Waiving an English language condition for postgraduates
We can waive the need for a specific English language test where an applicant has the one of the qualifications listed below, taken within five years of your course start date.
Where an applicant has one of the qualifications below, but was taken more than five years before your course start date, we can waive a specific English language test, if you can also provide official evidence that you have graduated with a Bachelor degree ‘taught and examined’ in English in the past five years.
For applicants with one of the qualifications below from Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda or Zimbabwe (i.e. those countries listed in ECCTIS with English as their sole Official Language), we can accept the qualification indefinitely, and therefore do not also require evidence of a Bachelor degree taught in English.
Any courses with an overall IELTS requirement of 7.0, or one of the courses listed below as an exception, are not able to be covered by one of these waivers:
- MSc Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visiting)
- MRes Educational Research
- MSc Human Resource Management
- MSc Management and English Language Teaching
- MSc TESOL
- MSc TESOL (Online)
Individual courses may have additional specific requirements. English language requirements are listed on each individual course page.
| Qualification | IELTS 6.0 with no skill below 5.5 / IELTS 6.5 with no skill below 6.0 |
|---|---|
|
A/AS/O Level English |
Grade C or above |
|
GCSE English |
Grade C/4 or above |
|
iGCSE English as first language |
Grade C/4 or above |
|
iGCSE English as second language |
Grade B/6 or above |
|
SQA Higher English/ESOL |
Grade C or above |
|
SQA National 5 English |
Grade B or above |
|
International Baccalaureate English |
Standard or Higher Level Grade 4 or above |
|
European Baccalaureate English |
L1: English: 60% or above; L2: English: 70% or above; L3: English: 70% or above |
|
INTO Pathway Programmes (Stirling and other centres) |
CEFR B2 stated and four elements scored with equivalent to IELTS provided |
|
Approved English preparation or Foundation course validated by a UK University and clearly stating scores in reading, writing, speaking and listening |
CEFR B2 stated and four elements scored with equivalent to IELTS provided |
|
BALEAP accredited pre-sessional programmes provided by Heriot-Watt University (taught in Edinburgh and Bangkok) |
C Grade overall / B Grade overall with a C Grade in all sub-skills |
|
Canada |
Ontario Secondary School Certificate English Grade C (70%) or above |
|
Denmark Studentereksamen (Upper Secondary School Leaving Examination); also Hojere Forberedelseseksamen (HF) and Hojere Handelseksamen (HHX) |
Grade 7 or above in English |
|
Finland Ylippilaustukintotodistus / Studentexamensbetyg (Finnish National Matriculation) |
English Grade 5 (Magna cum laude approbatur) |
|
French Baccalaureate (option International du Baccalaureat) |
Grade 10 or above in English |
|
German Abitur |
Grade 10 or above in English |
|
Ghana WAEC/WACCSE
|
C6 or above in English |
|
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) |
English overall 3 with no bands below 3 |
|
Indian Standard XII Examination – CBSE/ISC/ICSE, or Metro State Boards (Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal) |
70% or above in English, plus MOI letter |
|
Indian Standard XII Examination - Other boards |
80% or above in English, plus MOI letter dated within the last five years (a SELT may also still be required depending on the state board) |
|
Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) |
Grade C or above |
|
Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) 119/Cambridge O Level |
Grade C or above |
|
Netherlands VWO |
English Grade 7 or above |
|
Norway Vitnemal |
English Grade 4 or above |
|
Nigeria WAEC |
C6 or above in English |
|
Pakistan High School Certificate |
60% or above in English, plus MOI letter dated within the last five years from a recognised university on our specified list. |
|
Singapore Cambridge O level English Grade C or Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4 |
English Language Grade C or above |
|
South African National Senior Certificate |
Grade 4 (50%) or above in English |
|
Sweden Slutbetyg fran Gynmasieskolan |
VG Pass with Distinction in English |
|
Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) |
3-6 or Credit in English |
|
USA High School Graduation Diploma |
3.0 GPA in English |
|
USA SATS II (Subject) |
Will be considered on an case by case basis subject to academic background and grades |
|
Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education at Ordinary Level |
Grade C or above |