Pre-Master's Diploma - English Language and Study Skills

The Pre-Master's Diploma has been designed to fully prepare international students for your future master's course. It allows you to specialise in a subject of your choice and to improve your study skills and use of academic English.

Study modules

The course consists of six compulsory language and study skills modules, together with two subject specialism modules in an area chosen by you.

Compulsory modules for semester 1

Compulsory modules

• Academic Writing
  This module enables you to write a case study, argument essay and report, to effectively summarise and evaluate secondary sources, and to apply your reading to a specific issue or question in an essay. You will learn to employ correct citation techniques, and the methods for producing a coherent argument in an essay and develop the micro-skills necessary for writing at this level: prewriting, planning, brainstorming, editing, text organisation and rewriting.
• Advanced Reading and Research Skills
  This module will widen your research skills and develop the necessary reading skills as preparation for writing and seminar assignments at a master’s level. You will learn to apply your reading to a specific issue or question and to evaluate and summarise secondary sources for use in writing assignments. You will also develop your knowledge of quotation, paraphrasing and citation techniques, and write a bibliography following academic conventions.
• Advanced Seminar and Interview Skills
  This module develops and practises advanced listening, seminar and presentation skills for academic purposes, and builds on skills acquired through the Seminar and Interview Skills module. The module includes the practice of listening to lectures with note-taking and summary writing activities. You will get varied speaking practice is given in the form of pair and group discussions, consensus activities and a formal debate. You will develop your presentation skills with a researched individual presentation in your own discipline.

Compulsory modules for semester 2

Compulsory modules

• Extended Writing Project
  This module offers the opportunity to undertake a research project leading to an extended research paper in your academic field (in the format of a report or essay), and to a reflective essay on the process followed, as preparation for postgraduate study. The research can be undertaken using only secondary sources, or both secondary and primary sources. It is a double module, ie 6 hours a week (2 x 3 hours) to enable you to get practice and support with writing through a varied pedagogical approach of classes, tutorials, lectures, workshops and online discussion forums.
• Reading and Research Skills
  This module enables you to improve your skills in academic research, reading and analysis. You will develop and refine the skills required to locate appropriate reading sources through library catalogues, databases and the internet, and to assess the academic credibility, validity and usefulness of those sources. You will also learn to make informed decisions as to what to read and what not to read for the purposes of seminar and writing assignments. You will practise intensive text comprehension skills, note-taking and summarizing, critical thinking, reasoning and self-reflection.
• Seminar and Interview Skills
  This module enables you to develop and practise listening and speaking skills in the areas of group presentations, voice and pronunciation, listening to lectures and news, and engaging in critical discussions. This will help you to engage in seminar classes at UK universities.

Subject specialism modules

Optional modules

• Independent study module (students starting in January)
  If you start your course in January, during the summer semester of your course you will take an independent study module instead of a subject module.
• Built environment subject specialism module
  If built environment is your area of interest, you can choose from:
  • Introduction to Architectural History and Theory
  • Essential skills in the built environment
  • Economics of the built environment
  • Sustainability and development
  • Environmental Decision Making
• Business, marketing, accounting and hospitality management
  If this is your area of interest, you can choose from:
  • Accounting and Financial Information
  • Raising Individual Financial Awareness
  • Management Accounting
  • Accounting information systems
  • Corporate and business law
  • Corporate Finance
  • E-business
  • Applied financial skills
  • Foundations of Business
  • Business Strategy for Competitive Advantage
  • International Business
  • Microeconomics 1
  • Macroeconomics 1
  • Business Economics and Financial Markets
  • International finance
  • Management in International Hospitality and Tourism
  • Operational Finance for Hospitality and Tourism
  • Festival and Cultural Events Management
  • Revenue management and pricing
  • Foundations of Marketing
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Managing Business Projects
  • Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
  • Context of International Tourism
  • Global Business Communications
  • Introduction to people management
  • Organisational behaviour and management
• Computing specialism module
  If Computing is your area of interest, you can choose from:
  • Foundations of computation
  • Web Technology
  • Basic Mathematical Methods I
• Humanities, education and publishing
  If Humanities, education and publishing is your area of interest, you can choose from:
  • Key Issues in Film
  • Publishing Principles
  • Publishing Business
  • Museums and Society
  • The social world of childhood and youth
  • Psychology and education
  • Comparative and international perspectives on education
  • Understanding language: systems and use
  • Language acquisition
  • Understanding Communication
  • Understanding Media
• Science, nutrition and public health
  If Science, nutrition and public health are in your area of interest, you can choose from:
  • Physiology for human movement
  • Physical activity and health
  • Scientific skills for health scientists
  • Psychology of food
  • Motivating health behaviour
• Social sciences, international relations and law specialism module
  If Social sciences, international relations and law is your area of interest, you can choose from:
  • Legal Method
  • Commercial Law
  • Corporate and business law
  • Introduction to Politics
  • Introduction to International Relations 1: Perspectives
  • Introduction to International Relations 2: Themes and Issues
  • Global governance and civil society
  • Foundations of developmental psychology
  • Learning from influential papers in psychology
  • Personality and individual differences
  • Biological psychology
  • Social differences and divisions
  • Foundations of social theory

The Pre-Master's Certificate is a recognised qualification. Most students who successfully complete the course with the required grades go on to study for a master's degree.

You can progress to one of the following master's degrees after your pre-masters.

• Arts, Publishing and Humanities
• Biological and Medical Sciences
• Business
• Computing and Information Technology
• Education
• Environmental Science and Management
• Health and Social Care
• Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
• Law
• Real Estate, Construction and Built Environment
• Social Sciences

Normally, you can progress to your chosen masters by achieving an average grade of 60% (55% for business/hospitality degrees) on the Pre-Master's Diploma.

* Some master's courses at Oxford Brookes can be offered as a two-year programme. On satisfactory completion of the Pre-Master's Diploma, you transfer to your master's degree in the second year.