Pathway providers and language schools

Foundation, pre-master and A-level providers, and the English language schools GESCO works with.

Not every partner on our list is a university. Forty-two of them prepare a student for one, or teach the English that has to come first.

Which of the two is yours?

There is one question behind this page: my grades or my English are not where they need to be, what now? There are two answers, and they are not the same answer.

If the grades are the gapA pathway yearA foundation, pre-master's or A-level programme that takes you from where your results are now to the level a degree asks for, and leads into a partner university.14 partnersSee the pathway providersIf English is the gapAn English courseYour academic record is fine and the language is the piece that is missing. A language school takes your English up to the level your course requires.28 partnersSee the language schools
Where you are nowYour transcript, and your English test result if you have one.
Pathway year or English courseWhichever of the two closes the gap.
A place on the degreeAt a partner university, applied for through GESCO.

Watch

What these two routes actually are

A pre-sessional course explained, and what a short English course in the UK looks like from the inside.

YouTubeUnlock Your Potential: What is a Pre-Sessional Course and How Can it Help You?Play videoYouTubeFrom Beginner to Fluent: Learn English in the UK with Our Short-Term Courses!United KingdomPlay video

What a pathway year usually contains

The mix differs by centre, and the timetable is set by the centre rather than by us. Most programmes are built from the same four pieces.

Subject modulesThe academic groundwork for the degree you are heading towards.
Academic EnglishWriting, reading and seminar language, taught alongside the subject.
Study skillsReferencing, assessment and how teaching works where you are going.
One route through usWe handle the application to the centre and the university behind it.

Where the degree happens

Both routes end at a university place

A pathway year or an English course is the step before the degree, not instead of it. These are the destinations carrying the most partner universities on our list.

United Kingdom92 partner universitiesUnited States39 partner universitiesAustralia34 partner universitiesCanada33 partner universitiesTurkey27 partner universitiesNew Zealand9 partner universities

All destinations

The partners

Fourteen pathway providers and twenty-eight language schools. The pathway providers run the foundation, pre-master’s and A-level year that leads into a partner university; the language schools teach English, from general courses to exam preparation.

14 partners

Pathway providers

Foundation, pre-master's and A-level programmes that lead into a partner university. The route for a student whose grades or English do not yet meet direct entry.

Abbey College DLD
Abbey College Malvern
Cats Global Schools
CEG
David Game
INTO
Kaplan
Kings Education
Malvern PLC
MPW
Navitas
Oxford International
QA Higher Education
Study Group

28 partners

Language schools

English courses, from general English to exam preparation. Some are a step before a degree; others are the whole point of the trip.

AIL Espaniol
Bayswater College
British Study Centers
Celtic English
City School of Languages
Concorde International
EC English
EF English
English Path
ES English
Euro Speak
Express English
Golders Green College
Hansa Language Center
International Language Centers
ISL Germany
Kaplan International English
Language Tuition Nottingham
Leeds English
Leeds Language College
Lewis School
New College Group
OHLA
Oxford Summer Course
SCL
St Giles
Stafford House
Twin Group

From our reels

Students who took the second route

Short answers to the questions this page gets asked most, from our Instagram.

InstagramOne destination. Multiple pathways. Endless opportunities 🇬🇧United KingdomPlay videoInstagramNot every student takes the same path to university and that’s okayPlay videoInstagram🎓 نجحت بالـ IG أو IB أو التوجيهي، بس معدلك ما كفى للتخصص أو الجامعة اللي بدك إياها؟Play videoInstagramYour current qualifications don’t have to define your future. ✨Play videoInstagramThink you need IELTS for a UK Master’s? Think again. 🇬🇧🎓United KingdomPlay videoInstagramShort courses don’t qualify for university entry 🎓Play videoInstagramNot getting the offer you were hoping for doesn’t mean the journey is over. 🎓Play videoInstagramماجستير قوي ✔ بدون IELTS ✔ ورسوم مناسبة ✔Play video

See all videos

Questions we get asked

Do I need an IELTS score before I can apply?

Not to start the conversation. Send us your transcript and your test result if you have one, and we will tell you what the centre and the university behind it ask for. Some routes accept other evidence of English; which ones depends on the centre.

How long does a pathway year take?

It depends on the programme and on how far your current results are from the entry requirement. Lengths, intakes and fees differ by centre and change each year, so ask us for the current figures for the centre and intake you are considering.

Is a pathway year the same as a language course?

No. A pathway year is academic study - subject modules, assessment and English together - and it leads into a degree. A language course teaches English only. If your grades are fine and the language is the gap, the language course is the shorter answer.

Do I apply to the centre or to the university?

You apply through us, once. We deal with the centre and with the university the programme leads into, and we tell you honestly whether your results are realistic for the route you want.

Not sure which one you need?

Bring your transcript and your English result, if you have taken a test. One conversation is usually enough to tell which route is yours.

Talk to a counsellor

Course lengths, fees, entry scores and start dates differ by centre and change each year. Ask us for the current figures for the centre and the intake you are considering — we would rather quote you the right number than a tidy one.