Admissions

Service.

Student Admissions Policy

Purpose

This policy sets out the University’s aims for the recruitment and admission of students. It
also describes the principles and processes which are used to select and admit new students
to undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Responsibility/Monitoring

This policy is the responsibility of the Head of Admissions. The policy is monitored and
reviewed annually by the University in light of experience, research and good practice (see
section 2). The policy takes account of relevant legislation, including the Data Protection Act
2018, General Data Protection Regulation 2016, Equality Act 2010, Freedom of Information Act
2000, Human Rights Act 1998, Consumer Rights Act 2015, Consumer Protection from Unfair
Trading Regulations 2008, Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional
Charges) Regulations 2013, Education (Fee and Awards) Regulations 2007 and Higher
Education and Research Act 2017.

Contents

1. The University’s recruitment and admissions aims

2. Responsibility for admissions activities
3. Information for enquirers and applicants
4. Entry requirements
5. Assessing applicants
6. Applying
6.1 How and when to apply
6.2 Time taken to consider an application
6.3 Communicating with applicants
6.4 Offers of entry
6.5 Feedback
6.6 Applicants with additional support needs
6.7 Fitness to Study
6.8 Applicants with criminal convictions
6.9 Applicants requiring a student visa
6.10 Applicants requiring ATAS clearance
6.11 Fraud and omitted details
 6.12 Re-admission of students
6.13 Deferred applications
6.14 Unreasonable behaviour
7. Financial information
8. Applicant data
9. Appeals and complaints
10. Further information

September 2019
1. The University’s recruitment and admissions aims

The University’s recruitment and admissions support the goals and aims of the University as
laid out in its Mission, Vision and Identity and Strategic Plan. The University’s Mission, Vision
and Identity and Strategic Plan can be found at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/ourplan

Our goal is to produce Sheffield Graduates who demonstrate impact, excellence and
distinctiveness in their chosen field. We aim to recruit students:
 of the highest academic and intellectual ability
 with the potential and motivation to succeed on our courses
 who will fully engage with, and benefit from, studying at the University

We aim also to achieve a student community that is balanced and diverse in terms of
experience and background, recognising the educational as well as cultural benefits that this
brings to us all. Our commitment to widening participation and ensuring fair access is
outlined in our annual Access and Participation Plan, which can be found at:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/govern/documents

We recruit students by:

 providing clear and transparent admissions information to prospective applicants
 operating a fair and effective admissions process
 ensuring the consistent application of policy across the University
 encouraging applications from the widest range of educational, social and cultural
backgrounds

We are committed to providing a fair, effective and professional admissions service which is
consistent with good practice as defined in the Quality Assurance Agency’s Quality Code and
in line with UK consumer protection legislation and contract regulations.

2. Responsibility for admissions activities

Academic departments and the University’s Admissions Service, along with other areas of the
University, work in partnership to provide effective admissions services.

The Admissions Service has responsibility for determining and managing the University’s
Student Admissions Policy and procedures; providing advice and support to academic
departments, enquirers and applicants; assessing applications and making offers on behalf of
academic departments; and developing and managing effective systems for admissions.

The Admissions Service also provides training and events for all staff involved in admissions
activities. This includes regular forums for Admissions Tutors/Selectors and support staff,
targeted training sessions on specific issues (as part of the University’s Recruitment Matters
programme) and the organisation of working groups to examine particular issues.

Academic departments are responsible for determining entry requirements and

assessment processes for each of their courses; assessing applications and making offers;
and providing detailed and up-to-date course information for enquirers and applicants.
Heads of academic departments delegate the responsibility for admissions matters to a
principal Admissions Tutor/Selector (who may be supported by other staff within the
department).
The University’s Strategic Advisory Group – Student Numbers and Fees (undergraduate
and taught postgraduate) and University Postgraduate Research Student Committee
(postgraduate research) have responsibility for reviewing and monitoring central and
departmental admissions policies, procedures and strategies for all University of Sheffield
courses of study.

3. Information for enquirers and applicants

The University is committed to providing accurate admissions and course information which
is clear, comprehensive and easily accessible for enquirers and applicants.

