Admissions Policy for Computing Undergraduate Degrees (2009 Entry)
Introduction
This is a formal document describing our admission policy, and is by necessity legalistic in tone. We would like to reassure applicants that your applications are dealt with on their merits, and we are always very happy to answer your queries.
The degree courses we offer, with UCAS course codes, are:
Computing Science:Applied Computing:
Computing in the Creative Industries
A Placement or Professional Pathway is compulsory for students on the Business Computing Systems and Software Engineering degrees; exemption from a compulsory placement may be granted exceptionally if the applicant has at least two years IT work experience at the level expected of a placement student. Otherwise the offer will be for a four-year sandwich degree.
Admission is to a common first year of study. At the end of the first year of study, students may transfer to another programme route, if they so wish. The only caveat is that owing to the specialist equipment required it is possible, though unlikely, that transfers to some programme routes, eg Computer Science with Games Technology, may be restricted.
Admission to the second year is possible in some circumstances (see the section on advanced entry for details).
Our degrees have full exemption from the British Computer Society’s professional examinations (Certificate, Diploma and Graduate Diploma) as well as the Graduate Diploma Project, and are partially accredited for Chartered Engineer (with an additional matching section). This is the highest level of accreditation available for honours degrees.
Applicants can find out more about our programme by contacting the admissions team and from departmental and university undergraduate brochures which are available on request.
The UCAS catalogue and the university undergraduate prospectus have to be prepared well in advance (up to a year) of the admissions round they refer to. Therefore, advertised requirements sometimes have to be made in the context of a changing situation before all facts are available. We remind the reader that the stated requirements in this and earlier publications are (i) for guidance; (ii) given in good faith; and (iii) subject to change. As we have been active in monitoring developments some changes have been made to our requirements from the last round; they may change again.
Aims and overview of our Admissions Policy
The aims of our admissions policy are:
The entrance requirements aspect of our policies are discussed here. They focus mainly on the first two aims and to some extent the third (as we endeavour to avoid admitting students who cannot cope with the demands of the course).
The fourth of the aims is addressed through literature such as this document and the course brochure, the undergraduate prospectus, and open days that aim to provide applicants with the knowledge they need to make an informed choice about whether to accept our offer.
The fifth aim is met by our policy and internal procedures that aim to make decisions as promptly as possible, without compromising the quality of decision-making. This is not discussed on these pages.
The standards we require are equal for all routes of study.
Given that our degree is academic in nature, qualifications in the general (academic) category of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) are preferred. For qualifications outside the NQF we draw equivalences with NQF qualifications. We accept applicants with vocational/occupational qualifications, though with more stringent requirements if considered necessary.
Our standard offers for various common entrant profiles are described below. Unless stated otherwise, conditional offers are the subject of the text below (ie the applicant has yet to obtain the qualification presented on the UCAS form). Applicants seeking unconditional offers are discussed later.
We operate a policy of applying common entrance requirements for all undergraduate degrees offered in the Department of Computing.
Entry is usually into the first year; advanced entry is possible in special circumstances (see section below).
We do accept applicants who fall short of the standard conditional offer (note that UCAS rules state that this is at our discretion). Setting the standard offer at a higher level than we will often accept allows us the freedom to take factors other than grades into account. Also, the subject mix offered for computing degrees is wide and this needs to be taken into account. For example, a science/maths portfolio will be preferred over an IT plus arts/humanities profile (and a high grade in IT would help in the second case).
The variation in the quality of academic references and expected grade estimates we receive make it impossible to tailor offers individually.
In short, the standard offer indicates the level at which we would consider accepting an applicant with a minimal science/technical bias in the subjects on grades alone, before other factors are taken into account.
This does result in some applicants being concerned whether they should apply if they have expected/obtained grades below the standard offer. As a general guide, we will actively consider applicants who have or expect to get B and C grades in their A-levels (or broadly equivalent), especially if there is a science/technology or numerate subject bias. We will be looking for a comparable standard from applicants offering other qualifications. However, the above should not be taken to mean that we will automatically accept or make offers to any applicant who has the above profile – a decision will be reached by considering the application as a whole.
