English Language Requirements

The following countries are on the UKVI's list of majority English Speaking countries

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand,  St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America.

Applicants who are nationals from the above countries will automatically meet the UKVI Student Route visa requirements for English language, but the University may still require some evidence of English language ability to meet the general entrance requirements.

If you are applying to study a Professional Health Programme such as; Adult Nursing, Child Health Nursing, Diagnostic Radiography, Mental Health Nursing, Operating Department Practice, Paramedic Science, Radiotherapy and Oncology or Social Work you are required to achieve the following:

If you have completed a degree-level qualification taught in a university or college in a majority-English-speaking country listed above (except Canada), or Ireland, you will automatically meet the UKVI Student Route visa requirements for English language, but the University may still require some evidence of English language ability to meet the general entrance requirements.

If you have completed a degree-level qualification which meets, or exceeds, the recognised standard of a UK bachelor’s degree and was taught in English, we may be able to waive our English language requirement through the use of our English Language Test Waiver form. The form must be completed and physically stamped by the university that awarded your degree.

Once complete, return the form to admissions@uos.ac.uk and we will be able to assess whether we can waive the English language requirement for your application. Before contacting your previous institution, please see below for a list of universities we have already approved waivers for.

Our ability to waive the English language requirement based on your completion of a degree taught in English is in line with the UKVI’s English language requirements for a Student visa. Therefore, if you require a visa to study a degree in the UK, you will not be required by the UKVI to complete a Secure English Language Test (SELT), providing we are able to waive the English language requirement for your application following our assessment of a completed waiver from your previous university. The waiver cannot be used for entry to our Professional Health programmes.

Please note that if your previous university are unable to complete the form, or they are unable to confirm that your degree was taught in English to the standard that we require, you will be required to meet our English language requirements using one of the other methods stated above. Fraudulent documents will not be considered. Evidence of fraudulent submissions may lead to your application being withdrawn.

Universities With Approved Waivers

Below is a list of universities we have received approved waivers from already. If you have completed a UK-standard Bachelor degree, or higher, you will be exempt from taking an English language test a part of your admission to University of Suffolk unless your previous degree programme is shown in the list of excluded courses or was awarded outside of the period covered by the Waiver, as noted below.

Please note that if we have received a valid waiver from your previous university and your degree was awarded up to 5 years prior to your University of Suffolk course start date, we will be able to apply the waiver to your application automatically.

If your degree was awarded more than 5 years ago, but less than 10 years before your course starts, we may be able to apply the waiver to your application on a discretionary basis where we are able to satisfy ourselves that your award was taught entirely in English. In this case, applicants are also encouraged to provide a Medium of Instruction letter from their previous university, confirming that their specific course was taught to them in English. 

If your degree was awarded more than 10 years prior to your University of Suffolk course start, please note that we will not be able to apply the waiver to your application.