Admissions Statement

The University of East Anglia (UEA) is committed to providing an admissions service which is both professional and fair, and which facilitates entry to the University for high quality candidates who will engage with and contribute to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the institution. The University seeks to undertake this action by identifying merit and potential whilst ensuring that the admissions process is fair and transparent to all, regardless of background.

Our admissions policy applies to the admission of full and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate taught applicants and adheres to the current University's Corporate Plan.

This policy does not cover degree apprenticeships. Further information on degree apprenticeships can be found on our apprenticeships webpages.

The University of East Anglia recognises the precepts of the UK Quality Code for HE: Admissions, Recruitment and Widening Access and the UUK & Guild HE Fair Admissions Code of Practice. The University recognises the following legislation as relevant to the admissions process:

  • Equality Act (2010)

  • All relevant Data Protection laws

  • Freedom of Information Act 2000

  • Human Rights Act 1998

  • Race Relations Act 1976 and Race Relations Amendment Act 2000

  • Special Education Needs and Disability Act 2001

  • Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 15 years (2015)

This policy is the responsibility of the Associate Director of Admissions and Applicant Engagement and is reviewed annually by the Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing Executive.

1. Entry requirements

All of our courses have an individual course page upon which you will find course specific entry requirements. You can check these by using our course finder.

The UEA Academic Calendar publishes each year the General Admissions Requirements for Undergraduate Taught Programmes. Applicants must satisfy both minimum general entry requirements and course specific entry requirements. An applicant may be asked to attend an interview, audition or submit a sample of work. In certain cases, it may be possible for an applicant who does not meet specific elements of the University's general entry requirements to gain admission. Where the Admissions Service wishes to make an offer on academic grounds to an applicant in this situation, they will refer the case to the relevant Associate Dean for Admissions or Head of School or delegate for their agreement. The University will only make offers to applicants who demonstrate that they are academically equipped to successfully complete their proposed course of study. The University reserves the right to judge the relevance and acceptability of any academic or professional qualification when considering an application. The University may request additional information in relation to an application, either directly from an applicant, or from the applicant’s former academic institutions or a referee whose details have been provided by the applicant.

In providing information to the University, prospective students are required to make submissions which are full, unambiguous and honest, and any offer made by the University is made in good faith. Where inaccurate information has been dishonestly provided to the University or where wilful misrepresentation or omission has occurred, an applicant may be precluded from admission to the University and in selected cases for future application cycles.

All applicants may be required to present original certification of their qualifications upon request.

Where wilful misrepresentation or omission has occurred, this information may be shared with UCAS (if an application was originally submitted through UCAS), the appropriate application clearing house (if submitted through that clearing house) and UK Visas and Immigration Service (where a visa may be required to study in the UK).

Where an applicant identifies any errors or omissions this should be notified to the Admissions Service immediately for consideration and verified by an official letter from the relevant educational provider or awarding body. However, if notification is made after the closing date of the course applied for, UEA reserves the right not to consider the application further based on the information originally submitted prior to the closing date for that course.

All applicants that require a Student visa to study with us must satisfy the minimum financial and English language proficiency requirements, as laid out by the UK Visas and Immigration Service (see UKVI website for current details). It is important that the student understands their immigration status before applying. Admissions staff are not authorised to provide immigration advice.

Where an applicant requires a Student visa, the University will require them to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS), necessary for an application for a Student visa, through the UK Visa and Immigration Service (UKVI). The University reserves the right to withhold sponsorship if the University is not satisfied that the applicant has provided appropriate, credible evidence that they meet the following requirements:

  • The applicant has sufficient available funds to pay their course fees and living costs whilst in the UK
  • The applicant meets relevant academic and English language requirements
  • The applicant is a ‘genuine’ student applicant (in reference to UKVI regulations)

To satisfy the University that the above requirements are met, applicants may be asked to provide documentary evidence and/or attend an interview. This is unrelated to the applicant’s current offer status.

Some courses are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, and when asked any applicants offered a place of study must declare any criminal convictions or cautions they may have, and will be required to secure a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Such disclosure is usually sought because the relevant professional body requires it but in some cases the University and/or the organisation with which it arranges placements may have identified a potential level of exposure to children or vulnerable adults which makes such a check appropriate. Applications should be dealt with in accordance with guidance provided by the UEA Student Disclosure Service.

Any non-academic conditions will be included in the offer email from UEA.

2. How we handle an application

An application must be made by the following way;

a) Undergraduate Full Time courses via the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS)

b) MA Social Work via UCAS

c) PGCE Master Level Initial Teacher Training via the Department for Education

d) Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies via Central Applications Board

e) Doctorate in Clinical Psychology via the Clearing House for Postgraduate Courses in Clinical Psychology

f) Doctorate in Educational Psychology via the Educational Psychology Funded Training (EPFT) Scheme

g) All other courses at UEA via the University online Application Service

Our primary criterion is our assessment of a candidate's academic achievements to date, and potential to successfully complete the course applied for. The nature, content and mode of delivery of the course of study for which the applicant has applied will influence the weighting we give to particular academic aptitudes and achievements in this assessment.

Applicants returning to study may be asked to demonstrate recent academic study (usually within the last five years) if there is a gap in educational history.

We are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes. Contextual admissions means that we use predefined additional information to understand and recognise an applicant’s potential to succeed at UEA. Using this insight, we could provide an applicant with an offer with reduced entry requirements to study at UEA. This may be subject to interview or audition. Full eligibility criteria and full details of the predefined additional information we use, can be found on our Contextual Admissions page.

Places are subject to availability therefore the process of consideration of applications for entry at the UEA necessarily reflects the demand for particular courses. Where a course at the University receives substantially more applications than the number of places available, our selection processes and criteria are oriented towards providing opportunities for the applicants who we judge will secure the greatest academic benefit from completing the course.

Selection Interviews and auditions

Where interviews or auditions are required, an offer of a place will not be made unless a successful interview or audition is conducted. Successful means applicants achieve the required interview score to qualify for an offer or satisfy the interviewer or interview panel that they are suitable for an offer of a place on the course applied for. Some courses may combine an interview score with other criteria to determine who is made an offer. Where a selection interview is not compulsory, the University may nonetheless invite applicants for an interview where their education journey is non-standard.

Applicants will be advised of the date, expected location, duration and whether any written test or submission of work will be required during the interview.

UEA Interview policy (see below)

Exceptional circumstances guidance for applicants

Exceptional circumstances are not normally considered in advance of the receipt of a full application. We expect any exceptional circumstances affecting exam performance and grades to have been reported to the school and exam boards or awarding bodies under their special consideration processes.

We may not be able to consider any exceptional circumstances affecting predicted grades if we are subsequently informed after the application deadline. Exceptional circumstances that may affect interview performance should be reported to us as soon as possible prior to, during or after interview.

3. Offers of a place to study

Changes made to of study after the point of offer   

Where a significant change has been made to the name, content or structure of a course for which an applicant has been made the offer of a place, the University shall email the applicant outlining in writing the changes and providing advice as appropriate. This may include advice concerning possible alternatives, if the applicant does not wish to apply for their original course.

How quickly we process an application

Unless an applicant is to be invited to attend a selection interview or audition, the University will aim to respond to all applications no more than 14 working days after receipt of the completed application. If the University anticipates a longer response time, this will be communicated to the applicant.

Where an applicant is invited to attend for a selection interview, either at the interview or within 3 working days they will be informed of the time frame of when they will hear about a decision.

For information on how quickly we process applications for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or Doctorate in Educational Psychology please refer to the Postgraduate Research Admissions Policy. These courses are administered by the Postgraduate Research Service.

Placements

The UEA policy on placements can be found here. You may be asked to notify the University if you have been the subject of formal disciplinary action or dismissal in any previous private or voluntary work with a placement provider. This will assist us to consider the circumstances of the disciplinary action/dismissal in relation to the requirements of the course and where you may be allocated to for a placement. Any disclosure will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Fee Status

If an applicant’s fee status is unclear, the Admissions Service may request further information from the applicant to determine whether they are "Home" or "Overseas" for tuition fee purposes in accordance with current legislation. Applicants may be asked to provide a copy of their passport to help UEA in making this assessment.

If a fee status changes during the application process and a course has different application pools for overseas and home fee paying students, the application will be re-assessed within the relevant

application pool. For example, if an applicant’s fee status changes from overseas to home during the application process, that application will be re-assessed alongside other home applications for a place allocated to home fee paying students.

UCAS similarity Detection

UCAS will notify the University if a certain percentage of a personal statement is the same as another personal statement that has been submitted to UCAS. In this situation, we may ask the applicant for a new personal statement.

