International Year One
Develop the skills you need to join the second year of your undergraduate degree at the University of Sussex.
What is the International Year One?
Study our International Year One programme at the University of Sussex International Study Centre and develop the skills you need to join the second year of your undergraduate degree at the University of Sussex. This route allows you to graduate in the typical three years and get a head start in your career.
When you successfully complete the International Year One, provided you achieve the required grades, you can progress into the second year of your degree. The diverse, essential skills you will develop on this programme will majorly benefit you at university, as well as later on in your career and life. In 2025, 97% of students who completed their International Year One at the University of Sussex International Study Centre were offered a place at the University of Sussex.
Who is this programme for?
The International Year One's aim is to fully prepare you to be successful in the second year of your chosen undergraduate degree and beyond. You will study a combination of core and subject-specific modules that focus on teaching you the English language, study skills, employability and academic areas most relevant to your chosen degree at the University of Sussex.
Course length
- Two semesters
Entry points
- September, November (Enhanced Induction) and January
Find out more about specific semester dates for this programme.
There are requirements you must meet to study an academic programme at the University of Sussex International Study Centre. Find out more about the specific entry requirements for this programme.
Your course fees will vary depending on the programme you choose to study. Find out more about fees at the University of Sussex International Study Centre.
Choose your subject route
Why study the International Year One?
If you choose to study this programme, you will better your understanding of the British education system by accessing an internationally-tailored introduction to your degree. Additionally, throughout the International Year One, you will benefit from an increased focus on employability skills and a strong support system implemented by our staff.
Other reasons to study include:
Focus on your career
We know that you may already be thinking about your future career, which is why we have integrated a careers element into our academic courses at the International Study Centre. CareerAhead will guide you towards making the right choices and give you the tools you need to stand out in the competitive graduate job market.
Assess your progress
We will assess your progress regularly to ensure you are on track to complete your course successfully, so that you can go on to study your chosen degree at Sussex. You may take part in exams, seminar discussions, group projects, presentations, laboratory practicals, software exercises and essays as part of your overall assessment.
Improve your English
Need to improve your English language or raise your IELTS score? You can study one of our English language courses online before the International Year One, or Language Lift – studied simultaneously with your course.
Language Lift is a 6-week course designed for students who need to improve the level of their written English. It will run alongside your other modules as a conditional requirement for International Year One if you have IELTS 5.5 overall and 5.0 in writing.
"The international Year One is aimed at students who haven't quite got the English speaking, reading, listening, or writing skills, that they need in order to progress directly to the University of Sussex. Sometimes, students haven't studied the subject area that they're coming into before, so it's a really good opportunity to trial all of these different areas within the field before making that final decision about "what degree do I want?". You've got really experienced tutors. That really know their subjects, are experts in their subjects, and they really care, you know, they really do care about the students, which I think so important. And you're based on the University of Sussex campus. We do everything we can to make them feel like they are University of Sussex students before they actually progress to the university. There's a really wide range of subjects, you've got Business and Management, you got Finance and Accounting, Computing, Engineering, International Relations and International Development, and Media and Film Studies. Let's face it, you get to get your degree within 3 years, you get a lot of support you get help with acclimatising to the culture and you get a really nice friendly team of tutors and admin staff around you to support you."
Study plan options
| English language level | Semesters | Start date | End date | Progress to the University of Sussex |
| IELTS 5.5 overall with no less than 5.0 in writing (4.5 with the condition of Language Lift, 6-week course alongside their other modules, at extra cost) and no less than 4.5 for other skills | 2 semesters | September | May | September |
| IELTS 5.5 overall with no less than 5.0 in writing (4.5 with the condition of Language Lift, 6-week course alongside their other modules, at extra cost) and no less than 4.5 for other skills | 2 semesters plus 3 weeks of additional study and life skills | November | August | September |
| IELTS 5.5 overall with no less than 5.0 in writing (4.5 with the condition of Language Lift, 6-week course alongside their other modules, at extra cost) and no less than 4.5 for other skills | 2 semesters | January | August | September |