Admissions FAQs

General Information

Whether they are combined honours or single honours, the majority of undergraduate degrees at Keele share a common structure of eight 15 credit modules in each year (for a total of 120 credits).

Regardless of your degree type, you will have to complete at least 270 credits in your chosen subject(s) overall.

There are some degree programmes which do not follow this format, usually degree programmes with a professional aspect, such as Medicine, Nursing and Physiotherapy, and some modules are worth 30 credits.  You'll receive more information about the structure of your programme when you arrive at Keele.

We've briefly outlined the structure of each degree type below.

Single Honours

Single honours degrees are taken wholly or predominantly in one subject (referred to as your single honours subject).

You will be required to take a minimum of six modules (90 credits) each year in that subject and therefore you must have gained at least 270 credits in the single honours subject overall.

Combined Honours

Combined honours degrees are taken in two different subjects, resulting in an X and Y degree title.  For example History and Politics.

If you are taking a combined honours degree, these will be the two subjects you applied for and they are referred to as your Principal Subjects.

You will take at least three modules (45 credits) each year in each of your principal subjects, although some principal subjects will require you to take more than this, and therefore you must have gained at least 135 credits in each of your principal subjects.

The remaining available credits can be filled with modules from these subjects or other subjects entirely.  For example, you could take a total of three modules in one principal subject, four modules in the other principal subject and a language module.

You will be required to take at least one Independent Study Project in your final year, although this will depend upon the requirements of your principal subjects.

Combined honours students will be given the option to specialise in one of your chosen subjects in your final year.  This will result in an X with Y degree title.  For example, History with Politics.

We accept most A Level subjects but check course pages for specific course requirements.

If you are thinking of studying a combined honours course, be sure to check the entry requirements for BOTH subjects.

For non Health degrees we do consider resit qualifications. Please refer to the Health Schools directly for their policies.

The GCSE requirements for all courses are listed on individual course pages. Please check the requirements for your chosen course carefully.

Please note that GCSE English at a minimum of Grade 4 (C) or above is a requirement for all our courses and some courses may have a higher requirement.

GCSE mathematics and/or science at a minimum of Grade 4 (C) or above are also a requirement for most courses, some courses may specify either or both of these subjects. Please check the Entry Requirements table for your chosen course.

Please see English Language Requirements page for further information.

We generally require applicants to be taking 3 full A-levels (or equivalent) for the majority of our courses. However, for some courses, depending on individual circumstances, there may be some flexibility for students studying 2 A levels alongside some additional study or a strong portfolio or those who have personal reasons for taking this option. Applicants are encouraged to contact Admissions for further discussion.

For the majority* of our courses, we would still encourage you to apply as we do not make decisions solely on predicted grades. We look at a wide range of information, including previous academic achievement, work experience (paid or unpaid), extra-curricular activities, personal statement, academic reference, and personal circumstances. If you are a borderline candidate, we may also provide you with a 'double offer' (if possible) or an alternative course. A 'double offer' means that you will get an offer for both the degree and foundation route.

*excluding Medicine, Vet Medicine, Radiography, Physiotherapy, Midwifery, and some of our other Health related courses.

If you are applying for a health course, eg Counselling, Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Diagnostic Radiography, Social Work, Speech and Language Therapy, it will be compulsory to attend interview. For other courses, it is not normal practice for us to interview applicants. Some applicants offering non-standard qualifications or work experience may be called for interview, although we would firstly ask for examples of written work to support the application.

For those applicants that wish to be considered for final year entry, this will be considered on a case by case basis. Please email admissions@keele.ac.uk in the first instance.

Our Top-up degrees include:

• Business and Management Top-up
• Finance and Management Top-up
• Nursing Studies Top-up

Note: Medicine will not consider requests to transfer at any stage, however, students may apply in the final year of their degree.

We have a policy on recognising prior learning that allows you to apply for exemption from taking certain modules on your programme if you have previous relevant qualifications or experience.

This could include learning gained through previous study or through work experience. It is subject to the criteria set out in the Policy and any restrictions on the use of prior learning on your programme.

The tuition fee and period of study may be adjusted to take account of any approved module exemptions.

