Applicants from Northern Ireland Regional Colleges

We know that you will have a number of questions in light of government decisions taken to cancel examinations and closure of the college and university campuses due to the impact of COVID-19. We hope that this list of Frequently Asked Questions will go some way to addressing your questions and providing advice.

As new information comes to hand we will be updating Ulster webpages so please check them and the College’s website regularly.

• Is the College still accepting applications to Ulster-validated programmes (eg. FdSc, FdEng, CertHE, Cert, Access Diploma)?

  Yes absolutely. We are delighted to receive applications for those programmes that are still open for September 2020 and January 2021.

  Please apply through the College’s online application portal.

  You will find more information about the range of full and part-time programmes available to you on the College’s online prospectus.

• I was planning to join an Ulster programme from a Foundation degree in September: what will happen?

  If you have applied through UCAS for entry to an Ulster programme, your application will be being processed as normal and the admissions team are continuing to process applications.

  If you have an admissions-related question, please contact them at admissions@ulster.ac.uk.

• I want to join an Ulster programme in 2020 but I haven’t applied yet: is Ulster still accepting applications?

  Yes, you can still apply for many Ulster programmes. We are delighted to receive applications for those programmes that are still open for September 2020 and January 2021.

  Please apply

  • for full-time undergraduate programmes through UCAS at www.ucas.com
  • for part-time programmes through the online application portal

  You will find more information about the wide range of undergraduate and part-time programmes available to you at www.ulster.ac.uk/study

  For programmes where applications are still being accepted, Ulster are continuing to process applications as normal but please bear with us while we transition to full working-from-home arrangements.

  If you have an admissions-related question, please contact us at admissions@ulster.ac.uk

• Will summer bridging programmes for Ulster courses still happen?

  The summer bridging programmes for the Ulster University Business School and the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment programmes will be going ahead.

  If you have applied to a relevant programme in the Faculty, you will be invited to apply for the summer bridging programme and should receive an email from the Ulster Admissions’ team detailing the arrangements for summer bridging and details for applying.

  If you have not yet received an email, or you have further questions please contact the Faculty Partnership Manager, Carol Reid at ci.woodside@ulster.ac.uk.

  For queries relating to Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, please contact Faculty Partnership Manager Maeve Paris, at m.paris@ulster.ac.uk

• How will Ulster University make offers for the students from Foundation degrees?

  Offers to students from Foundation degree programmes will happen as normal, after the June and August Exam Boards.

• I had a selection interview for my professional programme.  Does it still count?

  Where required as part of the application process for a course, all face-to -face interviews that were held before the university and colleges closed for teaching and social activities will count and will be used to assess your suitability for the programme you applied for.

• My face-to-face interview was cancelled. What happens now? My face-to-face interview was cancelled. What happens now? 

  All applicants who had an interview scheduled to take place on campus on or after 18^th March 2020 will already have received a communication advising that all face-to-face interviews had to be cancelled in light of government advice.

  Alternative interview arrangements have been in put in place. Please follow the instructions you received.

  You can contact admissions@ulster.ac.uk if you need more information.

• How will Ulster University and the Colleges make offers now that level 2 & 3 exams (ie. GCSE and A levels) have been cancelled?

  We appreciate this is an anxious time.  Ulster University has continued to liaise with the relevant statutory and regulatory bodies to secure clarity on the alternative arrangements being agreed. Our applicants are our first priority in the Admissions team and we will do all we can to support you through these uncertain times.

  The Department of Education in Northern Ireland has confirmed that calculated grades for those completing A levels will be issued based on information, judgement and evidence provided by schools and colleges, along with statistical information.  This will provide the necessary assurance about the robustness, accuracy and fairness of the grades being awarded.  CCEA and other UK awarding bodies are working to provide this information so that grades can be awarded in lieu of examination results.

  In line with England and Wales, A level grades in Northern Ireland will be issued and released to universities by the awarding bodies on 13 August, and we will confirm all applicants who are still holding conditional offers at Ulster University at that time.

  Further details can be found at https://www.education-ni.gov.uk

• I already have an unconditional offer.  Is it still valid?

  Yes.

  If your offer is unconditional and you firmly accept that offer, your place is confirmed at Ulster University.

• What about other Level 3 qualifications such as BTECs?

  Alongside the impact on GCSE and A level exams, students taking vocational qualifications such as BTEC Nationals, Cambridge Technical, level 2 and 3 qualifications and access programmes are also affected by the summer 2020 cancellations.

  The Department for the Economy in NI has announced that it intends, where possible, to award the majority of qualifications and essential skills by the end of August, in line with published results dates, so that students can progress on their chosen pathway. These will be treated in the same way as A levels, with students receiving a calculated result based in part on teacher, trainer and tutor assessment of attainment, and where appropriate combined with other evidence and statistical methods.

  Updates will be provided on these COVID19 webpages as the approaches to these qualifications are finalised.

  OFQUAL has published consultation plans seeking views on the exceptional arrangements set out for awarding of Summer 2020 vocational and technical qualifications.

  The consultation closes on 8 May and details can be found at  https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofqual

• What about Irish Leaving Certificate applicants?

  We welcome applications from our applicants from the Republic of Ireland and we will ensure fairness in the assessment of your qualifications too.  With the exams for the Irish Leaving Certificate now postponed, the Irish government is offering students the option of receiving calculated grades, or sitting the Leaving Certificate written examinations at a later date, when it is considered safe to do so.

  The calculated grades system includes teacher estimation of marks and rankings, rigorous in-school alignment, oversight by the school principal and statistical methods to ensure national standardisation. Whilst the date for releasing calculated grade results has yet to be confirmed, it is likely to be as close as possible to the usual mid-August date.

  We are exploring all options to enable us to act in the best interests of those Irish Leaving Certificate applicants who wish to come to Ulster University in September 2020.  We encourage all Irish Leaving Certificate applicants to request calculated grades in lieu of examinations to allow us to consider you for September 2020 intake.

  We continue to monitor the progress of the plans for the release of the State Examinations results, and will provide updates on our agreed approach for Republic of Ireland applicants on these COVID19 pages.

  For more information see https://www.education.ie/en/

• I applied for a professional programme at the College or Ulster University. How will this be affected?

  We will ensure that all selection processes for programmes such as Social Work, Nursing, Community Youth Work and Allied Health programmes will continue to be carried out, in accordance with regionally agreed guidelines where necessary, in order to allow us to rank applicants in order of merit.

  These include all selection tests and planned interviews.  Some programmes, such as the BSc Nursing [Adult] and BSc Nursing [Mental Health] have already completed their rescheduled interview, replacing the face-face interview with a video interview.

  All affected students have been contacted and the process is now complete.

• I need to do a secure English language test to meet my conditions for offer. Where can I get more information?

  Covid-19 updates for English Language Tests can be found on the links below:

  • IELTS
  • PTE
  • TOEFL
  • Trinity College London
  • Cambridge
• Will teaching commence as planned for my programme of study?

  On the basis of current information available, start dates for programmes remain as published but we accept that this may be subject to change.

  We will continue to update you as new information becomes available and decisions are made.