Admissions guidance for courses in the Lifelong Learning Centre

The University of Leeds admissions policy states Level 2 Functional Skills English at a Pass will be accepted as equivalent to GCSE grade 4 or C. However, if the course you wish to progress onto requires a higher grade in GCSE English, Level 2 Functional Skills will not be accepted in its place. Please check Course Search for entry requirements and the course admissions team before applying.

For part-time courses, a second reference will be required where applicants apply for a course involving placements, eg Learning and Teaching, Child and Family Studies, and Interdisciplinary Studies with Preparation for Higher Education. Applicants should note that these references will be followed up. Forms are considered in their entirety by the admissions tutor.

Eligible Access to Leeds and Realising Opportunities applicants will be considered for an alternative offer. This applies to all LLC courses except for the following extended degrees which already have lower entry requirements than Access to Leeds:

• BA Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year
• BA Interdisciplinary Studies with Foundation Year
• BSc Business Studies with Foundation Year
• BSc Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year
• BSc Studies in Science with Foundation Year

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is a process undertaken by the University in order to assess and, as appropriate, recognise prior experiential learning or prior certified learning for academic purposes. For further information see the Accreditation of Prior Learning section of the University of Leeds admissions policy.

Active participation in the course of study is core to the learning experience provided by LLC courses. In some cases this explicitly draws upon the experience, skills and knowledge that members of the group bring from prior experience and learning. Exemption from any part of a course through the Accreditation of Prior Learning is normally considered only in a limited number of cases set out in the following:

Degree courses

120 credits may be allowed for those with a relevant Certificate of Education (120 credits or equivalent) for:

• FD Learning and Teaching

APL may be considered in relation to specific modules on an individual student basis for:

• FD Child and Family Studies
• BSc Business Management and Leadership
• BA Professional Studies

Apprenticeship courses

APL may be considered in relation to specific modules on an individual student basis for:

• FD Nursing Associate (Apprenticeship)
• Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship

Availability of courses in UCAS Extra will be detailed on UCAS at the appropriate stage in the cycle.

All applications for LLC part-time courses should be made using the forms that are available from the LLC by 1 August 2025. Applications after this date may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Apprenticeship admissions for LLC courses are managed by the applicant’s employer through completion of the LLC Direct Entry Application form. All applications for our Chartered Manager (Degree) Apprenticeship BSc should be submitted by 14 October of the year prior to the year of entry. All applications for our Nursing Associate (Apprenticeship) FD should be submitted by 31 October of the year prior to the year of entry.

BSc Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year applications

The BSc Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year progresses onto the following healthcare courses:

• Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy
• Dental Surgery
• Diagnostic Radiography
• Healthcare Science – Audiology
• Healthcare Science – Cardiac Physiology
• Medical Ultrasound (Sonography)
• Medicine and Surgery
• Midwifery
• Nursing (Adult)
• Nursing (Child)
• Nursing (Mental Health)

To be considered for the Interdisciplinary Science foundation year, applicants must not meet the admissions criteria for direct entry onto the first year of their chosen progression course.

Closing date for healthcare progression applications

The application closing date for progression onto healthcare-related courses, except Midwifery and Nursing (Adult, Child and Mental Health), is 15 October of the year before the year of entry (eg for entry to the course in September 2025, the deadline for applying is 15 October 2024). Applications for Midwifery and Nursing (Adult, Child and Mental Health) are accepted up to 29 January of the year of entry.

The LLC does not accept applications for progression onto healthcare-related courses after the initial UCAS closing date. We do not typically participate in the UCAS Extra scheme or in Clearing for these progression courses.

Please see the ‘Progression onto healthcare-related courses from the Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year’ section of this page for more information about these progression routes.

Your application

Please ensure that you mention on your personal statement the course you want to progress onto on completion of the foundation year.

Application process

Your application will be reviewed by the Admissions team. Applicants who meet the entry requirements and additional entry criteria will be asked to complete the LLC’s supplementary form. The criteria for assessment includes:

• evidence of a sustained interest in the degree you aim to progress onto
• examples of work or voluntary experience you have gained relating to your degree choice
• evidence of your mathematical and problem-solving experiences.

Supplementary form

Completed supplementary forms along with your application form are reviewed by the programme manager. This is normally carried out around late November/early December each year. 

When coming to a decision on which applicants to take through to the next stage of the application process it is important to note that, at each stage, a judgement and selection takes place to identify those applicants that meet our admissions criteria most strongly. For progression onto healthcare courses we are oversubscribed and therefore we do not automatically admit any applicant who meets the criteria, but must make a selection on those who do so most thoroughly. 

Due to the limited number of places on our courses, only those applicants meeting the criteria most significantly and successfully are invited to an interview.

Invitation to an interview takes into account the following criteria:

• contextual widening participation criteria
• lack of eligibility for other courses at the University of Leeds
• evidence of relevant transferrable skills and experiences
• strong personal statement
• strong applicant reference.

Interview

Because we offer a wide selection of healthcare course progressions, some courses have different interview and progression arrangements. Interviews are held during December – March but are dependent upon the progressing School's interview arrangements, which may be subject to change.

The interview arrangements are as follows:

Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy, and Dental Surgery courses 

20-minute interview and short maths test with the programme manager. Applicants who pass the interview and maths test will be invited to multiple mini interviews with the School of Dentistry. 

Diagnostic Radiography, Healthcare Science – Audiology, Healthcare Science – Cardiac Physiology, Medical Ultrasound (Sonography), and Medicine and Surgery courses 

20-minute interview and short maths test with the programme manager. Applicants who pass the interview and maths test will be invited to multiple mini interviews with the School of Medicine. 

