Pathways
Supporting you to specialise or tailor your study interests during your time at Manchester.
Our pathways are designed to help you focus your studies in a particular area of interest, whether that’s improving your English, developing leadership skills, studying law, or getting involved with the University’s sustainability initiatives.
If English isn’t your first language, this pathway will give you the opportunity to improve relevant language skills before the start of your main semester or year of study.
As part of the programme, you'll undertake a four, six or ten week pre-sessional English language course. The non-credit bearing course will get you ready for term time by developing your academic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, making it a good option for students whose English language score is currently below our entry requirements.
This programme is particularly suitable if you’re a student from China, Japan or Korea as it will be similarly structured to your degree back home.
Find out more about our pre-sessional language courses.
Additional fees
Whether you're on our fee-paying study abroad programme or part of an exchange, you'll need to pay additional fees depending on the length of the language course.
Entry requirements
You’ll need an IELTS grade of 6.0 with at least 5.5 in writing. We’ll also accept equivalent scores in the TOEFL, Pearson Test of English and Cambridge Secure English Language Test.
Further English language support
We also offer English language courses during term time at no extra cost.
Read about our in-sessional courses on our programme support page.
This pathway will help you develop your leadership skills through hands-on community action and academic study focusing on environmental care and social justice.
Developed with leading graduate employers, the programme will provide you with an insight into leadership in a wide range of settings, giving you experience and skills to help you stand out in the increasingly competitive job market.
As part of the programme, you’ll need to undertake 60 hours of service learning, with at least 15 completed in Manchester. Our staff will support you in finding opportunities to get involved with a variety of volunteering activities, like working with children and homeless people or assisting with environmental projects and charity fundraising.
How to apply
To apply to the programme, complete the standard online application form and include the Leadership in Action (UCIL 20031/20030/20032) as one of your unit choices.
Specifically for non-UK students interested in studying law, this pathway allows you to enrol in our law course units and spend time at one of the UK’s leading law schools. Unlike many other countries, law is studied at an undergraduate level in the UK, meaning that you’ll be taking the same courses as someone working towards their qualifying degree.
The programme gives you the opportunity to explore your interest in law, experience actual law school courses, and prepare yourself for graduate law school in the US and the associated admissions process.
Who is the programme for?
The programme is designed for undergraduate students who are thinking about applying to graduate law school in their home country and are currently studying politics, philosophy, history, international relations, economics, business, criminology, or any other related undergraduate subject.
Study options
You’ll be able to take any of our law units that don’t have any specific prerequisites. This includes basic legal courses such as contracts, torts, criminal law, constitutional law, and legal method, as well as more advanced legal courses such as philosophy of law; environmental law; human rights; law and ethics in war and warfare; counter-terrorism; law, literature, and art; sociology of law; and gender and the law.
Many of these courses are international or multinational in character and courses that focus on UK law rely on the same common law principles and cases that are considered foundational in the equivalent courses in other countries.
You can also take up to one course offered by another School in the University. In most cases major or full general education credit can be negotiated with the student's home university for each course taken.
How to apply
To apply, please complete the standard online application form, and indicate the Law course units you wish to take when sending us your course choices.
When studying at Manchester, you can take a range of course units that focus on environmental issues and sustainability.
We're home to the UK's largest single campus-based community of researchers with interests in sustainability and the environment, and our numerous environmentally focused research groups are committed to ongoing research into sustainability issues.
You can get involved in sustainability issues while studying at Manchester by engaging with various initiatives, including the Students' Union Climate Change Campaign and Going Green Environmental Policy, and the Student Sustainability Forum, which holds monthly meetings in the Students' Union.
Sustainability in Schools
Our Schools run environmental sustainability initiatives, some of which include providing course units that enable students to learn more about environmental issues. Find out more about environmental sustainability in the following Schools:
Sustainability course units
As well as extra-curricular activities, you can also undertake credit-bearing courses related to sustainability:
- Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure
- Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Waste Management
- Renewable Energy Systems
- Energy Resources (PDF, 549KB)
- The Crisis of Nature: Issues in Environmental History
- Climate Change and Society
- Health, Development and People: The Global Journey towards Health for All
- Creating a Sustainable World: 21st Century Challenges and the Sustainable Development Goals
- Designing Sustainable Futures
- Sustainability, Consumption and Global Responsibilities
Sustainability in study abroad
The International Programmes Office at the University is committed to sustainable development, demonstrated through a number of initiatives, including:
- development of a paperless online application process for students;
- encouraging offsetting airline travel;
- going green within the office, through recycling paper, glass and plastic.
Volunteering opportunities in conservation
If you take part in the leadership and service pathway, you’ll have the chance to get involved with local environmental and conservation projects as part of your community engagement activity.