Application process

Applying to one of our courses

Before you start your application, please check that you meet the entry requirements for your chosen course. You can learn about specific course criteria by consulting our course pages, or by contacting us. Applicants who do not speak English as their first language will be required to provide evidence that they have achieved an IELTS grade (minimum of 6.5, with a minimum of 5.5 in the individual elements) that is appropriate for their course.

There are a number of important application deadlines throughout the admissions cycle – if you are unsure whether a deadline applies to you, please check your chosen course page, review our summary of deadlines, or contact us. 

Please note that applications to our CPD courses can be booked online without an application process.

Accreditation of prior learning

We are happy to offer APL, an academic process that recognises your previous work experience and/ or study. Accrediting your previous learning and/or experience means you can use it to enter our courses at an advanced level or count towards your course requirements.

APL is an umbrella for two types of learning:

1. Learning gained outside the classroom at home, work or in a community setting. The key thing is that you have not taken an exam or coursework that assesses your experience or skills

2. Learning from course completion, passing an assessment and /or having a certificate. 

Please note that only certain courses offer APL. Please contact the recruitment team if you think that you may be eligible.

In terms of assessment and making the final award, APL credits are not taken into account when calculating your final mark for award. Therefore, your award will be calculated only on the modules that you have completed while on that course.

References

All our postgraduate level courses require references that are submitted as part of the application process. When you apply, you will be asked to give the names of at least two people that we can contact for a reference. They will be contacted 72 hours after your application form has been submitted.

The majority of courses require two references but some can differ in the nature and number required so please check our course pages online. If you have studied with us before, we require that one reference be from a previous tutor if possible. Please note that we cannot progress your application to the next stage without at least one reference.

Shortlisting and interviews

Once we have received your application it will be reviewed by our admissions team and our academic staff to verify whether you meet the selection criteria. 

If you are invited for an interview you will receive an invitation via MyTAP and you will be able to select an interview date and time that suits you. This is booked via your MyTAP portal. 

Some courses have individual interviews, some have panel interviews and some courses have both. 

All interviews are conducted in accordance to the Trust’s strict Admissions Policy criteria. If you require any assistance due to a disability, please let us know.

Your offer of study

If your application and interview are successful, you will be sent a detailed offer of study via email and in your MyTAP portal. It is important that you read the details of your offer carefully as it will set out any conditions and/or recommendations from the Directorate of Education and Training.

Due to the nature of our courses, many offers will be conditional upon certain requirements such as DBS checks being successfully carried out. These will be included in your offer letter. The Trust reserves the right to retract an offer where it is found that an applicant is not suitable for the course. If the academic team have considered your application to be unsuccessful, we will let you know and provide an opportunity for feedback. 

When you accept your offer, you will need to complete our online offer response form. Once we receive this, you will be sent a confirmation email which will guide you through the remaining steps required to complete registration:

1. Paying your fees
2. Joining the library and access to online resources
3. Attending Welcome week and your course induction event.

Before accepting your offer, we ask that you read our regulations for registration and enrolment.

You will also be given the option to defer your offer of study to the next academic year and we will hold a place for you on the course.