Use of AI

The use of an AI tool to generate and submit all, or a substantial part of an application to UEA, including the personal statement, is not permitted. In this situation, we may ask the applicant to provide new documentation, a new personal statement or we may reject the application.

Progression once a student is enrolled

Once enrolled onto a course at UEA, student progression and continuation (which may include eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement, or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which that student is enrolled.

Attendance

Study at UEA is campus based. Once enrolled, if you live off campus, you must ensure that the nature and location of your accommodation does not impact upon your ability to successfully engage in your studies.

Students must engage with all timetabled teaching events. Ordinarily, for the majority of our courses these will be delivered in-person, so your physical attendance will be required. You can find more information about UEA’s Attendance and Engagement expectations in our General Regulations for Students.

Offers Conditional on Academic Results

a) ‘Typical' Offers

The University indicates ‘typical' offers on the website. These reflect the conditional offer made to a typical applicant after full consideration of their application. ‘Typical' offers are not, therefore the ‘default' or ‘standard' offer and are not made in substitution for a full and thorough consideration of an application. We may also use predefined additional information to make a contextual offer. Full eligibility criteria and full details of the predefined additional information we use, can be found on our website.

b) Matriculation

The terms of any conditional offer must ensure that the applicant will have fulfilled the University's matriculation requirements on entry or have been granted an appropriate waiver.

Meeting the conditions of your offer

Offer conditions for certain courses may need to be met by a particular date which will be indicated in the entry requirements section of the course page on the UEA website.

Non-Academic Pre-Requisites For Admission

References

Applicants may be required to provide an academic reference with their application. Selected courses also require an additional reference, details of which can be found in our course entry requirements.

If you are studying or have recently been studying, your referee should be someone who knows you academically and can share supporting information relevant to the courses you are applying for, along with any predicted grades for qualifications you are studying now. We refer to this as an academic reference.

If you have not been in study for some time, we may consider a reference from an employer. We refer to this as an employment reference.

We cannot accept references from family or partners. References need to be written in English.

We use the reference to assist us with assessing academic potential and suitability of applicants to study on their chosen course in combination with the personal statement and predicted and/or achieved grades. Please check our course pages for our full entry requirements.

Undergraduate applicants can find further guidance on references on the UCAS website.

Occupational Health Checks & DBS Clearance

Entrance to selected courses may require a satisfactory health check and/or DBS clearance. Where such a check may be required this should be stated on the relevant course entry requirements webpage. Where a course includes patient facing placements in a health or social care settings, and these are a mandatory component of the course, applicants will need to comply with the placement vaccination policy. Failure to meet the placement vaccination policy may prevent applicants from joining the course or may lead to their withdrawal from the course in the future. Future employment may also be subject to this condition.

Fitness to Practise

In the interests of patient and public safety, for medicine and pharmacy courses, we may share some of the information provided in your application form with the appropriate professional or accrediting body in order to verify your fitness to practise. Likewise, if a fitness to practise finding is made against you in the future, this information will be shared with the appropriate professional or accrediting body if you are enrolled on these courses.

International Deposit

For overseas fee-paying applicants a deposit may be required to secure your place and you will be informed of this in any offer email. This will include the deposit amount and deadline for paying it. UEA reserves the right to request a higher deposit where required to meet our immigration requirement obligations. The International Deposit Refund guidance can be found on our website.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

Applicants who require a Student Visa may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) certificate for courses in one of the subjects listed on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website. Applicants only need to obtain this once they have accepted an offer from UEA and will be notified of the requirement in their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) statement.

Academically Unconditional Offers

An academically unconditional offer of admission implies that the University is satisfied that the applicant has met all academic requirements for admission. If such an offer is made, the University will make it clear if there are non-academic requirements (e.g. the satisfactory provision of a DBS and Occupational Health Check) that remain to be fulfilled and by when.

Fully Unconditional Offers

A fully unconditional offer of admission implies that the University is satisfied that the applicant has met all of the requirements for admission, both academic and non-academic. Where such an offer is made, the University will make it clear that this is the case.

Re-admission of students

Where a student has previously studied at UEA, but had their studies terminated early, a re-admission concession is required. If an applicant withdrew more than 12 months ago, the applicant will be asked to make a full new application.

Communicating Offers To Applicants

Communication of offers will set out the terms of an offer clearly, unambiguously, and will set out what the procedure is for responding to that offer unless such guidance is already provided by an agency such as UCAS.

An offer will be made by the University in one of the following ways;

a) Undergraduate Full Time courses via UCAS Hub

b) MA Social Work via UCAS Hub

c) PGCE Master Level Initial Teacher Training via the Department for Education

d) Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies via Central Applications Board

e) Doctorate in Clinical Psychology via the Clearing House for Postgraduate Courses in Clinical Psychology

f) Doctorate in Educational Psychology via the Educational Psychology Funded Training (EPFT) Scheme.

g) All other courses at UEA via direct email correspondence

Offers Outside UCAS: Time Limits For Acceptance

a) Where an offer is made that specifies a deadline by which a response is to be received, the deadline will provide reasonable time for the applicant to reply.

b) Where no deadline is specified, offers should indicate that the offer is for admission on a specific date of registration (normally at the beginning of a specific academic year) and will lapse if the student has not registered by that date.

Unsuccessful applications

Before issuing a rejection, the University may consider whether the applicant might be offered a place on a suitable alternative course. Where an application is unsuccessful, communication with the applicant should be prompt, courteous and clear.

Recording Decisions

It is the responsibility of the admissions teams to ensure that an adequate and appropriate record is kept of the grounds on which any decision is based. 

4. Record keeping

Applicant Name Change Policy

The University has a Name Change policy, which included details of how to change your name and/or title.

Corporate Information Systems

Admissions staff are responsible for maintaining accurate and up-to-date records on the University's corporate information systems that relate to admissions.

Documentary Records

A confidential documentary record should be maintained of:

Additional information regarded as pertinent to consideration of an application. Any interview conducted for selection purposes. The basis of any decisions (including rejection) or other significant transactions.

This is of particular importance where non-academic factors are involved.

Statistics

Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing (ARM) undertakes statistical monitoring of applications and applications processing on behalf of the University.  ARM are also expected to monitor year on year data in respect of courses for which they are responsible in order to be able to respond appropriately in terms of planning and admissions policies. 

The Admissions office has a University Policy for Record Keeping.

5. Applicants with additional support needs

Please see our policy for applicants with additional support needs.

6. Admission of applicants under the age of 18

Please see our policy for admission of applicants under the age of 18. Owing to the integrated nature of placements within the first year of some health-related courses and the safeguarding implications, applicants may need to be over 18 years old at point of registration with the University. Where this is a requirement of entry, details are included in the Entry Requirements section on the relevant course on our website.

7. Feedback policy

The University recognises that provision of constructive feedback is an element of good customer care and will provide such feedback to applicants who have been unsuccessful in gaining an offer of a place of study on request from that applicant. Feedback on specific applications will not be offered to other parties (e.g. parents or teachers) without the express consent of the applicant.

Requests for feedback must be made by the applicant in writing within three months of the date that the application was unsuccessful. The Admissions Service will endeavour to provide feedback in writing within 15 working days of receipt of a request for feedback, or inform applicants when feedback will be provided.

Feedback is usually made in the form of a standard set of text which indicates into which rejection category the applicant was placed. Additional comments about specific cases may be included, which may take the form of advice as to how to improve any future applications. The University will not normally offer further feedback but it is at the discretion of the Admissions Officer to decide whether to enter into further correspondence after the provision of initial feedback or to review a decision. Any decision to overturn a rejection must be made in the context of the admissions criteria applied to all other applications to that course of study.

8. Complaints procedure

Please see our complaints procedure (see below).

9. Assessing applications from staff or their near relatives

Please see our applications from staff or their near relatives policy (see below)

10. Assessing applications with a declared criminal conviction

Please see our criminal conviction policy (see below)

11. Student transfer policy

Please see our student transfer policy (see below)

Interviews may be required for the following groups of applicants:

  1. A selection of applicants who are pre-screened on other admissions criteria are invited to interview.
  2. A selection of applicants who have a non-traditional educational background.
  3. Applicants who are applying for direct entry i.e. Year 2 or Year 3.

The University of East Anglia will require an interview for one or more of the following reasons:

  1. It is a requirement of a professional or accrediting body.
  2. an interview to assess suitability to undertake the course and/or to seek evidence of ability for a particular profession.
  3. If a course is selecting (i.e. the demand for a course is higher and a limited number of offers), interviewing may be used to form part of the decision-making.

