At the Centre for International Education and Languages (CIEL), we provide language learning and education courses for students, universities and external partners.

We bring together three key areas – King’s Foundations, King’s Language Centre and King’s Summer Programmes – to deliver high-quality, integrated support for our whole community.

Each year, we help thousands of students, staff, alumni and professionals to succeed. With our support, our community are able to meet their personal, study and career goals.

CIEL programmes

We offer a wide range of programmes designed to help both students and professionals thrive.

Whether you're preparing for undergraduate study, enhancing your language skills or seeking professional development, we have the right course for you.

King's Foundations

International Foundation Programme

King’s International Foundation Programme is a one-year foundation course that helps ambitious international students find the right pathway and combination of modules to progress to undergraduate study.

There are four pathways to choose from, each carefully designed to prepare students for specific areas of study:

• Health, Life & Biosciences

• STEM & Natural Sciences

• Politics, Culture & Social Sciences

• Business & Economics.

Pre-sessional English courses

Our pre-sessional English courses help students improve their English language skills to prepare for a degree at King’s.

Our English courses teach both the academic and English Language skills needed to succeed at university. They are a highly respected alternative to retaking external English tests.

Academic skills programme

Our academic skills programme teaches core academic language and literacy skills. Students learn about academic writing, academic integrity and independent learning.

The programme is delivered to all King’s students. It is accompanied by resources, in-person workshops and one-to-one appointments.

King's Language Centre

King’s Language Centre is the largest in the UK and offers courses in 29 languages. We welcome language learners at every level, from total beginners to near-fluent speakers.

Our Language Centre runs a wide range of different courses to suit the needs of both learners within and outside of King’s.

Language courses for King’s students

We offer language courses for King’s students studying at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Many undergraduate degrees allow students to study optional language modules as part of their course.

Postgraduate students can also apply to study one postgraduate-only, non-assessed language course for free, if they aren’t taking any languages as part of their course.

Evening and weekend language courses

Our evening and Saturday language courses are open to all. This includes King’s students, staff and alumni, as well as members of other universities, professionals and the general public.

We offer both in-person and online classes to suit learners from all over the UK and beyond.

Private tuition and corporate training

We are experienced providers of private language tuition for small groups. We work with you to understand your needs and design courses that help you meet your goals.

We also work with organisations and private companies to deliver bespoke corporate language training. We've taught clients from many sectors including the City, the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, media, education and fashion.

King's Summer Programmes

King’s Summer Programmes are short courses held over the summer months. They cover a range of topics within Business, Law, Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences & Public Policy, Life Sciences & Medicine and Psychology & Neuroscience.

Pre-university summer school

Our pre-university summer school is for students aged 16 and above. It is a rare opportunity for school students to learn what it’s like to study at university.

Students attending our pre-university summer school will deepen their understanding of specific subject areas. It’s also a chance for them to meet students from across the world and get a taste of what life is like on our campuses in the heart of London.

Undergraduate summer school

Our undergraduate summer school is designed for undergraduate students who have completed at least one year of study.

The programme gives students the opportunity to experience research-based teaching in a subject area of their choice. There is a huge range of subject-specific courses to choose from. They include: International Commercial Law, English Language & Culture, Biomedical Engineering and many more.

Bespoke courses

We work with our partners both inside and outside of King’s to create tailored, bespoke courses. Our team of experts have developed many personalised summer programmes and work around the needs of organisations and their students to design high quality, unique experiences.

CIEL's impact

We support 12,000 students and professionals each year through our various programmes and courses. We help our whole community reach their academic, professional and personal goals.

Our foundation programmes offer a clear pathway to academic success. They prepare students for life at one of the world’s leading universities. A significant number of our foundation students progress to undergraduate study at King’s.

We’ve also extended our impact beyond the King’s community. We provide language tuition to students and professionals at other top institutions, such as London Business School and Courtauld Institute of Art.

Our work plays a central role in contributing to the success of King’s diverse student body and advancing King’s commitment to international education and collaboration.