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How to apply

We're delighted you're thinking about studying at Nottingham Trent University. This could be your biggest adventure yet, so we’re here to show you the way.

The UCAS application process explained

 

Your UCAS application in six steps

All our undergraduate course applications are managed through UCAS. You can apply directly through the UCAS homepage or by clicking the "Apply" button on the top right of the relevant course page on our website.

You can apply to up to five universities through UCAS.

Our UCAS institution code is N91. When you complete your registration, UCAS will generate your username. You will need your username and password to log back in and access your application, so keep them safe.

If you’d like to apply for a part-time undergraduate course, you’ll need to apply directly to the University via the relevant course page.

Add @ntu.ac.uk and @ucas.com to your email safe senders list and check your emails regularly as we’ll be sending you important information throughout the application process via email and text message.

Make sure all your details are up to date on UCAS so that everything reaches you.

Visit UCAS Hub to check the status of your university application throughout the process.

We normally process applications in around 14 working days. This can vary in cases where we need to consider academic consultation, an interview outcome, or special circumstances.

Once we have assessed your application, we hope to be able to make you one of the following offers:

  • Unconditional Offer – an offer where you have already satisfied the entry criteria and can have a place on the course.
  • Conditional Offer – an offer whereby you must fulfil certain criteria (e.g. grades) before you can be accepted on the course.
  • Alternative Offer – you don’t meet the entry requirements for your chosen course, so we have made you an offer for an alternative course.

When you’ve received decisions for all of your university applications, you’ll see an alert displayed on your UCAS Hub page, advising you to reply to your offers.

  • Unconditional – If you accept this as your firm (first) choice then your place is confirmed.
  • Conditional – You can choose one course as your firm choice and one as your insurance (second) choice. Make sure the offer you accept as insurance has lower offer conditions than your firm. This way, if you don’t get the grades you were expecting for your firm choice, you are likely to meet the conditions of your insurance choice.

You’ll need to decline any other offers you’ve received.

In accepting the offer of a place at the University you are also accepting our Terms and Conditions and agreeing to comply with the University’s Regulations, Rules, Codes, Policies and Procedures (the Regulations) that apply to enrolled students.

If you accept the University’s offer of a place on a course, we strongly recommend that you download and save these documents for future reference as they form your contract with the University.

A-level results will be published in August. You can check if you’ve been accepted onto your course on UCAS Hub.

If you don’t meet the requirements for either your firm or insurance choice, you may still be eligible for your course or be made an alternative offer. If that’s not the case, you will be eligible to enter Clearing, which is your chance to apply for university courses after you've received your exam results, or if you haven't already applied through UCAS.

UCAS references

A great reference can make a real difference to your UCAS application. Here’s how to make sure your reference enhances your application.

Someone who knows you well at school or college, such as an A-level teacher or head of sixth form, is the best person to write your reference.

It doesn’t matter if you left school or college a while ago. In this case, your employer or training supervisor would be a good person to ask. Your referee just needs to be someone who knows about your academic ability and can comment on your suitability for higher education.

Don’t ask family, friends or partners, though – they aren’t allowed to be your referee.

Academic references should be from your last school or college and on headed paper. Employer references should include details of your role, duties, and length of employment. This can be sent to us directly by the organisation, or on headed paper. You can submit it to us through AskNTU if it's in PDF format and on headed paper.

The process depends on how you’re applying.

If you’re applying through a school, college or other organisation

Your referee – such as your teacher or head of year – will complete your reference for you and send it to UCAS.

Students don’t usually see their reference, so you don’t have to do anything at this point. Your school or college will let you know how and when to pay your application fee, then they’ll send us your application.

If you’re applying as an individual

You can still ask a school, college or other organisation e.g., your former school for your reference. Just go to the ‘Options’ section on the reference page of your UCAS application and click ‘Ask a registered school, college or centre to write a reference’. Make sure you contact them first, then enter their details here.

If it’s an employer or training supervisor who’s going to write your reference, simply enter their email address and phone number on the reference page of your application and click ‘Ask referee to complete reference’. Keep in touch with your referee and as soon as they’ve completed your reference you can pay your application fee and send your application to us.

It may be helpful to have a chat with whoever is going to write your reference before they begin writing it. You’ve researched the course you’re applying for and what we’re looking for, now what do you want our Admissions Team to know about you?

Here are some ideas for discussion to make sure your referee gets all the right points across:

  • What career you are aiming for and how suitable you are for it.
  • How you’ve performed at school or college, including how well you’ve done in specific subjects or modules (or at work or in training if you’ve already left school/college).
  • What skills and experience you’ve gained from hobbies, employment or volunteering that might be relevant to your course e.g. a part-time job.
  • Your predicted grades if your referee is a teacher or head of year.
  • How your personal statement and reference are going to work together to give you a well-balanced application.

What we're looking for

Two students looking at a laptop on the grass outside the Newton building.

Applicants to our undergraduate degrees have a range of different experiences, qualifications and backgrounds, and we will consider every application on its individual merit.

It’s not just exam results we’re interested in. We want to know about your skills and experiences too. Your personal statement and UCAS references are really important. On some vocational courses, work experience that you have already gained is also vital. You should include all your qualifications and grades, including any resits or predicted grades for pending qualifications.

Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application and personal statement. Remember, we can only make a decision based on the information you give us.

Important dates and deadlines

Stay on top of your application by making note of these key dates and deadlines.

The equal consideration deadline for applying to all 2024 entry UCAS undergraduate courses is Wednesday 31 January 2024, except those with a 16 October 2023 deadline.

UCAS Extra opens on Wednesday 28 February 2024. Extra is the next step of the application cycle for applicants who have no offers from their five choices or have declined any offers received

If you applied by Wednesday 31 January 2024, the deadline for universities / colleges to respond to your application is Thursday 16 May 2024.

If you receive all your offers by Thursday 16 May 2024, you'll need to make a decision about your offer and respond via UCAS by Thursday 6 June 2024.

If you received offers later than Thursday 16 May 2024, or you've been given an extension, you'll find your personal deadline dates on UCAS.

Any new applications submitted after 6 pm on Sunday 30 June 2024 will automatically be considered through Clearing. Clearing is the process that helps students who haven’t secured a university place to find and apply for a course.

While the University welcomes applications after the January deadline, we will only be able to make offers if places are still available.

This is the last date to apply to NTU through UCAS Extra. If you don’t hold any offers after Thursday 4 July 2024, you can add an additional choice through Clearing.

Clearing opens on Friday 5 July 2024 and is your opportunity to apply for a course if you’re not already holding an offer from a university or college.

A-level results will be published on Thursday 15 August 2024. You'll be able to check if you’ve been accepted on UCAS Hub.

International student applications

Visit our International pages to find out how to apply for your undergraduate course.

Changes to your application

Defer or change your course

You can defer a confirmed place by one academic year. If you are requesting to defer for the second time, you need to withdraw your existing application and re-apply for your chosen year of entry.

If you want to change your course or defer your place, please use our enquiry form and we’ll get in touch.

Transfer from another institution

You can apply to transfer to NTU by submitting a UCAS application. If you would like to join us in your 2nd or 3rd year, you will need to tick the "Advanced Entry" option on your UCAS application.

Once we receive your application, we will ask for a breakdown of the modules you have already studied, which will then be assessed by one of our academics who will decide if you are suitable for advanced entry onto Years Two or Three, or if it’s more appropriate to make you an offer to start in Year One.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about applying to NTU, call us on +44 (0)115 848 4200 or use our enquiry form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.