Academic Quality Framework Chapter 8

Recruitment and Admissions – An Overview

1. Northeastern University London (the University) is committed to admitting students of the highest calibre, with the merit and potential to thrive in our demanding academic environment, regardless of age, disability, race, nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or parental status.
2. The University recruits both domestic and international students to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and domestic learner’s degree apprenticeship programmes.
3. The University is open to all students of high academic potential from any background. Applications are considered individually, personally and on their merits.
4. The University has a strong commitment to maintaining open accessibility to higher education. The University’s bursary fund and the associated Trust ensure that finance should not be a barrier to any UK undergraduate or postgraduate student of high ability who wants to apply to the University.

Recruitment and Admissions Policy and Procedures

5. The University Admissions Policy is consistent with good admissions practice in higher education, as defined by the UK Quality Code Theme Admissions, Recruitment and Widening Access.
6. Academic Board has oversight of the admissions of students to the University. Responsibility for ensuring the University’s compliance with the Admissions Policy lies with the Head of Admissions.
7. Each Faculty has an Admissions Tutor who works alongside the recruitment and admissions staff to ensure consistency of experience for applicants.
8. For Degree Apprenticeship programmes, Business Development (Biz Dev) will follow University procedure to ensure consistency of experience for employer and learner, as well as supporting them through the process

Admissions Criteria

9. Academic Board is responsible for agreeing the admissions criteria for all taught programmes.
10. The University publishes the admissions criteria for undergraduate, postgraduate and degree apprenticeship programmes on the University website.
11. Applicants must demonstrate that they have the necessary skills to be successful on their chosen programme, evidence of motivation and the commitment to succeed.
12. The University recognises prior learning from applicants, either as a basis for entry to a programme or to exempt applicants from some courses within a programme.
13. Recognition of Prior Learning is normally considered by the Head of Faculty/Programme Director for approval. For further information, please see Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.

The Application Process

Undergraduate Programmes

14. Undergraduate applications can be made directly to the University (via the website), through UCAS, or via the CommonApp.

Postgraduate Programmes

15. Postgraduate applications are made directly to the University (via the website).

Degree Apprenticeships

16. The application process starts with the Employer engaging with the University. Employer eligibility and health and safety practice is checked as well as due diligence on the company. The next stage is for a Training Needs Analysis to be conducted and the progression to Apprenticeship Agreement, Commitment Statement and Tripartite Contract stage is reached. The University is committed to supporting the employer during the apprenticeship recruitment phase and when a suitable apprentice is identified, they will complete an application form on the University’s selected software platform. Apprentice eligibility, declaration of skills and knowledge, as well as a functional skills test are undertaken. If the apprentice’s application is successful, an Initial Needs Analysis is completed and at this point, an unconditional offer is made by the University.

Selection Criteria

17. The University will consider applications on a case-by-case basis. It will consider past and predicted academic achievements as well as evidence of an applicant’s ability, skills, interests, motivation, and potential.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Applications

18. Admissions staff review applications on the basis of achieved and predicted qualifications, alongside the reference, the personal statement, and other relevant information. They make the decision whether to offer applicants a place, invite applicants for an interview, to reject applications, or to seek further information.
19. When considering the personal statement, admissions staff are looking for information indicating that the applicant is suitably motivated to complete their chosen programme of study, and whether the provision will challenge and benefit the student. Such information can include, for example, demonstrated interest and commitment to the subject, volunteering and other extra-curricular activities, showing what has been gained in terms of experience and skills from these interests, knowledge about the programme applied for and the University.
20. Where the applicant has non-standard qualifications, or where the applicant narrowly misses the qualifications for the standard offer for the programme, the application is referred to the Head of Admissions who will, where relevant, discuss with the Faculty Admissions Tutor.

Degree Apprenticeship Applications

21. All applications require several steps to be undertaken prior to an offer of a place on the Degree Apprenticeship can be given by the University.  For more detail, please see The Application Process: Degree Apprenticeships.
22. BizDev will support the employer and applicant during this process to ensure that the relevant documentation is received and recorded so progress can be made at each stage.