We make an offer when the reference, expected/obtained grades, personal statement, etc have all been carefully considered and deemed appropriate.
Applicants and schools should note that factors such as relevant work experience, a well-written personal statement that shows motivation and detailed academic references that honestly describe the applicant’s academic potential (ie not “template” references) are read and considered and can positively influence the likelihood of being accepted onto our courses.
As we consider all applications on merit we can, and will, waive stated requirements at our discretion if other circumstances indicate that the applicant is suitable. This is quite common with regards to mature students and will be discussed later in these pages.
The stated requirements refer to conditional offers. No precise guidelines can be given to those already holding qualifications and seeking an unconditional offer, but we will give full consideration to applications even where grades fall somewhat short of our published requirements for conditional offers. Again, we would actively encourage students holding three A-levels at grades B or C (or equivalent) to apply.
All such applications will be considered on their merits, taking the whole qualifications portfolio, personal statement and reference into account. On occasion, we may ask for an interview or additional information. The guidance given in the section on general points above is also indicative for unconditional offers.
We do not usually interview applicants unless we feel there is a good reason to do so. The most common cause for interview is if the applicant is a mature student or is offering non-standard qualifications that merit further investigation. When presenting each qualification in this document, it is indicated whether or not an interview would be likely. We will usually interview applicants who apply in UCAS Clearing.
If we receive an application where we feel additional information would aid us in our decision making, we may ask an applicant or the school or college to provide us with additional information.
Open days and recruitment events
All applicants who are made an offer you will be invited to an open day in the spring. We also hold a few open afternoons in the summer for late and international applicants. Pre-application events and “taster days” are also hosted by the department. All open days are listed here.
We only accept applications via the UCAS system. We make use of UCAS Record of Prior Acceptance forms only if we feel it is appropriate. We also accept applications through UCAS Extra and usually participate in UCAS Clearing.
We will process late applications at our discretion if there was a valid reason for missing the deadline (eg an international applicant may be unaware of the deadlines imposed by UCAS, have different school calendars, or may not have had the means to apply before). Mature applicants are considered throughout the UCAS cycle. UK students currently taking GCE/BTEC in schools/colleges will be considered to have known the mid-January UCAS deadline and a convincing reason would be necessary if they submitted a late application.
Minimum requirements (including GCSE)
There are a number of criteria that must be met for us to make a conditional offer to an applicant. After that we consider the personal statement, academic reference, and expected/obtained grades to decide whether to make an offer. In the case of applicants offering alternative qualifications we will look for a similar level of attainment in their educational history.
Mature students are treated on a case-by-case basis. In general we still need these criteria to be met, but we are flexible in looking at evidence as regards work experience etc, to establish whether they meet them.
Applicants should note that we accept GCSE retakes as equivalent to first sitting and that these may make up part of a conditional offer. We may also add attainment of a Key Skill at Level 3 to an offer if that will allow the applicant to satisfy one of the conditions below.
None of our degrees require A-level mathematics. However study of mathematical/numerate subjects at A-level will be viewed very positively. Computing is a numerate discipline and this means that we require (the equivalent of) a minimum of a grade C in GCSE Mathematics. Key Skill level 3 in Application of Number will be accepted as an alternative and will be viewed positively in any case.
Effective IT professionals must be good communicators, able to articulate their ideas to both clients and colleagues; these skills are also necessary to succeed on a degree course. Therefore we require (the equivalent of) a minimum of grade C in GCSE English. Key Skill level 3 in Communication will be accepted as an alternative and will be viewed positively in any case.
The depth and breadth criteria
University policy is to require a minimum of a 12-unit (ie Applied GCE double award) or two 6-unit awards (ie two GCE A-levels). This depth criterion is to ensure that applicants are sufficiently prepared regarding study at full A-level standard to handle the rigours of an honours degree course.
Departmental policy is that we will usually require at least 18 units (excluding Key Skills and “excluded” subjects – see later), though the remaining 6 of the 18 can come from Advanced Subsidiary, or additional/stand-alone units. Students require this to meet the demanding nature of our degrees. However, we will consider applications from students holding only 12 units and consider them on their merits.
