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| 1. |
Age of Candidates |
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1.1 |
The University of Southampton admits students on individual merit and does not discriminate on the grounds of age. Some programmes of study are bound by external professional or placement requirements concerning age. The University is also bound by the UK Border Agency’s rules about tier four (‘general student’) visas; this means that the University is unable to sponsor (for visa purposes) students under the age of sixteen.
Where the age of an applicant would raise issues of safety, child protection, visa-sponsorship, personal support or issues of care, the Head of Registry Services should be notified in order to invoke appropriate measures to investigate and assess the situation prior to an offer being made.’ |
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| 2. |
Candidates with Current UK Qualifications |
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2.1 |
Undergraduate Programme of Study |
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Candidates for admission to programmes of study who have achieved current UK qualifications must satisfy the relevant School and specific programme requirements in addition to the general University requirements outlined below.
Candidates will normally be expected to have passed three subjects of the General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE A level) or equivalent in other current UK qualifications. Current UK qualifications are regulated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). A limited list of examples of current UK qualifications which could be considered for entry is found in Appendix 1.
Candidates will normally be expected to have passed General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSE) in English and Mathematics at grade C or above, or equivalent.
The University of Southampton Recruitment and Admissions Committee will review annually guidance on the equivalence of UK qualifications to be used when assessing applications.
The University of Southampton will normally be guided by the University and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) tariff and senior academic judgement of prior experience of qualifications when determining equivalence of qualifications.
Candidates for admission must satisfy the appropriate admissions tutor(s) that their academic qualifications are sufficient to enable them to undertake the programme of study.
In addition to the general entry requirements, candidates for admission may be required to take an additional admissions test for some programmes. Additional examinations can also be required to qualify for School or programme bursaries. Please refer to the relevant School and specific programme requirements. |
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2.2 |
Higher Degree |
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The School concerned may declare eligible for admission to a programme leading to a higher degree:
- a graduate of a University in the United Kingdom or any other appropriate institution of higher education;
- a candidate not being a graduate whose qualifications have been specially approved for this purpose by the School concerned.
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| 3. |
Candidates with UK Qualifications that are no longer offered |
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3.1 |
Candidates with UK qualifications that are no longer offered must have achieved a qualification previously approved by the QCA or prior statutory body or have otherwise satisfied the School concerned. Examples are an Ordinary Level Certificate or Higher National Certificate or Diploma awarded before the establishment of BTEC, pre-GCE school-leaving examinations, AO-levels, Advanced Extension Awards (AEA) and Vocational GCE A levels. |
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3.2 |
Candidates not possessing any of the qualifications outlined in sections 2.1 and 3.1 may be admitted to a first degree programme provided they can submit evidence of previous serious study and attainments which indicate the capacity to pursue the proposed programme successfully. Examples of such evidence include recent study with the Open University or another institution of higher education, successful completion of an approved Access course or of one of the University's 'Return to Study' courses, or recent relevant work experience. In such cases, eligibility for admission is subject to the approval of the School concerned. |
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| 4. |
Candidates with non-UK Qualifications |
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4.1 |
Candidates with non-UK qualifications will normally be expected to have qualifications of an equivalent standard to those outlined in section two of these regulations, and should also meet the programme specific requirements.
Candidates from countries whose education systems offer fewer than 13 years of formal education, or whose qualifications have not been judged by the University of Southampton to be equivalent, may be required to provide evidence of additional study, such as A-levels or a recognised foundation programme.
The University of Southampton Recruitment and Admissions Committee will review annually guidance on the equivalence non UK qualifications to be used when assessing applications. The University of Southampton will normally be guided by the University and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) tariff, the National Recognition Information Centre website, the International Office ‘International Qualification Comparison’ database and senior academic judgement of prior experience of qualifications when determining equivalence of qualifications.
Candidates for admission must satisfy the appropriate admissions tutor(s) that their academic qualifications are sufficient to enable them to undertake the programme of study. |
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| 5. |
English Language Requirements |
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5.1 |
In addition to any of the above qualifications, candidates whose first language is not English are required either:
- to reach a satisfactory standard in an approved test in English (see Appendix 2) or
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to offer a first degree from a UK university that has been taught and assessed in English, or
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to have been instructed and assessed in English and come from a country which appears on the list of those exempt from testing (see Appendix 3).
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5.2 |
- Although the candidate may have satisfied the English language requirements listed in 5.1 above, the School, with advice from the Centre for Language Study, may recommend that the student take a pre/in-sessional programme, or
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If the candidate cannot provide any of the requirements listed in 5.1, the candidate must otherwise demonstrate to the School that they have an adequate command of both written and spoken English language to follow the proposed course.
The original English language certificate is required as evidence in all cases except where online verification is available; ie: IELTS or TOEFL results.
