Coming to study from the United States

You should consider taking a foundation course with us if you want to take a Science or Engineering undergraduate course with us and:

• have completed an American high school diploma
• but do not have the relevant subject tests to apply

Completing a foundation course will enable you to qualify and secure a place. 

The American equivalents for foundation course entry requirements will depend on which of these one-year intensive introductions you apply for.  

They include: 

• the Foundation year for engineering, maths or physics, which prepares you to take up one of 19 undergraduate degrees in engineering, maths or physics
• the Science Foundation Year, which prepares you to take many of our science undergraduate degrees
• the OnCampus undergraduate foundation programmes, which are run by our partner and prepare international students for a variety of degrees, including art, business, the humanities, science, engineering and more 

Most of our undergraduate degrees take 3 years to complete full time and lead to a bachelor's degree.

To apply for an undergraduate degree, you'll need one of the following: 

• an International Baccalaureate (IB) score, usually between 30 to 38 points
• UK A-levels at the grades shown on your degree course page
• US equivalents to A-levels, as outlined in the US qualifications we accept section
• a combination of qualifications such as Advanced Placement (AP), IB subjects and Honors courses 

If the degree you want to study has subject requirements (for example, Maths or Chemistry), you must meet them using the correct subject at AP level or another accepted qualification such as IB Higher Level.

If you want to apply for an undergraduate degree in Medicine, you need to take the UCAT test.

US qualifications we accept

We accept a range of US high school and college-level qualifications:

• Advanced Placement (AP)
• Grade 11-12 Honors courses (one year courses)
• ACT
• SAT
• Associate degrees
• International Baccalaureate (IB)

APs and Honors courses are the main ways to meet A-level equivalencies. 

A-level equivalency

University degree courses ask for A-level grades (for example, AAA or AAB). Check your course page for the exact A-levels required.

You can replace 1 AP or 1 Honors course with 1 ACT or SAT score.

You cannot use ACT or SAT to meet subject-specific requirements (for example, Maths or Chemistry).

Use the following lists to find the equivalent US qualifications.

A*AA

For courses requiring an A*AA, you will need one of the following:

• 3 AP tests at scores of 555
• 2 AP tests at scores of 55, plus either an ACT score of 31 or an SAT score of 1350
• a GPA of 3.6 in college-level classes
• A and A+ grades in Honors classes

AAA

For courses requiring an AAA, you will need either:

• 3 AP tests at scores of 555
• 2 AP tests at scores of 55, plus either an ACT score of 29 or an SAT score of 1350
• a GPA of 3.4 in college-level classes
• A grades in Honors classes

AAB

For courses requiring an AAB, you will need either:

• 3 AP tests at scores of 554
• 2 AP tests at scores of 55, plus either an ACT score of 27 to 29 or an SAT score of 1300 to 1350
• a GPA of 3.2 in college-level classes
• predominately A grades in Honors classes

ABB

For courses requiring an ABB, you will need either:

• 3 AP tests at scores of 544
• 2 AP tests at scores of 54, plus either an ACT score of 27 to 29 or an SAT score of 1300 to 1350
• a GPA of 3.0 in college-level classes
• A and B grades in Honors classes

BBB

For courses requiring a BBB, you will need either:

• 3 AP tests at scores of 444
• 2 AP tests at scores of 44, plus either an ACT score of 27 or an SAT score of 1300
• a GPA of 3.0 college-level classes
• predominately B grades in Honors classes

Associate degree requirements

Associate degrees have the following grade point average (GPA) equivalents:

• A*AA requires a GPA of 3.3
• AAA requires a GPA of 3.2
• AAB requires a GPA of 3.1
• ABB requires a GPA of 3.0

Our postgraduate taught degrees involve more advanced study and usually take 1 year, depending on the course. Degrees awarded include master’s degrees, postgraduate diplomas and certificates.

To apply, you will usually need a bachelor's degree from a recognised institution.

Depending on which course you apply for, your minimum grade requirement will be a:

• first class degree equivalent, with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.6 or more
• UK 2:1 degree equivalent, with a GPA of at least 3.2 but less than 3.6
• UK 2:2 degree equivalent, with a GPA of at least 2.8 but less than 3.2

See your course page for the exact requirement.

If you miss your requirement by 0.2 grade points or less you might still be eligible to apply if you attended a particularly prestigious university. If this is the case, submit a question to the International Team with details of your GPA and the course you want to apply for.
 

To study for a PhD or research degree with us, you need all of the following:

• a 2:1 undergraduate honours degree
• a master's degree with merit
• a strong research proposal

For degrees awarded in the US, you must have had a GPA of at least 3.2.

Qualifying degrees must have been awarded by a UK ENIC recognised university.