Taught Admissions Policy 2024-25  Entry requirements

The University considers a wide range of qualifications for entry, and new and amended qualifications from across the world are assessed for acceptability by the University’s qualifications groups with final agreement by the University’s Recruitment and Portfolio Steering Group.

Typical requirements can be found on the relevant page of Course Search. Flexibility on the typical requirements may be applied at the discretion of the school when it is felt that a candidate demonstrates their potential for benefitting from the course. This may be demonstrated in a number of ways through different qualifications and combinations; however, applicants are expected to have demonstrated the ability to study at a progressive and concentrated level. Applicants who would like to discuss their profile in relation to the entry requirements are encouraged to contact the relevant school admissions team via the contact details on Course Search.

Where academic requirements have not been met for entry to an undergraduate course, the University Admissions team may pass application information on to the Lifelong Learning Centre or International Pathways Centre for consideration for a foundation year offer, which if they complete it successfully, allows students to progress to an undergraduate course. 

Read more about the University’s approach to accepted UK qualifications for undergraduate study and accepted international qualifications.

The University considers a wide range of qualifications for entry, and new and amended qualifications from across the world are assessed for acceptability by the University’s qualifications groups with final agreement by the University’s Recruitment and Portfolio Steering Group.

Teaching, assessment and student support will take place in English, unless otherwise stated. Schools must be confident that candidates have the proficiency in English language necessary to succeed on their chosen course and that, where relevant, they meet the UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) minimum requirements to obtain a Student visa.

The University requires that all applicants meet our minimum requirements for English; however, many courses will have higher requirements to ensure candidates are prepared for their chosen course. Acceptable English qualifications and the University’s minimum requirements (including validity periods) for these can be found on our entry requirements page. Applicants can view course-specific English requirements on the relevant page of Course Search.

When considering whether the English language requirement has been met, admissions teams base the decision on the most recent qualification obtained. 

Applicants who do not meet the relevant English requirements at the point of application may be made a conditional offer which requires them to pass an approved test. Alternatively, where a postgraduate applicant does not meet the English language requirements for the academic course, but does meet the requirements for the University of Leeds pre-sessional English language summer courses, they may be eligible for a combined offer for the pre-sessional and taught postgraduate course. For more details, please see the Language Centre website.

Where an applicant has already met the English language requirements but later provides more recent evidence that falls below the University’s or the UKVI’s requirements (if applicable), the offer must be revised.

• An unconditional offer, made on the understanding that English language proficiency was met, will be changed to conditional if evidence shows the currently achieved level is lower than the UKVI minimum of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) Level B2. For example, an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test with an overall score of 6.5 taken in 2022 would be overridden by an IELTS test with an overall score of 5.0 taken in 2023, making the offer conditional on English.
• Where an applicant would be exempt from providing additional English language evidence from an older qualification but provides a more recent qualification that shows a level which is below CEFR B2, any offer made will be conditional on meeting the English language requirements for the course. For example, an Indian XII or a Bachelor degree from Nigeria taken in 2020 would be overridden by an IELTS test with an overall score of 5.0 taken in 2023.
• Where more recent evidence is provided which does not meet the English entry requirements for the course but exceeds the UKVI minimum of CEFR Level B2, it is at the discretion of the academic school whether an English condition should be made.

Some courses will require additional checks to be undertaken in order for a candidate to gain admittance. These will be detailed on Course Search, however some of the most common checks are as follows:

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and occupational health checks

To comply with the requirements of relevant professional, statutory and regulatory bodies, applicants to certain vocational or professional courses may be required to pass checks by the DBS and/or to pass occupational health checks before being admitted. Applicants will be advised if these or other conditions apply when they are made an offer of a place.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Applicants who require immigration permission to be in the UK may require an ATAS certificate to undertake postgraduate study in certain subject areas. This includes integrated Masters courses, which incorporate undergraduate and postgraduate study. Those who require ATAS clearance must obtain the ATAS certificate before applying for the Student visa. Read more about ATAS on the University website.

Documentation

The following documents must be submitted with a taught postgraduate application to the University, and may be requested in support of an undergraduate application. 

• Higher education and professional qualifications (for taught postgraduate applications only). If an applicant has already completed a previous degree, they should submit a copy of the degree certificate showing the degree class and transcripts showing the grades obtained in each unit/module. Where applicants are yet to complete their qualification, they should submit transcripts of each completed academic year, including information on the modules being undertaken. If these documents are not in English, they should be accompanied by a formal certified translation into English, provided by the awarding institution, by a University of Leeds accredited agent or office, or by an official translator. This should be signed and dated and include the translator’s credentials and company details and confirmation that the translation is accurate. Evidence of any professional qualifications should also be submitted with the application.
• Previous Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) statement, Biometric Residence Permit and Student visa. Applicants who require a Student visa and who have previously studied in the UK will need to provide evidence detailing any previous periods of study on a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa. This is to allow the University to check compliance with the UKVI’s immigration rules for students. Applicants are encouraged to include documents such as previous CAS, copies of passport pages containing visas and copies of Biometric Residence Permits with their application. Any information that is not included in the application will be requested when the application is considered or, if the applicant does not provide this information, we may need to ask their permission to check their UK immigration history directly with the UKVI.  
• English qualifications. Proof of English language proficiency is required as part of the admissions process for all applicants. Please see the English language requirements section of this page for details of acceptable English language qualifications. Copies of the results of any acceptable, formal English tests should be submitted if already obtained. Without this evidence, any offer made will be conditional on providing evidence that the minimum English requirements have been met. 

