UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

We require all applicants for undergraduate programmes to demonstrate a good general education, which includes acceptable levels of literacy and numeracy, normally equivalent to at least grade C at GCSE in English and Mathematics.

International students must have an internationally-recognised English language qualification.

This policy statement provides information on the University of Liverpool’s approach to specific qualifications, their acceptability and how we will verify that applicants have the qualifications they claim to have on their application form.

The majority of our courses will consider applications from students who are offering BTEC qualifications. However, some courses will require applicants offering BTEC qualifications to take an A-level alongside their BTEC; others will require specific modules to have been studied. For a small number of our courses, BTECs are not considered a suitable preparation for study in that subject area.

The University recognises the value of the Core Maths qualification to support the development of mathematical skills. While the University will not include Core Maths in our entry requirements, we welcome the additional skills it will give to students. We will not accept Core Maths in lieu of AS/A level Maths or equivalent qualifications where Mathematics is a subject requirement.

The new T-level qualifications are due to be introduced for first teaching from September 2020, with the first students offering T-levels applying to university in the autumn of 2022. When programme specifications and sample assessment materials become available, the University will scrutinise these via its Qualifications Group and will issue a statement as to their acceptability at the earliest possible opportunity.

We consider a wide range of UK qualifications, including Scottish Advanced Highers, the Welsh Baccalaureate, AQA Baccalaureate, Cambridge Pre-U and the Access to HE Diploma.

It is important for us to be able to ascertain that applicants have achieved the results that they need to meet the terms of any offer we have made. Results of the most-frequently offered qualifications, including A-levels, AS-Levels, Scottish Advanced Highers, the International Baccalaureate, BTECs, Cambridge Technicals, Cambridge Pre-U, the Welsh Baccalaureate and the Irish Leaving Certificate are transmitted directly to the University via UCAS from the appropriate examining body, and applicants who have taken these qualifications within the past twelve months do not need to send in details of their results. However, we may seek verification of qualifications that are not forwarded to us in this way. Applicants who are taking qualifications whose results are not transmitted directly to the University should ensure that proof of their results is sent directly to the Admissions Team as soon as they are available.

Please note that the University requires proof of the results for all the qualifications recorded on the UCAS application form, not just those that form part of a conditional offer. Non-UK applicants will be required to send us photocopies or scans of their certificates, transcripts, etc and to present their original documents at the point of registration. 

ADMISSION PROCEDURE AND FEE STRUCTURE:

There are many things to consider before you apply. Read our guidance below on how to research courses and the types of undergraduate degrees available at Liverpool.

Deciding on which course to take is the first important decision you will make. There are several ways to research which courses are available:

• Search our for information about each programme, typical entry requirements and links to detailed departmental brochures.
• Explore course information on the UCAS website. You will find all of our programmes listed on the site, together with additional information in the UCAS Entry Profile.
• Talk to a member of the Education Liaison Team at one of the we attend around the country. They will be able to answer any questions you may have about studying at Liverpool.

Most of our courses lead to a bachelor's degree, such as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc), after three, four or five years of study.

Some of our bachelor's degrees have abbreviations that may be less familiar, such as:

• LLB for Law
• MBChB for Medicine
• BDS for Dentistry
• BVSc for Veterinary Science

All of the above represent study to the same academic level.

In addition, we offer some degrees where the first qualification you obtain is a master’s degree. These are usually one year longer than the bachelor’s degree in the same subject:

• MBiolSci - Master of Biological Sciences
• MEcol - Master of Ecology
• MEng – Master of Engineering
• MESci - Master of Earth Sciences
• MMarBiol - Master of Marine Biology
• MMath – Master of Mathematics
• MOSci - Master of Ocean Sciences
• MPhys Master of Physics
• MPlan - Master of Planning
• MPsycholSci - Master of Psychology

Some of our programmes charge less than the full £9,250 fee:

• Foundation programmes: the fee for the foundation year of specified programmes at Carmel College and Birkenhead Sixth Form College is £5,140.
• Programmes with a year in industry or a year abroad: the fee for students spending a full year working in industry is £1,850. The fee for students spending a full year abroad is £1,385.

Some programmes which include compulsory fieldwork or additional elements such as the Pilots Licence in Aerospace Engineering may incur additional costs. Where this is the case, those costs will be outlined at on-campus events such as the University Open Days or Applicant Discovery Days.

Aside from the tuition fees that you pay to the University, you may incur some additional costs in relation to your studies. Many of these costs will vary, and depend on the modules you choose as well as your own personal preferences, however we have summarised the type of costs you could expect to incur here. The costs and subsidies listed below are approximate and relate to current (2020) levels.

Some courses may require you to purchase specific stationery which may include things such as:

• Lab coats* (£15)
• Medical scrubs **
• medical scrubs **
• Safety boots/specialist footwear (£30)
• Safety glasses*
• Art materials/specialist stationery, for example for Architecture (students spend around £90 per year on such materials)
• Clinical equipment **

Our students submit the majority of assignments online, which means that printing costs should be minimal.

Core textbooks are available in the library. If you do wish to purchase your own books, there are several ways to keep the costs down. The Pass the Book scheme allows students to buy, sell, collect and donate a book – including hundreds of titles which have been generously provided for free by our alumni under a scheme which allows students to keep core textbooks for an agreed period. At the end of this period, the student returns the book and it is given to another student – creating a cycle of giving. In addition, Blackwell’s bookshop on campus offers second hand copies of textbooks for purchase – and you can sell your own copies back once you have finished with them.

There are over 2,000 computers available across campus for students and we offer 24 hour term time access to both the Sydney Jones and Harold Cohen librars. The library also loans out laptops for four hours. Some subjects use interactive polling during lectures to enhance our students learning experience – so it is useful to have your own smart phone.

Where there are compulsory field classes associated with a programme, the core costs for these will often be met by the School. Some programmes will require students to cover the costs of travel to the field class, and some may require the student to pay for their own meals. Students may also need to purchase their own outdoor clothing suitable for some field classes.

Where there are optional field classes associated with a programme, students will normally be expected to meet the costs of these themselves, although there may be subsidies available. Costs will vary depending on whether the field class is in the UK, Europe or further afield.

Some programmes recommend that students become members of their professional association. If that is the case, discounted student memberships are available. See subject-specific costs below.

There may be costs associated with travel to placements, or for example, with travel to interviews for placements. These will vary. If students are spending a full year in industry, they can expect to be paid a salary by their employer.

If you are participating in a Study Abroad programme you will still be entitled to all of your normal student loans – and you may be entitled to extra funding from Student Finance. If you are studying a semester abroad, your normal tuition fee will be payable. If you are studying a full year abroad, your tuition fee for that year is reduced. All students participating in Study Abroad are entitled to University of Liverpool travel insurance.

We have sought to minimise the burden of library fines while ensuring that our resources remain available for all. Consequently, fines will only be charged on our standard loan items if they are both overdue and required by someone else. In that instance, we contact students to let them know and give them time to return an item and fines are then payable at £1 per day. Different fines processes apply for short loan items and laptop loans.