Academic online language courses for admission and degree study

Academic online language courses prepare you for study in a foreign language. They pursue two goals: the language certificate you need for admission, and the language ability you need during your degree. The two overlap but are not identical. A good test score does not guarantee that you can follow a 90-minute lecture or write a term paper in the language.

In English this field is called EAP, English for Academic Purposes. Similar courses exist for other languages, such as German for university study or French for higher education.

2 focuses of academic language courses

• University preparation: courses aimed at admission, such as test preparation, preparation for the DSH (Germany's university entrance exam for German), pre-sessional courses that UK universities run before term and the language strand of foundation programmes, which are one-year preparation programmes.
• Academic writing and presenting: courses for students who are already admitted and must handle essays, dissertations and talks in the foreign language.

Academic language differs from everyday language in its vocabulary, impersonal sentence patterns, cautious phrasing and strict rules for citing sources. A general language course rarely teaches these features.

Each university sets its own language requirements, but some countries fix a minimum, for example for the student visa. The table refers to degree programmes taught in the national language. Its levels come from the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference, which divides language ability into six levels from A1 to C2.

Some abbreviations need a word of explanation. IELTS and TOEFL are internationally recognised English tests, and the Duolingo English Test is an adaptive English test taken online. DELF and DALF are the official French language diplomas, and DELE and SIELE are Spanish exams in which the Instituto Cervantes is involved. The DSH is the German language exam for university entrance, set by universities themselves. TestDaF is the standardised Test of German as a Foreign Language. The TCF DAP is the French test for the preliminary application to the first year of a French university.

For a UK student visa, the government requires CEFR level B2 for courses at degree level or above and B1 below that. Universities may assess English themselves for degree-level courses, but they too must ensure at least B2. Public universities in Madrid have required Spanish at B2 from applicants from non-Spanish-speaking countries since the 2020-2021 academic year, unless the programme states otherwise.

English-taught degrees in Germany, the Netherlands or Scandinavia also rely on IELTS and TOEFL, often with similar scores to UK universities.

The CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, describes language ability on six levels from A1 to C2. For university study, B2 and C1 matter most. At B2 you understand the main ideas of complex texts and can interact fluently and spontaneously. At C1 you understand demanding, longer texts, recognise implicit meaning and express yourself clearly and in a well-structured way on complex subjects.

IELTS Academic is the academic version of the IELTS English test. TestDaF and DSH are the two German exams for university entrance. The table shows common alignments; the university's own requirement is binding.

For German, the framework regulation of the German Rectors' Conference recognises DSH-2 or TestDaF with TDN 4 in all four parts as proof for unrestricted admission. TDN stands for TestDaF level.

A test measures reading, listening, writing and speaking under exam conditions. A degree demands the same skills at greater length and with subject content.

1 Following lectures

You listen for 60 to 90 minutes, take notes and separate key points from examples. Lecturers speak fast, with accents and technical terms.

2 Reading large amounts

In many subjects you read several journal articles or book chapters a week. That requires skimming and scanning, the techniques of reading for gist and searching for detail.

3 Discussing in seminars

You defend a position, respond to objections and disagree politely.

4 Writing academically

Essays, term papers and lab reports follow fixed patterns, including structure, argument, citation and an impersonal style.

5 Presenting

Presentations require free speaking with slides and a question round.

6 Communicating with staff

Emails to professors, requests to the exams office and office hours follow politeness conventions that differ between countries.

Academic language courses differ by goal and timing. IELTS and TOEFL are English tests, and TestDaF and DELF are exams for German and French.

A pre-sessional course is a language course a UK university runs before the start of term. Many universities admit applicants whose test score is slightly too low on condition that they pass this course. Some run it online.

Test preparation, EAP and writing courses work especially well online, because they rely on texts, recordings and live seminars. The test itself takes place at a centre or at home, depending on the exam. IELTS Academic and the TOEFL iBT can also be taken online from home, while the DSH and the digital TestDaF are only available in person.

Language learning continues after admission. Universities in English-speaking countries commonly offer in-sessional English, meaning EAP classes and workshops that run alongside your degree, often free for enrolled students. Many also have writing centres, where tutors give feedback on drafts of essays and dissertations.

Language centres in continental Europe

Most universities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland run a language centre with courses for enrolled students, some of them online or hybrid. In Germany, many centres offer UNIcert, a certificate system of the university language centres with levels Basis and I to IV. The levels follow the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference, and range from beginner to the language ability of a competent academic. UNIcert courses focus on language for study and research, and many universities count them as credits.

Courses for international students

Language centres also run courses in the local language for international students, often focusing on academic writing or presentations. Exchange students frequently find preparation courses for their host country's language there as well.

An academic language certificate needs lead time. Plan backwards from the application deadline of your target university.

1. 12 to 18 months before: Take a placement test and fix your target level. If you are at B1, the third of the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), start a course towards B2 now.
2. 9 to 12 months before: Build academic skills. Read academic texts, listen to lectures and write short essays.
3. 4 to 6 months before: Prepare specifically for the test, with timed practice tests.
4. 2 to 4 months before: Take the test, which leaves time for a second attempt.
5. After admission: Take a writing and presentation course before the degree starts.

The hours follow Cambridge English guidance on guided learning: about 350 to 400 hours to B1, 500 to 600 to B2 and 700 to 800 to C1. With six course hours a week plus self-study, moving from B2 to C1 therefore often takes six months or more.

Check how long results stay valid. Many universities accept English test results only if they are at most two years old, and results of the TCF, the Test de connaissance du français, are also valid for two years.

The cost of a language certificate combines course fees and the exam fee. The figures are rough guide values for 2026 and vary by country.

Budget for a possible second attempt from the start. The DSH, Germany's university entrance exam for German, costs different amounts at different universities, and some admit only their own applicants.

An online course needs self-discipline in return, and fixed weekly live sessions make it much easier to keep going.

An academic language course should match your target test, your subject and your timeline. A trial lesson or a free placement test quickly shows how the course works.

1. Does the course prepare for the test your target university requires?
2. Does it start with a placement test on the CEFR scale, the scale of the Common European Framework of Reference?
3. Does it include full practice tests with feedback?
4. Do you get comments on your writing as well as a score?
5. Do you practise speaking with a teacher who names your error patterns?
6. Does the course train lecture comprehension with long recordings?
7. Do class times suit your time zone and daily life?
8. Does the provider state its teachers' qualifications?