5. Admissions

5.1 In considering individual applicants for admission to a programme of study (taught or research), the University will seek evidence of personal, professional and educational experiences that provide indications of ability to meet the demands of the programme. Individual applicants may be admitted on the basis of a wide range of qualifications, experience or both - entry requirements for specific programmes of study will be set out in the relevant programme specifications and on the course details pages on the University website. There must be a reasonable expectation that anyone admitted to a programme of study will be able to fulfil the objectives of the programme and achieve the standard required for the award. Consideration will also be given to non-standard entry for research degree programmes, in respect of a candidate’s background knowledge in relation to the proposed research, professional experience, publications and written reports.

5.2 Applicants may be admitted to any appropriate point in a programme of study, if they can demonstrate that they have already met the requirements of elements of the programme, on the basis of an assessment of their prior learning against relevant programme or module learning outcomes (see 3.7 above). As noted in section 3.7, the maximum amount of credit awarded for prior learning would usually be two-thirds of the total credit required for the Oxford Brookes award they have applied for, and applications in excess of this limit must be approved by the Chair of the Quality & Learning Infrastructure Committee. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide evidence in support of their claim for admission with credit, and the assessment of the evidence will be carried out by the appropriate academic staff. This decision must be ratified by the examination committee for the programme to which admission with credit is granted; and the modules for which exemption has been granted will be indicated on the transcript issued upon graduation.

Admission to a research degree will be considered by the Postgraduate Research Tutor and the potential supervisors, and they will assess and agree to any prior credit that may be applied for students entering the taught stage of a Professional Doctorate, or in the case of an applicant for a place on a research degree programme, time spent on a research degree at another University (with the agreement of the Research Degrees Committee).

5.3 Students may be eligible to change programmes within the University. The decision to accept such applications, and on whether to accept any modules already passed, lies with the relevant Subject Coordinator or Programme Lead (as appropriate).

5.4 Any applicant who has previously been a student at the University and been required to withdraw for academic reasons (including leaving with an exit award) is not automatically eligible to apply for re-admission. A previous student may not be re-admitted to the same course from which they have been required to withdraw for academic reasons, or to certain other courses as described in paragraph 12.1.1 of the Admissions Policy. Any applicant who has previously been a student at the University and has been required to withdraw for disciplinary reasons - including those relating to compliance with the student's Tier 4 or Student Route responsibilities - is not eligible to apply for re-admission as a student under any circumstances, unless specifically approved by the Academic Registrar. Any applicant who has previously been a student of the University and been required to withdraw for financial reasons is not eligible to apply for readmission as a student under any circumstances unless specifically approved for re-admission by the Head of Financial Services and Development.

5.5 A research degree candidate who has formally withdrawn may apply for reinstatement of registration if, due to a change in circumstances, the candidate is in a position to be able to resume the research programme. The Faculty and the Research Degree Committee reserve the right to refuse re-entry to the programme if previous work was not of a satisfactory standard or if there are no longer supervisors available to support the work

5.6 The University has a Contextual Admissions Policy in place as part of its commitment to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed at Oxford Brookes have equality of access. It is underpinned by guidance from the Office for Students (OfS), and takes into account sector evidence on how contextual admissions can positively impact in reducing the gaps in admissions between the least and most represented students. The policy is also based on good practice as recommended by Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA) and UCAS.

5.7 In considering applications for research degree programmes, the University will consider whether the applicant is appropriately qualified, the proposed programme of research is viable, adequate supervision and facilities are available, ethical approval has been considered (where appropriate), and intellectual property rights issues have been considered. The University will also consider whether sufficient funding is available for the duration of the programme, any legal agreements have been approved, immigration and ATAS conditions have been met; and references and other supporting documents have been obtained. An applicant’s suitability for teaching may also be relevant. Basic ethical requirements can be considered at application, but approval cannot be guaranteed until the initial proposal has been developed and considered by the University’s Research Ethics Committee. In considering applications for PhD by published work, applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have a significant, existing prior association with the University or have developed a strong relationship over the previous 2 years.