International Applications

Undergraduate and Postgraduate applications

23. Applications from prospective international students will be considered and processed consistently with home applications, although additional verification is required (as outlined below) where relevant.
24. International students from non-low risk countries will be required to undertake an interview with a member of the University visa team. The interview will enable the University to evaluate whether the applicant’s intention to study is genuine.
25. Applicants presenting overseas qualifications will be expected to have achieved the equivalent of the entry criteria.
26. Assessments will be made using the UCAS Guide to International Qualifications and Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC).
27. All overseas applicants are required to provide the University with original documents (at the time of enrolment) and a full translation that can be independently verified by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO), Immigration Officer or the Secretary of State, where the original documents are not in English.
28. All overseas applicants are required to provide the University with a copy of their qualifications or transcript in English.
29. In addition to the above additional verification requirements, and where relevant, international students will need to comply with UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) requirements.
30. Applicants requiring entry clearance to enter/remain in the UK in order to study at the University will be required to pay an international student deposit (typically offset against first term fees) as a condition for the release of their Confirmation of Acceptance of Study (CAS) at the University. This deposit provides the University with a measure of confidence of the seriousness of the applicant’s intention to study, and is in line with the recommendation of UK Visas and Immigrations (UKVI).
31. Applications for overseas students are processed in line with the normal admissions procedures. However, wording contained within conditional and unconditional offer letters will signal to applicants the necessity of making payment of the compulsory deposit once the applicant has reached ‘unconditional firm’ stage.
32. For further information, please contact the University’s dedicated Visa Team.

Degree Apprenticeships

33. Degree apprenticeship programmes are only available to UK residents.

Application Form Similarity Detection Service – UCAS Applications Only

34. The UCAS Similarity Detection Service reviews all personal statements within incoming applications. These are checked against a library of all personal statements previously submitted to UCAS and sample statements collected from a variety of websites and other sources, including paper publications. Each UCAS application is added to the library of statements after it has been processed.
35. Any statement showing a level of similarity beyond the advertised UCAS similarity detection system threshold will be reviewed by members of the UCAS Verification Team. Providers will be notified on a daily basis of any cases where there are reasonable grounds for suspicion. Applicants will also be notified if the UCAS Similarity Detection Service has found that their personal statement merits investigation. Depending on the seriousness of the plagiarism, the Admissions team will decide on the appropriate course of action.

Interview

Undergraduate and Postgraduate applications

36. Undergraduate and postgraduate applicants who do not meet the typical entry requirements may be invited for an interview. The purpose and format of the interview is communicated to applicants clearly in advance so that applicants have sufficient time to prepare.
37. Interviews will be conducted via video conference (Zoom).
38. Interviews may be recorded for quality assurance purposes. A standard format note of the interview is also taken.
39. After the interview, the Faculty will consider all elements of an application (academic reference, personal statement, performance at interview, context of academic achievements) when deciding whether to make an offer of a place.

Degree Apprenticeship Applications

40. The University does not individually interview applicants for Degree Apprenticeships. However, the University is happy to work with employers with the recruitment of applicants and support them through the process of applying.

Applicants With Criminal Convictions, Cautions and Arrests

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Applicants

41. While promoting equality of opportunity, the University has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for its students and staff. To this end, all offer holders and existing University students are required to declare any unspent criminal convictions or pending court cases.
42. The Declaration of Criminal Convictions Risk Assessment Policy and Procedure for Students and Offer Holders involves consideration of the University’s duty of care to staff and students and its commitment to individual human rights, the right to an education and the right not to be discriminated against as protected under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. All cases will be considered on an individual basis and in a fair and equitable manner.
43. The University follows the guidelines and procedures set out in Section 5 of the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and, as a consequence, any convictions that are regarded as spent will be ignored.

Degree Apprenticeships

44. Applicants with a criminal conviction are not permitted to apply for a Degree Apprenticeship, in accordance with ESFA regulations.

Fees and Financial Support

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes

45. The tuition fees are approved annually by the University’s governing body Northeastern London Board.
46. Fee information for home applicants can be found here on the website. Fee information for international students can be found here.
47. Most undergraduate and postgraduate students from the UK or Ireland, can apply for a tuition fee loan from Student Finance. Click here to apply for Student Finance.
48. The University offers further financial support via scholarships and bursaries. [1] . Home students may also be eligible to apply for a means-tested bursary – click here for more information, including the eligibility criteria for bursaries.

Degree Apprenticeships

49. The fees are calculated in accordance with the applicant’s prior learning and experience. This is agreed with the University at the start of the programme.

Disability and Dyslexia Support for Applicants

50. Applications to the University’s programmes are assessed purely on academic grounds. 
51. The University strongly advises prospective students and registered students to disclose any disability–related need(s) and/or condition(s) at the earliest opportunity, in order to meet their individual study and personal safety requirements. The University has a clear and simple procedure for such disclosures, which can be found here.
52. For further information on support available to students, please see AQF9 Student Guidance and Learner Support.

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