Entry requirements 

Admissions considerations

The University is committed to developing a diverse student and postgraduate researcher community – facilitated in part through separate number plans for UK and international cohorts – and our admissions processes are implemented in line with University policy and strategy. Academic and non-academic entrance requirements are reviewed annually in line with the University’s aim to provide fair and equitable access to all prospective students and postgraduate researchers who have the potential to benefit from, and contribute to, a quality education on a course, regardless of background. 

All applicants are required to meet certain minimum academic and non-academic standards for entry; however, the University recognises that individual applicants may meet these requirements in different ways. Academic schools may use flexibility in response to contextual factors and when assessing the overall profile of an applicant. Applicants who do not meet the published application criteria but who may meet the requirements via other qualifications and/or experience are encouraged to contact the relevant school’s admissions team. This allows the applicant’s individual set of qualifications, and the context in which these were attained, to be considered.

The University also offers a range of full-time and part-time extended degrees for those who do not have the formal qualifications for immediate entry on to an undergraduate degree course, but who have the potential to succeed. Additional entry criteria apply to these courses and more detail can be found in the Extended degrees with integrated foundation year (undergraduate only) section of this policy.

Applicants for research degrees are not permitted to register concurrently at the University of Leeds and another higher education institution. Applicants currently studying for a research degree at another institution will be required to provide evidence that they have withdrawn from that programme of study. This includes where an applicant is wishing to transfer to Leeds with a supervisor. Applicants for taught programmes are strongly discouraged from registering concurrently at the University of Leeds and another higher education institution; applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For further information, contact the relevant admissions team.

The University considers a wide range of qualifications for entry; new and amended qualifications from across the world are assessed for acceptability by the University’s qualifications groups with final agreement by the University’s Portfolio, Programmes and Recruitment Committee and Postgraduate Research Recruitment Group, as relevant.

We reserve the right to stop accepting a qualification or amend the entry requirements during the admissions cycle if we become aware of an issue or cause for concern with the suitability of a particular qualification for entry on to our programmes. Where an offer has already been made on the basis of such a qualification, this may need to be amended or withdrawn.

Typical requirements can be found on the relevant Course Search, course information or admissions guidance page. Flexibility on the typical requirements may be applied at the discretion of the school when it is felt that an applicant demonstrates their potential for benefitting from the course. This may be demonstrated in a number of ways through different qualifications and combinations; however, applicants are expected to have demonstrated the ability to study at a progressive and concentrated level. Applicants who would like to discuss their profile in relation to the entry requirements are encouraged to contact the relevant admissions team.

Where academic requirements have not been met for entry to an undergraduate course, the University admissions team may pass application information on to the Lifelong Learning Centre or International Pathways Centre for consideration for a foundation year offer, which would allow the student to progress to an undergraduate course if they passed the foundation year.

Read more about the University’s approach to accepted UK qualifications for undergraduate study and accepted international qualifications.

Teaching, assessment, supervision and support will take place in English, unless otherwise stated. Schools must be confident that applicants have the proficiency in English language necessary to succeed on their chosen course and that, where relevant, they meet the UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) minimum requirements to obtain a Student visa.

The University requires that all applicants meet our minimum requirements for English; however, many courses will have higher requirements to ensure applicants are prepared for their chosen course. Acceptable English qualifications and the University’s minimum requirements (including validity periods) for these can be found on our entry requirements page. Applicants can view course-specific English requirements on the relevant Course Search, course information or admissions guidance page.

When considering whether the English language requirement has been met, admissions teams base the decision on the most recent qualification obtained. 

Applicants who do not meet the relevant English language requirements at the point of application may be made a conditional offer that requires them to pass an approved test. Alternatively, applicants may be eligible to meet the English language requirements by successfully completing an appropriate pre-sessional English language course at the University of Leeds Language Centre. Applicants must have a suitable English language qualification in order to be eligible for a pre-sessional. For more details, please see the Language Centre website.

Documentation

The following documents must be submitted with a postgraduate application to the University, and may be requested in support of an undergraduate application. 

