Entry requirements for Pakistan

Our entry requirements will vary depending on your level of study, the course you are interested in and your English language proficiency.

Foundation courses

If you have graduated from the national high school system, you may be required to successfully complete an International Foundation Year before entering our undergraduate courses.

Undergraduate courses

We usually require three subjects at GCE A-Level. We also accept applications from students who have studied the International Baccalaureate.

We will also consider applications from those holding an undergraduate degree of two, three or four years’ duration from a reputable Pakistani university. As a general guideline, we will consider applicants with a CGPA in the region of 3.0 or above, although this will be decided upon by the admissions tutor at the time of application.

Students who have successfully completed a recognised foundation programme and will also be considered.

We will also consider students who have studied the US high school education system. Please see our USA pages for more information.

Postgraduate taught courses

We will consider applicants who have successfully completed a four-year bachelor's (honours) degree from a recognised institution in Pakistan.

We will also consider applicants who have successfully completed a two-year master's degree (if this follows on from a two, three or four-year bachelor's degree) or a one-year master's degree (if this follows on from a three or four-year bachelor's degree). Degrees must be from a recognised institution in Pakistan.

As a general guideline, we will consider applicants with a CGPA in the region of 3.0 or above (for programmes requiring a 2:1 honours degree equivalent) or CGPA in the region of 2.5 or above (for programmes requiring a 2:2 honours degree equivalent), although this will be decided upon by the admissions tutor at the time of application.

Postgraduate research courses

There are a number of possible entry routes to postgraduate research courses.

Applicants who have successfully completed a four-year bachelor's (honours) degree with a one or two year master's degree from a recognised institution in Pakistan will be considered.

We will also consider applicants who have successfully completed a three-year bachelor's (honours) degree with a two-year master's degree, or a four-year bachelor's (honours) degree with a one-year master's degree. Degrees must be from a recognised institution in Pakistan.

In some cases, we will consider applicants who only have a bachelor's degree, although applicants may be required to complete a master's course at Cardiff University prior to embarking upon PhD studies.

English language

You will need to have a relevant English language qualification to satisfy the English language requirements for your course. The minimum admissions requirement is usually IELTS 6.5 but for some courses we may ask for higher grades.

You can improve your level of English language to meet the entry requirements for your course through our in-house English for University Study programme, a full-time course for international students planning to study at a UK university. The minimum entry requirement is IELTS 4.0 for September entry, 4.5 for January and 5.0 for April. The Exit Test results from this course are accepted as IELTS equivalents for entry to all degree courses at Cardiff University.

We also offer summer pre-sessional courses for applicants with academic offers that are conditional on improving their level of English language proficiency.

If you are unsure of your qualifications or entry requirements, please contact us.