Postgraduate English Language Entry Requirements
UCC Postgraduate English Language Entry Requirements
Contents
Minimum Requirements and Accepted English Language Tests & Examinations
The minimum English language entry requirements for admission onto a postgraduate programme at UCC are outlined below. These requirements are for postgraduate applicants whose first language is not English. If Gaeilge (Irish) is your first language these requirements do not apply to you.
There are a small number of programmes with a higher minimum English language entry requirement and we list these below under Programmes with a Higher Minimum English Language Requirement.
English Language Tests & Examinations
The following English language tests & examinations are applicable to the majority of our programmes.
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS |
|
2 Years |
| TOEFL iBT | 90 Overall
MyBest® scores accepted. |
2 Years |
| Cambridge Examinations |
176 overall with no less than 169 in each element of the test. |
No time limit |
| UCC English Language Centre | Successful completion of a Pre-sessional or the Pre-Masters and Pre-PhD Pathway at the UCC Language Centre. |
Year of completion |
| Pearson PTE |
Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
2 Years |
| LanguageCert IESOL |
Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
No time limit |
| DET (Duolingo English Test) |
|
2 Years |
| LinguaSkill General |
|
No time limit |
| Oxford Test of English |
|
No time limit |
| Occupational English Test This is only applicable to Nursing programme applicants. |
|
2 Years |
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Examinations |
176 overall with no less than 169 in each element of the test. |
No time limit |
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Duolingo English Test (DET) |
|
2 Years |
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS* |
|
2 Years |
*Note for admission up to and including September/October 2022, the minimum requirement for admissions into the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences and the College of Business and Law, and MSc Obstetrics and Gynaecology (in the College of Medicine and Health) will be an overall IELTS of 6.5 with no individual skill lower than an IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent in other accepted tests, exams). This will be amended upwards once the new recruitment cycle commences.
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| LanguageCert IESOL |
Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
No time limit |
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| LinguaSkill General |
|
No time limit |
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational English Test This is only applicable to Nursing programme applicants. |
|
2 Years |
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford Test of English |
|
No time limit |
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Pearson PTE |
Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
2 Years |
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 90 Overall
MyBest® scores accepted |
2 Years
|
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| UCC English Language Centre | Successful completion of a Pre-sessional or the Pre-Masters and Pre-PhD Pathway at the UCC Language Centre. |
Year of completion |
Programmes with a Higher Minimum English Language Requirement
The following programmes require a higher minimum English language entry requirement.
Minimum English language requirements for MSc Audiology, College of Medicine & Health
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS |
|
2 Years |
| TOEFL iBT | 100 Overall
MyBest® scores accepted |
2 Years |
| Cambridge Examinations |
185 overall with no less than 176 in each element of the test. |
No time limit |
| UCC English Language Centre | Successful completion of a Pre-sessional or the Pre-Masters and Pre-PhD Pathway at the UCC Language Centre. |
Year of completion |
| Pearson PTE |
|
2 Years |
| LanguageCert IESOL |
Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
No time limit |
| DET (Duolingo English Test) |
|
2 Years |
| LinguaSkill General |
|
No time limit |
Minimum English language requirements for MSc Diagnostic Radiography, College of Medicine & Health
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS |
|
2 Years |
| TOEFL iBT | 100 Overall
MyBest® scores accepted |
2 Years
|
| Cambridge Examinations |
185 Overall with no less than 185 in each element of the test. |
No time limit |
| UCC English Language Centre | Successful completion of a Pre-sessional or the Pre-Masters and Pre-PhD Pathway at the UCC Language Centre. |
Year of completion |
| Pearson PTE |
|
2 Years |
| LanguageCert IESOL |
Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
No time limit |
| DET (Duolingo English Test) |
|
2 Years |
| LinguaSkill General |
|
No time limit |
Minimum English language requirements for MSc Human Nutrition & Dietetics, College of Science, Engineering & Food Science
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS |
|
2 Years |
