Entry requirements
All exchange students must be nominated by their home university. Students must meet the minimum entry requirements of The University of Manchester.
You must satisfy the criteria below to apply to study abroad at Manchester. You should also check whether your home university has any requirements you have to meet to be eligible to study abroad.
Academic standing
We normally require at least a B average (Erasmus+) or an average of 75% or better (non Erasmus+).
This average should be maintained during the period of study immediately before the semester or year to be spent at Manchester.
English language
All students are expected to have English language proficiency to at least IELTS 6.0, with not less than 5.5 in any one component.
We also accept equivalent scores in TOEFL, Pearson Test of English and Cambridge Secure English Language Tests.
UK Visas and Immigration English language requirements
Non-native English speakers applying for a Tier 4 visa (required for all students entering the UK for six calendar months or more) must also meet UK Visas and Immigration's requirements.
These are:
- IELTS with minimum score of 5.5 overall, with no less than 5.5 in any individual component;
- iBT TOEFL with minimum scores of listening 17, reading 18, speaking 20, and writing 17.
Please note that if you need a Tier 4 visa for study, and do not meet UK Visas and Immigration's minimum requirements for this visa, you will not be able to study with us (regardless of whether you meet the University's own admissions requirements), unless:
- you take another SELT which shows that your scores have improved to the UKBA's required level, or
- you apply for and successfully complete a Pre-Sessional English Language course, which brings you up to the UK Visas and Immigration required minimum. Our pre-sessional English courses can be found on the University Language Centre website (see below). Please note that these courses incur a cost in all cases.
We will be unable to issue a CAS for you, which is needed to apply for a Tier 4 visa, unless your test was taken within two years of the start of your course at Manchester and you have met the minimum test scores required.
Students who do not meet the English language requirements of a Tier 4 visa must apply for a student visitor visa, and will only be able to study in the UK for a maximum of six months.
Please note that regardless of your first language, if you are not a national (passport holder) of a majority English-speaking country, you will always be required to supply evidence of your English language ability.
You can find a list of majority English-speaking countries on GOV.UK.
We advise you to check the UK Visas and Immigration website before proceeding with your application, as their information/requirements may change at short notice.
English language courses at the University Language Centre
You can study pre-sessional courses in English language throughout the summer, as well as courses during the academic semester, through the University Language Centre.
These include a number of broader courses for students who wish to continue to improve their English. They are taught within the context of learning more about Manchester life and culture, and improving business English.
We strongly encourage all non-native speakers of English to undertake an English language proficiency test on arrival and to take advantage of the non-credit-bearing in-sessional English Language courses, which are provided by the Centre at no charge.
All Erasmus+ students are expected to have sufficient knowledge of English language and we ask that, in selecting students, our Erasmus+ partners ensure that this is the case.
For most subject areas, students are expected to have the equivalent of IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.0 in any one component, or a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (213 on the computer-based test).
Please note that some subject areas (eg Law, Medicine) require IELTS 7 or a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (250 on the computer-based test).
Some subject areas will require students to provide evidence of their English language ability.
The University Language Centre has also developed a range of credit-bearing courses for non-native English speakers that may be of interest. More information is on the University Language Centre website.