Some qualifications taken along GCE studies may be counted as a third A-level at our discretion (though not Key Skills); applicants should note we would expect a very high level of GCE performance in this case. Examples would include NVQs at Level 3 or 4 and some IT qualifications such as MCSE or CCNA (Cisco). These applications are usually dealt with on a case-by-case basis and may require an interview.
We prefer to see at least one, preferably more, science, technology, maths GCE A-levels (or 2 AS). The guide to relative subject importance gives further guidance on this requirement. This is so we can judge an applicant’s potential for a technological degree, while not discouraging applicants from taking a broad range of subjects.
However, we will consider applications not meeting this criterion and will judge them on their merits.
The UCAS Tariff
Key Skills will rarely form part of any offer, but we would like to reassure applicants that they will be taken into account if an applicant has fallen short of our stated offer (in most cases, Application of Number is the most relevant). Though we are generally supportive of the concept of Key Skills we feel that their presence in the Tariff is distorting for the following reasons:
A large number of schools/colleges are not offering Key Skills, so including Key Skills in offers, or making them a requirement, would be unfair to many applicants.That said, the possession of Key Skills at level three will be viewed positively if applicants fall short of our stated offer, though if their school does not offer it then they will not be disadvantaged.
Incidentally, part of the Graduate Professional Development Award we offer in our placements is based on national occupational standards of which Key Skills are an essential part. Therefore any Key Skills gained at school/college will stand applicants in good stead in their placement (and make them more effective in the workplace).
We have adopted the UCAS tariff. Though we have some reservations about its operation, it is felt to be less cumbersome than making grade-based offers, given the large number of combinations and mixtures of qualifications that could be presented and the coding scheme that UCAS has provided.
In the context of flexibility, we consider the Tariff suitable for the reasons below.
We still have some reservations about the Tariff. Also, as there is no ceiling on the points you can accumulate, nine grade Es is equivalent to three grade As. For this reason we exclude subjects if more than 24 units (the equivalent of 4 A-levels) have been offered. The subjects that we consider least relevant will be excluded in this case.
Some subjects are excluded (see the section on subject preferences / restrictions), as we do not recognise them as good indicators of academic ability, or that they would distort the offer unfairly.
Applicants should be reassured that performance in excluded subjects will be taken into account if the applicant falls short of our stated offer.
A-Levels
For September 2007 entry our usual conditional offer for GCE (with appropriate motivation and subject background) is expressed as 300 Tariff points excluding Key Skills (and any explicitly excluded subjects). Both lower and higher offers may be made in some unusual cases.
Examples in terms of grades that meet this offer include BCC over three A-levels plus extra AS at Grade C, or BBB. If the criteria in the minimum requirements section are met then we are flexible, so BC over two A-levels plus CCC in additional AS subjects is perfectly acceptable.
The Applied GCE is accepted as equivalent to the GCE (as it's the old AVCE).
Some students will offer only an Applied GCE double award. We would discourage this as a choice of A-level study, and note that schools and colleges should not encourage this as a programme of study for prospective university students. However, we will consider these applications, but we will expect students to do very well in order for them to gain a place on our course.
Subject preferences/restrictions
The following GCE subjects are excluded: General Studies and any foreign language where the applicant is a native speaker (or we have reason to believe this is so – the college will have to confirm otherwise).
Foreign language A-levels are designed for non-native speakers, so mother tongue speakers will be at a strong (and we feel unfair) advantage. If the language is not the applicant’s mother tongue we will need to see a letter from their school/college, before we decide to include it in the offer.
Although these subjects are excluded from our offer, they may be a factor in our final decision if the applicant misses the stated offer.
We would prefer that additional GCE units in a given subject were not taken above a double award (we feel it is better to take a contrasting GCE), though we will not reject good applicants for this reason.
To prevent double counting the BTEC, applied GCE, and GCE in IT/ICT are considered to be the same qualification. The same applies to Business (Studies). Applicants may take A-level Computing and IT/ICT together.
GCE retakes are acceptable.
Applicants are encouraged to contact us for guidance if they are unsure.
