Intake and Offers
Responsibility for Decisions On Applications
It is the responsibility of the appropriate Head of School or their nominated representative to make decisions on all applications to their courses unless this responsibility has been delegated to a central unit such as the Admissions Office or International Office. All decisions will be made in accordance with the University’s admissions policy set out in this document.
While it is anticipated that in most cases, admissions staff will make offers based upon the published entry criteria it is recognised that since entry is competitive, achieving examination grades equivalent to or above the standard offer for a course does not automatically entitle a candidate to an offer.
Offers
The making of an offer of a place commits the University to a contract with the applicant. Therefore, offers to candidates may only be made by officers of the Registrar’s Department unless in specific circumstances this authority has been delegated.
Once a decision has been made to offer a candidate a place, the admissions tutor should notify the relevant Admissions Office/ Faculty Office/School Office by outlining the nature of the decision in writing on the candidate’s application form. The Admissions Office/Faculty Office/ School Office is responsible for informing the candidate of the decision. In the case of UK campus undergraduate applicants this will be transmitted to the applicant via UCAS who will write to the applicant formally detailing the nature of the offer and any conditions attached. In the case of postgraduate applicants, the relevant office will write to the candidate directly to inform them of an offer and any conditions attached.
Offers to students who have applied for a PhD programme should be a place on that programme, except where the calibre of the applicant suggests that a place on an MPhil programme would be more appropriate.
Schools are encouraged to also write to successful candidates. However, any letters from the School regarding an offer of place for a first degree should not detail the conditions of the offer as this must be done formally through UCAS for undergraduate candidates or via the relevant Admissions Office/ Faculty Office/School Office.
Replies to Offers from Applicants
Undergraduate Applicants
If an applicant wishes to accept an offer of a place for undergraduate study they must complete and return their reply slip to UCAS indicating that they have placed the University of Nottingham as their “firm” or “ insurance” choice by the required deadline.
Postgraduate Applicants
If an applicant wishes to accept an offer of a place for postgraduate study, they must complete and return a PG01 form directly to the University or complete the online PG01 form available via the Postgraduate Admissions portal within eight weeks of the offer being issued.
All Applicants
If a candidate wishes to request a deferral of entry to the following year, they should indicate this on their application form, or put a request in writing directly to the University as soon as possible after submitting an application. While the University is generally willing to accept applications more than 12 months before the date of admission it does not guarantee that requests for deferral will be approved. The maximum period allowed for deferral is one academic year.
It is the responsibility of all applicants holding conditional offers to provide evidence that they have met all of the conditions of their offer before they can be given the status of registered students. If, however, an applicant has failed to achieve the requirements specified they may contact the relevant Admissions Office/Faculty Office/School Office for advice regarding alternative courses that may be available, such as pre-sessional English courses for applicants who fail to meet the University’s minimum English Language requirements.