Admissions and course information, including detailed information about entry requirements
and how we assess applicants, is published in our undergraduate and postgraduate print
prospectuses and on our website at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/courses

We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information in all of our publications, but – as the
print prospectuses are published more than 12 months before the beginning of a course –
applicants should always refer to our website for the most up to date admissions and course
information.

4. Entry requirements

The University welcomes applications from students who can demonstrate that they are able
to benefit from the course they have chosen to study and from the learning, research and
social environment which the University provides.

To ensure that all applicants are prepared for their studies, each course has an academic
entry requirement which applicants will need to fulfil. Entry requirements are determined by
academic staff and informed by their professional opinion of the level of academic
preparation required for a student to succeed on a particular course. The entry
requirements for each course can be found in our undergraduate and postgraduate print
prospectuses and on our website at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/courses. Further information about
requirements for undergraduate courses can be found at:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/requirements

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of UK, European and
international qualifications that offer effective preparation for study at the University.
Information about the qualifications we accept for entry to our undergraduate courses can
be found via: www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/requirements. Information about
international qualifications can be found via: www.sheffield.ac.uk/international/howtoapply

In addition to academic entry requirements, the University requires all students to show that
their English language is at a level which allows them to successfully complete their chosen
course of study. Information on acceptable English language qualifications can be found at:
Undergraduates: www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/english-language
Postgraduates: www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/english-language

There are also non-academic additional requirements for applicants to a number of

professional courses in areas such as health, health-related, social work and teaching, for
example providing a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure or
completing a satisfactory health check. Applicants to these courses are advised to read the
University’s Disclosure and Barring Service Policy Statement, which is available at:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/study/policies/dbs. More information is also supplied by the relevant
departments.

5. Assessing applicants

The University looks for motivated students with the necessary academic preparation, as
detailed in the entry requirements for each course, who will benefit from the University’s
learning and research environment.

We are keen to ensure that all applicants are provided with an equal opportunity to
demonstrate their skills, potential and achievements. The University’s methods of
assessment are fair and valid, applied consistently for each course and regularly reviewed.
The fairness and consistency of offer making for each course is managed by the Admissions
Tutor/Selector and monitored by the Admissions Service. Each applicant is assessed on an
individual basis, with academic discretion used in assessing the range of evidence presented
by applicants.

In assessing the academic suitability and potential of applicants, we may consider the
following information supplied in the application:
 Achievement in awarded qualifications
 Predicted achievement in qualifications which are being studied
 Personal or supporting statement, for evidence of motivation and commitment to the
subject area(s) and the reasons for wanting to study at Sheffield
 References, for confirmation of academic potential and personal qualities

Admissions Tutors/Selectors may also draw on a variety of additional methods to further

assess the suitability of applicants including:
 Interview
 Portfolio of work
 Research proposals (for postgraduate research applications)

Information about departmental selection procedures is available in the prospectuses, in

departmental course brochures and on departmental websites.

For admissions to undergraduate courses, Admissions Tutors are also encouraged to take
into account contextual information (information that sets the application in its educational
or socio-economic context) and use this as additional information to inform their
assessment (for example, taking into account whether the applicant has faced challenges in
their education and how this has affected their performance in qualifications). The
University’s statement on the use of contextual data can be found at:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/contextual-data-statement

6. Applying

6.1 How and when to apply

Applications for undergraduate courses are submitted via UCAS. Detailed information on
how and when to apply is at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply or: www.ucas.com
Applications for postgraduate courses are submitted via the University’s Postgraduate
Online Application Form. Information on how and when to apply can be found at:

Postgraduate Taught: www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/apply

Postgraduate Research: www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/apply

Applications for initial teacher education (PGDE) are submitted via UCAS Teacher
Training. Information on how and when to apply can be found at:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/education/mastersdegrees/pgde or
www.ucas.com/postgraduate/teacher-training/ucas-teacher-training-apply-and-track

6.2 Time taken to consider an application

The University considers applications and makes decisions as quickly as possible. However,
given the volume, range and quality of applications we receive we are not always able to
return a decision immediately. Where we are not able to make a decision for some time, we
contact applicants to explain the situation and let them know when they should expect a
decision.