UEA will normally use one or more of the following formats for the interview. If a different format to those listed below is to be used, the applicant will be informed at the point of invitation.

  1. A group interview to assess skills of interaction.
  2. A multiple-mini interview (MMI).
  3. A semi-structured interview which can allow conversation to enable interviewees to give a fuller account of themselves.
  4. An interview where questions are not prescribed but interviewers have a clear set of themes or areas to explore.

Interviewers and Interviewer Training

Selection interviews will be conducted by a member of staff who has received appropriate training in selection interviewing. Training should ensure competence, consistency of approach and fairness.  

Set criteria and Benchmarking

Details about how interviewees' responses will be recorded and scored, will be agreed in advance of the interviews.  Any specific criteria that will be used to score against, including any essential or desirable criteria and how a final score will be arrived at, will be agreed prior to interviews commencing.

Interview Dates/Schedule

Interviews held on site or remotely should be set up in advance and applicant notified that they have an invitation to interview as soon as possible.

Inviting Applicants to Interview

The Admissions Service or PGR Service is responsible for inviting selected applicants for interview depending upon the course applied for.

If applicants are unable to attend their allocated interview time and/or date, we will endeavour to offer an alternative date and/or time subject to availability.

Upon invitation the following correspondence will be shared with the interviewee:

  • Date, duration and location of the interview or any technical requirements if the interview is remote.
  • Format of the interview (including an overview of schedule if applicable).
  • A request for any information needed from the applicant either before they arrive or to have with them on the day (essay, work experience form, qualifications, ID, audition piece).
  • Details of where to report to and a phone number in case of emergencies on the day if interview held on site.  Alternatively if the interview is held remotely, details of how to log into a remote interview with an email contact in case of emergencies on the day.
  • Travel information if the interview is held on site.
  • For the interviewee to contact us,  should they require any additional support for their interview (where appropriate will be informed to assist with the provision of additional support).
  • If there are other activities other than the interview, when and what these are (e.g. numeracy and literacy test, presentation, campus tour, demos, lunch).

Non-Attendance

The Applicant must be made aware of the consequences of non-attendance. Applicants will be reminded a maximum of two times that they need to book on to an interview.

Before an applicant is rejected for non-attendance, the Admissions Service will check to see if there is an alternative relevant non-interviewing course for which the applicant is eligible. 

The Interview

Recording Selection Interviews

In the interests of equity, all selection interviews for a particular course should be structured in a consistent manner, following an agreed format.

There may be the need to ask questions that do not influence the outcome of the interview e.g. placements, module choices. A clear distinction needs to be made between the two, and the interviewer should indicate when this is the case.

A written record should be completed in respect of each selection interview recording a suitable transcript/commentary and a final recommendation. If the interview is being held remotely, the interview may be recorded, we will inform you if this is the case. Where significant numbers of selection interviews are conducted, a ‘matrix sheet' for record keeping may be used.

Time Keeping

The Interviews must keep to time throughout the day so as not to cause unnecessary anxiety for waiting interviewees.

Contingency interview slots should be in place in case an applicant has an unforeseen delay in attending an interview.

All efforts should be made to ensure the interview is not interrupted, except if this has been agreed in advance e.g. if an interview is being assisted by a time-keeper.

Conduct of Interview

Any telephone, mobile phone or equipment not being used for an interview should be turned off or diverted.

Interviews should, where possible be conducted by a minimum of two people, with a minimum of one whom has undergone the full interview training. Other interviewers may be external professionals and/or service users. If the interview is being held on site, where there is only one interviewer, the door to the room that is being used should remain open, with appropriate signage indicating that an interview is in progress. The interviewer(s) should introduce themselves and explain the procedure for the interview. The interviewer(s) will let you know when the interview process will start, and when it has been completed, after which point the assessment period will be over. You will have time before and after the interview to ask any questions.

At the end of an interview or interview day, the applicant should be given an indication of when they will hear the outcome (but they must not be given the decision in the interview).

We ask that applicants do not share details of the questions used in the interview to prevent other applicants gaining an unfair advantage.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for applicants with a disability. Applicants must inform the Admissions Service, prior to interview, if they will need us to make any reasonable adjustments.

Telephone/Video Conference Interviews

Every effort should be made to recreate the length and format of the interview to mirror an interview conducted in person. This includes completing identical paperwork.

It is important to verify the identity of the applicant to ensure the correct person is to be interviewed. In most cases a copy of the photo in a passport will be provided to identify the person being interviewed and procedural data protection questions will be asked.

For the vast majority of interviews, UEA uses a system called Blackboard Collaborate. This system meets the University software security and data compliance requirements. Occasionally, where operational requirements demand it, alternative systems may be used which also meet the University software security and data compliance requirements.

Applicants under 18 at point of interview

A minimum of two interviewers should be used. If only one interviewer is used then that interviewer must have a DBS check for one-to-one interactions. For on site interviews the door to the room that is being used should remain open.

All online interviews will be recorded for safeguarding purposes. Any recordings will be securely kept for a minimum of three years in accordance with the Admissions Record Retention Schedule.

After the Interview

Interviewers should identify themselves on score or report forms.

All paperwork and other material including audio recordings of interviews and interview report forms and scoring sheets will be securely stored for the appropriate length of time in accordance with the Admissions retention of records policy.

Applicant Feedback

The University recognises that provision of constructive feedback is courteous and will provide such feedback to applicants who have been unsuccessful in gaining a place when confirming the decision. Feedback on specific applications will not be offered to other parties (e.g. parents or teachers) without the express consent of the applicant.

More detailed requests for feedback must be made by the applicant in writing within three months of the date that the application was unsuccessful.

Feedback is automatically sent in the form of a standard set of text. Where an interview is for a selecting course, often the feedback is ‘Course applied for is highly competitive; the application was unsuccessful relative to strength of applicant field'. However, additional comments may be included, which may take the form of advice as to how to improve a future application.

The University reserves the right to make academic and non-academic judgements outside of the published guidelines in complex and exceptional cases but the reasons must be documented.
 

Applicants are encouraged to disclose their disabilities, although they have a legal right to choose not to do so. 

How we use information regarding a disclosed disability

  • To identify those students who require "reasonable adjustments" to access the learning, residential and social opportunities offered by the University and to ensure that they are provided with any information and advice which would help them make an informed choice of programme and institution.
  • To enable Student Services staff to make contact with applicants and, where appropriate, Schools and Accommodation Office, to ensure that the necessary package of adjustments is clearly identified and put in place for the start of the programme.
  • To ensure that there are no disability-related factors which would make it unlikely, despite the provision of "reasonable adjustments", that applicants could meet the learning outcomes of the particular course(s) for which they have applied. In relation to Health and other courses which also lead to professional registration, this would include consideration of the impact of the disability on applicants' ability to meet the additional requirements of the relevant professional bodies i.e. Fitness to Practise.
  • To identify significant health and safety issues, particularly in relation to laboratory or fieldwork elements of a programme.
  • To alert applicants to any actions they need to take before taking up their places including applications for funding for disability-related costs for which they may be eligible.

If an interview is required, an applicant will be invited and asked if there are any adjustments required for the interview process. The applicant can confirm the details with the Admissions Service and the application may be referred to a Disability Advisor in Student Services and the relevant Admissions Director in the School of Study to ensure that reasonable adjustments are put in place.

Once an applicant has firmly accepted a place at UEA the Disability Advisers or other appropriate member of Student Services staff may wish to make contact directly with the applicant to discuss their academic, daily living and any other disability issues including funding. Sometimes this may take place in person. In some cases, this discussion will be for the purposes of identifying "reasonable adjustments" and helping applicants prepare for a smooth transition to university life. In others it may be material to reaching a judgment about the applicant's capacity to meet the learning outcomes of the programme with "reasonable adjustments".

At all stages of the application process an applicant is encouraged to make contact with the Student Support Services to discuss any personal requirements, this information will be treated in confidence. All offer holders are contacted by email to encourage contact with Student Services. A form is available which has been specifically designed for applicants to inform UEA about any disability (including mental health conditions) or long term health conditions.

Purpose of form

  • Student Services offers a support service for all students with a disability (physical, mental or a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) e.g. dyslexia, long term and short term medical conditions and acute medical conditions e.g. severe allergic reactions.
  • This form has been designed for prospective students to inform the UEA about any disability (including mental health conditions) or long term health conditions.
  • It is important to share your disability at application, to ensure that any support needs or other necessary arrangements can be discussed and organised in advance.
  • Information should be provided in addition to any information provided as part of your UCAS submission.
  • We strongly encourage applicants and students to be open about their disability related support requirements and work with us to ensure those can be met for the duration of their studies.
  • If the University has not been made fully aware of the requirements of a student with a disability as soon as possible during initial communications, we cannot guarantee that suitable resources will be available on the student's arrival - although of course, every reasonable attempt shall be made.