A guide to relative subject importance
Guidance as regards how we view difference subjects is given below. We require at least one, preferably more, science, technology, maths GCE A-levels (or 2 AS); ie subjects from categories 1-3 below.
1 Most relevant: All Mathematics subjects (eg Pure Mathematics, Statistics)
2 Highly relevant: Computing, Electronics, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry,
General Science, other “hard” science subjects
3. Relevant: IT/ICT, Biology, Psychology, Economics, other “soft”
science subjects
4 Less relevant: Music, Sociology, Business, Geography, other humanities subjects
5 Least relevant: Art, History, English, Languages, other arts subjects
6 Not accepted: General Studies, Languages where applicant is native speaker
In general the more scientific/numerate a subject is the stronger indicator it is of your potential to succeed on one of our degrees.
Applicants presenting arts/humanities-only profiles
Strong arts/humanities-only applicants may be made an offer at our discretion. We will look for clear motivation for a computing degree and good relevant GCSE grades (at least B in mathematics and a science). Possession of Key Skill in Application of Number at Level 3 would be useful in this case.
BTEC National (Award/Certificate/Diploma)
Our standard conditional offers for BTEC Nationals are as follows. BTECs are benchmarked against A-levels via the comparisons drawn in the UCAS tariff point system.
The National Diploma are similarly counted as 3 GCE awards (ie 18 units). Again, subject restrictions as above apply, though applicants presenting only a business National Diploma will be treated as having an arts/humanities profile.
To simplify matters we make a standard offer of DMM (the usual 300 point offer is not made as this does not match a BTEC grade), if the application merits making an offer.
Similarly, a National Certificate with a distinction profile is equivalent to a very good GCE double award. We usually make a standard offer of 300 tariff points, including additional qualifications in order to attain the 18-unit breadth requirement.
Normally in the case of the National Certificate we would require a 6-unit, or two 3-unit awards (eg GCE), or stand-alone units at grade B (or equivalent) to supplement, excluding Key Skills. A National Award in a contrasting subject with a distinction profile will also be acceptable. We are aware that the National Certificate is often taken by mature applicants, and/or those with relevant work experience, therefore the National Certificate alone may suffice at our discretion (also see the section on mature applicants).
The National Award with a distinction is equivalent to a very good GCE single award. To simplify matters we make a standard offer of 300 tariff points, if first year performance merits making an offer, including additional qualifications in order to attain the 18-unit breadth requirement.
BTEC Higher National (Certificate/Diploma)
BTEC Higher Nationals are accepted for first year entry with a Merit (or Distinction) profile in ICT, science, or engineering subjects. Exceptionally business or other subjects may be accepted (but we would be looking for clear motivation for a computing degree such as qualifications or work experience).
Our standard conditional offer will be merit overall, over the entire qualification. We will focus closely on the quantitative and programming unit grades when making our decision.
Advanced entry is possible for applicants with a Distinction in an HND; the reader is referred to the section on advanced entry for more discussion on this issue.
Other academic qualifications
The International Baccalaureate (IB) is well regarded by us and we make a standard conditional offer of 28 IB points to applicants whose reference and personal statement warrant it.
Applicants with or expecting good grades for Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Highers are encouraged to apply, and those with additional Advanced Highers more so. Offers are made on an individual basis.
Occupational qualifications, City & Guilds and Access courses
IT-related NVQs (level 3 or above) and Modern Apprenticeships are only considered for mature applicants (go to the section) with strong relevant work experience (at least two years). We rarely accept applicants through this route.
City and Guilds qualifications are normally considered as NVQs at the same level, though we note the exam based assessment used.
For non-mature candidates, these qualifications will be considered as providing supplementary information.
Applicants with these qualifications will often be asked for additional information and might be interviewed; offers are made on a course-by-course basis.
Common IT industry qualifications
Our policy is to treat as far as possible other industry qualifications (such as MCSE, CISCO, A+) as NVQs, though we reserve the right to establish the equivalencies ourselves. This process is ongoing and we are actively following developments.