Faculties that would like their English language requirements to differ from the standard University of Southampton requirements should submit a case to be considered by the Admissions Review Group for approval. |
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| 6. |
University Commitment |
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The University will at all times seek to operate admissions regulations that are fair and are in accordance with the law of the United Kingdom, and the University's Charter, Statutes, Ordinances and Regulations. This includes specific compliance with legislation relating to discrimination (eg Race Relations Amendment Act, Sex Discrimination Act and the Disability Discrimination Act, Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, etc) and the University's Equal Opportunities Policy Statement. This includes a commitment that the University will 'actively assist groups that experience disadvantage in education and employment to benefit from belonging to the University' and 'actively seek to widen participation to enable students that do not traditionally participate in Higher Education to do so’. |
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| Updated by the Admissions Review Group, 18 May 2010 |
| APPENDIX 1 |
| List of current qualifications offered in the UK |
- General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE A level)
- General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary level (GCE AS level)
- General Certificate of Education Advanced level in applied subjects (GCE A level)
- General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary level in applied subjects (GCE AS level)
- BTEC Nationals
- OCR Nationals
- Scottish Highers
- Scottish Advanced Highers
- Welsh Baccalaureate
- Advanced Diploma
- Extended Diploma
- Cambridge pre-U Principal Subjects and Diploma
- General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ) at national framework level three or higher
- National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) at national framework level three or higher
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| 18 May 2010 |
| APPENDIX 2 : Accepted Tests and Test Scores for English Language Certification |
| The required certification in English Language should normally have been obtained within the last two years. Tests currently approved are: |
British Council/Cambridge IELTS, TOEFL, internet-based TOEFL are nomally acceptable at the following grade/score levels (for exceptions please see below):
| IELTS* |
6.5 |
| TOEFL paper-based test |
580 |
| TOEFL internet-based test |
92 |
* IELTS qualification must include the Academic Reading and Writing modules. Though overall grade is stated, requirement for the particular components of listening, reading, writing and speaking may vary.
Programmes accepting lower IELTS, TOEFL and internet-based TOEFL equivalent scores/grades:
For all Foundation programmes:
| IELTS |
5.5 |
| TOEFL paper-based test |
527 |
| TOEFL internet-based test |
71 |
For admission to research degrees in Engineering and Science disciplines:
| IELTS |
6.0 |
| TOEFL paper-based test |
553 |
| TOEFL internet-based test |
81 |
Some programmes require higher scores. A number of programmes specifically require the following grade/score levels:
| IELTS |
7.0 |
| TOEFL paper-based test |
617 |
| TOEFL internet-based test |
105 |
Specific examples include the International Part-Time PhD Pathway – Distance Learning Mode in the Faculty of Humanities, PhDs at Winchester School of Art, School of Law: LLM programme, MSc Audiology, Faculty of Medicine: Bachelor of Medicine, MSc and postgraduate research programmes and a number of BSc programmes in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Applicants are advised to contact individual School/Faculty admissions tutors for definitive programme requirements.
For the full list of IELTS and TOEFL equivalences please see Appendix 4.
- AEB test in English for Educational Purposes (TEEP) (Grade 4 throughout).
- Brunei/Cambridge GCE O level English (grade C or above); Brunei/Cambridge GCE A level English (grade C or above).
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (Grade C or above).
- Cambridge International Examinations English O-level (used in Malaysia) (Grade C or above).
- Certificate in Advanced English (Cambridge) (Grades A - B).
- Certificate of Attainment in English (London) (Levels 5 - 6).
- GCE O-level or GCSE in English (Grade C or above).
- IGCSE English as a Second Language (used in Cyprus, the Middle East and Argentina) (Grade C or above).
- International Schools: Undergraduate applications where the medium of instruction and assessment is English in an international School.
- ‘International’ Universities where the language of instruction is in English.
- JMB University Entrance Test in English for Speakers of Other Languages (Pass).
- Malaysian English SPM 119 (Grade C or above).
- Nigeria: West African Examinations Council Year 12 Certificate in English (WASSCE) (grade C6 and above).
- Northern Consortium of British Universities (NCUK): EAP module - B for all courses at the University.
- Pre-sessional English Language Courses delivered by Language Specialists International (LSI).
- Successful completion of a pre-sessional course offered by the University's Centre for Language Study.
- University of Reading: Test in English for Education Purposes (TEEP).
- Warwick Higher Education Foundation Programme: 55% for all courses at the University.
The following qualifications are also acceptable:
- Abitur with a minimum score of 11 out of 15 or 2 out of 6 in English Language as a Leistungskurs.
- European Baccalaureate with a minimum 7.5 in English as the First Foreign Language L2 or First Foreign Language - Advanced L2A.
- International Baccalaureate (Syllabus A1: Grade 4 at either Higher or Standard level; syllabus A2: Grade 5 at Higher level or Grade 5 at Standard level where the IB subjects have been studied through the medium of English; Syllabus B: Grade 5 at Higher level).
- India English Exam for CBSE and ISC exam boards with a minimum score of 70%.
- Norwegian Vitnemål with minimum score of 4 in English.
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| 18 May 2010 |
APPENDIX 3 : Countries where no Separate Test of English Language Proficiency is required as long as education has been through the medium of English
(See Section 4.1 of Admissions to Degree Programmes). |
Students whose first language is not English meet the University’s requirement by virtue of having been taught and assessed in English and who come from countries which appear on this list.
Anguilla
Antigua
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Botswana
British Virgin Islands
Canada
Cayman Islands
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Cook Islands
Dominica
Falkland Islands
Fiji
Gambia
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
Heard Island
Jamaica
Kenya
Lesotho
Malawi
Malta
Mauritius
McDonald Island
New Zealand
Niue
Norfolk Islands
Papua New Guinea
Saint Kitts
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sierra Leone
Singapore
South Africa
Swaziland
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uganda
United States of America
Western Samoa
Zambia
Zimbabwe |
| (18 May 2010) |
| APPENDIX 4 : Table of IELTS and TOEFL Test Score Comparisons |
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| IELTS* |
TOEFL paper-based test |
TOEFL internet-based test |
4.5 |
477 |
53 |
5.0 |
500 |
61 |
5.5 |
527 |
71 |
6.0 |
553 |
81 |
6.5 |
580 |
92 |
7.0 |
617 |
105 |
* IELTS qualification must include the Academic Reading and Writing modules. Though overall grade is stated, requirement for the particular components of listening, reading, writing and speaking may vary.
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| (18 May 2010) |
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