Admissions policy

• Applicants are considered solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of gender, ethnic or national origin, age (subject to the University regulations on minimum age), disability, religion, sexual orientation or any other irrelevant distinction.
• The University aims to give such students equality of opportunity to enter. The University recognises that not all applicants have had an equality of educational opportunity and will consider applicants in the light of the opportunities available to them. The University will admit candidates who have the potential to succeed at degree level.
• The University welcomes applications from students with disabilities and will make every reasonable effort to meet their needs to enable them to study at the University. The University is committed to providing ongoing support with the focus being on providing accessible services and supporting students in completing their courses as independently as possible.
• The University is committed to operating a transparent admissions policy. Offer levels are reviewed annually and published in the University prospectus which is also available online.
• The University aims to encourage a diversity of applicants, via targeted marketing, special entry schemes and other initiatives. The University will consider candidates offering APEL/APL where it is appropriate to do so. It is also pleased to receive applications from candidates who offer international qualifications
• The University has taken positive steps to recruit from as wide a range of candidates as possible and is actively following strategies to widen participation to higher education within the local community via collaborative arrangements such as Aim Higher: P4P, through access programmes, contacts with local schools and our Associate Colleges.
• The University recognises that it plays a crucial role in educational provision for the local community and that it has a part to play in the provision of higher education across the United Kingdom and to a European and international market. The University has always welcomed a rich international mix among its students. These students are greatly valued for their contribution to the academic and cultural life of the University community.
• The University's policy is strongly to encourage the introduction of innovative and topical courses and new teaching methods. Courses at all levels are subject to annual scrutiny and particular attention is paid to matching the content and teaching methods of first year courses to the changing and increasingly varied abilities and skills of new entrants. This will benefit students in their preparation for further learning and employment.
• The University collects a range of contextual data using publicly available datasets in support of its Access Agreement with the Office for Students. The data includes education context and performance of the school at A-level or equivalent. The University also collects data to identify applicants from low participation neighbourhoods as well as identifying those who have been looked after or have been in care for more than three months. The University uses this contextualised data to inform and support its decision making process; the University is using this data to make lower offers to eligible applicants for a trial period which will be evaluated regularly, for further information please refer to our Contextual Admissions Policy.

The University's success in implementing its policy is dependent on the provision of an adequately resourced structure of higher education both at institutional and national level. The University will make every effort to obtain these resources, which will enable it to put its principles into practice.