Student Responsibility

  • In order to enable the service to be able to support a student, the student is required to ensure that all correspondence is responded to in a timely manner and all relevant evidence is provided.
  • Please be aware that a delay in providing information to Student Services may result in a delay in the service we are able to offer.

Courses with additional health checks

For specific courses (all courses in Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, MPharm Pharmacy, Social Work, Doctorate in Educational Psychology and all PGCE courses) there are additional health requirement checks for professional bodies. Applicants will be asked to complete a health questionnaire for the UEA appointed Occupational Health Service provider (OH). All medical and sensitive personal information you provide will be held in confidence by the Occupational Health Provider and UEA.

The School of Study will only be informed of the need to make adjustments if it is relevant to your educational needs, patient safety, or in the case of the PGCE or Doctorate in Educational Psychology courses assess your requirements in a placement setting. An Occupational Health check, with any other additional information deemed relevant will be considered by a panel within the School of Study. The panel may include external members. The purpose of the panel is to ensure that students are studying at the University are in a fit state, subject to the terms of the Equality Act 2010 to:

  1. benefit from their programme of study and pursue it for the required period with a reasonable chance of successfully obtaining the award for which they are registered;
  2. be able to not in any way prevent, hinder or disrupt the study or assessment of other students at the university, staff in the discharge of their duties or academic pursuits, or visitors to the University from carrying out their lawful business
  3. as a consequence of their required or necessary presence on campus, not constitute an unacceptable risk to the health or safety of themselves or others;
  4. be in a position to engage satisfactorily in any elements of study or assessment which take the form of placements, particularly those taking place in a professional and/or work-based setting.  

You are required to have full clearance to start the course and this must be maintained to complete the course.  If you do not have full clearance before or during your course, you will be required to withdraw from the course.

Policy and procedures for the protection of students on UEA undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes who are under 18 years old at entry;


1. Introduction

A very small proportion of the students admitted to courses at the UEA are under 18 years of age at the time of entry. Such students are minors in the eyes of the law and thus the University has an enhanced duty of care towards them until the date at which they attain their majority (their 18th birthday), even if this period is relatively brief.

This document has been written in order to:

  • define UEA policy in respect of admissions and welfare responsibilities for students who are under 18;
  • outline those key legal responsibilities that the University has in respect of those whom the law defines as children;
  • define the procedures that have been put into place to ensure that the University meets those responsibilities.

The policy of the University is to treat students who are under 18 years of age as much as possible in the same way that it treats all other students. Such students will be subject to the University’s normal rules and regulations and will be able to access the majority of the campus facilities and opportunities offered in the same way as all other students. However, the University will vary its normal procedures, or restrict access to some of its facilities and opportunities whenever it is deemed to be in the best interests of those who are minors, or when it is required to do so by the law. The University will also ensure that minors are provided with enhanced welfare arrangements, particularly when they are resident in University accommodation.

While the general principles of this policy will be adhered to in all cases of student minors, it may be necessary to make additional welfare arrangements for students who will be under 17 at the time of entry, particularly for those under 16, and/or to impose additional conditions of entry.

For applicants who are 16 or under, these will be considered individually by the Head of Admissions, the Student Support Service and the relevant Head of School after the offer has been made.

The University undertakes to ensure that those University staff members who have pastoral/adviser responsibilities for students under 18 are checked for their suitability to undertake such roles. It will also ensure that appropriate reporting arrangements are in place for University staff to contact the Designated Officer if they believe that any student covered by this policy is in any way at risk.

2. Legal framework

There are a number of particular and general pieces of legislation that have relevance for HEIs in respect of their responsibilities to students under 18 years of age. A brief summary of the implications of this legislation is provided below.

Contractual Capacity

Those under 18 years of age are not able to enter into binding contractual relationships in all circumstances. The law is complex in this area but contracts for University fees, accommodation and Student Loans are likely to be enforceable for those under 18 as these are likely to be defined as ‘necessaries’. However, it is possible that some contracts may fall outside this definition (for example, agreements for loans from University Hardship Funds) and thus might not be enforceable.

Data Protection

Minors over 16 have the same rights under the Data Protection legislation as those over 18. This means that the University will not disclose any information about such students without their specific consent. However, if the student fails to pay any sums agreed on contract then it might be necessary to disclose this to any guarantor and possibly to a debt collection agency.

Staff-student relationships

Section 16-19 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides a new criminal offence of absence of trust which relates to what might before have been perceived as consensual behaviour when it occurs within certain relationships of trust. Within the University context, such relationships of trust will include relationships between a student under 18 and a member of University staff such as an Adviser or lecturer, or a Senior Resident.

Sale of alcohol and other restricted goods and services

It is an offence for a person under 18 to purchase alcohol and for anyone to sell alcohol to such a person. It is also an offence to purchase alcohol on behalf of someone under 18, whether this is for consumption in licensed premises or publicly elsewhere. There are also age restrictions for a number of other goods including:

  • Solvents
  • Gas lighter refills
  • Fireworks
  • Knives, blades and axes
  • Some videos and DVDs
  • Video and computer games
  • Services, including entrance to venues in which films with an 18 certificate are being shown

An up-to-date list can be found on the PASS website.

 

Student visa

Under the current guidance produced by the Home Office applicants can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK if they are 16 years old or older. This would mean that if an international applicant is 15 or younger when studying, we would be unable to support their application to study.

If you are under 18 when you make your Student visa application, you must include a letter from your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to show that they support your application. Their letter must confirm all of the following:

  • their relationship to you

  • that they consent to your Student Visa application

  • that they consent to your living arrangements in the UK

  • that they consent to your independent travel to the UK

This letter of consent must be accompanied by scanned copies of your parents' or legal guardian’s passport(s and your birth certificate which shows your name and your parents' name. If the letter of consent and/or your birth certificate are not in English, they need to have a certified English translation that meets the translation requirements stated below. If your consent letter is coming from legal guardian(s), who are not your parent(s), you will need to provide a legal document which demonstrates their responsibility for you as legal guardian(s), such as a Court Order document. Please note, affidavits are not appropriate for this purpose.

If one parent or legal guardian has legal custody or sole responsibility of you, the letter must confirm this and be signed by that parent or legal guardian. If not, then both parents or legal guardians must give their consent and the letter must be signed by both of them.

A copy of this letter must also be brought with you to your Registration event at UEA.

 

3. UEA procedures and responsibilities

UEA has a Safeguarding Policy which applies to students who enter the University.

Admission

The Admissions Service - within Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing (ARM) - are responsible for seeking consent from a parent/guardian based in the UK and will ensure that no identified student minor is able to register for their course until the consent has been received. The process will follow as below:

1. The applicant will be contacted first, to provide contact details of their parent/guardian. They will be asked to complete an online form

2. Once this information has been gathered, the parent/guardian will then be contacted and asked to complete an online form to give consent

3. The contact details of the parent/guardian will be stored on the University student management system in accordance to the DPA

The University is not able to assist parents/guardians in finding a suitable guardian. A list of accredited agencies is available from The Association of Educational Guardians for International Students (AEGIS)

The Admissions Service will commence the process of contacting applicants in early May and will continue to do so until the start of the academic year or until we have received contact details of all those applicants who fall under the policy.

The Admissions Service will provide details of applicants expected to register with the University, which will be made accessible to the members of staff requiring this information for other purposes.

These may include:

  • Student Services
  • The Head of School and School/Faculty Manager (for all Schools admitting minors)
  • The Student Life Team (in respect of students with a visa)
  • Staff in the School and the Learning Teaching Service (LTS) involved in allocating an Academic Adviser

Details provided by the Admissions Service of the applicants expected to register with the University include: name, course applied for, fee status, date of birth and age on entry. Schools of Study and Learning and Teaching staff will cascade the information to appropriate colleagues within their departments.

The Admissions Service will begin providing information of applicants under the age of 18 who are expected to register for the new academic cycle, in July of that year.

Accommodation

Student minors will be required to live in University accommodation unless the University has been informed that they will be living in the home of their parent, guardian or other adult formally approved by the parent or guardian. Student minors will normally be allocated a single room.

The UEA Accommodation Office will endeavour to ensure that those cleaning staff members who normally service the rooms of student minors have an enhanced DBS check to confirm their suitability to undertake this role.