6.3 Communicating with applicants

The University recognises the importance of keeping applicants informed and aims to
provide effective updates at key points during the admissions process. The University
normally communicates with applicants by email.

We send a range of communications to applicants which include the following:

 Acknowledgment of the receipt of an application
 Confirmation that a decision has been made on the application
 Confirmation of the offer of entry and the terms and conditions for offer holders
 Confirmation of meeting the conditions of any offer of entry
 Introductory and registration information

In addition to the above, applicants receive communications from academic departments

that may include an invitation to visit the University and course-specific information.

6.4 Offers of entry

Successful applicants will receive an offer of entry from the University. The offer of entry will
either be Conditional on the basis of qualifications or requirements yet to be completed, or
Unconditional. Any applicant receiving an offer will receive the University’s Terms and
Conditions upon Acceptance of an Offer, which provide further information about the
commitments the University and applicant make when the applicant accepts an offer of
entry. These can be found at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/study/policies/terms

6.5 Feedback

We feel it is important that unsuccessful applicants have the opportunity to receive feedback
on their application. The University provides feedback on request to unsuccessful applicants.
Feedback can be requested by email or letter by contacting the Admissions Service or
relevant academic department.
We aim to respond to requests for feedback within 10 working days of receiving the request.
We will provide feedback in writing by email or letter. Following our feedback, if applicants
believe that they have grounds for a formal review of the admissions decision, they should
consult the University’s Appeals and Complaints Procedure for Applicants (see section 9).

6.6 Applicants with additional support needs

The University welcomes applications from disabled people. All applications are assessed
following standard procedures (see section 5) and consideration of support requirements
remains entirely separate. An assessment of support needs, usually in the form of an
appointment or discussion with the University’s Disability and Dyslexia Support Service, can
be carried out to ensure that the University provides appropriate support. Reference should
also be made to the Fitness to Study and Fitness to Practise policies where necessary:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/fitness-to-study
www.sheffield.ac.uk/calendar

In the unlikely event that the adjustments needed to provide the required support are not
considered reasonable, the University undertakes to offer the applicant support in
submitting an alternative application where appropriate.

Further information about disability and dyslexia support at the University can be found at:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/disability

6.7 Fitness to Study

We seek to enable as many students as possible to achieve their potential and provide a
range of support to facilitate this. Occasionally a student is deemed not fit to begin or
continue their registration at the University. Further information can be found in our formal
Fitness to Study Policy at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/fitness-to-study

6.8 Applicants with criminal convictions

As part of its duty of care to staff and students, the University asks offer-holders for
information about any relevant criminal convictions. Assessment of any information supplied
is undertaken by a panel of experienced staff and the process is managed by the Admissions
Manager (Undergraduate or Postgraduate). Having a criminal record does not necessarily
prevent applicants from studying at the University of Sheffield. This will depend on the
nature of the course applied for and the circumstances of and background to the offence.

6.9 Applicants requiring a student visa

If an applicant requires a student visa to study in the UK but will not be eligible for a visa to
study on their course, we will not be able to offer the applicant a study place. If a place has
already been offered at the point we become aware of the applicant’s ineligibility for a
student visa, we will withdraw our offer.

6.10 Applicants requiring ATAS clearance

If an International offer-holder requires Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

clearance to study on their course and their application for ATAS clearance is refused, we
may withdraw our offer, or amend it to a place on a course for which ATAS clearance is not
required.

6.11 Fraud and omitted details

The University reserves the right to withdraw any offer made on the basis of an application
which has been found to contain fraudulent information. The University also may withdraw
the offer of a place if an applicant has been found to have omitted key information from their
application. Any student found to have been admitted on the basis of fraudulent information
may have their studies terminated.

6.12 Re-admission of students

If an applicant has previously studied at the University, we require that they indicate this in
their application. If an applicant has previously been excluded from the University or a
particular faculty, they should also indicate this in their application. If we decide to offer a
place to a previously excluded applicant, their re-admission will need to be approved by the
relevant faculty as part of the admission and registration process.