Credit transfer: we also recognise credits gained from another university or from an alternative programme taken at Keele.

Further information is available at this link, including the University's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy and the Application Form for requesting module exemption.

Yes, we will consider T Levels for entry on to some of our undergraduate programmes. Please contact admissions@keele.ac.uk for further advice.

Usually yes. 

At Keele, we recognise the skills and knowledge acquired whilst studying an EPQ qualification and therefore will take this into consideration when assessing your application. See our alternative offers.

However, if you are also eligible for another offer scheme, for example our Contextual Offer Scheme, your offer will reflect this and your EPQ qualification will not form part of your offer. 

No. Your offer includes two possible combinations that we will take into consideration when we receive your A level results. If you meet one of these combinations, we will confirm your place at Keele, subject to other admissions checks and a firm acceptance of your offer through UCAS.

At Keele, we recognise that applicants have different backgrounds and experiences and that some applicants may not have had the same opportunities to demonstrate their suitability for HE. Therefore, when we consider an application, we take into account the context in which applicants have gained their academic qualifications. In doing this we consider the additional data and information provided on your application (the contextual data) as part of the selection process to help identify applicants whose academic performance to date may not be a true reflection of their potential to succeed at University.

See our alternative offers

Contextual information generally includes applicants with one of the following indicators:

• Currently at a state school, academy or college and living in an area with low participation in higher education, (defined as POLAR4 quintiles 1 and 2)
• Currently at a state school, academy or college and living in an area of relative deprivation (defined as IMD quintiles 1 and 2)
• Care leavers who have spent any time in local authority care, either with foster carers or in a children’s home (or in Scotland under a home supervision order)
• Refugees, Asylum Seekers or those under Humanitarian Protection.

For more details see our contextual offers scheme

The institution code for Keele University is K12.

The UCAS course codes for all our courses can be found on the UCAS website or on the Undergraduate course list on our website.

We do expect a reference to be provided to support your application. Where possible, this should be provided by your most recent academic institution. Alongside supporting your application, we would find it very helpful if your referee could also include the following information:

• Full title of qualifications taken, e.g. BTEC 90 Credit Diploma, OCR level 3 Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma.
• A comment on your AS-level results (if any) achieved.
• Any issues that might impact on your performance.

Applications for deferred entry are acceptable for the majority of courses, providing that you have constructive plans for your gap year. Please check with the specific course.

Please tell us about the plans you have in your personal statement. If you have not applied for deferred entry in the first instance but you subsequently find that you have the opportunity to work/travel and take a gap year, please inform us of your intentions as soon as possible.

Please note that under the rules of the UCAS scheme, it is not possible to defer entry for more than one year.

A number of our courses now offer an opportunity to take an International Year between the second and third year of study.

If you are interested in including an International Year in your course of study, please state this in the “further information” section on your UCAS application. Your application will be assessed against our standard entry requirements for the subjects you have applied for.

You will be able to confirm your request for an international year during your first year of study or opt in, if you have not included this on your UCAS application.

The grade requirements and further information about the International Year can be found in our Studying Abroad section.

Your personal statement is just that – a personal statement. It gives you the opportunity to tell us why you would like to study a particular subject and why we should select you as a student. 

It is helpful to include information about the following areas:

• Reasons for your choice of course and what motivates you to study this course
• Information about your current studies – what you particularly enjoy about the subjects you are studying and reasons why you have chosen them and, where appropriate, the relevance of these subjects to your chosen degree course
• Reflect on the skills that you have gained from your current qualifications, work experience (paid or unpaid), positions of responsibility (within School/ College, work or as part of a team, club, or society) and how this will help you in your future studies at University
• Any career goals you may have 
• Your interests outside academia, some information about you as a person and the reasons why you would like to study at undergraduate level

Other tips you may find helpful:

