How to apply

All applications to full-time courses (apart from Dental Hygiene, the Founation Year in Arts and Humanities and the International Foundation Course) must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). The UCAS code name and number for this University is BRISL B78. The UCAS application fee for 2014 entry is expected to be £23 for two to five choices of university or college or £12 for one choice. Applications are made online via the UCAS website.The website contains full instructions on completing the online application.

All UK schools and colleges (and a small number of establishments overseas) are registered with UCAS to manage their students' applications. Advice on the application process will be available from your teacher or careers adviser. Other UK applicants can seek advice from careers organisations (such as National Careers Service) and international applicants can obtain advice from their local British Council office.

If you are already a student at another UK university or college of higher education and wish to transfer to a degree course at the University of Bristol, you must apply through UCAS. You should contact the relevant admissions team informally first, to see if they will consider an application from you.

Applications for direct entry courses should be submitted to the relevant department at the University of Bristol, not UCAS:

The University of Bristol runs a number of part-time degree courses and for these you should apply directly to the University and not to UCAS. For further information and an application form, please contact the appropriate admissions team. Contact details can be found in each subject entry.

We welcome applications from mature students and value the contribution that mature students make to the University community.

Mature students should apply through UCAS for full-time courses and apply directly to the relevant University department or school for part-time courses.

In considering applications from mature students, we take into account a range of vocational qualifications and occupational and life experiences as well as more traditional qualifications. Although some mature students applying for degrees do have A-levels, we welcome mature students with other qualifications such as Access. You may be expected to show evidence of recent academic study. In any case, mature applicants will be given careful individual consideration, including a look at relevant work experience.

We offer information sessions for mature students throughout the year.

The University accepts a wide range of international qualifications. For information please visit our country-specific recruitment information. For advice from the International Recruitment Office, please email iro@bristol.ac.uk.

The University is primarily an adult environment and most applicants for admission to the University will be at least 18 on entry. If you will be under 18 on entry, the Director of Student Recruitment, Access and Admissions will need to be satisfied that satisfactory arrangements have been made for your accommodation and pastoral care.

• Applications will be accepted by UCAS from mid-September and the normal closing date for home students is 15 January.
• Applicants applying from outside the UK/EU can apply up to 30 June, but places in certain popular subjects fill rapidly, so it is best to apply as close to the 15 January deadline as possible.
• For Dentistry, Medicine and Veterinary Science (excluding Veterinary Science with Pre-Veterinary Year), the closing date for both home and international applicants is 15 October. No more than four choices from a possible five can be used for Dentistry, Medicine and Veterinary Science; if you give more than four choices for these courses, UCAS will not process your application. If you wish, you can use the remaining choices for an alternative course without prejudice to commitment to Dentistry, Medicine or Veterinary Science.

For more information, please see our key application dates.

We welcome applicants with other qualifications equivalent to our typical offer listed. The entry requirements published in the prospectus are indicative only. The A-level or IB 'typical offer' refers to the grades we typically ask for when you apply for one of our courses. The 'contextual offer' indicates the offer that might be given when the applicant’s UK educational context is taken into account as part of our commitment to the UK national agenda on widening participation. In these cases, the University may make a lower offer to applicants from low-performing schools/colleges in the UK. Applications are considered on their own individual merit. Some courses require specific subjects at certain grades.

Typical offers

These are the grades we typically request when you apply for one of our courses. Applications are considered on their individual merit and if you receive an offer, it may differ slightly from the typical offer published. An offer can be unconditional or, more commonly, conditional on you gaining these grades in your examinations. The University assesses applications in accordance with a set of clear, defined principles.

Please visit our admissions principles and procedures for more information.

Contextual offers

This indicates the offer that might be given when the educational context of the applicant is taken into account. The University is committed to ensuring that it attracts highly motivated students from a wide range of backgrounds to create a diverse university community. As part of its commitment to the UK national agenda on widening participation, the University may give a lower offer to applicants from low-performing schools/colleges in the UK.

The University reviews its definition of educational disadvantage and low-performing schools each year and each case is considered on an individual basis.

