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Admissions procedures
- Consideration will be given as to whether applicants will be able to fulfil the objectives of the programme of study and achieve the standards required.
- For both undergraduate and postgraduate applicants a range of factors additional to, and in some cases instead of, formal examination results may be considered in the selection process. These can include:
- The personal statement and academic references
- Additional evidence of achievement, motivation and potential as gathered through formal interview or assessment of written materials
- Other factors as appropriate to the discipline, such as employment or volunteer work in relevant fields and sustained critical engagement with relevant issues
- Since entry is competitive, achieving examination grades equivalent to or above the published typical offer for a course does not automatically entitle a candidate to an offer.
- For undergraduate applicants the requirements of the UCAS scheme will be observed.
- All applications will be dealt with efficiently without unnecessary delay against internal service level statements.
Procedures for handling applications may vary from subject to subject. Most offers are based purely on the information provided on the appropriate application form or at interview, and may be conditional on obtaining a certain standard in specified subjects in examinations.
In addition, Academic Divisions, may, at their discretion, ask applicants to attend for interviews, undertake supplementary assessments or provide examples of work. In such cases, the Academic Divisions will clearly explain how and why this will be used in assessing the candidate and treat all candidates on an equal and fair basis.
Entry requirements
Undergraduate applicants
When assessing an application for undergraduate study, the University will normally consider the following information on the UCAS application:
- Academic ability and potential as shown by qualifications achieved and qualifications pending e.g. GCSE+AS level results and predicted or actual A level grades or equivalent.
- Motivation to study a particular discipline.
- Related work or voluntary experience showing commitment to a chosen career (particularly important for courses with a vocational slant).
- Extra-curricular activities, achievements and interests.
- School reference
The University’s minimum matriculation requirement is normally two A-Levels at grade E, or equivalent, although most courses require much higher grades for entry. Academic Divisions may specify a particular level of performance in a subject at GCSE, A-level or other examinations, including English language and mathematics qualifications. Where particular subjects cannot be considered, these will be specified, e.g. General Studies/Critical Thinking. Minimum entry criteria are published online, in prospectus and in the programme specification document for each course, each academic year.
Postgraduate applicants
When assessing an application for postgraduate study, the University will normally consider:
- Applicants who hold a first or second class with honours, or equivalent.
- Evidence of relevant personal, professional and educational experience.
- In the case of research students, consideration will be given to whether the applicant's proposed programme of work can be completed in the designated timescale and whether appropriate academic supervision can be provided and maintained.
The Marketing, Recruitment, Outreach and Admissions (MORA) directorate will maintain a record of minimum entry requirements for all taught courses at UG and PG level, which will include both academic and non-academic criteria. The record will be updated annually prior to the start of each academic cycle.
This information will be used in University publications such as programme specification documents, online and hard copy University prospectuses, and UCAS publications MORA will ensure that published entry requirements (both academic and non-academic) are fair, transparent and accurate wherever they are published.
Offers
The making of an offer of a place commits the University to a contract with the applicant. The Admissions Office is responsible for making all formal offers to candidates, unless in specific circumstances this authority has been delegated.
The Admissions Office is responsible for informing the candidate of the final decision. In the case of undergraduate applicants this will be provided to the applicant via UCAS who will write to the applicant formally detailing the nature of the offer and any conditions attached. The decision details will also be communicated via KentVision.
In the case of postgraduate applicants, the Admissions Office will communicate with the applicant directly via KentVision to inform them of an offer and any conditions attached. The University will also communicate with the applicant throughout the admissions cycle to ensure the applicant fully understands and is engaging with the admissions process.
Replying to an offer
Undergraduate applicants
If an applicant wishes to accept an offer of a place for undergraduate study, they must update their UCAS Hub record indicating that they have placed the University of Kent as their 'firm' or 'insurance' choice by the required deadline. Any change of status will be recorded on KentVision.
Postgraduate applicants
If an applicant wishes to accept an offer of a place for postgraduate study, they must accept the offer via KentVision. It is the responsibility of all applicants holding conditional offers to provide evidence that they have met any outstanding conditions of their offer before they can be given the status of a registered student. Evidence can be uploaded via KentVision. If, however, an applicant has failed to achieve the requirements specified they may contact the Admissions Office for advice regarding alternative courses that may be available, such as pre-sessional English courses for applicants who fail to meet the University's minimum English language requirements.
Deferral of entry
If an applicant wishes to request a deferral of entry to the following year, they need to indicate this on their application, or send a request via KentVision to the University as soon as possible. While the University is generally willing to accept applications more than 12 months before the date of admission it does not guarantee that requests for deferral will be approved. The maximum period allowed for deferral is one academic year. Any requests for deferral beyond one year will be subject to the discretion of the relevant Academic Division and the Admissions Office.