| TOEFL iBT | 100 Overall
MyBest® scores accepted |
2 Years |
| Cambridge Examinations |
185 overall with no less than 176 in each element of the test. |
No time limit |
| UCC English Language Centre | Successful completion of a Pre-sessional or the Pre-Masters and Pre-PhD Pathway at the UCC Language Centre. |
Year of completion |
| Pearson PTE |
|
2 Years |
| LanguageCert IESOL |
Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
No time limit |
| DET (Duolingo English Test) |
|
2 Years |
| LinguaSkill General |
|
No time limit |
Minimum English language requirements for MSc Marine Biology, College of Science, Engineering & Food Science
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS |
|
2 Years |
| TOEFL iBT | 100 Overall
MyBest® scores accepted |
2 Years
|
| Cambridge Examinations |
185 Overall with no less than 185 in Writing and 176 in each other element of the test. |
No time limit |
| UCC English Language Centre | Successful completion of a Pre-sessional or the Pre-Masters and Pre-PhD Pathway at the UCC Language Centre. |
Year of completion |
| Pearson PTE |
|
2 Years |
| LanguageCert IESOL |
Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
No time limit |
| DET (Duolingo English Test) |
|
2 Years |
| LinguaSkill General |
|
No time limit |
Minimum English language requirements for MSc Radiation Therapy, College of Medicine & Health
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS |
|
2 Years |
| TOEFL iBT | 100 Overall
MyBest® scores accepted |
2 Years
|
| Cambridge Examinations |
185 Overall with no less than 185 in each element of the test. |
No time limit |
| UCC English Language Centre | Successful completion of a Pre-sessional or the Pre-Masters and Pre-PhD Pathway at the UCC Language Centre. |
Year of completion |
| Pearson PTE |
|
2 Years |
| LanguageCert IESOL |
Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
No time limit |
| DET (Duolingo English Test) |
|
2 Years |
| LinguaSkill General |
|
No time limit |
Minimum English language requirements for Postgraduate Diploma Public Health Nursing, School of Nursing & Midwifery, College of Medicine & Health
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS |
|
2 Years |
| TOEFL iBT | 100 Overall
However, one of the following lower individual scores can be accepted.
MyBest® scores accepted |
2 Years
|
| Cambridge Examinations |
185 Overall with no less than 185 in each element of the test. However, one of the elements of the test can be as low as 176. |
No time limit |
| UCC English Language Centre | Successful completion of a Pre-sessional or the Pre-Masters and Pre-PhD Pathway at the UCC Language Centre. |
Year of completion |
| Pearson PTE |
However, one of the sections can be as low as 63. |
2 Years |
| LanguageCert IESOL |
However, one of the skills can be as low as 25. Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted. |
No time limit |
| DET (Duolingo English Test) |
|
2 Years |
| LinguaSkill General |
However, one of the Skills can be as low as 176. |
No time limit |
Exemption from English Language Testing
Applicants who are either from a country that is deemed by UCC to have English as its acknowledged primary language, or who hold an undergraduate (Level 8) or a postgraduate (Level 8 or 9) qualification from a recognised institution that was taught in a country deemed by UCC to have English as its acknowledged primary language, will normally be assumed to have met the UCC language requirements.
See our Majority English-Speaking Countries list below.
Please note, however, that in some circumstances, the Admissions team may require further evidence of English language skills.
For the purposes of admission, UCC has deemed English to be the acknowledged primary language of the following countries:
Majority English-Speaking Countries |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | Anguilla | Antigua & Barbuda | Australia | Bahamas |
| Barbados | Belize | Bermuda | Botswana | British Virgin Islands (BVI) |
| Canada | Cayman Islands | Dominica | Falkland Islands | Fiji |
| The Gambia | Ghana | Gibraltar | Grenada | Guam |
| Guyana | Jamaica | Kenya | Lesotho | Liberia |
| Malta | Marshall Islands | Montserrat | Namibia | New Zealand |
| Nigeria | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Singapore | Solomon Islands |
| South Africa | St Helena | St Kitts & Nevis | St Lucia | St Vincent & the Grenadines |
| Tanzania | Trinidad & Tobago | Turks & Caicos Islands | Uganda | United Kingdom |
| USA | US Virgin Islands | Zambia | Zimbabwe | |
Discretionary Measures
Applicants with professional practice relevant to the postgraduate programme of study
In circumstances where the applicant has a minimum of 2 years of professional practice (professional practice relevant to the postgraduate programme of study) working through the medium of English in a country where English is the acknowledged primary language, and verified in writing by the applicant’s employer(s), the applicant may be deemed to have met the English language requirements subject to the successful completion of a written piece of work or/and an interview.
