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Postgraduate and Professional Application Guide

Postgraduate and Professional Application Guide

If you are a home student applying for a full-time or part-time postgraduate course, or part-time undergraduate course, you can apply directly to us. If you are an international student, please visit our international section for details of how to apply.

Please note, applications for MSc Social Work should be submitted via the UCAS website, and you should therefore follow the instructions listed under the ‘undergraduate’ how to apply section.

Find out more about making a part-time undergraduate or full or part-time postgraduate application to BNU:

 

Choose the right course for you

Deciding to take on further study is a big decision, so it’s important you consider all your options – from which course level to study at to how you wish to study, to make sure you choose a course that is right for you and what you are hoping to achieve.

Look carefully at the entry requirements for your chosen programme to find out whether you are eligible to apply. Where there are further specific requirements (for example, where your undergraduate studies need to have been in a particular discipline for your chosen master's, or you require relevant work experience), these will also be listed.

If you are unsure, you can contact our admissions team for further details.

Come to an open day

We hold Postgraduate and Professional Open days throughout the year. Here you can find out more about our courses, meet and chat informally to course tutors and view the campus facilities. For a list of our upcoming dates and to register to attend, visit our open days section.

Part-time or Full-time study?

For many of our postgraduate and professional courses we offer different study modes. For example, you may choose to study full-time, part-time or via distance learning. Make sure you consider this carefully, as this may also affect fitting your studies around home life or employment, or how you fund your studies.

You can choose to study:

  • Full-time – this requires you to be in university for some of the time, either during the week, on evenings or at weekends.
  • Part-time– this is a popular choice, and we run many of our postgraduate and professional  programmes on a part-time basis. Many students choose the part-time option, so they can study and work at the same time.
  • Distance learning – if you prefer to study at home, or can’t get to one of our campuses, we offer several courses as distance learning options. You’ll be able to access your work and interact with other students remotely, through our Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard – and get tutor support on the phone, by email or Skype.
  • Flexible and distributed learning – we offer other courses on a flexible and distributed learning basis, which are also great for fitting in study around your work and other commitments. These are delivered mainly online, via our Virtual Learning Environment, with workshops on campus to support your learning.

To find out how you can study your chosen course, visit the individual course pages for more information.

Funding your studies

There are a range of options available to you to fund your studies, from student finance, employer sponsorship or Postgraduate Loans. Visit our fees and funding pages for more information.

Don't miss anything, including the deadlines

Make sure your application is fully completed before you submit it to us, as incomplete applications may be rejected.

We ask to see copies of your qualifications as evidence of your education. If you are a mature student and took your qualifications a few years ago please give us a call. However, if you don’t have copies of your qualifications and have taken them recently you may need to contact your exam board. In either case, please contact the Admissions Team on 0330 123 2023 for advice.

For our postgraduate courses, typically there are no deadlines for applications, however we do recommend applying sooner rather than later. Some courses require interviews, so please apply early.

If you are applying for MSc Social Work, you will need to apply by the UCAS deadline; 15 January.

Are transfers to BNU accepted?

For some courses it may be possible to transfer to Bucks from another university, or be exempt from certain modules or credits. In order to determine this we would need you to attach your official transcripts of study to the application so we can assess your suitability.

 

 

There’s a lot of information to take in when applying to university, but we’re here to guide you through the process and make it as easy as possible. If there’s anything you’re not sure about or you have any questions, please contact us on 0330 123 2023.

1. Register to apply

If you are a UK or EU applicant and want to apply for one of our part-time undergraduate courses, or a full or part-time postgraduate course, you’ll need to register your details to apply through our online application portal.

If you’re interested in applying for MSc Social Work, you will need to apply through UCAS, and you should therefore follow the instructions listed under the ‘undergraduate’ how to apply section.

If you’re an international applicant, please visit our international section for more information on how to apply.

2. Make your application

Ensure you complete all sections of your application fully. When submitting your application, you will be advised of any additional supporting information we require. This may include:

  • clear copies of your highest qualification, such as your degree. You may also need to provide copies of your English language qualification
  • one written reference from either your employer or previous lecturers
  • a personal statement explaining why you wish to study this course and any relevant experience you may have
  • a clear copy of your passport and visa if applicable
  • a copy of your CV.

You don’t need to complete your application all in one go, so make sure you take your time and complete all sections fully, as if there is information missing your application may be rejected.

3. Submit your application

Once you have submitted your application, this will be sent to our admissions team for review.

Although there aren’t usually formal application deadlines for our postgraduate and professional programmes, it’s important to make sure you respond to any communication from our admissions team promptly. If you don’t, you may find that your application is automatically declined or rejected on your behalf, or that there aren’t any places available on your chosen course

 

So you’ve completed your application and submitted it to us for consideration. You might be wondering what happens next?

We'll let you know we've received your application

We will send you an email to confirm that you’ve received your application. It’s worth adding our email address to your list of approved contacts so that you don’t miss any communication from us.

We'll check your application

We’ll make sure your form is fully completed and that you meet the entry requirements for your chosen course. If we need any further information to process your application, such as copies of your passport or qualifications, we’ll email you to let you know.

As many of our programmes are professionally based, we will review your qualifications and work experience in order to determine your suitability.

We'll let you know our decision

Once we’ve received all the necessary information, we’ll make a decision on your application.

We will either:

  • Ask you to attend an interview. We’ll send you an email with more information about your interview, but where possible course teams will contact you via email or phone to discuss your information.
  • Send you a conditional offer. This offer is made if you’re currently completing your qualifications. We will send you an offer letter which will list the conditions of your offer.
  • Send you an unconditional offer. This offer is made if you’ve met all the entry requirements. We will send you an offer letter to confirm this.
  • Reject your application. If your application isn’t suitable, we’ll contact you to advise you of this. In some cases, we can also provide additional feedback but we can’t always guarantee this.

 

 

If we have made you an offer, congratulations! You’ll need to respond to us to confirm that you wish to accept this offer.

If your offer has conditions attached, you’ll also need to ensure you meet these before the start of the course. For example, if you are waiting to complete qualifications, you’ll need to scan and email us a copy of your certificates once you’ve received them.

Closer to the start of your course you will receive Joining Instructions from us. This will include details about your enrolment, and anything extra you may need to do before you get started.

While you wait for the start of your course, we recommend having a look at the key information below that might be useful for you.

A special offer

Once you’ve been offered a place to study at Bucks New University, The Fitness Team would like to start the celebrations early by offering you the opportunity to join the Gateway Gym right away at our current student membership rates. Visit our news and offers page for further details.

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Fees and Funding

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Accommodation