Admissions guidance for courses in the Lifelong Learning Centre

The LLC will accept Level 2 Functional Skills English in lieu of GCSE English for the majority of programmes. This applies to all LLC courses except for the following extended degrees where the progression is to a Health-based degree such as Nursing, Medicine or Dentistry:

•    BA Interdisciplinary Studies with Foundation Year
•    BSc Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year 

For part-time courses a second reference will be required where candidates apply for a course involving placements, eg Learning and Teaching, Child and Family Studies, and Interdisciplinary Studies with Preparation for Higher Education. Candidates should note that these references will be followed up. Forms are considered in their entirety by the admissions tutor.

Eligible Access to Leeds and Realising Opportunities candidates will be considered for an alternative offer. This applies to all LLC courses except for the following extended degrees which already have lower entry requirements than Access to Leeds:

• BA Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year
• BA Interdisciplinary Studies with Foundation Year
• BSc Business Studies with Foundation Year
• BSc Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year
• BSc Studies in Science with Foundation Year

Accredited prior learning (APL) is a process undertaken by the University in order to assess and, as appropriate, recognise prior experiential learning or prior certified learning for academic purposes. For further information see the Advanced Entry section of the University of Leeds taught admissions policy.

Active participation in the course of study is core to the learning experience provided by LLC courses. In some cases this explicitly draws upon the experience, skills and knowledge that members of the group bring from prior experience and learning. Exemption from any part of a course through the Accreditation of Prior Learning is, normally, considered only in a limited number of cases set out in the following:

Degree courses

120 credits may be allowed for those with a relevant Certificate of Education (120 credits or equivalent) for:

• FD Learning and Teaching

APL may be considered in relation to specific modules on an individual student basis for:

• FD Child and Family Studies
• BSc Business Management and Leadership
• BA Professional Studies

Apprenticeship courses

APL may be considered in relation to specific modules on an individual student basis for:

• FD Nursing Associate (Apprenticeship)
• Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship

Availability of courses in UCAS Extra will be detailed on UCAS at the appropriate stage in the cycle.

All applications for LLC part-time courses should be made using the forms that are available from the LLC by 1 August 2024. Applications after this date may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Apprenticeship admissions for LLC courses are managed by the applicant’s employer through completion of the LLC Direct Entry Application form. All applications should be submitted by 1 October of the year prior to the year of entry.

All applications to BSc Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year with a chosen progression route of one of the following healthcare courses:

• Diagnostic RadiographyDental Hygiene and Dental Therapy
• Dental Surgery
• Healthcare Science – Audiology
• Healthcare Science – Cardiac Physiology
• Medicine and Surgery

Must submit their application by 16 October 2023. The LLC does not accept applications for progression onto Healthcare-related courses after the initial UCAS closing date. We do not typically participate in the UCAS Extra scheme or in Clearing for these progression courses.
 

The LLC will consider applications from those who are re-taking examinations prior to entering the University.

The LLC does not accept applications for deferred entry onto the following full-time extended degree courses with foundation year:

• BA Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year
• BA Interdisciplinary Studies with Foundation Year
• BSc Business Studies with Foundation Year
• BSc Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year
• BSc Studies in Science with Foundation Year

Applicants applying for other LLC courses who wish to defer following submission of their application are required to do so prior to the confirmation of a place. Applicants would normally apply for deferred entry for one academic year only. If an applicant wishes to defer again, they must reapply and contact the LLC.

The personal statement of the application form helps us to assess the nature of interest in the academic subject and is an important part of the selection process. It is essential that applicants take this opportunity to demonstrate their enthusiasm and aptitude for the academic subject. We wish to hear about:

• Your reasons for applying to this course. What interests you about the subject matter and course? How do you see yourself benefiting from your studies?
• Your experience of study. Have you recently undertaken any study, training or personal development that shows your capacity to commit to a course of learning? What strengths and skills do you bring from your experience of study? Are there any factors that have limited what you have been able to achieve that we should take into account?
• Your range of skills, knowledge and experience. Do you already have some knowledge of the subject/s that you are proposing to study at University? What have you learnt from experience (eg hobbies, personal interests, professional or voluntary work) that could be relevant for your future studies?

Interviews form part of the LLC’s standard admissions process and are structured to provide fuller evidence of the candidate’s academic potential, aptitude for the course and, where relevant, professional experience. Applicants should be ready to discuss each of these areas, remembering the importance of skills and knowledge that they have acquired through informal as well as formal learning.

Applicants may be asked to complete a task as part of the interview. The interview also provides opportunity for an applicant to ask questions about their proposed course of study and for the admissions tutor to be sure that the candidate has made a properly informed choice.

Where possible the LLC will accommodate requests for alternative interview dates, however an alternative cannot be guaranteed.

