Study at Cardiff | Undergraduate

School Selection Procedures - Earth & Ocean Sciences

Applications should be made via Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). All applications received at UCAS by the main cycle closing date, usually 15 January, will receive equal consideration. The School does not guarantee that it will consider late applications. Offers will be made to all those applicants who have achieved, or are likely to achieve (on the basis of predicted grades and teachers’ comments) the academic requirements outlined below. Those applications predicted to obtain less than 300 Tariff Points in AGCEs, or less than 32 IB points, are deemed unlikely to reach the academic standards required for entry to the School and, in the absence of mitigating circumstances, will not be accepted by the School.

Applicants who are unable to demonstrate the requisite potential through actual or predicted grades may be assessed for suitability as outlined in "Selection Interviews".

Applicants who have applied for a MESci degree who are predicted to achieve 300TP in their AGCEs (32 IB points) will instead be made a conditional offer place on the equivalent BSc degree scheme. Subsequent transfer to the MESci degree scheme is possible under the following circumstances:

1. Better performance than predicted in AGCE/IB
2. Attainment of a module average of greater than 60% in either years 1 or 2 of the BSc degree

• Non-standard and international qualifications will be treated in an equivalent manner.
• The School will use UK NARIC (National Academic Recognition Information Centre) to assess the comparability of international qualifications, with those from the UK, and will make offers of a comparable standard to those outlined in this document for standard UK qualifications.
• Although staff will be guided in their decision making by these criteria, it is important to remember that selection involves complex professional judgements and that selection takes place in a highly competitive environment.
• Offers will be made via the UCAS system and all main cycle home applicants should have received a decision by 31 March.

School Selection Criteria

The School welcomes applications from all potential students and treats each application on its own merits. Applicants should be able to demonstrate an intellectual ability to effectively engage with their chosen programme of study at degree level. This intellectual ability will normally be solely assessed by predicted or actual qualifications and/or exam results (both academic and vocational). However, where applicants are unable to demonstrate the requisite potential through actual or predicted grades, assessment of suitability for entry to one of our courses will be based on the information in their UCAS form - mainly their personal statement and references. Such applicants are usually invited for interview, where their interest in, and aptitude for, their chosen course will be assessed (see "Selection Interviews").

Use of Contextual Data

All suitable applicants who are eligible for additional consideration and are predicted a minimum of grades BCC, will be guaranteed a typical offer on the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences' undergraduate courses. Typical offers can currently be found here. 

For details of University policy, please click here.

Admissions Tests

Cardiff School of Earth and Ocean Sciences does not have any standardised admissions test requirements.

Selection Interviews

Applicants who are unable to demonstrate the requisite potential through actual or predicted grades, are assessed on their suitability for entry to one of our courses from the information contained in their UCAS form, mainly their personal statement and references. Such applicants are usually invited for interview, where their interest in, and aptitude for, their chosen course will be assessed.

In exceptional cases, where applicants (due to distance or disability or family or work commitments) are unable to visit Cardiff for an interview, the interview may be conducted over the phone.

The interview will be conducted by School’s Director of Admissions, or one of our Admissions Officers, and will focus on evidence of potential for academic achievement, which may include:

1. Interest in, and enthusiasm for, the subject as well as understanding of the subject
2. Motivation for wanting to study the subject
3. Reasoning and problem solving ability
4. Evidence of literacy as well as of ability to describe / analyse information
5. Insight into the demands of the course
6. Transferable skills and attributes

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