Midwifery courses 

40-minute interview and short maths test with the programme manager and departmental lead from progressing course. 

Nursing (Adult), Nursing (Child), and Nursing (Mental Health) courses 

40-minute interview and short maths test with the programme manager and a separate 20-minute interview or multiple mini interviews with the departmental lead from progressing course.

Maths test

As part of the interview process, applicants are asked to complete a short maths test. The maths test is at the level up to and including any higher GCSE level. The test contains a maximum of 10 short questions and focuses primarily on numeracy and algebra skills. The highest difficulty is around algebra understanding. We recommend that applicants use BBC Bitesize to prepare for the test.

Progression

Progression arrangements depend on the course applicants want to progress to. 

Dental Surgery and Medicine and Surgery courses 

Progression from the foundation year is based on passing the foundation year and achieving the grades required from the foundation modules for progression onto chosen progression course. The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is not a requirement of admission or progression, however we strongly recommend all applicants consider attempting the UCAT.

Diagnostic Radiography, Healthcare Science – Audiology, Healthcare Science – Cardiac Physiology, Medical Ultrasound (Sonography), Midwifery, Nursing (Adult), Nursing (Child), Nursing (Mental Health), Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy courses 

Progression from the foundation year is based on passing the foundation year and achieving the grades required from the foundation modules for progression on chosen progression course. 

Grades required from the foundation year to enable progression

The grades required from the foundation year to enable progression onto a chosen degree is set at the beginning of each academic year and is subject to change from one cohort to another. Students at the beginning of the foundation year will be provided with details on the grades required for their specific course progression. The grades achieved during the foundation year are not used to rank applicants. 

Occupational health and criminal convictions

Before progressing onto healthcare courses, all successful applicants will also need to pass health and criminal record screenings.

The University has a policy statement on students with criminal records. The record will be checked via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

The LLC will consider applications from those who are re-taking examinations prior to entering the University.

The LLC does not accept applications for deferred entry onto the following full-time extended degree courses with foundation year:

• BA Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year
• BA Interdisciplinary Studies with Foundation Year
• BSc Business Studies with Foundation Year
• BSc Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year
• BSc Studies in Science with Foundation Year

Applicants applying for other LLC courses who wish to defer following submission of their application are required to do so prior to the confirmation of a place. Applicants would normally apply for deferred entry for one academic year only. If an applicant wishes to defer again, they must reapply and contact the LLC course admissions team – their contact details can be found in the ‘Useful contacts’ section of this page.

The personal statement of the application form helps the LLC to assess the nature of interest in the academic subject and is an important part of the selection process. It is essential that applicants take this opportunity to demonstrate their enthusiasm and aptitude for the academic subject. We wish to hear about:

• Your reasons for applying to this course. What interests you about the subject matter and course? How do you see yourself benefiting from your studies?
• Your experience of study. Have you recently undertaken any study, training or personal development that shows your capacity to commit to a course of learning? What strengths and skills do you bring from your experience of study? Are there any factors that have limited what you have been able to achieve that the LLC should take into account?
• Your range of skills, knowledge and experience. Do you already have some knowledge of the subject/s that you are proposing to study at University? What have you learnt from experience (eg hobbies, personal interests, professional or voluntary work) that could be relevant for your future studies?

Interviews form part of the LLC’s standard admissions process and are structured to provide fuller evidence of the applicant’s academic potential, aptitude for the course and, where relevant, professional experience. Applicants should be ready to discuss each of these areas, remembering the importance of skills and knowledge that they have acquired through informal as well as formal learning.

Applicants may be asked to complete a task as part of the interview. The interview also provides opportunity for an applicant to ask questions about their proposed course of study and for the admissions tutor to be sure that the applicant has made a properly informed choice.

Where possible the LLC will accommodate requests for alternative interview dates, however an alternative cannot be guaranteed.

As per the University of Leeds admissions policy​​​​​​, applicants who have sought feedback and wish to challenge the decision made on their application should contact the Deputy Director (Student Education), whose details can be found in the useful contacts section that follows.

For Lifelong Learning Centre admissions enquiries, email the relevant course team:

• BA Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year: Email Arts and Humanities admissions: artsfy@leeds.ac.uk
• BSc Business Management and Leadership: Email Business and Management admissions: bm@leeds.ac.uk
• BSc Business Studies with Foundation Year: Email Business Studies admissions: bm@leeds.ac.uk
• Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship: Email the Apprenticeships team at LLC-Apprenticeships@leeds.ac.uk
• BA Child and Family Studies: Email Child and Family Studies admissions: cfs@leeds.ac.uk
• BSc Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year: Email Interdisciplinary Science admissions: isf@leeds.ac.uk
• BA Interdisciplinary Studies with Preparation for Higher Education: Email Preparation for Higher Education admissions: phe@leeds.ac.uk
• BA Learning and Teaching with SEND: Email Learning and Teaching admissions: learnandteach@leeds.ac.uk
• FD Nursing Associate (Apprenticeship): Email the Apprenticeships team at LLC-Apprenticeships@leeds.ac.uk
• BA Professional Studies: Email Professional Studies admissions: caps@leeds.ac.uk
• BSc Studies in Science with Foundation Year: Email Studies in Science admissions: isf@leeds.ac.uk

 For all LLC admissions complaints and appeals please contact the Deputy Director (Student Education) and Director of the Lifelong Learning Centre. Their details can be provided by contacting the relevant course admissions team.