Pathway courses can help you plot a route onto many of the undergraduate Bachelors and postgraduate Masters courses at York.

The University of York's International Pathway College (IPC) runs both Foundation and Pre-Masters pathway courses for international students who do not meet the academic or English language requirements for direct entry to their chosen degree. They will help you to strengthen your study, academic and English language skills before starting your degree.

To find out whether you need to take a pathway course you should check the entry requirements for your country

Please note all applications for our Foundation or Pre-Masters programmes are managed by our partners, Kaplan International Pathways, on behalf of the University of York. 

Preparation courses in York

The IPC offers a route to Bachelors and Masters degrees. Progression to your chosen course is guaranteed when you complete your Pathway College course at the required level with good attendance.

Foundation Pathways

Our Foundation Pathways can help you to study at undergraduate level if you don’t meet the requirements for direct entry, or want to further your knowledge in a particular discipline before starting your degree. These programmes are currently available at 3, 2.5 and 2-term lengths, with multiple intake points during the year. They are made up of academic modules that will help you to develop your content knowledge, academic and English language skills, and independent learning abilities, which are key to success for university study in the UK. 

Our current pathways you can take are:

  • Business and Finance
  • Computing Science and Engineering
  • Humanities, Creative Arts and Media
  • Interactive Media
  • Law and Social Sciences
  • Life Science, Biomedicine and Environment
  • Mathematics, Economics and Actuarial Science

Visit our webpages on the Kaplan International Pathways website to find out more and apply.

Learn more about our Foundation pathways and how to apply

Pre-Masters Pathways

Our Pre-Masters courses help you to meet the academic and language requirements for postgraduate studies. They are available in 3, 2.5 or 2-term options. On these courses you will focus on your academic English, study skills, and research skills, alongside academic content modules relevant to your pathway. These skills are necessary to be successful at postgraduate level study, and we work closely with degree departments to ensure our curricula align and remain relevant for students. 

Our current pathways for Pre-Masters study are:

  • Business with Law
  • Education, Media and Social Sciences
  • Management and Quantitative Skills
  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Visit our webpages on the Kaplan International Pathways website to find out more and apply.

Learn more about our Pre-Masters pathways, and how to apply

Preparation courses in London

You could choose to complete a degree preparation course at our partner institution Kaplan International College (KIC) London.

If you successfully complete the course to the required level you will be guaranteed a place on your chosen undergraduate or postgraduate degree at York.

Other pathway courses

We regularly accept international pathway courses from a number of different institutions. The grades required will vary depending on the course you're applying to at York.

If you'd like further advice on entry requirements, please contact us at ug-admissions@york.ac.uk with the name of the pathway course you're currently studying or intend to study and the course that you want to apply to at York.

You can also contact our regional managers with any queries you might have about studying at York.

What to do if my degree doesn't have a pathway through the IPC?

Our programmes give students the opportunity to progress onto the majority of University of York degree programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, but if there is a degree you are interested in that doesn’t yet have a pathway through the IPC, please contact us on ipc-progressionsupport@york.ac.uk.