Other enhanced welfare arrangements

The University will ensure that further enhanced welfare arrangements are put into place for all students up until their 18th birthday. These are outlined below. Heads of School or delegate will ensure that student minors are allocated to an experienced Adviser, normally the Senior Adviser, who has had an enhanced DBS check to confirm his or her suitability to undertake this role.

Heads of School or delegate will ensure that any content, materials, resources and learning opportunities provided as a part of degree programmes taught in their School, and being attended by a student minor, are appropriate for such students, or that alternative arrangements have been made, or resources provided. Particular attention should be given to the implications for field trips and visits.

The Student Services will ensure that Student Services Residents (SSRs) are informed of the names of student minors in their parish. The SSRs will notify the Student Services promptly if they have any concerns about the welfare of the students concerned. All SSRs will be provided with an opportunity to discuss under 18’s living on campus during their induction training.

Student Services will ensure that student minors are fully briefed about the enhanced welfare arrangements that have been put in place for their protection and reminded of the age restrictions that relate to the purchase of alcohol, certain videos/DVDs and computer games and other goods and services.

The Students’ Union will take all appropriate steps to ensure that it does not sell alcohol to a student under 18; this is particularly important in light of the fact that the University Campus Card does not give evidence of student age.

All UEA staff members have responsibility for contacting Student Services if they have any concerns about the welfare or safety of student minors. The Student Services will take responsibility for ensuring that such concerns are investigated and any necessary action is taken, in accordance with

relevant UEA procedures and following guidance on best practice from social services, the police and the NSPCC.

Emergencies

In certain circumstances, the University may be required to act on the student’s behalf. For example, dealings with the Police or medical emergencies, including mental health emergencies, might require the University to take action. The University will only take such action when the parents/guardian of the student cannot be contacted within the timescale necessitated by the particular situation.

For further information or comments about this policy please contact Student Services by emailing studentsupport@uea.ac.uk) or the Data and Systems Team within ARM on arm.dataandsystems@uea.ac.uk.

We recognise applicants may wish to ask why their application has not been successful or believe they have cause for complaint. Due to the level of competition for places there will inevitably occasions where an applicant is disappointed with our decision. You can view our feedback procedure on our website.

These procedures outline the way the University of East Anglia handles appeals and complaints. These procedures do not cover our partner institutions.

Applicants will not be discriminated against in any further application should they make an appeal or complaint.

Complaints Procedure

Feedback helps us to improve our service and we welcome feedback at any point of the application process at UEA. If an applicant is unhappy with any aspect of our service, it is worthwhile the applicant discussing those concerns with us straight away so we can resolve those concerns quickly. We resolve most issues at this stage, but if not our complaints procedure for applicants to taught programmes at UEA can be found below.

The following procedure exists in order that applicants rejected by the University can challenge an admissions decision if they have reason to believe that the decision was subject to procedural irregularity, prejudice or bias, or that exceptional circumstances should be, and have not already been considered.

The challenge would be dealt with as a form of complaint. Applicants are not able to make a complaint about a decision made not to offer them a place at the University on academic grounds alone. On condition that the decision can be demonstrated to have been reached in accordance with the University’s published selection criteria, the original decision will not be overturned. Applicants in this situation should refer to our feedback policy.

Additionally, the Procedure cannot be used where our decision resulted from:

  • A failure on your part to fulfil academic or Student visa sponsorship requirements.
  • A failure on your part to fulfil non-academic requirements. For example, an unsatisfactory DBS Enhanced Disclosure or an unsatisfactory health check.
  • A reference from a third party, such as a provider of a work or training placement which forms an integral part of the course to which you have applied.
  • It is not normally appropriate for us to consider complaints that have become the subject of legal proceedings because of the risk of undermining those proceedings.
  • We will not consider anonymous complaints unless we consider the evidence significant enough to warrant an investigation.

Complaints regarding the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or Doctorate in Educational Psychology are covered by the Postgraduate Research Admissions Policy as these courses are administered by the Postgraduate Research Service.

Stage 1; Informal Complaint

The initial complaint should normally be raised in writing with the admissions office (admissions@uea.ac.uk) outlining the nature and detail of the appeal.

If the complaint is regarding a decision it should normally be made within 10 working days of the action. If no action has been taken by the University on your application, the complainant can write in at any time.

The admissions office will contact the complainant initially to acknowledge receipt. The University aims to respond within 15 working days of the acknowledgement. If it proves impossible to respond within 15 working days, the complainant shall be informed of the time scale for the receipt of a full response.

As part of this procedure the admissions team may request additional information or seek clarification by email.

When the admissions office responds they must confirm that the application was considered fairly and that the procedure for decision making was correctly applied. The response will explain the context in which the decision has been made. In the event that the complaint is upheld the admissions office will confirm this along with a proposed remedy.

Stage 2; Formal Complaint

The formal Admissions Complaints Procedure follows the stage one process. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 1, the formal process will commence.

Making a Formal Complaint

Any applicant who wishes to make a formal complaint must write to admissions@uea.ac.uk requesting the UEA Admissions Complaints Form. The University will not act upon complaints from third party or anonymous sources. The University requests this form is completed and returned within 15 working days from receipt, including supporting evidence where necessary and detailing why the complainant remains dissatisfied.

Failure on the part of the applicant to produce the requested documentation within a 15 working day period may result in the closure of the complaint by the Admissions Service.

The Head of Undergraduate Admissions or Head of Postgraduate Admissions (as relevant) will investigate the complaint and respond to the complainant within 15 working days of the receipt of the complaint. If it should prove impossible to respond fully within 15 working days, the complainant will be informed in writing of the timescale for the receipt of a full response.

Stage 3; Appeal Review

Complainants are able to request a review of the outcome of a stage 2 complaint within 15 working days. This should be made in writing and should include an explanation of why they think that we have not considered the complaint properly and asking us to review our decision.

The Associate Director, Admissions and Applicant Engagement will review the complaint and respond to the complainant within 15 working days of acknowledgement of the complaint. If it should prove impossible to respond fully within 15 working days, the complainant will be informed in writing of the timescale for the receipt of a full response.

Once we have written to a complainant to let them know the outcome, we will not enter into any further correspondence with them about the complaint. There is no further right to complain beyond this stage at UEA.

Decisions concerning criminal convictions

In the case where a decision to reject an applicant has concerned a criminal conviction, a formal route exists whereby an applicant rejected following an assessment of their convictions can apply to the

Director of Student Services for a review on the grounds of procedural irregularity, prejudice or bias, or exceptional circumstances. The decision of the Director of Student Support Services is final.

Decisions concerning disability or special educational needs

In the case where the University has not been able to offer a place to an applicant following an assessment of support needs, a formal route exists whereby an applicant can apply to the Director of Student Services for a review on the grounds of procedural irregularity, prejudice or bias, or exceptional circumstances. The decision of the Director of Student Services is final.

The University defines near relatives as "husbands or wives or children of members of staff”, however the University also considers that partners, parents, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, those considered as next of kin and grandchildren of members of staff may also be regarded as near relatives.

The University will not unreasonably deny access to the University to any applicant on the basis of their relationship to another member of staff or their own position as a member of staff.

General procedure for assessing applications from near relatives of staff

1. All members of staff have a responsibility to disclose to the relevant Head of School and Admissions Team that they are in the employ of the University or are related to a prospective student

2. Where it has been identified by a School of Study that an applicant is a member of University staff or a near relative of a member of University staff, the Admissions Team will first decide whether the applicant is suitable on academic grounds; this may involve inviting the applicant for interview. The School and Admissions Team must make provision so that any potential conflict of interest is avoided in forming such a decision. In particular, members of staff must not participate in the interview and admission of any student to whom they are related. Arrangements must be recorded in writing

3. If the University wishes to make an offer on academic grounds the Admissions Team shall refer the application to the next stage of consideration.

4. The Admissions team shall assess the level of risk and grant a concession based on the evidence provided by relative. If the situation requires further discussion the Admissions Team will seek approval from the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic). The decision as to whether or not to admit and whether special conditions shall apply to that admission will take into account,

  • whether the applicant or a near relative of the applicant will have access to sensitive student records
  • whether the applicant or a relative of the applicant would be party to the assessment process or teaching or administration of the course in any way

A declaration will be made by the Head of School that relevant controls have been put in place to ensure that the applicant will not receive unfair advantage during their time at UEA as a consequence of their family relationship and that these conditions will be monitored by a named individual.

5. The Admissions Team shall inform the Applicant and School of Study of the decision, together with any conditions of entry. The Admissions Team shall then use a standard letter to accompany their offer.

