Cardiff Metropolitan University

Cardiff Metropolitan University traces its history to the Cardiff School of Art, founded in 1865. After several changes of name and structure, including a period as the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), it adopted its current name in 2011 when it ended its association with the University of Wales.

The university is located in Cardiff, the Welsh capital, and teaches on two campuses, Llandaff and Cyncoed. Cyncoed is home to extensive sports facilities, including the National Indoor Athletics Centre. Cardiff Met has around 12,000 students, and teaching is organised across five schools: Art and Design, Education and Social Policy, Management, Sport and Health Sciences, and Technology. It is particularly well known for sport, as well as for art and design, education and food science, supported by facilities such as the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre. The university was named Times Higher Education University of the Year in 2021. In the Research Excellence Framework 2021, 70 per cent of its overall submission was rated internationally excellent or world leading. It also works with partner institutions in other countries that teach thousands of further students.

Information for International Students

Cardiff Metropolitan University welcomes students from more than 100 countries. Its international team provides guidance on the UK Student visa, including help with the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), visa requirements and current immigration rules. For most undergraduate and postgraduate courses the typical English language requirement is IELTS 6.0 overall, although some programmes ask for higher scores.

The English Language Training Centre, which has operated since 2006 on the Cyncoed campus, prepares international students for study at the university. It runs pre-sessional English courses of varying lengths for students who need to improve their English before starting a degree, with entry from around IELTS 4.5 for the longest course. It also delivers a year-long International Foundation Course, taught by the university itself, which combines academic English with study skills, professional development and critical thinking to prepare students for undergraduate study.

The university has around 1,000 study bedrooms at its Cyncoed and Plas Gwyn sites, supplemented by more than 1,200 rooms in nearby private halls, and a free Residence Life programme organises social events for first-year residents. Scholarships are available for some international applicants, and graduates may be eligible for the Graduate Route.