The University makes conditional and unconditional offers. An unconditional offer means that you are guaranteed entry to the University. A conditional offer (the more usual type) means that you must obtain specified grades in your examinations. The official offer is the one you see on UCAS Track. Please read it carefully and contact us without delay if there is anything you do not understand. If you do not meet all the requirements specified in your conditional offer, you may still be admitted to the course for which you originally applied, or to a course in a subject for which vacancies still exist, but this will not be known until the Confirmation period in August.

You must meet the terms of your offer by 31 August for entry in October that year.

Applicants who meet the terms of their offers after 31 August will be considered for entry that year on a case by case basis, depending on overall faculty and University numbers, as well as the intake of that particular course.

Owing to the volume of applications, there can sometimes be a delay before you receive our decision via UCAS. You should receive an acknowledgement from us, but if you have heard nothing more within eight weeks of receiving the acknowledgement, you may wish to consult the Undergraduate Admissions Office to enquire about the progress of your application.

Most courses will consider an application from you if you wish to take a year away from formal education. You should make it clear that your application is for the following year, and give some details about your plans in the Personal Statement section of your application. Opportunities to gain relevant vocational experience should be highlighted. Each subject entry in this prospectus provides a brief summary of the view taken of deferred entry applications. In fairness to applicants applying in the next admissions round, the number of places for deferred entry is usually limited. In some cases, higher offers may be made.

Please look at the entry requirements for a specific course by following its link from the A-Z course listing.

The University's entrance requirements in summary are as follows:

• The University is primarily an adult environment and most applicants for admission to the University will be at least 18 on entry. If you will be under 18 on entry, please refer to the Under 18s policy above
• You must satisfy the admissions team that your academic qualifications are sufficient to allow you to cope with the course of study.
• Applicants whose first language is not English are required either to achieve a satisfactory standard in a University approved test in English or offer a degree from a British university. Exemptions may be granted to students where there is clear alternative evidence of an acceptable standard of English. Please visit our English Language Entry Requirements Policy for more information.
• Please visit the Centre for English Language and Foundation Studies for information on English language teaching at the University.

A* grades at A-level

For information regarding A* grades at A-level, please visit 14 - 19 qualifications.

Applied A-levels

Up to two Applied A-levels may be offered, but applicants must also offer at least one GCE A-level. If you are planning to substitute an Applied A-level for a named GCE A-level, you are advised to consult the admissions team before applying.

General Studies and Critical Thinking A-levels

We generally do not accept General Studies or Critical Thinking as part of the required A-levels. Please check the relevant undergraduate admissions statement for further advice.

Advanced Subsidiary (AS-levels)

The University encourages applicants where the opportunity exists to offer four subjects at AS-level. The additional AS-level may usually be in any subject, but please see course entry requirements for specific details. Particular AS grades are not usually specified but they will be taken into account along with GCSE results and A-level predictions. In high-demand subjects in particular, grades achieved may influence whether an applicant receives an offer. Applicants will not be at a disadvantage if AS units have not been certified.

For more information regarding other qualifications such as the Extended Project and the Cambridge Pre-U, please visit our qualifications web pages.

The University is currently reviewing the entry requirements for BTEC qualifications. Please visit our qualifications web pages.

Unit grade information may be taken into account when selection decisions are made for certain courses. For more information, please visit our qualifications web pages.

The University accepts a wide range of international qualifications. For more information, please visit our country-specific recruitment information. In the case of some non-UK qualifications which cover a broader subject range than A-levels, additional study may be necessary before you begin your degree studies. This could take the form of a one-year A-level course or a specialist foundation programme. These are available at schools and colleges in the Bristol area. For advice from the International Recruitment Office, email iro@bristol.ac.uk.

You might also find the entry profiles on each course on the UCAS website useful. You can access the profiles via the course search option at UCAS course search.

We publish undergraduate admissions statements, providing details of the selection procedures and criteria used in individual courses. Further information can also be found on departmental webpages.

Generally our Admissions Tutors are looking for evidence of your academic potential and ability to thrive at the University. They will assess your application by looking holistically at your grades, your personal statement, your academic reference, and in some cases an interview.