University Calendar 2013/14
Section IV : General Regulations
Regulations for Admission to Degree Programmes


PREFACE
CONTENTS
SEMESTERS
SECTION I
SECTION II
SECTION III
SECTION IV
SECTION V
SECTION VI
SECTION VII
SECTION VIII
SECTION IX
SECTION X
SECTION XI
SECTION XII
SECTION XIII
SECTION XIV
 
ARCHIVE 2007/8
ARCHIVE 2008/9
ARCHIVE 2009/10
ARCHIVE 2010/11
ARCHIVE 2011/12
ARCHIVE 2012/13
1. University Commitment
  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 (e.g. Equality Act 2010) and the University's Equal Opportunities Policy Statement.  This includes a commitment that the University will:
  1. actively assist groups that experience disadvantage in education and employment to benefit from belonging to the University

  2. actively seek to widen participation to enable students that do not traditionally participate in Higher Education to do so;

  3. Ensure that admission procedures select students fairly and appropriately according to their academic ability and that the procedure is monitored and regularly reviewed.
2. Age of Applicants
  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 regarding tier four (‘general student’) visas; this means that the University is unable to sponsor (for visa purposes) students under the age of sixteen years.

Where the age of an applicant would raise issues of safety, child protection, visa-sponsorship, personal support or issues of care, the Head of University Admissions should be notified in order to invoke appropriate measures to investigate and assess the situation prior to an offer being made.
 
     
3. Applicants with Current UK Qualifications
  3.1 Undergraduate Programme of Study
    Applicants to programmes of study who have achieved current UK qualifications must satisfy the relevant and specific programme requirements in addition to the general University requirements outlined below.

Applicants 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.

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 University Programmes 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 qualification information provided by the University and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) and senior academic judgement of prior experience of qualifications when determining their equivalence.

Applicants must satisfy the University and the appropriate Programme Admissions Tutor that their academic qualifications are sufficient to enable them to successfully 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 Faculty or programme bursaries.
  3.2 Higher Degree
    The Faculty concerned may declare eligible for admission to a programme leading to a higher degree:
  1. a graduate of a University in the United Kingdom or any other appropriate institution of higher education;

  2. a candidate not being a graduate whose qualifications have been specially approved for this purpose by the Faculty concerned.
4. Candidates with UK Qualifications that are no longer offered
  4.1 Applicants with achieved qualifications
Candidates with UK qualifications that are no longer offered must have achieved a qualification previously approved by the QCDA or prior statutory body or have otherwise satisfied the Faculty 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.
  4.2 Applicants not possessing formal qualifications
Candidates not possessing any of the qualifications outlined in section 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 recent relevant work experience. In such cases, eligibility for admission is subject to the approval of the Faculty concerned.
     
5. Applicants with non-UK Qualifications
  Candidates with non-UK qualifications will normally be expected to have qualifications of an equivalent standard to those outlined in section three of these regulations, and should also meet the programme specific requirements. (Academic entry requirements for international students are listed at http://www.southampton.ac.uk/international/countrypages/).

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 GCE A-levels or a recognised foundation programme.

The University Programme Committee will review annually guidance on the equivalence of non-UK qualifications to be used when assessing applications.

Candidates for admission must satisfy the University and the appropriate Programme Admissions Tutor that their academic qualifications are sufficient to enable them to undertake the programme of study.
     
6. English Language Requirements
  In addition to any of the above qualifications, candidates whose first language is not English are required either:
  1. to reach a satisfactory standard in an approved test in English (see http://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/admissions/admissionspolicies/language/) or

  2. to offer a RECENT first degree from an approved university that has been taught and assessed in English, or

  3. to have come from a country which appears on the list of those exempt from testing (see http://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/admissions/admissionspolicies/language/) and have been instructed and assessed in English.
  Prior to making an application, candidates are advised to consult the details at http://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/admissions/admissionspolicies/language/.
  All candidates whose first language is not English and who require a Tier 4 visa to study must comply with the minimum requirements for language proficiency set by the UKBA for the issuance of Tier 4 visas.
     
 



Submitted by Corporate Services
Last reviewed: 31-July-2013
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