Entry Requirements

Edge Hill University welcomes applicants for our undergraduate degrees with a wide variety of qualifications and/or experience. Each application is assessed on its own merits.

We accept qualifications such as A and AS levels, BTEC/OCR Nationals and Higher Nationals, BTEC QCF, International/European/Welsh Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers, Irish Leaving Certificate, Access to HE Diploma, NVQ Level 3 (alongside other recognised qualifications), Advanced Diploma, and Open University credits etc.

UCAS Tariff

Most entry requirements for degree programmes are expressed in terms of UCAS Tariff points, although some courses request grades in specific subjects and additional criteria may also apply.

The UCAS Tariff system, which allocates points to a range of qualifications in university entry requirements, is changing for students joining programmes from 2017 onwards.

The points requirements to join our degrees are lower under the new UCAS Tariff, however for most courses you will still have to achieve the same grades as before.

View the new UCAS Tariff table (pdf) >>

A Levels, BTEC Awards and Access Diplomas

Some typical examples of how you can achieve selected totals of UCAS Tariff points through the successful completion of A Levels, BTEC awards and Access to Higher Education Diplomas are detailed below.

To establish the number of UCAS Tariff points required for a specific degree, and to see if there are any additional requirements for your preferred course(s), you should refer to the individual course pages.

128 UCAS Tariff points

A Levels: ABB or equivalent;
BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications) – Distinction, Distinction, Merit (DDM);
Access: 45 credits at Level 3, for example 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations.

120 UCAS Tariff points

A Levels: BBB or equivalent;
BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications) – Distinction, Distinction, Merit (DDM);
Access: 45 credits at Level 3, for example 24 credits at Distinction and 21 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations.

112 UCAS Tariff points

A Levels: BBC or equivalent;
BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications) – Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM);
Access: 45 credits at Level 3, for example 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations.

The above examples may differ from actual offers made. A combination of A Level and BTEC awards may also be accepted.

As long as you have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent), there is no maximum number of qualifications that we will accept UCAS points from. This includes additional qualifications such as the Welsh Baccalaureate and Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE), AS Levels that haven’t been continued to A Level, and General Studies AS or A Level awards. No offers will be made solely on the basis of AS or equivalent awards.

Please note, as BTEC awards are graded as Pass, Merit or Distinction, some Tariff points scores cannot be matched precisely to BTEC qualifications. This means that if you are studying or hold a BTEC qualification, you need to refer to the offer conditions for the exact grades/Tariff score which needs to be achieved for entry.

There are a number of alternative BTEC qualifications attracting different Tariff scores to those listed above. These include the BTEC National in Early Years (NCF) and BTEC Specialist (QCF).

For a comprehensive listing of the UCAS Tariff points obtainable from these awards, as well as alternative qualifications, you should refer to the new UCAS Tariff calculator.

Alternative Qualifications

In addition to A Levels, BTECs and Access to Higher Education Diplomas, some of the other awards we accept include Irish Leaving Certificates, CACHE Qualifications and FETAC Qualifications. We also welcome Key Skills qualifications and the UCAS Tariff points for Key Skills will be counted towards the overall points score requirement.

Irish Leaving Certificate

If you are studying for an Irish Leaving Certificate, you will usually be asked to achieve at least five grade B’s or above, from subjects studied at the Higher Level;
You will also need to meet the overall points requirement for the course that you are applying for;
Certain programmes may require a minimum grade to be achieved in a specific subject.

CACHE Qualifications

If you have a CACHE Award, Certificate or Diploma qualification, we encourage you to apply;
There are various types of CACHE qualifications and you should ensure that the qualification that you are completing meets the requirements for the course that you are applying for.

FETAC Qualifications

If you have a FETAC qualification, this can typically contribute towards meeting the entry requirements for many of our undergraduate programmes;
It must be accompanied, however, with other suitable qualifications, such as A Levels or an Irish Leaving Certificate, worth approximately 80 UCAS Tariff points on the new UCAS Tariff;
If you wish to study BSc (Hons) Midwifery, a FETAC qualification cannot be accepted towards meeting the entry criteria.

NVQ Awards

NVQ Level 3 or NVQ (QCF) qualifications are not normally acceptable on their own, however they will be considered alongside other recognised Level 3 qualifications;
If you are applying to join a degree in Nursing, Midwifery, Operating Department Practice, or a combined Nursing and Social Work degree, NVQ level 3 (or similar competency based qualifications) in health related subjects will only be considered when accompanied by other relevant level 3 qualifications (e.g. A Levels, Access to Higher Education Diploma etc) and supported by a number of years experience working in health and social care.

EU students can get country-specific information about the University’s entry requirements and equivalent national qualifications at www.edgehill.ac.uk/eu.

International students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international for information on the entry criteria for overseas applicants.

GCSEs

In addition to UCAS Tariff points, you will typically be expected to offer a range of five GCSEs at Grade C or Grade 4 or above (or equivalent Level 2 qualifications) in different subjects.

GCSE English Language at Grade C or Grade 4 or above (or equivalent) is normally required. Level 2 Functional Skills English or Level 2 Literacy are also acceptable for most, but not all, degrees.

Some degrees also stipulate GCSE Mathematics and/or GCSE Science at minimum Grade C or Grade 4 (or equivalent).

Please see the individual course pages for details of GCSE requirements for specific programmes.

If you do not have the relevant GCSEs, Edge Hill University offers equivalency tests in English, Mathematics and Science.

Additional Requirements

For some courses there may be additional criteria, other than GCSEs, that you need to meet as well as achieving the set number of UCAS Tariff points.

This may include set grades or a specific number of points in a particular subject, clearance to work with children and/or vulnerable adults, and medical fitness to teach or practice.

Initial teacher training courses also have successful completion of Professional Skills Tests as a condition of any offer of a place.

Please see the individual course pages for details of which, if any, additional requirements apply to specific programmes.

Get in Touch

We recognise that our students come from a variety of backgrounds and try to reflect this in our admissions criteria. The qualifications listed on these pages satisfy the general entry requirements, however the list is not exhaustive.

If you require further clarification, or if you possess any qualifications which are not listed, please do not hesitate to contact Course Enquiries by calling 01695 657000 or completing our online enquiry form.

Further general information about entry requirements is available on the UCAS website.