These steps are managed by the programme team/program coordinator/lead supervisor who liaise directly with the applicant to request the following:
- A suitable piece of written work as defined by the programme team/programme coordinator/lead supervisor of approximately 500 words.
- An interview in person or virtually.
Expired English language certification
In circumstances where the applicant previously met the minimum English requirements but the certification has expired, the applicant will not be required to re-take the examination if the applicant continued to work in a country where English is the acknowledged primary language from the date of expiry, as indicated on the certificate, and verified in writing by the applicant’s employer(s).
This step must be verified by the programme team/programme coordinator/lead supervisor. It will be at the discretion of the programme team/programme coordinator/lead supervisor to decide if the work undertaken since the expiry of the certification is relevant to the programme to which the person has applied.
Postgraduate research applicant on a minimum 2-year programme
If you are a postgraduate research applicant on a minimum 2-year programme and are considered an academically suitable research applicant who fails to reach the minimum score by a certain margin, as detailed in the table below, the following conditions may apply:
If the programme team/programme director /lead supervisor supports the admission then the applicant is approved for admission, subject to them attending a UCC Language Centre course in parallel with the postgraduate programme. In this case, the applicant will be issued with a full offer with a requirement to attend an approved English language support course.
The type, level and duration of the English language course is determined by language acquisition experts at our Language Centre. Payment is usually the responsibility of the applicant but a School/Department may decide to cover the cost in certain circumstances. The Language Centre will guarantee a place in a suitable English language programme and students will have to report on their language programme in their Annual Progress Review.
| English Language Minimum Scores for Research Applicants on a Minimum 2-Year Programme | ||
|---|---|---|
| Examining Body |
Requirement |
Time Limit |
| IELTS |
|
2 Years |
| TOEFL iBT | 90 Overall One of the following lower individual scores can be accepted:
All other individual scores must be at the standard minimum levels:
MyBest® scores accepted |
2 Years |
| Cambridge Examinations |
176 overall. One element of the test can be as low as 162. All other elements must be at the standard minimum of 169. |
No time limit |
| UCC English Language Centre | Successful completion of a Pre-sessional or the Pre-Masters and Pre-PhD Pathway at the UCC Language Centre. |
Year of completion |
| Pearson PTE |
One section score can be as low as 51. All other section scores must be at the standard minimum of 59. (Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted.) |
2 Years |
| LanguageCert IESOL |
One skill can be as low as 25. All other skills must be at the standard minimum of 33. (Both Test Centre and Online versions are accepted.) |
No time limit |
| DET (Duolingo English Test) |
|
2 Years |
| LinguaSkill General |
One skill can be as low as 160. All other skills must be at the standard minimum of 169. |
2 Years |
| Oxford Test of English |
One module can be as low as 126. All others must be at the standard minimum of 140. |
no time limit |
| Occupational English Test This is only applicable to Nursing programme applicants. |
One sub skill can be as low as 240. All other sub skills must be at the standard minimum of 250-299. | 2 Years |
Exceptional circumstances
In exceptional circumstances, the Admissions Offices may consider an applicant to have met the English language requirements if:
- a) their undergraduate (Level 8) or postgraduate (Level 8 or 9) qualification has been taken through the medium of English in a country where English is not the acknowledged primary language. In this instance, the applicant must submit formal proof of same from the awarding institution, i.e. an official letter stating that the language of instruction was English, and a decision will be made by the admitting School/Department. Applicants may also be required to undergo an interview, a skills test, and an assessment of their written work.
or
- b) the applicant has successfully completed a Master’s programme (Level 9). The dissertation component must have been presented (orally and written) and defended in English. In this instance, the applicant must submit the dissertation for review, and a decision will be made by the admitting School/Department. Applicants may also be required to undergo an interview, a skills test, and an assessment of their written work.
Visa Requiring Applicants
English language requirements for applicants who require a visa for entry to Ireland
In addition to meeting the UCC English language entry requirements for admission, as detailed above, if you present from a country that requires a visa for entry into Ireland you must also meet the English language requirements, if there are any, as set out by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) (Department of Justice).
For more information please see the Department of Justice page on English language requirements for study visas.