How to apply through UCAS

This information will help guide you through how to apply through UCAS, when you should use UCAS and what to do depending on what time of year you're applying.

What is UCAS?

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is an independent charity that provides information, advice and admissions services for young people wanting to further their educational career.

How do I know if I should apply through UCAS?

If you're a UK student, your application for any full-time undergraduate degree starting in September has to be made through UCAS using its online application system, the UCAS Hub. UCAS handles the entire application process for full-time UK students.

The application process for some postgraduate courses, for example our Social Work MSc, can also be made through UCAS.

When should I apply?

The deadline for most UCAS applications is in mid to late January. It's always best to apply by this deadline to stand the best chance of getting a place on your chosen course, but it's still possible to apply after the deadline... 

What if I’ve missed the UCAS deadline?

You can still apply to us after the deadline by following the same process as long as there are places available on your chosen course. Courses that are full will have a message at the top of the relevant course page on our website – if a course doesn't have this message, it has places available and you can apply – just head to UCAS and get your application started.

What if I haven't received any offers?

If you haven’t received any offers or you've declined the offers you’ve received, you can still find a place on an undergraduate course through UCAS Extra. UCAS Extra runs from the end of February to early July and allows you to add an additional university choice if you’ve used all five of your university choices, received decisions from all five universities but haven’t been given any offers, or declined all of the offers you’ve received. You can do this through UCAS’s online tracking system, the UCAS Hub, which you can use to reply to any offers you’ve received.

If you’re applying for a full-time undergraduate course after the end of June, these applications are made through Clearing directly to the University. You'll need a university UCAS institution code when going through the application process. Our code is L68. UCAS will inform you whether or not you've been offered a place on your chosen course through the UCAS Hub.