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Apprentice Eligibility

To participate in a Degree Apprenticeship at Ulster University, applicants must meet all of the following criteria.

  • Eligible Employer - You must secure employment with an eligible employer (see below for more information), in a role that requires a substantial amount of learning and skills development that is commensurate with the programme you intend to study.
  • School Leaving Age - You must be at least 16 years old
  • Academic Entry Criteria - You should have achieved all of the necessary academic entry requirements for your chosen programme of study
  • Previous Qualifications - If you already have a qualification at the same level as the apprenticeship (i.e. a Bachelors or Masters qualification), you can only undertake an apprenticeship if your apprenticeship is in a subject unrelated to your previous qualification.
  • Existing Employees - If you have been employed with your apprenticeship employer for more than 6 months prior to the start of your course, to be eligible you must either:
    • be progressing from another Apprenticeship delivered at level 3, 4, or 5 (for example, FdEng Civil Engineering to MEng Civil Engineering); or
    • be moving to a new job role in your organisation that  requires the skills gained on the proposed apprenticeship programme.
  • Residency - In order to participate, you must be resident in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. Third country nationals residing in the , including European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss Nationals and their family members, are eligible to undertake a HLA provided they have a right to live and work in the UK.  It's an employer's responsibility to ensure that you meet this requirement.  You need to demonstrate to your employer that you currently have the right to live and work in the UK, and that this will extend through the duration of the apprenticeship.  It's the responsibility of the Apprentice to confirm with UKVI that participating in a Higher Level Apprenticeship will not violate the terms of their visa.  Apprentices are not eligible for Tier 4 (student) visas.

Applicants in the following categories are NOT eligible:

  • Self-Employed people
  • Existing employees who remain in their current job role (Excluding apprentices progressing to study at a higher level)
  • Public Sector Employees
  • Anyone that is individually, or through the University or their  Employer, claiming training funding from any other government budget or programme
  • anyone following a full-time course of study

Employer Eligibility

To participate in the Northern Ireland Higher Level Apprenticeship scheme (including Degree Apprenticeships at Ulster University) Employers must meet the following criteria:

  • Apprenticeship employers must put in place suitable arrangements to support their apprentice with their on-the-job training, usually through a dedicated mentor or supervisor, and work that is appropriate for the relevant apprenticeship pathway.
  • Apprentices must be contracted with their employer to work for a minimum of 21 hours per week, which including paid day release for the time they are in University.
  • Employers must agree to protect the time that the apprentice is expected to be at university for both learning and assessment.
  • Employers must pay apprentices at least the National Minimum Wage for their apprentice’s age group.  The National Apprenticeship Wage does not apply to Apprentices on any Ulster University Degree Apprenticeships.
  • Employers must have a base in Northern Ireland, and pay apprentices via HMRC payroll.
  • To avail of DfE funding, Apprenticeship employers must be private sector employers, and cannot use public funds to pay the wages of any of their apprentices.  Some public sector employers have schemes similar to apprenticeships, but these do not attract funding from DfE and employers are expected to fully fund all tuition fees for their apprentices through sponsorship.

If you are unsure of your ability to meet any of these DfE Requirements, or if you need further clarification on any of these criteria, you should email  apprenticeships@ulster.ac.uk for guidance.