Can you still study abroad with low grades?

For many students, the dream of studying at a university abroad might seem impossible due to not meeting the entry requirements for the course they wish to study. Or perhaps you did have a conditional offer at a UK university, but didn’t quite meet requirements when your final year grades came in. There are answers for both of these scenarios, and studying abroad is still very much within your reach.

If you are hoping to study abroad in the UK but didn’t meet the course requirements of your conditional offer, there is always the possibility of securing a place on a course through the UCAS clearing process, where courses with places to fill are available until October, at the start of UK term time.

If you don’t meet the academic requirements to study at university at present, one solution is pathway programmes, which may also be referred to as foundation courses. These courses are designed to raise students’ academic skills to the levels required to study at a university.

Undergraduate pathway programmes

For students wishing to study an undergraduate degree course, these courses are often known as international foundation year courses.

Foundation year courses will help you to prepare academically for studying an undergraduate degree. This will include getting you familiar with the teaching methods to expect, such as examinations, coursework and group seminars. These courses will get you ready to study your chosen degree course, and as such they will focus on subjects specific to those covered in the degree course. For example, they may prepare you to study a degree in the field of Business, or Engineering, or the Arts.

If you need to improve your language skills, universities also offer courses to get your language skills ready for studies, such as English Language Preparation programmes.

Usually if you complete your foundation year course with sufficient grades, your university will be able to offer you a place on your chosen undergraduate programme. You may also wish to move to a different university at this point.

Pre-Masters programmes

Often specifically tailored to international students, Pre-Masters programmes are tailored to building students academic standard, study skills and English language ability to the standard required to begin a postgraduate degree course.

These could be suitable for you if you wish to choose a new career path, or take your studies in a new direction, or simply wish to improve your knowledge in a subject you have already studied. Upon successful completion of a Pre-Masters programme, you will be ready to enrol on a postgraduate degree programme.

Finding the suitable pathway courses for you

When you have chosen either the undergraduate or postgraduate degree course that you wish to study, and you have checked and found that you do not currently meet the admission requirements, firstly check whether the university offers the appropriate foundation programme that would lead to the course you wish to study.

If you need to widen your search, look at other universities offering the appropriate foundation courses. You can also search for Pathways to university programmes on StudyLink.