Student experience

Applications for full-time undergraduate courses must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Most schools and colleges assist students in their UCAS application but if you would like further advice or do not have this support available, please contact the admissions team who will be able to advise you on the process. In addition to this, UCAS offer guidance online at ucas.com.

Your application, together with your application fee, should reach UCAS between 1 September and 15 January to be guaranteed equal consideration for a place at Bucks. We cannot guarantee that places will be available for applicants who apply after this date however; you can apply up to the 30 June. If you apply after 15 January we will contact you to inform you if places are limited or if the course you have applied to is full. Please note that any applications after 15 January will be considered as ’late’.

Please note that UCAS require all applicants to comply with decision deadlines which vary throughout the cycle, depending on when your application was submitted. UCAS will communicate these deadlines with you directly. If you fail to comply with these dates your application may be declined.

Louise Robinson said, “The application process wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be; I came to university from school, so my tutors helped me to apply.”

International applicants (non-EU) have until 30 June to submit their application form to UCAS. Applicants are advised to apply in advance of this date, and by 15 January, if applying for popular courses. You should check with the recruitment team for any further information by emailing advice@bucks.ac.uk.

Entry requirements
Our entry requirements vary for each course, please check our entry profiles on the UCAS website or refer to our courses area. It is your responsibility to ensure you fully understand these prior to applying.

The entry requirements for each course are based on achieving a certain number of UCAS tariff points, most Level 3 courses attract a tariff score. For further clarification on qualifications within the tariff, please refer to the UCAS tariff page. Some qualifications do not attract a tariff score such as the NVQ Level 3 or Access to higher education, however we do accept these qualifications as entry onto the majority of our degree programmes but they must be in a relevant subject area to the course applied to. All applicants must hold GCSE Maths and English Language at grade C or above or equivalent.

Please note that all art and design courses require a portfolio review and interview, guidance notes on what to include in your portfolio can be provided on request. All other courses that require interview of have additional entry criteria will be clearly stated on the UCAS course area.

Holly Webster said, "Because my course was a creative one I had to come in for an interview and prepare a portfolio to talk though with a tutor. My portfolio included work from my college, GSCE work and other relevant work that I had. I flew to over from Jersey on the day of my portfolio review so it was really nerve-wracking. You feel like the review and interview go really quickly but they tell you very soon after about your place on the course. Overall my interview and review took about 20 minutes to half an hour."

Start dates
Please be aware that the majority of our undergraduate courses start in September with the exception of our nursing courses which have two intakes per academic year; one in September and one in February.

Mature applicants
The University welcomes applications from mature students. Age is no barrier to undertaking a degree and can be an advantage in the work skills, motivation and live experience that a mature applicant possesses. Mature applicants without A-Levels or other formal qualifications will only be considered if they hold relevant work experience which would need to be proven through references or the personal statement.

We would like to hear from all mature applicants looking for further study however, if may be in the best interest of the applicant to undertake study at Level 3 prior to considering progressing into university, especially if they do not hold relevant work experience.

To be considered as a mature applicant you must be over the age of 21 at the point of enrolment.

Transfers
It is sometimes possible to transfer to a course at Bucks from another university and you may be able to gain an exemption from parts of the course you have already studies under our Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS).

We would advise you to apply via UCAS for the relevant point of entry but in order to us to consider your transfer you must provide us with copies of your certificates and transcripts from your current university course.

Each case is looked at individually, so we would advise you to discuss it with us in more detail as it is not possible to transfer into every undergraduate programme that we offer.

UCAS Codes
The institution code name and institution code for Buckinghamshire New University are:
UCAS institution code name: BUCKC
UCAS institution code: B94
If you are looking for a UCAS course code, please see the courses area on UCAS or on our website.

If you are having difficulty with your UCAS application which is not specific to one university please contact the UCAS student helpline on 0871 468 0468.

Undergraduate application procedure

1. Complete and submit your UCAS application form following the guidance above and any supportive notes you have.

2. Upon receipt of your application, we will send you a card to acknowledge we have received your information. We may contact you to clarify information, send any further documentation or to inform you of any interviews or other criteria we will need you to meet.

3. Once we have reviewed your application, we will confirm our decision with you. The decision could be one of the following:

4. Once you have gained your unconditional offer and accepted the place firmly with us you will be provided with full joining instructions to enable you to enrol onto your chosen course.

If you have any queries about the undergraduate application process or entry criteria, please contact our admissions team who will be happy to clarify these details for you.