Undergraduate entry requirements

See below for helpful information on entry requirements for undergraduate courses.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and experience to join our degree courses.

 

UK Qualifications for entry to undergraduate programmes

General

The University will make both graded offers and use the UCAS tariff where required. This is so that the offers made to applicants are as clear as possible.

GCSE level

Applicants are usually expected to have achieved a min of 5 GCSE passes (A*-C or 9-4) to include Maths and English. Applicants coming with the new GCSE(2017 onwards) qualifications will be required to have grade 4 or higher. This will be equivalent to the pre-2017 grading system where grade C or higher was required.

Welsh applicants who hold GCSE Maths or GCSE Maths Numeracy will be required to achieve grade C or higher. Either of these 2 GCSEs will be considered for entry to our undergraduate programmes. If both GCSE Maths and Maths-Numeracy are required this will be stated clearly on the entry criteria of the particular programme.

AS levels

The RAU mainly considers AS level grades to help us form an opinion as to what the applicant’s likely achievement at A-level will be. AS level subjects will continue to be included in the offer making for certain programmes.

A-levels

The RAU will usually make offers based on grades between CCC-BCC depending on the programme one has applied for. Applicants with a combination of old and reformed A-levels will not be at a disadvantage and Admissions will exercise a certain degree of flexibility on entry grades for Firm choice applicants.

Please note that some of our courses may not accept General Studies and Critical Thinking as one of the A-level subjects considered for entry.

Where a Science A-level subject is required the University will not necessarily require the applicant to have been successfully assessed in any practical skills.

T-levels

These are relative new qualifications but they are included in the UCAS tariff. We welcome applicants taking these qualifications to apply to the RAU. The university is aware of new T-level subjects being rolled out and we will continue to review new T levels for entry to undergraduate courses as information is being released by the Department for Education and relevant exam boards. Some programmes may require particular subject areas or occupational specialisms.

Vocational Qualifications

The University will continue considering applicants who hold relevant BTEC, City & Guilds( Land based) and other vocational qualifications as well as those applicants who come with a combination of A-level and vocational qualifications. Offers may be graded (MMM-DMM) or combined with the new UCAS tariff points where required to ensure clarity of entry criteria.

Welsh Baccalaureate

We welcome applicants with the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate. We require at least two A-levels alongside this qualification, with the Skills Challenge Certificate replacing a third grade at A-level. 

For applicants with the legacy Welsh Baccalaureate, the Core within the Advanced Diploma is not a requirement.

Scottish Highers & Advanced Highers

The University will make graded offers (BCCCC-CCCCC) to applicants with Scottish Higher qualifications supplemented by Advanced Higher qualifications.  For applicants with 3 Advanced Highers offers will be based on grades between CCC-BCC.

Scottish applicants will also be expected to have GCSE English and Maths at grade C or above or the equivalent at National 5. If the applicants have bypassed the National 5 then they will be expected to have English and Maths studied at Higher level.

If you hold Scottish qualifications and you wish to discuss further you can contact admissions@rau.ac.uk to discuss further.

Irish Highers

Applicants studying Irish qualifications (post 2017)  will need suitable equivalent grades to be considered for our undergraduate courses. The Irish Leaving Certificate would be required and offers may be made in the grade format of H3 H3 H4 H4 H4 / H3 H3 H4 H4 H4 or equivalent combinations of min. 5 Highers.

Applicants who do not have GCSEs would need Irish leaving Certificate grade O4 in Maths and English

International Baccalaureate

All our courses accept applicants who hold the IB Diploma. Certain programmes may require a specific subject at Higher level. Typical offers will be at 26 IB points or above for honours degree programmes and 24 IB points or above for Foundation degree programmes.

Access to HE Diploma

Most of our courses consider applicants who hold the (QAA recognised) Access to HE Diploma. Some programmes may ask for specific subjects. Grade profile can be found on the entry criteria of the particular course.

Applicants will also be expected to have GCSE English and Maths (min. grade C/4 or above or equivalent level 2 subjects).

 

Course-specific requirements

The course page may also list any specific entry requirements, such as passes in particular subjects or specific grades, which may be a condition of entry.

Please check these to ensure you meet (or are working towards) the appropriate entry requirements for your chosen course.

Typically, all undergraduate applicants are expected to have minimum of 5 GCSEs with English and Maths (or Maths Numeracy for Welsh applicants) at grade C/4 or above or equivalent qualifications.

Applicants with other qualifications or experience

The RAU welcomes interest from applicants who may not have the standard entry requirements.

We’ll always consider evidence of personal, professional and educational experience which show an ability to meet the demands of a degree.

Some courses require a specific subject at A-level (or equivalent) and it may not be possible to consider applicants without this prior study.

If you believe you have the motivation and skills to succeed, email admissions@rau.ac.uk or call 01285 889912 and we can discuss your application.

Armed forces applicants

We have a long history in welcoming ex-services personnel and are proud to be a forces-friendly organisation, as seen in our pledge to the Armed Forces Covenant.

We accept participants in the MOD’s Enhanced Learning Credits scheme (for more information visit the ELCAS site) and will consider evidence of personal, professional and educational experience. To discuss your application and circumstances please contact admissions@rau.ac.uk.

Contextual offer

You may also be eligible for a contextual offer if you’re from one of our link colleges, have been in care, from a non-white ethnic background, live in an area with low progression rates to university or you are a veteran/child of an armed forces family.

International applicants

We welcome enquiries from international applicants. You may need to meet country specific and English language requirements to be eligible for undergraduate study.

For advice about entry requirements visit our country information pages or contact admissions@rau.ac.uk. Alternatively, you can visit the Education UK website or contact our international team.