If students hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, but don’t meet the entry requirements for a master’s, a Pre-Master’s can help them gain a place on a postgraduate degree. For progression to the 1st year of a postgraduate degree at the University of Essex. Course length is determined mainly by students' English language level (UKVI IELTS score).

Students on all course lengths take a set of common or similar modules to gain a solid base of skills for university. If their course is longer than 2 terms, students will take additional modules designed to improve one or more of their English language level, academic skills, and basic knowledge of particular subjects.

Master of Arts - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) This is a Masters course that can take students into employment anywhere in the world.

For students who are enthusiastic about teaching English to speakers of other languages, this University of Essex course offers them vocationally-relevant, research-led training of the highest quality, taught by academics known for their teaching excellence.

Students explore teaching methods and the description of English used in the investigation of language learning and teaching, and study additional topics according to their needs. These might include: how second language learners acquire the four skills as well as language systems; how the four skills, vocabulary and grammar can be taught; how language learning can be assessed and tested; how different aspects of the psychology of language learners and teachers influence learning and classroom practice; how language lessons are planned, how materials are evaluated and designed, and how language classrooms can be managed.

Students also gain hands-on teaching experience through Essex's Teaching Practice I and Teaching Practice II modules.

Whether students have no prior teaching experience or are already an English language teacher, this course can be adapted to suit them. If students have little or no previous teaching experience, they receive ‘hands on’ teaching practice throughout the teaching practice modules, while students who already have more than two year’s full-time teaching experience, can undertake specialist study through the reflective practitioner options instead.

Students will be part of Essex's Centre for Research in Language Development throughout the Lifespan (LaDeLi), a unique research centre specialising in all aspects of language learning and development.

Essex is a leading UK university for language and linguistics research, a place where talented students become part of an academic community in which the majority of research is rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. They're also ranked 13th in the UK for Linguistics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2020).