COVID-19 information for new applicants

We are sure that you will understand that this information and any changes we are making are being developed during a time of rapid social and economic change and the introduction of urgent Government measures to combat the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We are keeping the developing situation, and our guidance, under review, and will continue updating this guidance as new information is available and/or the situation evolves.

All UCEM regulations, policies and procedures are still in place and operating as normal unless identified as otherwise in the FAQs below.

We are committed to being as flexible as possible in relation to enabling new students, including apprenticeship students, to be able to join our programmes.

What is the likely impact on my application?

UCEM is committed to ensuring that anyone affected by the pandemic should still be able to achieve their ambition to study at University. Applications for our programmes are currently being processed as normal. If you have any questions about your application, please feel free to contact admissions@ucem.ac.uk. We are happy to help.

I’m applying for a course but my required exam has been cancelled

UK applicants

The UK government has now confirmed when results will be released across the country:
A Levels: Tuesday 24th August 2021
GCSE: Thursday 26th August 2021
SQA: Tuesday 10th August 2021

We are closely monitoring any announcements made by the government regarding exam arrangements and will update you if any changes announced impact on your application with us. Wherever possible, we will be using the results that you are issued with, even if these are no longer based on exams.

Once you have received your results, please get in touch with us and provide us with a copy of these. If you have not been awarded the grades you needed to meet the conditions of your offer, please contact the Admissions team on 0118 9214696 (option 1)

International applicants

Assessment arrangements and availability of results for international qualifications may also be subject to change.

More information can be found on the websites of the international awarding bodies below:

We are aware of different measures in place in different countries and are monitoring the situation as it develops.

– If your examinations have been cancelled and you will instead be awarded calculated grades from a recognised examination board, then we will accept these as having equal validity to grades awarded in other years. This includes those taking International Baccalaureate and Cambridge A Levels.

– If your examinations are delayed, please contact the Admissions team with details of when your new exams have been scheduled for (admissions@ucem.ac.uk) so that we can advise you on your options.

I’m worried that my grades will be impacted by the closure of my school/university, will UCEM take this into account?

We understand that these are challenging times for all of our applicants and that your grades may be impacted as a result. UCEM carefully considers all applications received to determine an applicant’s potential to succeed on their chosen programme. Any applicant that does not meet the standard entry requirements will be considered in line with our policy for non-standard admission set out in the UCEM Code of Practice: Admissions and Recognition of Prior Learning.

Can I change the month/year I join the programme due to Covid-19?

Successful applicants may request to defer their offer to the next intake. You can only request to defer an offer once and only until the next intake. If you wish to defer your offer by a full academic year, you will need to reapply for the programme at a later date.

English language tests

We’re aware of changes to arrangements to a number of English language tests, due to COVID-19. Below we have linked some of the most common English language tests and their responses to the pandemic.

Do UCEM accept the IELTS indicator test?

Yes, UCEM will accept IELTS Indicator test results as evidence of English. You will need to achieve the same score in the IELTS indicator tests is listed on the programme entry requirements. For full details of the IELTS test scores required for UCEM programmes please see the English language requirements page or the entry requirement section on the programme page itself.

The IELTS Indicator test is available for a limited time in certain countries where IELTS testing is currently suspended or limited due to COVID-19. For more information and to see if there is availability in your country, visit the IELTS indicator website.

My IELTS test has been postponed/cancelled

If your IELTS test has previously be cancelled or postponed, please contact IELTS to see when this can be rebooked under the new test condition  or if you may rebook it as an IELTS indicator test.

My financial circumstances have changed as a result of the pandemic. What should I do?

If you are a UK student, it’s important that you apply for Student Finance as soon as possible. It can take up to six weeks to process your application and you can apply for a loan before you have an offer to study. If your household income changes significantly after you are assessed, you can update your information during the year.

UCEM also offers a number of generous means-tested bursaries and scholarships to support students with funding their studies. To find out more, visit our fees and funding webpages.

How will teaching be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

As an online university, we are uniquely prepared to face the challenges brought to us by the pandemic. We have an advanced IT infrastructure in place to enable remote working by the vast majority of our staff, so we continue to operate as usual. By staff working remotely where possible, we are ensuring their safety and reducing the risk of any staff absences impacting your teaching. We are also putting contingencies in place just in case UCEM staff suffer illness.

How will students be supported through the challenges of the pandemic?

Assessment

Our main priorities are student health and supporting everyone to progress through your programme. Like all universities, we are now reviewing our assessment practices to see how best we can support our students. We want to reassure you that, as far as possible, we will work to ensure you are not disadvantaged as a result of self-isolation or illness.

Your health and wellbeing

We understand that during the coronavirus pandemic our students may be worried about their health and wellbeing. We are here to help wherever possible. We have a padlet with a wealth of resources covering areas like mental health, physical wellbeing, working from home, supporting your family and abusive relationships.

UCEM also has 16 fully trained Mental Health First Aiders in the staff team. They are all trained to listen respectfully and non-judgementally and can listen to students’ concerns and help find the right support if and when needed.

Events

While we are continuing to monitor the situation regarding face-to-face events, it is with regret that we have taken the decision to postpone all face-to-face events for the foreseeable future, due to concerns around coronavirus (Covid-19). We are instead running a series of webinars online so you will still have the opportunity to chat to our Academic teams about the programmes that we offer. You can register for one of these webinars on our website (Opens new link).

If you can’t attend one of our webinars but have questions about your application or the programmes we offer, please get in touch with the Admissions teams at admissions@ucem.ac.uk

How do I find out more?

If you have further general questions related to UCEM’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic, or the September 2020 intake, please contact:

Admissions Team
Opening hours are:
Monday to Friday 0900- 1700 GMT

Make an enquiry >
UK (Free): 0800 019 9697 (Option 1)
International: +44 (0)118 921 4696 (Option 1)
Email: admissions@ucem.ac.uk