The international student journey has changed. From receiving a university offer to arriving on campus, the whole process is becoming less predictable, with visa timelines creating uncertainty, financial pressures affecting decisions and students choosing to remain in their home country for longer before travelling.
At the same time, universities are working harder to convert offer holders – not easy when international students are increasingly making decisions later in the recruitment cycle. IDP’s Emerging Futures research has highlighted how factors including visa uncertainty and changing economic conditions are influencing when and where students make decisions about studying overseas.
As international students increasingly seek flexibility before beginning university, an important question arises for universities: how can pre-sessional delivery keep pace with these evolving expectations? Traditionally, pre-sessional English has often been associated with students arriving on campus before their degree begins – and this approach still works for many students. But for a global student population navigating increasingly complex journeys, it may not always be the most accessible option.
The limitations of traditional models
Campus-based pre-sessional provision offers clear benefits. Students can immerse themselves in their new university environment, meet future classmates and become familiar with their campus before starting their degree. However, it can also introduce extra commitments before the student has formally begun their degree programme.
Travelling requires flights, accommodation and living costs, while visa and logistical requirements can make an early arrival difficult. Students who are unable or unwilling to relocate several months before their degree begins may therefore struggle to access pre-sessional support at exactly the point they actually need it. For them, an online or hybrid programme could remove barriers that might otherwise prevent them from taking part.
Why flexibility matters more than ever
Flexible delivery can respond to the realities of the modern international student journey in several ways. It increases accessibility, enabling students to participate from their home country, regardless of where they are in the admissions process. It also gives students more choice, allowing them to select a delivery model that works with their circumstances, rather than having to fit their circumstances around a fixed programme.
There are benefits for universities, too, not least the opportunity for earlier engagement. Universities can begin supporting students before they travel, creating an earlier connection between offer holder and institution. It also reduces the risk, as students who narrowly miss their language conditions have an additional route to developing the skills they need, rather than automatically facing deferral or withdrawal.
This is particularly relevant as universities increasingly look at the entire international student journey from offer to enrolment, rather than treating admission as the end point of recruitment. A flexible pre-sessional programme can become part of that journey: maintaining engagement, providing meaningful preparation and helping students move towards university study with greater confidence.
It’s about more than English
The term “pre-sessional English” perhaps suggests that these programmes are primarily about improving language proficiency. Language does remain fundamental, but successful transition to higher education requires much more than being able to communicate in English.
For example, students may also need to develop academic writing, critical thinking, referencing and seminar participation skills. They may need experience of digital learning environments, greater confidence in independent study and a better understanding of the expectations of UK higher education. These skills are particularly important for international students coming from educational systems with different approaches to teaching, assessment and independent learning.
The most effective pre-sessional provision therefore looks beyond language scores, aiming to help students develop the academic readiness and confidence they’ll need once their degree begins.
The rise of hybrid models
As universities look for ways to offer incoming international students greater flexibility, hybrid delivery offers an opportunity to combine the strengths of online and campus-based provision. A student might begin their pre-sessional programme online while still in their home country, then transition to campus-based activity once they’re able to travel. Alternatively, online delivery can provide a complete route for students whose circumstances make early arrival impractical.
This flexibility can offer several strategic benefits. As well as strengthening institutional resilience, it supports students at different stages of the admissions cycle, providing scalable provision across international markets and allowing universities to engage with students earlier. It can also provide continuity when travel, visa or other external circumstances affect a student’s ability to arrive on campus as planned.
What good looks like
Hybrid delivery should be viewed as an evolution of pre-sessional provision rather than as a total replacement for the campus experience.
A successful online or hybrid pre-sessional programme moves beyond self-study materials and recorded content towards live, interactive teaching, where students can ask questions, participate in discussion and develop confidence communicating in an academic environment. Regular tutor interaction and personalised feedback can help students understand where they need to improve and how to do so. Importantly, academic support should also be complemented by appropriate pastoral guidance, recognising that transition involves more than academic preparation.
Clear progression outcomes are equally important. Students should understand what they’re working towards and how successful completion connects to their future degree. Crucially, pre-sessional provision should be closely aligned with the university and the expectations of the specific degree programmes students will enter, so that their academic preparation reflects the reality of subsequent study in their chosen institution.
The future of pre-sessional English
As universities seek to grow international enrolments while supporting student success, flexible pre-sessional provision through online and hybrid models has become a key strategy. It allows universities to widen access, maintain engagement with offer holders, support conversion and prepare students for academic study, while giving international students greater choice over when and how they prepare for university.
The future of pre-sessional education isn’t moving entirely online; nor does it need to abandon the benefits of campus-based learning. Instead, universities have an opportunity to build more flexible models around the realities of today’s evolving international student journey – meeting students where they are, supporting them before they arrive and helping them reach university better prepared to succeed.
See how flexible pre-sessional English could help your institution improve the international student journey by partnering with OIDI.
