Course information
Length
1 year full-time
Department
Course overview
This Diploma is a Pre-Masters programme aimed at postgraduate students who are looking to develop or consolidate their language skills in academic English and study some background theory in these subject areas.
You'll also have the opportunity to study some background theory, familiarise yourself both with ways of working in British academic culture and in the standards required at Masters degree level.
If you wish to go on to study either at Goldsmiths or elsewhere in Britain you'll be given help and support in finding an appropriate programme.
If you pass the programme at the required level (a pass in all modules with an overall score of 50% or more), you can progress onto one of the following MA programmes:
- MA Anthropology & Cultural Politics
- MA Applied Anthropology and Community & Youth Work
- MA Applied Anthropology and Community Development
- MA Applied Theatre: Drama in Educational, Community & Social Contexts
- MA Art & Politics
- MA Brands, Communication & Culture
- MA Cities and Society
- MA Contemporary Art Theory
- MA Critical & Creative Analysis
- MA Cultural Studies
- MA Culture Industry
- MA Education: Culture, Language and Identity
- MA Film and Screen Studies
- MA Gender, Media & Culture
- MA Human Rights, Culture and Social Justice
- MA International Relations
- MA Media & Communications
- MA Multilingualism, Linguistics & Education
- MA Musical Theatre
- MA Performance & Culture: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
- MA Performance Making
- MA Political Communications
- MA Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy
- MA Promotional Media: Public Relations, Advertising & Marketing
- MA Social Anthropology
- MA Social Research
- MA Sociocultural Linguistics
- MA Understanding Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence
- MA Visual Anthropology
- MA Visual Sociology
Contact the department
If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Stella Harvey.
What you'll study
For 2020–21, we have made some changes to how the teaching and assessment of certain programmes are delivered. To check what changes affect this programme, please visit the Programme Changes page
Overview
Core English for Academic Purposes modules concentrate on different areas of language development, made up of:
- Academic Writing and Grammar Development
- Academic Listening and Speaking
Two further modules consider interdisciplinary themes and integrate academic content with language and study skills development. These modules provide a useful background for students in European intellectual approaches and some key theories of relevance to a range of academic disciplines.
Finally, you will attend a number of lecture modules taking place in other academic departments, putting into practice your developing language and study skills.
You will have a personal tutor and will receive support in researching and considering various MA degree options for your future studies.
You are encouraged throughout the programme to work independently and in particular to use the resources available in the Goldsmiths Library.
Assessment
Continuous assessment includes regular seminar presentations and researched essays. There will also be written, listening and oral examinations.
Credits and levels of learning
An undergraduate honours degree is made up of 360 credits – 120 at Level 4, 120 at Level 5 and 120 at Level 6. If you are a full-time student, you will usually take Level 4 modules in the first year, Level 5 in the second, and Level 6 modules in your final year. A standard module is worth 30 credits. Some programmes also contain 15-credit half modules or can be made up of higher-value parts, such as a dissertation or a Major Project.
Download the programme specification, for the 2019-20 intake. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office.
Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.
Entry requirements
International qualifications
We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.
Additional Requirements
You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject.
You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.
For this programme we require: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) IELTS 5.5 overall with no component lower than 5.5. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.
Fees & funding
Annual tuition fees
These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2021/2022 academic year.
- International - full-time: £14600
Find out about our postgraduate tuition fees and funding opportunities.
Additional costs
In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.
There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.
How to apply
You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system.
Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:
- Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
- The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
- A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online
Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement
- If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)
You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.
When to apply
We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September.
We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification.
Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.
Selection process
Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.
Staff
Joan Turner
Director of Centre for English and Academic Writing, Senior Lecturer.
Research: language in higher education; English for Academic Purposes; academic writing research; academic literacies; intercultural communication; cross-cultural pragmatics; conceptual metaphor; English as an international/transnational language. Find out more about her book, 'Language in the Academy'.
Timothy Chapman, BA, MA, DELTA
Academic writing; discourse communities; learner identities; interculturalcommunication; Computer Assisted Language Learning.
Dr Stella Harvey, BA, RSA Dip TEFLA, MA PhD
Discourse analysis; intercultural communication; home students' academic writing; EAP for PhD students; EAP for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship; content-based EAP for Arts and Humanities; translation; Guillevic.
Julia Lockheart BA MA MA
Design and language; metadesigning, languaging, collaborative writing, co-authorship, cross-disciplinarity, writing purposefully in art and design (Writing PAD)
Paul Stocks BA, MA
English for academic purposes; academic writing; the East Asian learner; English for media studies; English for theatre and drama; English for computing.
Gary Riley-Jones MPhil (Cantab) MA PGCE BSc RSA Dip TEFLA
Language and linguistics; English for Academic Purposes; Content-Based Language Teaching in the Arts; Critical thinking; Rancière; Teacher training; Academic writing.
Julia Lockheart BA MA MA
Design and language; metadesigning, languaging, collaborative writing, co-authorship, cross-disciplinarity, writing purposefully in art and design (Writing PAD)
Paul Stocks BA, MA
English for academic purposes; academic writing; the East Asian learner; English for media studies; English for theatre and drama; English for computing.
Gary Riley-Jones MPhil (Cantab) MA PGCE BSc RSA Dip TEFLA
Language and linguistics; English for Academic Purposes; Content-Based Language Teaching in the Arts; Critical thinking; Rancière; Teacher training; Academic writing.
Marl’ene Edwin, MA
Caribbean oral literature; creolistics; orality.
Careers
This programme will develop your skills in:
- Critical reasoning
- Textual interpretation
- Oral and written communication
Successful completion at the required level will guarantee you a place on a relevant Goldsmiths degree programme.
