Year of admissions cycle – 2010
English (Q300)
The Admissions team comprises the departmental admissions tutor and the Faculty of Arts Admissions Office.
All applicants who have received offers will be invited to an Open Day in the spring. This event is usually held toward the end of the Easter term and it gives applicants a chance to see the city and the University, and to ask questions about the teaching programmes, the year abroad and other aspects of student life in Bristol. While attendance at an Open Day is strongly recommended, it is not compulsory and plays no role in the selection process; it is also recognised that not all applicants will be able to attend.
The purpose of the occasion is to familiarise applicants (who may be holding offers at more than one institution) with the Department and with the course, so that they may make a more informed decision as to whether or not to accept our offer.
The Department of English does not interview applicants.
Written work is not a regular part of the selection procedure but it may be requested in the following cases:
Applications for deferred entry will be considered on exactly the same criteria as those for immediate entry, but a limit has to be set on the number of places that we can offer for deferred entry, in fairness to applicants applying the following year.
Mature students are considered each on their own merits. Although we do not necessarily look for satisfaction of the entry requirements, the Department does normally require some evidence of aptitude for the academic analysis of literature; other qualifications such as Open University or HND will be considered. Mature students who do not satisfy the normal eligibility criteria, but whose applications are deemed to indicate interest in and aptitude for the subject, may be asked to complete a short piece of written work which will be set and assessed by the Department.
Overseas students (i.e. those from outside the EU) are not in direct competition with home students (i.e. those from within the EU). We may ask overseas applicants to do some written work if there is any difficulty in assessing either their standard or their competence in English. If we are satisfied that successful completion of our course is well within their powers, they will normally be made an offer, the conditions of which will be the same as for home candidates.
Academic entry requirements for standard qualifications (A-level, SQA, IB, Access, BTEC, Welsh Bacc, 14-19 Diploma, GCSEs) can be found in the online Undergraduate Prospectus (URL link). Other qualifications, including international qualifications, will be considered on their individual merits; further information is available via the International Students website.
We take an holistic approach to all applications, ensuring that the educational and social context in which an applicant applies is taken into consideration, where supported by clear evidence that this may have adversely affected academic achievement. This may include time spent in Local Authority care, information about which is provided in the UCAS application.
We also consider evidence of clear motivation to study. This may include attendance at a University summer school, a targeted Access Scheme (such as Access to Bristol), or participation in Aim higher outreach activities. Consideration will also be given to applicants who have completed a targeted Access scheme at another university, under the ‘Mutual Recognition Scheme’.
We do not take the following into consideration when making admissions decisions: the school type attended by an applicant or whether an applicant’s parent has any experience of higher education.
The Department considers the personal statement to be vital in terms of providing clear indications of the applicant’s suitability for the course:
International applicants will be subject to the criteria as detailed in this document, as and where relevant to their individual cases.
English Language requirements can be found in the Undergraduate Prospectus and via the University Policies webpages.
Applicants are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, disability or age.
Typical offers for A-levels and other UK qualifications can be found in the Entry Data in the online UG Prospectus (link). Offers to applicants with non-standard qualifications will be made equivalent to the published A-level offer.
We may make lower offers based on whether an applicant is deemed to have experienced educational disadvantage, as defined in section 7.5 of the University’s Admissions Principles and Procedures.
Priority is given to our own joint schools; applicants who wish to transfer from subjects without any English Literature content should be advised to apply to the first year. Transfers from other universities would be considered on their own merits and all transfers are determined by the availability of places.
Each application is considered on its own merits and is dependent upon availability of places.