6.13 Deferred applications

The University welcomes deferred applications for the majority of subject areas (requests to
be admitted the year after an application is made) and will also usually consider requests
from students to defer after an application has been submitted. The University normally
allows postgraduate applicants to defer their application twice before asking the student to
re-apply. Requests to defer should be directed to the Admissions Service in the first
instance.

6.14 Unreasonable behaviour

The University is committed to ensuring that interaction with applicants is conducted in a

professional, courteous and respectful manner and it expects that communication from
applicants is conducted in the same way. The University will not tolerate inappropriate
behaviour or language towards its employees or members of the wider University
community during the admissions process. Hostile, aggressive or otherwise inappropriate
behaviour or language, whether expressed verbally or in writing, will be viewed seriously and
may adversely affect the consideration of an application, appeal or complaint. The University
will normally warn an applicant that their behaviour or language is inappropriate and that
action is being considered, but where the behaviour or language is particularly inappropriate
no warning need be given before action is taken. Such action may include a referral in line
with the University’s discipline regulations, the withdrawal of an Offer or the rejection of an
application. Conduct which constitutes a criminal offence will be referred to the relevant
authorities.

7. Financial information

The University requires all applicants to provide evidence that they have access to sufficient
funds to pay tuition fees and living expenses during their studies. Information about funding
is requested during the admission and registration process.
Detailed information on tuition fees and student finance can be found at:
Undergraduate: www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees-funding
Postgraduate Taught: www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/fees
Postgraduate Research: www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/fees

As part of the application process, the University requires applicants to indicate whether
they are eligible to pay Home (UK/EU) or Overseas levels of tuition fees. The University uses
the information provided by applicants to determine which category of fee they should pay,
in accordance with national guidelines laid down by the UK Council for International Student
Affairs (www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Fees-and-Money/England-fee-status). If we
cannot make this determination from information provided in the application, we ask
applicants to provide further information.

We may ask applicants to pay a deposit towards the course tuition fee when they accept an
offer, in order to confirm that they intend to study at the University. The tuition fee deposit
will be automatically deducted from the course tuition fee upon registration. More
information is available on our webpages at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/feedeposits

8. Applicant data

In connection with the application process the University collects, holds and processes
information about you. This information may include personal data (which identifies you as
an individual) and sensitive personal data (which includes information relating to an
individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, health,
sex life or sexual orientation or criminal convictions).

The personal data submitted as part of each application is used to assess the suitability of an
applicant for study at the University. Anonymised data is also used by the University for
statistical and reporting purposes. Applicant personal data may also be passed to
government bodies or the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Further information
about how HESA processes personal data can be found in the HESA Student Collection
Notice: www.hesa.ac.uk/about/regulation/data-protection/notices

The personal data within applications will form part of the student record for applicants who
are admitted to the University. Further details about how such personal data will be
processed are set out in the University’s Terms and Conditions upon Acceptance of an Offer,
which will be provided to applicants who are offered a place at the University, and in the
University’s Student Privacy Notice: www.sheffield.ac.uk/govern/data-
protection/privacy/students

Personal data for applicants who are not admitted to the University is deleted after three
years.

When processing applicant personal data the University complies with the General Data
Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, as well as all other legislation
enacted in the UK in respect of the protection of personal data. Further information about
data protection policies at the University can be found at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/govern/data-
protection
9. Appeals and complaints

The University aims to consider all applicants fairly and in line with the principles outlined in
the Student Admissions Policy. However, we recognise that there may be occasions where
applicants wish to appeal (request a review of an admissions decision), or complain about
the admissions process.

If an applicant feels that they may have a cause for an appeal or complaint, the University’s
Admissions Appeals and Complaints Procedure for Applicants can be found at:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/study/policies/appeals-complaints

We advise all students to note the section on Feedback (see section 6.5) prior to submitting
an appeal or complaint.

10. Further information

For further information about University of Sheffield, please visit our website at:
www.sheffield.ac.uk

If you wish to contact the Admissions Service directly, please use our AskUS service:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/study/askus