What IELTS score do you need for University College Cork?

UCC's postgraduate English requirements start at IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in each skill. UCC states that both test centre and online versions of IELTS are accepted, and that IELTS One Skill Retake is accepted. PTE Academic is 63 with no section below 59, again in test centre or online form. Duolingo is 120 with 110 in each subscore. TOEFL iBT is 4.5 with 4.5 in each section from 21 January 2026, or 90 before then; MyBest scores are accepted.

A small number of postgraduate programmes ask more, including MSc Audiology, Diagnostic Radiography, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Physiotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Marine Biology, the Master of Social Work and some nursing courses. Two examples from the page:

IELTS, TOEFL and PTE results must come from a test taken no more than two years before your programme starts. Scores must come from one sitting; UCC will not combine component scores from different tests.

For non-EU applicants to the College of Medicine and Health, only IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, Cambridge and PTE Academic are accepted. Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency needs 176 with 169 in each element for most courses, and 176 in every element for Medicine and Health.

At postgraduate level, successful completion of a pre-sessional course at the UCC Language Centre also meets the requirement.

This guide covers UCC's admission requirement. The study visa is a separate check: the Irish Immigration Service sets a visa minimum of IELTS Academic 5.0 (PTE Academic 30) for courses other than second-level, foundation or English language courses, and says your college's own minimum may be different. Meeting the visa minimum does not get you an offer; UCC's score is the one to aim for. Country-level detail is in our IELTS for Ireland guide.

Requirements are set per intake and can change. Check the UCC English language page and your course page before you book a test. Read on 4 October 2026.