Non-mature applicants offering only a 12-unit GCE (or two six-unit GCE) with high expected/obtained grades may be considered stronger if they also present one of MCSE/MCSD/CCNA/A+ taken at the same time. They will also need to have a strong personal statement and reference. This decision will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Mature applicants
We recognise that mature applicants potentially have much to offer both intellectually and in providing a positive and diverse contribution to the social and cultural mix of the undergraduate cohort. We are naturally eager to attract, select, and recruit high-quality students from this source.
We are also acutely aware that mature applicants have much at stake in embarking on a degree, both personally and financially, and that failure to complete a degree course could well have particularly severe and detrimental effects on their careers and families. We aim to ensure that students we admit through this route are capable of passing through the degree, in order to act in their best interests.
Therefore mature students are dealt with on their merits on an individual basis, and some of the requirements above may be waived if there is a compelling case to do so. Mature applicants are often asked for additional information and might be interviewed if this is considered appropriate.
Advanced entry
In some cases entry into the second year is possible.
To be allowed direct second year entry applicants will need to satisfy the admissions tutor that they have university coverage of all the key elements of our first year and that they have performed sufficiently well in the assessment of this coverage. In particular we will be focusing on Java programming, software engineering, and mathematics coverage.
The benchmark is the BTEC Higher National Diploma, where we would be looking for a distinction profile. We will accept equivalent qualifications. For guidance please get in touch.
Admission into the second year is at the discretion of the admissions tutor whose decision is final.
Entry into the third year is not possible.
Exchange visits
Exchange visits are distinct from advanced entry as we are in effect providing credit for a degree awarded by another institution; exchange students are considered by the undergraduate course team on a case-by-case basis. Applicants apply direct for exchange visits, and not through UCAS. Queries may be directed to the admissions team initially.
Overseas applications
We strongly encourage and welcome applications from overseas applicants. We recognise that the presence of good overseas students on our degrees has positive benefits for all, both culturally and academically.
Our policy is to make offers to overseas applicants on the basis of equivalence with the entrance requirements for our UK intake. We examine each application on its own merits, make use of UCAS and the NARIC service to establish equivalencies, and/or take advice from our International Office.
Overseas applicants should note that qualifications for university entrance in their own countries are not necessarily of the standard required for entrance to UK universities. This misunderstanding is a common reason why we are obliged to reject overseas applicants. In this case, some form of bridging qualification would be required. We therefore advise that overseas applicants seek guidance before applying. A change of course offer to City University's International Foundation Programme may be made if appropriate.
We will also consider applicants taking private university foundation courses from reputable colleges. We may require applicants to provide us with details, syllabuses, etc for their foundation course as part of the selection process.
The International Office, or ourselves, are happy to advise on the above (through email or written enquires are preferred). The British Council is also a good source of advice. Of course, though we can tell you whether your qualifications are comparable to GCE, no definite indication of whether an offer will be made can be given before we receive a UCAS form.
We normally request that overseas applicants provide proof of English language proficiency, such as an approved test (eg IELTS band 6.0 or equivalent). We are strict on this aspect of the application; it is not open to negotiation. Applicants should contact the admissions team for advice if they are unsure.
It is often necessary to ask overseas applicants to provide additional information.
Applicants already holding/studying for an UK HE qualification
In all cases a policy similar to that for the BTEC HNC/HND (see the section on occupational qualifications) applies. First year entry is the usual option; advanced entry will only be entertained in special circumstances (see the section on advanced entry). The equivalencies we apply are as follows:
Applicants who hold an UK honours degree or equivalent may wish to consider taking a masters degree aimed at graduates in subjects other than Computing. City University offers several such courses that may meet your needs. We would be happy to advise you of your options, for example during a pre-application open afternoon.
Re-sits and UK University foundation courses
There are legitimate reasons why an applicant may have failed to meet their potential the first time around, so we look at the first re-sit of an A-level, say, without prejudice to the applicant. In all cases, it is worth covering any extenuating circumstances in the personal statement.
We will consider applicants from Foundation Courses of UK universities in a mathematical, technological or scientific discipline. Some applicants may wish to consider this as an alternative route of entry if they did not do as well as expected the first time around. We will consider these applications on a case by case basis.
Clearing
We usually accept students through clearing. It is usual practice to only accept
students through clearing who would have been accepted through the standard
UCAS application process.
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