General procedure for assessing applications from staff employed by the University

1. All members of staff have a responsibility to disclose to the relevant Admissions Team that they are in the employ of the University.

2. Where it has been identified by Admissions that an applicant is a member of University staff, the Admissions Team concerned will first decide whether the applicant is suitable on academic grounds; this may involve inviting the applicant for interview. The member of staff and their line manager/head of department must make provision so that any potential conflict of interest is avoided in forming such a decision. In particular, members of staff must declare their level of access to any University systems, especially those involved in the assessment processes.

3. If the University wishes to make an offer on academic grounds the Admissions Team shall refer the application to the next stage of consideration.

4. The Admissions Service shall assess the level of risk and grant a concession based on the evidence provided by the staff member and Line Manager/Head of Department. If the situation requires further discussion the Admissions Service will seek approval from the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Student Experience and Education). The decision as to whether or not to admit and whether special conditions shall apply to that admission will take into account:

  • whether the applicant will have access to sensitive student records
  • whether the applicant would be party to the assessment process or teaching or administration of the course in any way

A declaration may be made by the applicant and their Line Manager/Head of Department that relevant controls have been put in place to ensure that the applicant will not receive unfair advantage during their time at UEA as a consequence of their staff position and that these conditions will be monitored by a named individual.

5. The Admissions Team shall inform the Applicant and School of Study of the decision, together with any conditions of entry. The Admissions Team shall then use a standard letter to accompany their offer.

If you wish to contact us about this policy please contact admissions@uea.ac.uk.

1. General Statement of Policy

The University is an institution with a concentration of young and potentially vulnerable people. Many such people live in accommodation provided for student use by the University. The University in considering whether to admit a student wishes to ensure that an applicant would not constitute an unreasonable risk to its staff or student members or property. Consequently it requires all applicants to declare whether they have a criminal conviction.

Relevant criminal convictions are currently defined as;

  • Any kind of violence including (but not limited to) threatening behaviour, offences concerning the intention to harm or offences which resulted in actual bodily harm
  • Offences listed in the Sexual Offences Act 2003
  • The unlawful supply of controlled drugs or substances where the conviction concerns commercial drug dealing or trafficking
  • Offences involving firearms
  • Offences involving arson
  • Offences listed in the Terrorism Act 2006

Convictions that are spent (as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974) are not considered to be relevant and should not be revealed.

Applicants should be aware that for courses in teaching, health and social work or programmes involving work with children or vulnerable adults, any criminal convictions, including sentences and cautions (including verbal cautions), reprimands, final warnings and bind-over orders are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Individuals applying for those subjects will be asked to secure a disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), and/or Disclosure Scotland, and/or an overseas police check, whichever is relevant.

Where asked applicants must inform the University if they are convicted of a relevant criminal offence. Failure to inform the University, when asked, may lead to an offer of a place for study, being withdrawn.

 

For applicants seeking advice on whether their convictions are spent or relevant, and should be declared may wish to contact Unlock who can provide specific advice in relation to HE applications and criminal convictions.

The University will not unreasonably deny access to the University to any applicant on the basis of criminal record. 

2. Securing Relevant Declarations

2.1 Application forms used by the University for a place of study may require applicants to state whether they have unspent criminal convictions using the following form of words:

“The University requires you to state whether you have a relevant criminal conviction. Please tick the ‘Yes’ box if you have a relevant criminal conviction you need to declare or leave the box blank if you do not. If you tick ‘Yes’ you may be required to provide details of any convictions.”

A statement should be included on the University application form when this question is asked, to the effect of:

“I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, the information given in this form is correct and complete”.

As should the following note:

“Failure to disclose a criminal conviction on each application to the University may affect either acceptance on to a programme or continuation of studies on it”.

2.2 Applicants to full time undergraduate degree and PGCE programmes are received via UCAS and UTT; both agencies supply relevant advice about declarations in respect of criminal convictions

3. Process for Non-DBS Programmes

3.1 Where an applicant has declared a criminal conviction, the Admissions Service concerned will decide whether the applicant is suitable for an offer of a place of study on academic grounds. No indication of the likelihood of an offer being made should be given to the applicant at this stage.

3.2 Where the Admissions Service does not wish to make an offer to the applicant on academic grounds, they shall write to the applicant in the usual way to notify them of the unsuccessful decision. For applicants rejected on academic grounds this is the end of the procedure (although, as with all rejected applicants they have access to the Admissions Appeals and Complaints Procedure).

3.3 Where the Admissions Service does wish to make an offer on academic grounds they shall refer the application to the Criminal Convictions panel for the next stage of consideration.  They should not take any further action concerning the applicant until advised by the panel.

3.4 The Secretary of the Criminal Convictions panel will contact the applicant and request documentation regarding the offence. In the case of UK students this would be details of offence, sentence passed and date and any probation details, if relevant. This information should be sought by the applicant from the Probation Service or other appropriate authority.

3.5 Equivalent documentation may not be available to non-UK applicants. The Criminal Convictions panel will ask these applicants to make a formal statement which should be verified by an appropriate referee (e.g. applicant’s probation officer or solicitor).

3.6 Applicants are given a deadline of 2 weeks to confirm details of their conviction, unless the referral is within one week of a programme start date. In these cases, such as Clearing a deadline of 2 days will be given. Failure on the part of an applicant to provide the documentation within the specified period will result in a rejection of their application. For undergraduate applications the reject decision will be through UCAS. This deadline ensures that applicants do not miss essential information regarding their registration and course.

3.7 Applicants who apply through UCAS are subject to deadlines, including the Reject by Default (RBD). The University will make every effort to process applications within the UCAS timeframe, to prevent an RBD occurring. In some circumstances this may be not possible and the University will liaise with UCAS to allow an offer to be made if appropriate.

3.8 When the Secretary of the Criminal Convictions panel receives the required documentation from an applicant it is anonymised. The panel, on behalf of the University will make an assessment of the non-academic suitability for a place of study. The panel consists of the Head of Equality & Diversity and the Student Support Service. The decision as to whether or not to admit the applicant will take into account;

  • whether the criminal conviction has any bearing on the applicants suitability to become a member of the student body (e.g. violent or sexual crimes, drug dealing)
  • the length of time since the offence(s) were committed
  • whether the applicant has re-offended, and if so whether there is a pattern to the offences
  • whether the applicant’s circumstances have changed since the time of the offences.

and the panel will give particular consideration to whether the applicant, if admitted, would be likely;

  • to endanger staff or students of the University or those with whom the University interacts
  • to be a threat to University property
  • to unlawfully disrupt  the work of the University
  • to bring the University into disrepute

3.9 If it is decided that the applicant is acceptable for entry to the University, the Admissions Service shall be informed of the decision, together with any conditions of entry, by the Secretary of the Criminal Convictions panel. The Admissions Service will then continue processing the application.

3.10 If it is decided that the applicant is not acceptable for entry to the University, the Admissions Team will be informed of the decision by the Secretary of the Criminal Convictions panel and the applicant will be notified accordingly of the decision.

4. Process for Programmes requiring a DBS check

4.1 Schedule of Programmes

(a) Undergraduate programmes of study that require a criminal records/ disclosure check as a condition of entry:

  • Adult Nursing (BSc)
  • Children’s Nursing (BSc)
  • Medicine (MBBS)
  • Medicine with a Gateway Year (MBBS)
  • Mental Health Nursing (BSc)
  • Midwifery (BSc)
  • Occupational Therapy (BSc)
  • Operating Department Practice (BSc)
  • Paramedic Science (BSc)
  • Pharmacy (MPharm)
  • Physiotherapy (BSc)
  • Speech and Language Therapy (BSc)
  • Social Work (BA)

(b) Postgraduate programmes of study that require a criminal records/ disclosure check as a condition of entry:

  • Approved Mental Health Professionals
  • Adult Nursing (MSc)
  • Advanced Practitioner programmes
  • Clinical Education programmes
  • Clinical Research programmes
  • Clinical Science
  • Coloproctology (MSc/PGDip)
  • Counselling (MA/PGDip)
  • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
  • Doctorate in Educational Psychology
  • Health Economics programmes
  • Health Research (MSc)
  • Leadership in Dementia Care (PGCert)
  • Leading Innovation for Clinical Practitioners (MA)
  • Occupational Therapy (MSc)
  • Oncoplastic Breast Surgery (MS/PGDip)
  • Pharmacy
  • Physician Associate Studies (MSc)
  • Physiotherapy (MSc)
  • Primary Teaching (PGCE)
  • Regional Anaesthesia (MSc/PGDip)
  • Secondary Teaching (PGCE)
  • Social Work (MA)
  • Social Work Continuing Professional Development

4.2 Pre-Disclosure Checks and Offers

Where an applicant has declared a criminal conviction the process for non-DBS programmes will be followed (see from point 3 above)

4.3 If it is decided that the applicant is acceptable for entry to the University, the Secretary of the Criminal Convictions panel shall be informed of the decision, together with any conditions of entry. The information provided to the panel will be sent to the Fitness to Practice Coordinator responsible for the programme. The Fitness to Practice Coordinator will make an assessment of the applicant’s non-academic suitability for a place of study. The decision as to whether or not to admit the applicant will take into account any specific requirements stipulated by the accrediting bodies.

