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Undergraduate Study

How to apply

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Applying via UCAS

Applications for full-time study should be made via UCAS.

Each application cycle starts in September. Your application should normally reach UCAS between 1 September and 26 January.

Applicants for Medicine must apply between 1 September and 15 October.

All Home/EU applications received by the UCAS deadline of 26 January are given full and equal consideration. Applications received after this date will be considered if places are still available.

Our application timeline contains the key dates for each stage of the application process.

You may apply to up to five institutions and courses. The University of Exeter’s UCAS code is E84 EXETR.

When completing your application, you may find our page on how we assess your application helpful to understand the key indicators we look for in your application.

Courses based at Penryn Campus, Cornwall

If you are applying for a course that is offered at our Penryn Campus, please note that these programmes are indicated by ‘Penryn Campus, Cornwall’ after the title and you should indicate ‘C’ under ‘Campus Code’ in the ‘choices’ section of the application. Check the programme page to see which campus your chosen programme is based at.

Flexible Combined Honours, Modern Languages or Liberal Arts

If you are applying for a Flexible Combined Honours, Modern Languages or Liberal Arts programme, you should clearly indicate the subject areas that you wish to study in the ‘choices’ section of the application.

You will be asked to sign a declaration on the application form, which confirms that the information you have given is true, complete and accurate. Discovery of false information or omissions in your application could lead to your offer being withdrawn or, if you have registered with the university, to you being asked to leave.

If you firmly accept our offer of a place, we will require documentary evidence of any qualifications as stated on your UCAS form if these are not verified by UCAS.

We may ask you to provide additional information such as:

  • Documentary evidence of your qualifications as stated on your UCAS application (if these are not verified by UCAS)
  • Result transcripts
  • Academic references
  • Information about any alternative qualifications you have.

When you supply this information, please include your Personal Identification Number (PID - the ten-digit number you get when you register to apply via UCAS) or student number and the course(s) you have applied for.

UCAS ask you to declare any relevant criminal convictions in your application. A criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from receiving an offer: each case is considered on an individual basis and will depend upon the nature of the offence. Where an offer is recommended, the offence(s) will be considered by a panel of appropriate University staff.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If you are offered a place on a programme which includes working with children or vulnerable adults, you will require a satisfactory enhanced disclosure check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). For more information please see our Disclosure and Barring Service pages.

Deferring means applying for a course, then taking a year out before going to university.

We are happy to consider applicants who intend to take a year out between school/college and university. Applicants applying for deferred entry will be considered in the same way as applicants applying for entry without a gap year.

How to apply for deferred entry

In your UCAS application, choose the deferred entry start date when you add the University of Exeter as one of your choices.

For information about deferring your application after you have applied, see 'Changing your year of entry' on the After you apply page.

Following the UCAS deadline of 26 January, a number of our programmes will start to close to applicants for first year entry. However, it may still be possible to be considered if you are applying for entry into the second or further years.

If the programme you wish to apply for is showing as closed on UCAS, please contact the Admissions Office for further advice.

We welcome applications from people of all ages and applications will be considered on their individual merits.

If you are offered a place and will be under 18 when your course starts, we will follow certain legislative procedures in order to fulfil our duty of care for students. Policy details can be found on our page for students under 18.

We welcome applicants who may not have come directly from school or college and who wish to return to education at different stages of their lives.

There is no upper age limit for applications.

However, for certain programmes related to health services, the University has a responsibility to ensure that the investment made by public funds in relation to NHS training is realised in terms of length of service within the health service.

Supporting your application and studies

On our mature students page you’ll find guidance on applying and information on the support we can offer throughout your student journey.

If you have a disability, we encourage you to declare your disability in your application and indicate any health or access needs.

This will not be used to assess your application but will help us plan for your support.

We aim to create an environment which welcomes those with physical disabilities and those with unseen disabilities, enabling them to participate fully in university life.

It may be beneficial for you to visit the University before applying; if so, we can arrange informal visits on an individual basis. We can also arrange support for applicants at Offer-Holder Visit Days and interviews (if applicable).

Details of support available during the application process, with the transition to university and throughout your studies can be found on our Students with disabilities page.

 

International applicants

If you live outside the UK, you should also apply via UCAS using Apply online.

Advice is available from your local British Council office and other centres, such as your school or one of our local representatives. Details of our approved representatives can be found in the Entry requirements section of our International Students website.

We encourage you to apply as early as possible and before 26 January but will continue to consider applications from international students until 30 June if places are available. After this date we will consider applications through Clearing for any vacancies we still have.

If you think you may be assessed as a ‘Home/EU’ student for tuition fees purposes, then you should apply by 26 January.

If English is not your first language and you have not completed your education in an English-speaking country (ie, the UK, Anglophone Canada, USA, Australia or New Zealand), you will need to submit evidence of a good command of English before starting your degree programme. Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Applicants wanting to study at the University of Exeter for only one or two semesters under our Study Abroad at Exeter programme should apply direct to the University. Application information can be found on the Study Abroad at Exeter website.

 

Second year entry

For some of our programmes we will consider applications to join in second year or later years if we have places available.

To be accepted for entry into the second year of a programme we will normally expect that you:

  • achieve a 2.1 within the first year of your current programme
  • have studied or are studying modules that match the core components of the first year modules on the programme you are applying for (check the ‘Course content’ section of the programme webpage)
  • have achieved level three qualifications (A levels, IB or equivalent) equivalent to those of current first year applicants

Applications for second year or a later year entry should be made via UCAS.

As part of our selection process we will consider whether the modules you have previously studied match the core components of the first year of the programme you are applying for (module details can be found on the programme pages under ‘Course content’).

You will therefore need to send the following information directly to us if it is not included on your UCAS application:

  • Up to date transcripts of your current higher education studies and/or predicted grades supplied by your academic referee
  • List of all level 2 and 3 academic achievements to date, including GCSE and A level or equivalent.

If you are currently studying or have previously studied for a degree at the University of Exeter or any other institution you will need to share details of modules studied and grades achieved to date. The information will be used to consider your suitability and potential to succeed at Exeter. Where there is no evidence of this, we may not be in a position to offer you a place to study here.

Please note: we are unable to consider your transcripts and previous qualifications or comment on whether or not you will be offered a place prior to the receipt of a formal UCAS application.

 

Part-time study

Applications for part-time study are not made through UCAS.

To apply for one of our programmes on a part-time basis:

  1. Check the programme you are interested in is available part-time by contacting the relevant department using the details at the top of the programme’s webpage. The following programme areas are not available for part-time study at undergraduate level.
    • All programmes within the Business School
    • Medicine, Medical Imaging (Radiography), Nursing, Neuroscience
  2. Contact the Admissions Office for an application form.

You can apply between 1 September and 30 June, but if you apply before 26 January you will be guaranteed equal consideration with full-time applicants applying by the UCAS deadline.

International students should also note that UK student visas only permit the holder to study full-time.

 

Contact us

If you have any questions that are not answered here, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team:

Phone: 0300 555 60 60 (UK callers)*
+44(0)1392 723044 (EU/International callers)
Web: Enquire online

* Calling us on an 0300 number will cost you the same as a call to a standard landline number starting with 01 and 02. If you have an inclusive call package for calling landline numbers on your mobile or landline telephone the call would simply be reduced from your available talk minutes. Otherwise your call will be charged at the same rate as calling a standard national rate number.