined above, is required for a joint CAS, for example IELTS UKVI version.

Some of the most common tests include:

IELTS Academic (UKVI and non-UKVI versions);
Pearson PTE Academic (UKVI and non-UKVI versions). We do not accept Pearson PTE Academic Online or Pearson PTE Academic Home;
Language Cert International ESOL (UKVI version only);
Trinity College London Integrated Skills ISE – ISE II, ISE III or ISE IV (available in UK only);
Cambridge Advanced (CAE/C1 Advanced) and Cambridge Proficiency (CPE/C2 Proficiency);
TOEFL iBT. We do not accept TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition.

Please note that IELTS, Pearson, TOEFL and ISE are only valid for two years after the test date.

English language requirements

Each course and programme we offer has its own requirements in terms of English test scores. Please refer to the course profiles for details of specific English language scores that are acceptable for entry.

Although score requirements vary by course, typical scores for entry to Manchester are summarised below (sub-skill scores may also apply):

IELTS overall score	5.5	6	6.5
TOEFL iBT (we’ll not be accepting Home Edition for 2023 entry)	72	80	90
LanguageCert SELT (B2 Test)	100–128	132–152	156
LanguageCert SELT (C1 Test)	NA
CAE or CPE	162–168	169–175	176–184

Other English language qualifications

We also accept some English language qualifications from other countries, depending on the academic suitability. You can check if your qualification is accepted by contacting the International Office team.

Although requirements vary by course, typical scores for c.

Colleges Admissions Service

All UK and international students must apply for courses through college admissions service.

Please note that college admissions service charges an application fee.

Visit the college admission service website for more information and to apply to The Norwich College.

Application dates and deadlines

Each year you can apply via college admission service from early September for entry the following year. For example, if you want to begin studying in September 2023, you can apply from 15 September 2022.

The final deadline for international student applications is 30 June, however, there is also an equal consideration deadline on 25 January (6pm, UK time). We strongly encourage you to apply before this date as some courses fill up quickly.

Tracking your application

When you’ve completed your application, college admissions service forwards it to us. It’s then sent to the Admissions Officer of the course you have applied for. You can keep track of the progress of your application on the college admissions service website.

We consider each application very carefully and will contact you by post when we’ve made a decision. If your application is successful, we’ll make you an offer of a place. This offer will be one of two different types:

Conditional (C) – you’ll be able to study your chosen programme if your examination results are suitable.
Unconditional (U) – you’ll be able to study without any further requirements or conditions.

After you’ve received your offer, you should confirm your acceptance by using the college admissions service procedure of firmly (F) accepting your place.

Deferred entry

Many subject areas allow applications from students who would like to defer their entry by one year, especially if they’re using the time to gain skills that will help them in their studies.

If you would like to defer, please check that deferred entry is allowed before submitting your college admissions service application.

Tuition fees

Learn more about international tuition fees.

What’s included in my tuition fee?

Tuition fees cover the cost of your study and include charges for registration, tuition, supervision, examinations, and graduation.

Payment of fees will also entitle you to membership of the Library and the Students’ Union, plus access to support including the careers and counselling services.

Will the fee remain the same for the duration of my course?

To help you plan your finances we have fixed tuition fees for new international students for the duration of their course.

How much will my fees cost?

The total cost of your international tuition fee depends on your chosen course. We recommend that you check course profile pages for the most up-to-date information:

Finance And Scholarships

For international students, finance is a key factor when choosing to study in England.

However, we can help you prepare so that you need to spend as little time as possible thinking about money when you arrive – and as much time as possible on settling into life in England.

Applying for funding

If you would like to apply for funding, you need to know the closing dates for applications of the various funding bodies. You will often need to hold an offer before you apply for a scholarship, studentship or award and you should apply for these as soon as possible.