Program Overview

Pre-Masters Programme at our International Study Centre prepares you for your degree at Lancaster University. You will focus on English language, university-level study skills, and academic modules that relate to your degree subject.

Your postgraduate preparation
The Pre-Masters Programme is available over two or three terms at the International Study Centre, providing you with the skills necessary for postgraduate study at Lancaster University. You will  build on the knowledge gained in your earlier studies whilst developing your practical English language and mathematical abilities, as well as study and research skills.

You will develop an intellectual appreciation of issues relevant to your chosen degree through classes designed specifically for international students. These will be based on study and careers skills, as well as subject specific modules, which prepare you for your chosen Masters degree at Lancaster.

How does it work?
When you apply to the International Study Centre, you will choose between two pathways, depending on your career aims. Upon acceptance to the Pre-Masters Programme, you will also receive a conditional offer to study a Masters degree at Lancaster University after successful completion of your Pre-Masters.

Business, Law and Social Sciences
By studying the Pre-Masters Programme in Business, Law and Social Sciences, you can prepare for a successful future in a wide range of roles across business and management, law and the social sciences. The programme leads to a variety of Masters degrees at Lancaster University, including some at the Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) – one of the top 100 business schools in the world.

Programme structure
During this programme, you will study subject specific modules to prepare for your future Masters degree, as well as academic study and English language skills. You will discover how to undertake independent research, as well as developing your writing fluency for postgraduate level. The programme also explores contemporary global issues whilst encouraging you to expand your knowledge by critically analysing the subject matter.

Business Analytics
We live in a world where analytical decision-making happens every second. Data is collected about everything in order to construct, operate and maintain systems. If you want a career in decision support, operational research, industrial engineering or management science, this is the ideal programme for you.

This course will train you in analytical decision-making. Not only do you learn the theory of business analytics but also how to apply it in practice. This involves generating relevant business insights using data-driven methodologies and tools. Our programme is one of the few to teach the entire Business Analytics life cycle, covering Descriptive, Predictive and Prescriptive analytics.

We have excellent partnerships with industry business analytics practitioners. We constantly update this programme to reflect the dynamically changing landscape of business analytics.  We place a very high emphasis on creating graduates with skills that are valuable in the job market. For example, you will experience a real-life analytics project as part of your course.

Lancaster is a pioneer of analytics in UK and Europe. We were one of the first universities in the UK to establish an Operational Research department, which developed into Business Analytics. More than 50 years on, we are still at the forefront of applying analytics to business in teaching and research.

Our academics are leaders in fields such as forecasting, optimisation, simulation and stochastic modelling. You will learn technical aspects like machine learning and data mining. We also have domain expertise like logistics and supply chain analytics, healthcare analytics, sports analytics, network analytics, marketing and pricing analytics.

Our graduates become business analysts, data scientists, analytics engineers and logistics consultants, and some also go into academic research. Many students get job offers whilst still studying.