• Academic qualifications. Applicants must provide evidence of any previous or current qualifications. If an applicant has already completed a previous degree, they should submit a copy of the degree certificate showing the degree class and transcripts showing the grades obtained in each unit/module. Where applicants are yet to complete their qualification, they should submit transcripts of each completed academic year, including information on the modules being undertaken. If these documents are not in English, they should be accompanied by a formal certified translation into English, provided by the awarding institution, a University of Leeds accredited agent or office, or an official translator. This should be signed and dated and include the translator’s credentials and company details and confirmation that the translation is accurate. Evidence of any professional qualifications should also be submitted with the application.
• Professional qualifications (postgraduate applications only). If required for the relevant course, evidence of any professional qualifications should also be submitted with the application. 
• Previous Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) statement, Biometric Residence Permit and Student visa. Applicants who require a Student visa and who have previously studied in the UK will need to provide evidence detailing any previous periods of study on a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa. This is to allow the University to check compliance with the UKVI’s immigration rules for students. Applicants are encouraged to include documents such as previous CAS, copies of passport pages containing visas and copies of Biometric Residence Permits with their application. Any information that is not included in the application will be requested when the application is considered or, if the applicant does not provide this information, we may need to ask their permission to check their UK immigration history directly with the UKVI. 
• English qualifications. Proof of English language proficiency is required as part of the admissions process for all applicants. Please see the English language requirements section of this policy for details of acceptable English language qualifications. Copies of the results of any acceptable, formal English tests should be submitted if already obtained. Without this evidence, any offer made will be conditional on providing evidence that the minimum English requirements for the course have been met. 
• Research proposal (postgraduate research applications only). Some research areas require applicants to submit a research proposal as part of the application process. Applicants should check with the relevant admissions team before making an application. Information on writing a research proposal is available on the University website. For Masters by Research programmes, a research proposal should be submitted and agreed as part of the application process to ensure that the programme can be completed within the period of study (12 months full time and 24 months part time).

For the list of documents required for other cohorts, see the relevant webpage:

• Incoming Study Abroad supporting documents
• International Foundation Year applying
• Language Centre applying
• Leeds International Summer School applying

The University may ask the applicant to provide original or certified copies of the documents submitted with their application at the point of registration. International applicants who require a Student visa to study in the UK should be aware that the Home Office may request to see original copies of academic documents at the point of entry to the UK. 

References

The acceptance of references is at the discretion of the relevant academic school and any questions relating to the format of references or nominating of appropriate referees should be directed to the admissions team for the specific course of interest. Contact details can be found on Course Search and the postgraduate research admissions contacts page.

• References for undergraduate applicants. Applications should include a reference from the applicant’s current (or most recent) educational provider unless otherwise agreed by the relevant academic school before the application is submitted. The reference section of the application is carefully considered by the University.
• References for taught postgraduate applicants. Academic schools may require references from academic or professional referees. Where requested, applicants must provide full, clear and accurate contact details of two referees at the point of application. If the academic school requires a reference in order to make a decision, they will contact the referee directly when assessing the application. For some courses, applicants may be required to provide reference letters at the point of application in addition to the details of their referees. This will be stated on the relevant Course Search page. For some courses, references are not part of the decision-making process, in which case applicants will not be asked to provide referee details when applying. Please note that referees should typically be academic. It is only appropriate to provide professional referees if the applicant has been out of education for more than five years or is applying with evidence of work experience.
• References for postgraduate research applicants. Contact details of two referees should be provided as part of the application. Some schools may require references from academic or professional referees as a crucial element of the selection process. View guidance on reference requirements on the relevant school webpages. 

Career opportunities

As a graduate of this programme, you’ll be ready for senior roles as a data analyst, data analytics manager, data scientist, statistician, data engineer, business analyst, and more. You’ll have new skills for self-direction and evaluation, managing project work, engaging critically with sources and methods, and evaluating and analysing data.

Careers support

You will have access to our Careers Service that offers extensive online resources including career planning, advice on CV writing, job applications and key interview skills.

Scholarships and financial support

There is a limited time promotion for applicants who are self-funding: Apply before 5 November 2023 and if accepted and you subsequently enrol in the January 2024 cohort of the MSc Data Science (Statistics), you will get one module worth £1,250 for FREE. See more details.

Graduates of the University of Leeds (or an affiliated institution) are entitled to a 10% bursary towards tuition fees. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply.

UK students may be able to apply for a UK government-backed loan. Applications should be made through the Student Loans Company. Find out more.