For the list of documents required for other cohorts, see the relevant webpage:

• Incoming Study Abroad supporting documents
• International Foundation Year applying
• Language Centre applying
• Leeds International Summer School applying

The University may ask the applicant to provide original or certified copies of the documents submitted with their application at the point of registration. International applicants who require a Student visa to study in the UK should be aware that the Home Office may request to see original copies of academic documents at the point of entry to the UK. 

References

The acceptance of references is at the discretion of the relevant academic school and any questions relating to the format of references or nominating of appropriate referees should be directed to the admissions team for the specific course of interest. Contact details can be found on Course Search.

• References for undergraduate applicants. Applications should include a reference from the candidate’s current (or most recent) educational provider unless otherwise agreed by the relevant academic school before the application is submitted. The reference section of the application is carefully considered by the University.
• References for taught postgraduate applicants. Academic schools may require references from academic or professional referees and these will be requested directly from the referees by the University, using the contact details provided. Where requested, candidates must provide full, clear and accurate contact details of two referees at the point of application. If the academic school requires a reference in order to make a decision, they will contact the referee directly when assessing the application. For some courses, references are not part of the decision-making process, in which case applicants will not be asked to provide referee details when applying. Please note that referees should typically be academic. It is only appropriate to provide professional referees if the applicant has been out of education for more than five years or is applying with evidence of work experience.

In support of the University’s commitment to widening access and identifying all applicants who have the potential to succeed, the University provides contextual admissions routes through the Access to Leeds (A2L) and Realising Opportunities (RO) schemes. In addition to the standard offer, eligible candidates on both schemes will receive an alternative offer, where possible, typically equivalent to two A-level grades below the standard offer, and access to a pre-entry academic support module. Eligibility criteria for the schemes can be found on their websites (see previous links). The A2L and RO schemes are not open to those applying to foundation route qualifications. 

A2L and RO students are eligible for consideration for an alternative offer if they meet the minimum literacy requirements and, for courses which require particular subject skills, have met the relevant requirements as laid out on Course Search. Level 2 (GCSE or acceptable equivalent) subject requirements for the relevant course may be flexible for A2L applicants.

Applicants who live in a neighbourhood where there is low participation in higher education, known as Low Participation Neighbourhoods (LPNs), are automatically eligible for an offer one A-level grade below their standard offer or equivalent, where possible. Applicants can find more information on our alternative admissions page. 

Applicants from LPNs are strongly encouraged to also check their eligibility to apply to the Access to Leeds scheme. Where eligible for A2L, as stated in the Access to Leeds section above, applicants will typically also receive an alternative offer that is two A-level grades below the standard offer (or equivalent) and access to a pre-entry academic preparation module. 

These courses enable UK students to prepare for degree study and gain the necessary academic background in a supportive environment. Students who successfully complete the foundation stage progress to year one of an appropriate degree course, except for the Business Studies with Foundation Year, which progresses on to year two. 

With the exception of BSc Studies in Science with Foundation Year, which is a science conversion course for high achieving students, the University’s extended degrees aim to widen participation in higher education. Applicants must live permanently in the UK and meet our eligibility criteria, which can be found on the foundation year course pages. For more information, email the Lifelong Learning Centre via lifelonglearning@leeds.ac.uk.

Applicants for extended degrees who have left compulsory education within the last three years, or taken three Level 3 qualifications in the last three years, must, at entry, meet the course’s minimum requirements at both Level 2 (for example, GCSE) and Level 3 (for example, A-levels).

Candidates who have not taken three A-levels (or equivalent) within the last three years and/or who do not meet the minimum GCSE requirements may be asked to demonstrate evidence of their capabilities through the University’s own entry processes. These may include a combination of interviews, group work, presentations, portfolios or other written work as relevant for the course to which they are applying. It may also include tests in English and/or maths/numeracy set by the Lifelong Learning Centre, which are designed to indicate whether a candidate has the capacity to achieve the entry requirements in these subjects for their chosen course by the time they progress to level one of the degree.

APL is a process undertaken by the University to assess and, as appropriate, recognise prior experiential or certificated learning for academic purposes. This recognition may give the learning a credit value and allow it to be counted towards the completion of a course of study. In some cases, for undergraduate courses, this may lead to advanced entry. Applicants are advised to check the relevant school admissions policy or guidance via Course Search for further information about advanced entry. 

Credit transfer, which is a form of APL, is the process by which the University accepts credit arising from prior certificated learning, awarded either by itself or by another institution, as contributing to an award of the University. The relevant school will normally only make the academic decision about whether to grant APL when the applicant applies, not at a later date such as part-way through the course. Further details of the University’s policy can be found on our APL page.

Where an articulation agreement is in place between an external educational provider and the University of Leeds, the agreement will clarify the credit transfer possible, and this credit will be attached to the relevant candidates’ student records if they are admitted to the University.

Advanced entry and accreditation of prior learning may impact on the funding students can receive. For more information, email the Funding team via funding@leeds.ac.uk.