4.4 If it is decided that the application can progress the Criminal Convictions panel will be informed. In all cases there will be a condition that a place of study is still dependent upon a satisfactory DBS clearance.

4.5 If it is decided that the applicant is not acceptable for entry to the programme, the Admissions Team will be informed of the decision by the Secretary of the Criminal Convictions panel and the applicant will be notified accordingly of the decision.

4.6 If an applicant is successful in receiving an offer for a place of study, the University will make it clear if there are any non-academic conditions. This will include a satisfactory DBS check. The Student Disclosure Service are responsible for administrating this process.

4.7 Disclosures

There are several important rules governing disclosures:

(a) It is University policy that all programmes listed in 4.1 require a DBS check due to the level of exposure to vulnerable individuals.

(b) The University will not accept DBS disclosure that were obtained for any purpose other than the current application to the University i.e. they are not ‘portable’

(c) All DBS documentation should be received by the point of registration at the University

4.8 Convictions and Referrals

By completing the DBS application process the applicant is consenting that the original disclosure will be provided to the University. If information is declared on a DBS check the University will determine suitability to commence a programme. When determining suitability, a DBS disclosure will be reviewed by University representatives from the School and where appropriate, the professional body. Where information is considered by professional bodies the case will be anonymised. Until the applicant is notified of the outcome by the School, they are not able to commence the programme.

4.9 If it is decided that the applicant is not acceptable for entry to the programme of study, the Admissions Team will be informed of the decision by the School. The Admissions Team will withdraw the offer, as the applicant has not been able to pass the condition of a satisfactory DBS clearance. If appropriate an alternative course will be offered.

5. Appeals and Complaints

5.1 An applicant may appeal against a decision on one or more of the grounds of procedural irregularity, prejudice or bias, or exceptional circumstances.

5.2 Where an applicant has been unsuccessful following a DBS review, the applicant has access to the University Admissions Appeals and Complaints Procedure.

5.3 Where an applicant has been unsuccessful following a Criminal Convictions panel review, the Registrar and Secretary shall consider any appeal, and their decision will be final. The Secretary of the Criminal Convictions panel shall inform the applicant of the outcome of the appeal, and notify the Admissions Team, the Student Support Service and the Head of Equality & Diversity.

6. Record Keeping

6.1 All documentation referring to criminal convictions and DBS checks are stored in secure area with password protection.

6.2 Where an applicant with an unspent conviction is granted admission to the University the of the non-academic considerations relating to the admission will be kept by Student Services for as long as the student in question is registered with the University. The record of the decision taken will be retained by the Admissions Service for a maximum of 2 years.

6.3 Applicants attending a professional course (stated in in 4.1) will need to refer to the School policy for retention on their information relating to Criminal Convictions.

This policy is subject to changes in legislation.

For overseas fee-paying applicants a deposit may be required to secure your place and you will be informed of this in any offer email. This will include the deposit amount and deadline for paying it. UEA reserves the right to request a higher deposit where required to meet our immigration requirement obligations.

A full refund will be granted if requested within 14 days from the date the payment is received by UEA, under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. After this date deposits are not ordinarily refunded except in the circumstances listed in this policy.

For refund requests submitted more than 14 days after Deposit Payment:

  • Please note that refund requests will only be considered within 3 years of payment.
  • Refunds will only be considered if you make the request via our Refund Form.
  • The University is not liable for exchange rate fluctuations, or for any bank or other charges incurred.
  • The University reserves the right to review and amend our deposit requirements as required.

How to request a refund

Please contact us with any evidence required. This will include a full copy of the Student visa decision letter, where your CAS has been marked USED by UKVI. When completing the form, you must use the same email address that is linked to your UEA or UCAS application.

What UEA does on receipt of your request

We will acknowledge the request and check that we have all the required information. If further information is required, we will request this by email.

If you meet the criteria for the refund, we will confirm this by email and will then instruct the UEA Finance Team to issue a refund.

When will we refund a deposit?

  • If you do not meet the conditions of your offer and we reject you, or you do not meet the conditions of your offer in time to start the course.
  • The university notifies you that we have cancelled or withdrawn your course.
  • If Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance is required, and your ATAS application is refused or rejected. We will require evidence of this.
  • If your visa application has been refused or rejected by UKVI for any reason other than you have provided falsified or non-genuine documentation as part of the visa application. A full copy of the visa decision letter must be provided.
  • Any decision to make a full or partial refund in exceptional circumstances is entirely at the discretion of the University and evidence may be required to support any claim.

When will we NOT refund a deposit?

  • If you decide not to study at UEA.
  • If the visa refusal is due to submission of falsified or non-genuine documents to UEA or UKVI, at any stage of the process.
  • Where inaccurate information or documentation is provided to the university or where wilful misrepresentation, or omission has occurred.
  • Applicants who fail to attend or register as a student but later transfer institution, withdraw, are expelled, or fail to pass the course.
  • If you are granted a deferral, your deposit will be rolled over to the year in which you expect to start your studies.

Important notes

If approved, refunds will only be returned to the account from which the original payment was made. If a third party has paid the deposit on behalf of the applicant, we are unable to refund the deposit directly to the applicant.

Exact refund times may vary depending on the reason for the requested refund and the method by which original payment was made.

To conform with UK Money Laundering Legislation, strict guidelines exist with regards to refunding payments made, in particular if those payments are made in cash. If we are unable to satisfactorily verify the source of the funds or the credentials of the payer, UEA may be unable to repay the funds. You are therefore strongly recommended to make payments by bank transfer or payment card or by Flywire if paying in foreign currencies.

As part of UK Money Laundering Legislation, refunds can only be made back to the account from which the payment was originally made. For bank transfers, proof of payment such as a receipt or a bank statement showing payment from that account, as well as the bank’s SWIFT or BIC code, must be produced. For credit or debit card payments, the card details will need to be provided by calling the UEA Finance Team. Failure to do so will delay the refund or prevent it altogether.

We may verify the reason for your visa refusal with the UKVI prior to making a decision on your refund request. If the UKVI inform us your refusal was owing to the submission of fraudulent documentation, you will not be eligible for a refund.

The University reserves the right to stop accepting deposit payments once course places are full.

Transferring is the process where by a current student at UEA or at another institution, moves from one degree programme to another. This includes students transferring to UEA from another institution and transferring between UEA programmes.

This policy applies to students external to UEA; current UEA students; and UEA staff involved in the transfer process and is relevant to Taught programmes only.

Anybody holding a Student visa sponsored by UEA, who wishes to transfer to another institution, is advised to contact the new institution before requesting withdrawal from UEA, to ensure the new institution can sponsor them and to ask how to apply for their new Student visa. Students who transfer from UEA to another institution will have their UEA sponsorship withdrawn.

If a current UEA student is studying with a Student visa and wishes to transfer to another course at UEA, the student must consult Student Life International in Student Services (studentlife.international@uea.ac.uk) before proceeding with any transfer request.

Process for students transferring to UEA from another institution

The eligibility of a student from another institution to transfer to a UEA course is determined by the relevant course entry requirements.

A student from another institution wishing to transfer to a UEA undergraduate course should contact the Admissions Service at admissions@uea.ac.uk who will, following a preliminary check, advise if they should apply, which is via UCAS. Once the UCAS application is received it will be considered by the Admissions Service, often in consultation with the Admissions Director for the relevant subject. Alongside the UCAS application the Admissions Service will request a current academic transcript and consider all previous academic qualifications. Following approval of a request, the decision is communicated via UCAS.

Students wishing to transfer to a Postgraduate Taught course should contact the Admissions Service at admissions@uea.ac.uk who will assess the information and, if appropriate advise the student to apply via the UEA direct application (on the UEA website). Once the application is received, it will be referred to the relevant subject department for consideration. Following approval, to transfer to a UEA programme the Admissions Service will provide confirmation.

At Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught level a student may be required to meet conditions of entry, for example successful completion of their current studies, the School of study may require specific course profile arrangements (including named modules) and will be required to provide evidence of the original certificate or transcript at registration.

If an application to transfer is rejected, the Admissions Service will consider whether the student is eligible for an alternative entry point.

The exception to this transfer process is where there is a formal route already agreed by the University with a partner.

In some cases students will be seeking Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). In these cases in addition to the above, guidance is provided via the RPL policy.

UEA withdrawn students

If a UEA student has been, or is going to be withdrawn from a UEA course as an academic fail, in principle, we will not consider them for the same or a very similar course restarting from year 1 (or year 0).

If the student wishes to apply for a new, unrelated course, then the student can be considered subject to the following:

  • The student meets the academic and English language entry requirements of the new course (including any GCSE requirements). A successful interview, audition or sample of work may be required for some courses.
  • The student provides a fully completed Transfer Form B (UG) or Transfer Form D (PGT).
  • There is space on the course the student wishes to transfer to.
  • The Admissions Tutor of the accepting school is willing to offer a place. This authority may be delegated to the Admissions Service where appropriate.
  • The place may be subject to a re-admittance concession where applicable.
  • For students studying under a Student visa (or any other visa) the Admissions Service will seek agreement from the Student Visa Compliance Team before proceeding with any request.
  • Some courses may require occupational health clearance and/or a successful DBS check.
  • Students withdrawn more than a year ago must apply through UCAS.
  • All applications are subject to the UEA Admissions Policy.

If a new application is successful, the student will be subject to the University’s standard terms and conditions for that entry year.

If a current UEA student is studying with a Student visa and wishes to transfer to another course at UEA, the student must consult Student Life International in Student Services (studentlife.international@uea.ac.uk) before proceeding with any transfer request.

Anybody holding a Student visa sponsored by UEA, who wishes to transfer to another institution, is advised to contact the new institution before requesting withdrawal from UEA, to ensure the new institution can sponsor them and to ask how to apply for their new Student visa. Students who transfer from UEA to another institution will have their UEA sponsorship withdrawn.

Process for registered Taught programme students transferring between courses at UEA

Current students wishing to transfer course are requested to complete one of the following forms;

FORM A available on LTS portal page – Undergraduate students only

  • Transfer as advised by Exam Board
  • For changes to Year Abroad, Year in Industry, or Placement Year options (also includes transfers to and from DEV programmes with overseas experience programmes)
  • For year 3 and 4 transfer requests
  • Transfer from an Integrated Masters degree to BSc (same course)
  • Transfer from a BSc to an Integrated Masters degree (same course)

The transfer needs to be approved by the Learning and Teaching Service.

The relevant Teaching Hub for the programme the student wishes to transfer to will consider the course change request. The Teaching Hub will check whether the modules comply with the new course profile requirements. Where appropriate, students may be required to take specific modules in place of free choice modules. If the student does not meet the requirements of the course profile, then a concession must be obtained showing full details.

FORM B available from Admissions Service (admissions@uea.ac.uk) - Undergraduate students only

  • This form is for students who wish to transfer to another programme of study starting at year 1 or year 2 even if it is within the same School (excluding reasons stated in Form A and C).

It is not always possible for the Faculty or School of Study to grant requests to transfer from one degree programme to another. To ensure that the decision-making process is fair and transparent, all transfer requests for Undergraduate Students must follow this procedure. Please note that a transfer is only approved once all stages of this procedure are complete.

Transfers are considered on the following basis:

a. The rationale for the change/allowance is clear and it is in the student’s interests to do so.

b. The student has discussed their request with a member of academic staff within their current programme (Adviser or other appropriate staff member) who is supportive.

c. The request is supported by the student’s current Head of School (or delegate).

d. The student meets the entry criteria for the proposed new course (transfer).

e. There is a place available on the new course and on any core or compulsory modules.

f. The new Course Director is supportive and there is an academic plan in place to remediate any missed learning activity.

g. The new Head of School (or delegate) is supportive.

Transfer requests should be submitted by the end of week 3 of Autumn Semester or by the end of week 2 of Spring Semester (when available). Transfers submitted after these time periods will require a learning agreement between the Course Director or nominee and student. It must be completed and signed by both parties. This is to ensure that the student, who has requested the transfer, can catch up on work missed. These agreements can be made without a concession for the Autumn Semester. If a learning agreement cannot be approved a concession from the Learning and Teaching Service Assistant Head and Academic Director of Taught Programmes will need to be sought. Late transfer requests may be refused by the Academic Director of Taught Programmes.

Completed forms must be returned to the Admissions Service by email. The email address to return forms to is admissions@uea.ac.uk. We may ask a student’s current School to provide an up-to-date marks statement.

If there are some areas of uncertainty students may be asked to supply further supporting information and/or attend a formal interview.

If all the above is satisfactory your transfer request will be passed by the Admissions Service to the relevant Team Leader in the Learning and Teaching Service, who will consult the Course Director of the course the student wishes to join and, if required, obtain any concession required.

Transfers into Year 2 are only approved if the student has already studied a substantial amount of the Year 1 course content of the programme. To transfer to the second year of a course whose first year includes any Core or Compulsory modules which have not already been taken, will need a concession from the University which LTS will seek. Any offer may require passing all credits in the current course with a specified average year aggregate. This is in addition to the standard transfer requirements.

If a student’s application to transfer is unsuccessful at any point of this process, you will receive a clear account of the reason for the rejection by the relevant LTS team.

If a student’s application is successful, you will be contacted by the relevant LTS team who will confirm an effective date of the transfer.

Study on the new programme must not commence before any transfer is fully approved and all stages of the procedure completed.

FORM C available on LTS portal page - Undergraduate students only

  • Students on a Science with Foundation Year course who wants to transfer to a degree programme.

The transfer needs to be approved by the Learning and Teaching Service.

LTS will check whether the modules comply with the new course profile requirements. Where appropriate, students may be required to take specific modules in place of free choice modules.

FORM D available from Admissions Service (admissions@uea.ac.uk) – Postgraduate Taught students only

  • This Form needs to be completed by a postgraduate student who wishes to initiate a transfer to another programme of study even if it is within the same School
  • This Form needs to be completed by a postgraduate student who wishes to consider moving from the full time or part time variant of the course, if available

The transfer needs to be approved by the Admissions Service and the Learning and Teaching Service.

Any transfer request will be subject to a place being available and entry requirements being met. Students need to be in good academic standing. Transfer requests should be submitted by the end of week 3 of Autumn Semester or by the end of week 2 of Spring Semester. Transfers submitted after these time periods will require a learning agreement between the Course Director or nominee and student. It must be completed and signed by both parties. This is to ensure that the student, who has requested the transfer, can catch up on work missed. These agreements can be made without a concession for the Autumn Semester. If a learning agreement cannot be approved a concession from the Learning and Teaching Service Assistant Head and Academic Director of Taught Programmes will need to be sought. Late transfer requests may be refused by the Academic Director of Taught Programmes.

If the application to transfer is rejected at any point a clear account of the reason will be given by the relevant Teaching Hub or the Admissions Service.

Role of the Adviser

For all transfer requests the student must discuss with their academic adviser, or in their absence the Senior or Deputy academic adviser for the current school of study. This is an opportunity for the student to discuss with their advisor the reason(s) for the transfer request. The Adviser is a source of advice and guidance for the requester. The Adviser’s role is also to check that the student understands that transfers are subject to availability, provide advice on whether the transfer is possible (i.e. is the student in good academic standing, is the request beyond the 4 weeks), and a check on whether they need to speak to the Student Life team (if the student is on a Student visa, including Tier 4 (General) student visa).

Students with a Student visa and Course Transfers

Any student entering UEA or wishing to transfer to another course, holding a Student visa, is subject to the current UK immigration rules. It is important that the student understands their immigration status and whether there are any impacts on their wish to transfer to another course elsewhere or at UEA.

Anybody holding a Student visa, who is transferring to another institution will have their UEA sponsorship withdrawn and students are advised to contact the new institution for details on how to apply for a new Student visa, and to ensure the institution will sponsor them.

If a current UEA student is studying with a Student Visa and wishes to transfer to another course at UEA, the student must make an appointment to speak to the Student Life International Team in Student Services (studentlife.international@uea.ac.uk) before proceeding with any transfer request.

Further information

In case of any enquiry relating to this policy, please contact admissions@uea.ac.uk

 

Contextual Admissions

Contextual admissions means that we use additional information to understand and recognise your potential to succeed at UEA. Using this insight, we could provide you with an offer with reduced entry requirements to study at UEA.

Contextual Admissions