About the Course
The Pre-sessional English Course is a 12-week intensive program designed to help students applying for graduate programs at Princess Norah Bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) develop the essential academic language skills needed for admission. Through a structured curriculum, students will improve their writing, reading, listening, and speaking abilities. By enhancing academic language proficiency, the course prepares students to meet the English language requirements necessary for successful study in their chosen fields. Additionally, students preparing to study at other universities are also welcome to apply.
Course Objectives
Improve Academic Writing – Strengthen essay writing, research skills, academic conventions, plagiarism awareness, in-text citation, and referencing.
Develop Critical Reading – Analyze, summarize, and evaluate academic texts.
Strengthen Oral Communication – Build confidence in presentations, discussions, and seminars.
Improve Listening Skills – Enhance comprehension of lectures and academic discourse.
Foster Independent Learning – Promote self-directed study habits and time management.
Admission Requirements and Target Groups
The Pre-sessional English Course is designed for two main groups of students:
1. Internal Students:
Internal students refer to those applying for graduate programs at Princess Norah University (PNU) who receive conditional acceptance from the university.
These students are not required to take the IELTS or an equivalent English proficiency test after completing the pre-sessional course.
Students must complete all course requirements, including exams, assignments, and projects, in order to successfully pass the course.
To obtain full admission into the graduate program, students must achieve a minimum score of 70% in the course.
Students scoring between 50% and 69% will be assigned targeted, skill-based tasks in areas needing improvement, to be completed within 15 weeks
Students who score below 50% are required to repeat the level.
Note: Final admission to the graduate program is conditional upon successful completion of the course and achieving the required level of performance.
2. External Students:
This category includes students who are applying to graduate programs at other local or international universities, as well as those who wish to join the course for personal language development purposes.
These students are not exempt from IELTS or equivalent tests, as each university or institution sets its own admission requirements
The same evaluation and completion criteria applied to internal students also apply to this group.
This pre-sessional course does not waive language proficiency requirements for external institutions.
The course is designed to develop academic English skills and enhance language proficiency, helping students improve their scores in standardized tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, or STEP.
Note: External students must check with their intended university regarding language proficiency requirements. This course serves as a language enhancement program only. The certificate issued upon completion is for personal reference only and cannot be used as proof of a language proficiency waiver, unless explicitly specified by the PNU Graduate College.
Course Structure
| Level | CEFR Level | IELTS Score | Duration | Hours per Week |
Level 1 (B1)
| Intermediate | 4.00 - 5.00 | 12 weeks | 30 hours (15 in-person, 15 independent learning) |
| Level 2 (B2) | Upper Intermediate | 5.5 - 6.5 | 12 weeks | 30 hours (15 in-person, 15 independent learning) |
| Level 3 (C1) | Advanced | 7.00 - 8.00 | 12 weeks | 30 hours (15 in-person, 15 independent learning)
|
The Pre-sessional English Course is structured as a 12-week program per level (Level 1, 2, and 3). However, some students may need to complete two consecutive levels (i.e., Level 1 & 2 or Level 2 & 3) before meeting the English proficiency requirements for their academic programs. To accommodate these students, we propose an accelerated track that allows them to progress efficiently while maintaining academic quality.
| Proposed Accelerated Course Structure |
| Levels Covered | Total Duration (Accelerated Track) | Weekly Study Hours | Notes |
| Level 1 & 2 | 18 weeks instead of 24 | 30 hours (20 in-person + 10 independent) | Intensive coverage of both levels with combined assessments |
| Level 2 & 3 | 18 weeks instead of 24 | 30 hours (20 in-person + 10 independent) | Focus on higher-level academic English skills
|
Admission Requirements
If the students have an IELTS score or equivalent, their score will be used for admission; however, if the students do not have an IELTS score, they will take the placement test of the ELI and based on their score they will be placed in the appropriate level.
Additional Information
For further inquiries or more information, please contact us at Eli-psec@pnu.edu.sa
