How to apply

University Centre Peterborough welcomes enquiries and applications from disabled students whether disability is due to mobility or sensory impairment, specific learning difficulties, mental health issues or a medical condition.

Applications from disabled students are processed the same way but applicants should declare their disability at the application stage so that UCP can contact you to assess how to meet any support needs you may have. Disabled applicants may be invited to visit the campus so that this can be done in person. Please note it does take time to organise the support and make the arrangements so please ensure that you apply as soon as possible.

APCL

APCL relates to learning completed through an earlier course of study. If you have previously completed a course which is relevant to your proposed course, you should make this clear when you apply for admission. To be eligible for consideration in this way you must be able to submit certification, which shows your success in a final assessment for that course. Learning must be current i.e. completed within the last five years. Simple participation in a course or an attendance certificate is not sufficient.

APL

UCP offers students mobility in their studies, by recognising learning they may have completed elsewhere, before applying to study. The Accreditation of Prior Learning processes ensure that we can take this into account when determining the modules you must study. It is important that you should identify any relevant prior learning when you apply. Should your previous study specifically relate to modules on the course you wish to undertake. We may approve a reduced programme of study, thus shortening the time it takes to obtain your award.

Where this relates to learning completed through an earlier course of study, this is called Prior Certificated Learning, and where learning has been achieved through relevant work or experience, this is referred to as Prior Experiential Learning. Claims must be approved before you commence a course.

APEL

It is important to understand that the APEL process does not award academic credit for experience alone, but for learning which can be shown to have been achieved through that experience. Students are required to prepare an individual case for the credit arising from their learning experiences. This normally means that a student receives support in the preparation of a portfolio, in which their claim is justified in detail and is supported by relevant evidence.

This portfolio of evidence is then submitted for assessment and the possible award of academic credit. Alternative methods of assessment of evidence may be available but need to be discussed with the appropriate Admissions Tutor. There may be a cost attached to the assessment of the portfolio of evidence

In most cases an applicant’s criminal offences do not affect our decision as to whether or not we will make an offer of a place. However, we have a duty to investigate further any declared offences.

We may also require you to obtain an appropriate disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly the Criminal Records Bureau). If we do require this we will write to you with full information on obtaining the disclosure.

If you are applying for a course that will or may involve significant contact with children/vulnerable adults (e.g. teaching, nursing, midwifery, social work, public services) you must tell us about all criminal convictions and cautions (including verbal cautions) and bind over orders which would not be filtered in line with current guidance. (For the purposes of these courses no conviction is regarded as ‘spent’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974). All applicants for such courses will be required to obtain an Enhanced Level Disclosure and Barring Service check before any offer can be confirmed. University Centre Peterborough will provide you with information about obtaining the disclosure at the appropriate time.

For other courses, you are only required to reveal ‘relevant’ offences. Such offences are only those convictions for offences against the person, whether of a violent or sexual nature and convictions for offences involving unlawfully supplying controlled drugs or substances where the conviction concerns commercial drug dealing or trafficking. Any convictions regarded as spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 are not regarded as relevant and need not be revealed.  However it should be noted that some professional bodies may not permit professional accreditation due to a criminal record.

The information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and will not be revealed to anyone except University staff directly involved in considering whether or not the criminal convictions prevent your application from being considered further.