Accessibility
English language and Mathematics qualifications
English language qualifications
Competence in written and spoken English is a General Entrance Requirement of the University and is necessary for entry to all undergraduate programmes. The University will accept the following English Language qualifications as evidence of competence. The list is not exclusive. Further advice about the acceptability of English Language qualifications is available from the University.
UK Boards
Scottish Certificate of Education
Standard Grade 1, 2 or 3 in English
Edexcel Foundation
Any BTEC National Award, Certificate or Diploma awarded by Edexcel Foundation
International Baccalaureate
Higher or Subsidiary level in English Language (grade 4 or above)
Irish Republic Awards
Irish Leaving Certificate at Ordinary level (grade A, B or C) achieved in or after 1977.
In the Irish Leaving Certificate at Higher level a grade D pass or above is acceptable.
Royal Society or Arts
Stage III (Advanced)
Access Courses
Any approved Access course.
Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning. As an alternative to the above qualifications, applicants may provide evidence of their ability to undertake the programme through the accreditation of prior experiential learning.
International students
Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the University that their command of written and spoken English is adequate for the course which they propose to follow. The University recognises a number of language tests designed to measure the proficiency of non-native speakers. The great majority of international students will submit scores in either the British Council IELTS test* or the American TOEFL test:
IELTS
The minimum acceptable score in the British Council IELTS is:
6.0 with no individual band score (in the four bands of reading, listening, speaking and writing) below 5.5. (Individual subjects may impose higher score requirements).
TOEFL
The minimum acceptable score in the TOEFL test is:
TOEFL paper-based – 550
TOEFL computer-based – 213
TOEF: internet-based – 79
Mathematics qualifications
Where a particular level of competence in numeracy is a course requirement, the following qualifications in Mathematics will be acceptable.
The list is not exclusive. Further advice about the acceptability of qualifications in Mathematics is available from the University.
UK Boards
Scottish Certificate of Education
Standard Grade 1, 2 or 3 in Mathematics
Open University
Relevant level 1/ 2 courses
Edexcel Foundation
Mathematics Level N
International Baccalaureate
Higher or Subsidiary level in Mathematics (grade 4 or above)
Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
Polymaths Diploma
Irish Republic Awards
Irish Leaving Certificate at Ordinary level (grade A, B, C) achieved in or after 1977.
In the Irish Leaving Certificate at Higher level a grade D pass or above is acceptable. A pass in the Irish Leaving Certificate awarded up to and including 1976 is regarded as approximately equivalent to a Northern Ireland GCE O level pass.
Access Courses
The University will consider any Access course which has a component in Mathematics and which has been recognised as equivalent to GCSE. This may also include those Access courses which were previously acceptable, but which are no longer currently offered by the Further Education sector. (In such cases, applicants are advised to check acceptability with the University)
The following University of Ulster approved Access courses are those which are currently offered and which are recognised as incorporating Mathematics to the required standard:
Access Diploma in Information Technology Studies and Professional Development University of Ulster (if both optional Mathematics modules undertaken)
Access Diploma in Combined Studies
Northern Regional College
North West Regional College
Access Diploma in Social Sciences & Humanities
Northern Regional College (if optional Maths II module undertaken)
South West College (if optional Mathematics module undertaken)
Access Diploma in Social Sciences
Northern Regional College (if optional Maths II or College Workshop undertaken)
Southern Regional College
South West College
South Eastern Regional College (if optional Maths II module undertaken)
Access Diploma in Adult Learning
Southern Regional College
Access Diploma in Social & Life Sciences
North West Regional College
Access Diploma in Humanities & Social Sciences
South Eastern Regional College
Access Diploma in Science & Technology
North West Regional College
Access Diploma in Science
Belfast Metropolitan College
Access Diploma in Computing with Business & Multimedia
Belfast Metropolitan College
Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning
As an alternative to the above qualifications, applicants may provide evidence of their ability to undertake the programme though the accreditation of prior experiential learning.