How to apply

Applying for full-time courses

For full-time higher education courses in the UK, you must apply online via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), at www.ucas.com .

You can apply for up to five undergraduate courses; the universities you apply to will not know what course choices you have made at other universities.

If you are at school or college, talk to your teacher about your application. There is a fee for making an application, which is payable online or through your school or college. If you are not at school or college, you can still apply through the UCAS website.

Please feel free to contact the University. If you are resident outside the UK, you can get advice from your school or college, British Council offices and other centres. If you are a mature applicant resident in the UK, you can seek advice from careers organisations such as Connexions.

Part-time application

Many of our courses can be studied part-time and the online application process is simple.

• Read more about part-time study options
• Browse our courses

Entry requirements

There are standard minimum entry requirements for all undergraduate courses. However, for each course you will find the typical offer given to applicants starting their course in September 2011. For many courses, these will remain the same for 2012, but up-to-date information can be found on our website or on the UCAS website via the course entry profile.

Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee a place at the University. Admissions tutors will look for additional evidence of suitability for a course, and if your qualifications or experience indicate that you are more suited to a Foundation level course at Westminster or an associated institution, you will be advised.

Standard entry requirements

You will need to meet one of the following sets of standard entry requirements:

• two GCE A Level or Vocational A Level passes plus three GCSEs at Grade C or above including English Language and Mathematics
• three GCE A Level or Vocational A Level passes plus two GCSEs at Grade C or above including English Language and Mathematics
• five passes in the Scottish Certificate of Education, of which three are at Higher Grade including English Language and Mathematics
• four passes in the Scottish or Irish Certificate of Education, all at Higher Grade including English Language and Mathematics
• a pass in Edexcel BTEC National Award or HNC/ HND
• a pass in Foundation course
• Access Course – 45 Credits at Level 3 with a Merit profile
• Advanced General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ)
• an International or Welsh Baccalaureate

These should be seen as benchmarks only. The University recognises that a wide variety of other qualifications and learning may provide appropriate evidence of an applicant's suitability for admission. The University will use its discretion to interpret such formal minimum attainment levels in terms of equivalence, with advice from external agencies as appropriate.

International entry requirements

We have extensive experience in evaluating non-UK qualifications, and in establishing their eligibility for entry to our courses. For country-specific qualification enquiries, email course-enquiries@westminster.ac.uk or visit our international pages.

You will need a good standard of English before starting your degree. If your first language and/or schooling is/was not in English, you will need a minimum IELTS score of 6.0, or a recognised equivalent. In some instances, the minimum IELTS score will be higher. Please check individual course entries. You do not need to take the test before applying, but before joining the course you will need to have attained one of the minimum test scores, and you may be asked to take one of our preparatory English courses.

Mature students without formal qualifications

Formal qualifications are only one measure of your ability to study at a higher level. Work or other experience, maturity of approach, commitment and enthusiasm are also important. We take these factors into account when making offers of places.

It may also be possible to have relevant learning or experiential learning (work experience) assessed for exemption from part(s) of your course; for information on Accreditation of Prior Learning and Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning, contact the course-enquiries@westminster.ac.uk.

Admissions process

Complete your application form carefully, making sure that the information is accurate and that you have included all your qualifications. Explain clearly in your own words why you wish to take the course, your relevant experience and why you should be given a place.

We take care to ensure the confidentiality of your application information. All details are held on the University computer system for use only for internal administrative purposes and the compilation of statistics. However, if requested, we may provide information to UCAS, local education authorities, police forces and government departments (eg Home Office, UK Border Agency). You can request access to your computer file with payment of a fee. If you have any comments about our admissions procedures, contact the Head of Admissions and Student Funding, University of Westminster, 101 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6XH.

Interviews

For most courses a decision will be made on the basis of your application form alone. However for some courses the selection process may include an interview, usually between December and April for full-time students, or March to early September for part-time students. The interviews may be on a one-to-one basis, in a group or with your portfolio, and you may be given a task such as a short essay, questionnaire or translation to demonstrate your strengths in addition to any formal entry requirements.

Students with disabilities

We encourage applications from people with disabilities. If you have a disability that might affect your studies, please indicate this clearly on your application form.

The procedure for admission of disabled applicants is in accordance with the legislative requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act, and you may be invited for an interview to discuss whether any special arrangements or equipment you need can be provided. Some courses might be unsuitable for applicants with particular disabilities. Funding mechanisms for international students are not as comprehensive as those for UK and EU students.

If you are applying late, for example through UCAS Clearing, you may be required to defer for a year to allow the University to make reasonable adjustments.

For more information, call +44 (0)20 7915 5456 (central London), or +44 (0)20 8357 7360 (Harrow) or visit our Disability Leaning Support pages.

Notes for applicants

We will be pleased to answer any enquiries you may have concerning application, fees, registration or transfers from other institutions, although many of your questions are likely to be answered in the Prospectus, on our website, or in the UCAS Guide for Applicants. While courses are offered as described at the time of going to press, some revisions may be made, either as a result of academic development or external constraints. There is no guarantee that courses that are undergoing validation will be approved, or that courses will be offered in the exact locations cited.