• Do your research, all the following will assist you deciding what to include in your personal statement
  - Engage with University Open Days, UCAS fairs and other events
  - Review course information on University websites and prospectuses 
  - Talk to your teachers and tutors about what you should include
  - Contact university admissions teams if you have any other questions about your chosen course or require further advice and guidance. 
• Use quotations sparingly. There is no harm in including a quotation if you feel that it adds to your statement. However, we want to know about you and why you want to study your chosen course, not what other people have said about it
• Write a draft of your personal statement, UCAS have useful pages to assist you
• Ask someone to read your personal statement before submitting. This could be a teacher, parent, guardian, or other relative. Ask them to check whether:
  - it reads well and is easy to understand
  - you have included all your relevant skills and experiences
  - it shows your enthusiasm for your chosen course/subject 
  - there are any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors
• Check the character and line limit - UCAS allow 4,000 characters and 47 lines.
• Proof-read your final statement carefully before submitting
• If you have applied for deferred entry, tell us about your plans for your gap year and the reasons why you have chosen to defer your entry

For further information and guidance, visit the UCAS webpages.

Normally we do not require an additional personal statement particularly if your fifth choice is related to Medicine or Science, as the skills and experience gained from your level 3 qualifications, work experience and extra-curricular activities will be equally relevant to these subjects too. If we do require a new personal statement, we will contact, you directly.

Sometimes, upon receipt of an application, it is unclear whether an applicant is eligible to pay the 'Home' tuition fee rate. On these occasions, we may send a request for a share code or a Fee Status Query form to complete. We will do this after we have assessed your application for your chosen course.

The ruling on your fee status is made independently of the academic decision to offer you a place.

The guidance for eligibility for Home fees is provided by UKCISA. Please visit their webpages or call their Student Advice Line on +(0)20 7788 9214.

Occasionally, it will be unclear from your application if you are eligible to pay the Home or Overseas tuition fee. Your fee status is based not only on your nationality, but also your country of ‘Ordinary Residence’. Your parent’s or guardian’s nationality or immigration status can also affect the ruling. Therefore, in order to make a fair and correct decision we will contact anyone whose fee status is unclear at the point of application.

Fee status can only be changed part-way through a course in limited circumstances. A change to your residence or immigration status does not necessarily affect your fee status. If you believe you meet these criteria please email the Admissions Team quoting your full name and Keele student number. Please provide evidence of your change of status in your email.

We would be happy to re-assess your fee status. Please email us with evidence of your new circumstances.

We are happy to review a fee status decision that we have made. Before contacting us, we recommend that you read the information here. Please then email us tell us why you think an incorrect decision has been made.

Student Finance’s rules for eligibility are similar, but not identical, to the fee status rules. Generally, if you are not eligible for Home fees, you are not eligible for loans and grants from Student Finance.

You can call the The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) advice line on +(0)20 7788 9214. Current Keele students can also talk to A.S.K. in the Students’ Union.

UCAS applicants:
If you applied to Keele through UCAS and have received decisions from all your chosen institutions, UCAS will ask you to choose two institutions, your first (Firm) and second (Insurance) choices. If you would like to hold Keele as your firm or your insurance choice, you should indicate this on UCAS Track by the deadline date given by UCAS.

Direct applicants:
If you have made a direct application, please visit the Applicant Portal to let us know if you wish to accept your offer or not. If you haven't previously logged into the Portal, follow the instructions on the acknowledgement email we sent to you shortly after you submitted your application. If you have previously logged into the Portal and cannot remember the password you were prompted to enter then please click on the "Forgotten Your Password" button.

UCAS Applicants:
The majority of examination results will be sent directly to the University. This includes A Levels, International Baccalaureate, BTECs, Access and Welsh Baccalaureate. For a full list of the qualifications please see the UCAS Exam Results page.

If you qualification is not listed, then please send the Admissions team a copy of your results as soon as you receive them.

Direct Applicants:
If you are an overseas applicant who has applied directly, you will need to send a copy of your examination results to us so that we can check that you have met the conditions of your offer. We will be unable to process your Student Visa until we receive this information. 

If you have accepted your offer at Keele and do not meet the conditions - Please DON'T PANIC. If you have only narrowly missed the conditions of your offer, it may still be possible to confirm your place at Keele.

If we are not able to admit you onto the course of your choice, we will review your application and look to see if we can offer you an alternative course that we feel may be of interest. This change course option will show on your UCAS Track and we will also send you more information via email.