Aberystwyth University's China entry page sets separate requirements for Foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate study. For the 30-week Foundation Programme, the page asks for Senior High School Year 3 with a minimum of 65% overall, or Year 2 with 75%. For undergraduate entry, the Chinese University Entrance Exam (GaoKao) needs a minimum grade of 70%.
Pre-sessional English
- 6-week Pre-sessional English: improves English language ability by the equivalent of 0.5 IELTS points.
- 12-week Pre-sessional English: improves English language ability by the equivalent of 1.0 IELTS points.
Foundation Programme entry
| Course length | Academic requirement | Narrow miss | English requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 weeks (September–June) | Senior High School Year 3 with minimum 65% overall and in relevant subjects, or Senior High School Year 2 with minimum 75% overall and in relevant subjects | Candidates who narrowly miss the academic entry requirements may be considered subject to interview | IELTS for UKVI 4.5–5.0 depending on pathway selected |
| 15 weeks (January–June) | Senior High School Year 3 with minimum 75% overall | Candidates who narrowly miss the academic entry requirements may be considered subject to interview | IELTS 5.0–5.5 depending on pathway selected |
Students who have completed 12 years of education in China and attained the Secondary School Leaving Certificate must complete a Foundation Programme or GCE A-level to progress onto undergraduate courses.
International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may pursue the International Foundation Programme offered by Aberystwyth University, International English Center (IEC). The Foundation Programme is a pre-university qualification that provides a direct pathway onto one of the university's undergraduate degree programmes.
Undergraduate entry
Students must meet one of the following criteria:
- Passed the Chinese University Entrance Exam (GaoKao) with a minimum grade of 70%, and successfully completed and passed the Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate.
- Completed a recognised foundation certificate. The university recommends the Aberystwyth University Foundation Certificate, and recognises many others.
Students who have completed a College Graduation Diploma (Dazhuan) may be accepted onto year 2 or 3 of an undergraduate degree on a case-by-case basis. The page asks applicants to contact the university for more information.
Postgraduate entry
The academic requirement is a degree equivalent to a UK Honours bachelor's degree, with a 2:2 minimum.
The page compares Chinese Xueshi (4-year Bachelor's degree) final averages with UK classifications:
| UK classification label on page | Xueshi, Prestigious Universities | Xueshi, National Universities |
|---|---|---|
| UK 2ii Honours standard | final average 66.0% | final average 75.0% |
| Good 2ii Honours | 69.9% | 79.6% |
| UK 2i Honours standard | final average 72.0% | final average 82.0% |
| UK 1st Class Honours standard | final average 80.0% | final average 90.0% |
The English requirement is IELTS overall 6.0–7.0 depending on subject, with a minimum of 5.5–7.0 in each component, or an Aberystwyth University recognised equivalent. If you have a Bachelor's degree from a UK university, you do not need to take an English proficiency test.
Research postgraduate entry
The page says applicants will ordinarily need a strong grade from their Bachelor's degree (2:1 equivalent or above), and/or a Masters degree. A comprehensive research proposal is required as part of the application. The page advises identifying a potential supervisor in advance.
The extracted page text does not include its entries for self-study and adult education degrees, so this article does not cover them.