As per the University of Leeds taught admissions policy, applicants who have sought feedback and wish to challenge the decision made on their application should contact the Head of School, whose details can be found in the useful contacts section that follows.

For Lifelong Learning Centre admissions enquiries, email the relevant course team:

• Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year: Email Arts and Humanities admissions: artsfy@leeds.ac.uk
• Business Management and Leadership: Email: Business and Management admissions: bm@leeds.ac.uk
• Business Studies with Foundation Year: Email: Business Studies admissions: bm@leeds.ac.uk
• Child and Family Studies: Email Child and Family Studies admissions: cfs@leeds.ac.uk
• Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year: Email Interdisciplinary Science admissions: isf@leeds.ac.uk
• Interdisciplinary Studies with Preparation for Higher Education: Email Preparation for Higher Education admissions: phe@leeds.ac.uk
• Learning and Teaching with: Email Learning and Teaching admissions: learnandteach@leeds.ac.uk
• Professional Studies: Email Professional Studies admissions: caps@leeds.ac.uk
• Studies in Science with Foundation Year: Email Studies in Science admissions: isf@leeds.ac.uk

For apprenticeship enquiries specific to the Lifelong Learning Centre, email the Apprenticeships team at LLC-Apprenticeships@leeds.ac.uk.

For all LLC admissions complaints and appeals please contact the Head of School and Director of the Lifelong Learning Centre. Their details will be provided by contacting the admissions contact listed above.

The Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year progresses onto the following healthcare courses:

• Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy
• Dental Surgery
• Diagnostic Radiography
• Healthcare Science – Audiology
• Healthcare Science – Cardiac Physiology
• Medicine and Surgery
• Midwifery
• Nursing (Adult)
• Nursing (Child)
• Nursing (Mental Health)

To be considered for the Interdisciplinary Science foundation year, applicants must not meet the admissions criteria for direct entry.

Closing date for healthcare progression applications

The application closing date for progression onto healthcare-related courses, except Midwifery and Nursing (Adult, Child and Mental Health), is 16 October of the year before the year of entry (eg for entry to the course in September 2024, the deadline for applying is 16 October 2023). Applications for Midwifery and Nursing (Adult, Child and Mental Health) are accepted up to 31 January of the year of entry.

The LLC does not accept applications for progression onto healthcare-related courses after the initial UCAS closing date. We do not typically participate in the UCAS Extra scheme or in Clearing for these progression courses.

Your application

Please ensure that you mention on your personal statement the course you want to progress onto on completion of the foundation year.

Application process

Your application will be reviewed by the Admissions team. Applicants who meet the entry requirements and additional entry criteria will be asked to complete the LLC’s supplementary form. The criteria for assessment include:

• evidence of a sustained interest in the degree you aim to progress onto
• examples of work or voluntary experience you have gained relating to your degree choice
• evidence of your mathematical and problem-solving experiences.

Supplementary form

Completed supplementary forms along with your application form are reviewed by the Programme Manager. This is normally carried out around late November/early December each year. 

When coming to a decision on which applicants to take through to the next stage of the application process it is important to note that, at each stage, a judgement and selection takes place to identify those candidates that meet our admissions criteria most strongly. For progression onto healthcare courses we are oversubscribed and therefore we do not automatically admit any candidate who meets the criteria, but must make a selection on those who do so most thoroughly. 

Due to the limited number of places on our courses, only those candidates meeting the criteria most significantly and successfully are invited to an interview.

Invitation to an interview takes into account the following criteria:

• contextual widening participation criteria
• lack of eligibility for other courses at the University of Leeds
• evidence of relevant transferrable skills and experiences
• strong personal statement
• strong candidate reference.

Interview

Because we offer a wide selection of healthcare course progressions, some courses have different interview and progression arrangements. Please see our breakdown of interview and progression arrangements below.​​​

Interviews are held during March/April.

Maths Test

As part of the interview process, applicants are asked to complete a short maths test. The maths test is at the level up to and including any higher GCSE level. The test contains a maximum of 10 short questions and focuses primarily on numeracy and algebra skills. The highest difficulty is around algebra understanding. We recommend that applicants use BBC Bitesize in preparing for the test.

Progression

Grades required from the foundation year to enable progression

The grades required from the foundation year to enable progression onto a chosen degree is set at the beginning of each academic year and is subject to change from one cohort to another. Students at the beginning of the foundation year will be provided with details on the grades required for their specific course progression. The grades achieved during the foundation year are not used to rank candidates. 

Occupational health and criminal convictions

Before progressing onto healthcare courses all successful applicants will also need to pass health and criminal record screening.

The University has a policy statement on students with criminal records. The record will be checked via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).