The Student Room Group

Applying for psychology courses

I want to apply for psychology courses at university this year but I’m not sure if I have sufficient qualifications to apply for it.
I currently have English Functional skills level 2
Math GCSE grade 5.
As non-English speaker I also have ESOL level 2 qualification.
I would like to ask if I’m eligible to apply to any university with these qualifications?
Original post by Deyan latef
I want to apply for psychology courses at university this year but I’m not sure if I have sufficient qualifications to apply for it.
I currently have English Functional skills level 2
Math GCSE grade 5.
As non-English speaker I also have ESOL level 2 qualification.
I would like to ask if I’m eligible to apply to any university with these qualifications?

Are you a UK or international student?

If UK, do you have any level 3 qualifications? (E.g. A levels, BTEC Nationals, Access to HE, T levels, etc.)

If international, do you have any qualifications above the ones you've listed?

All UK universities require level 3 qualifications (or International equivalents) for entry.
Reply 2
Original post by DataVenia
Are you a UK or international student?
If UK, do you have any level 3 qualifications? (E.g. A levels, BTEC Nationals, Access to HE, T levels, etc.)
If international, do you have any qualifications above the ones you've listed?
All UK universities require level 3 qualifications (or International equivalents) for entry.


I’m uk student been in the uk for 2 years my statue is refugee and I do have 12th grade equivalent to sixth form in uk from my country(Iraq) , I don’t know if it’s recognised in the Uk or not
Original post by Deyan latef
I’m uk student been in the uk for 2 years my statue is refugee and I do have 12th grade equivalent to sixth form in uk from my country(Iraq) , I don’t know if it’s recognised in the Uk or not

Understood. Universities in the UK are independent from one another and therefore don't always have the same approach to the qualifications they accept and don't accept. This means, unfortunately, that you'd need to check any that you're interested in one-by-one. UK universities accept a huge array of international qualifications, so I'd be surprised if most don't accept yours.

I've just picked Cardiff University at random. On their web page for Psychology - here - if you enter Iraq into their Qualifications from outside the UK list, it says:

"If you've studied the Certificate of Secondary Education/Secondary School Certificate, Sixth Form Baccalaureate or Baccalaureate Examination Certificate, you'll need to complete an International Foundation Year to be considered for year 1 entry.


We may also consider one or more years of study at a university in Iraq, or a Diploma. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis by our academic schools.

The entry requirements above may be subject to change, on the basis of changes to qualification content, grading or awards processes, or, due to the level of competition for places. Any subject-specific requirements must still be met."

Picking another one, Manchester Metropolitan University, their Iraq page (here) says that for entry to a foundation year (often referred to as year 0, because it additional year added to the start of a normal 3-year degree):

"You must have one of the following, with good grades:

Certificate of Preparatory education
Sixth Form Baccalaureate (Adadiyah)
Vocational Baccalaureate
Certificate of Technician"

So, using this completely unrepresentative sample of two universities, you may meet the entry requirements - but it would depend on the grades you obtained in your Iraqi qualifications; also you would need to do an "international foundation year" first, or join a course which has a built-in year 0 (i.e. a foundation year). Quite whether the international foundation year is appropriate for a student resident in the UK, but with international qualifications, isn't clear.

Your UK qualifications, being all level 2, are not sufficient to gain entry to university on their own.

Note that there a few factors which make your application not standard:
You have posted this question in the Mature Students forum, which suggests that you might be a mature student.
You have a mix of UK and international qualifications.
You are a refugee (which means that many universities will lower their entry requirements to help you gain entry).

As a result, I would strongly suggest that your contact the admission team of any university which you're interested in and explain your situation - asking whether your qualification meet their entry requirements for Psychology.

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