(2013 entry)
Mature students and wider experience
The University of Sussex is acknowledged as a leading university in the admission of mature students. We take a flexible approach when extending offers to mature students and others applying on the strength of wider experience.
If you have been out of formal education for some years, you may find that your life and work experiences can be counted in lieu of formal qualifications. In certain circumstances we may accept students who do not meet the general (minimum) entrance requirements, but who can demonstrate their capacity for degree-level work in other ways (refer to Additional selection requirements).
Although we will consider applications from students who can demonstrate relevant life experience rather than formal exam results, we would always strongly advise that you undertake some form of academic study before applying to the University. This will not only strengthen your application, but will help you in preparing for the move to Higher Education and in adjusting to the demands of degree-level work.
If you want to take a degree course that requires previous knowledge of a particular subject (eg A level-standard Mathematics to study Engineering), you will have to satisfy these requirements by offering GCSE, O level, AS or A level qualifications or their equivalents. It is therefore important to check our courses, accessible via Undergraduate study, for any specific entry requirements.
Even for subjects without specific entry requirements, however, we would recommend that all students pursue appropriate formal academic qualifications in preparation for university. This could take a number of forms and the section on Other qualifications taken in the UK lists some of these. For example, you could take one or two A levels, to practise critical and analytical reading, writing and debate, or you might feel that an Access to HE Diploma or the Open University would suit you better.
Support for mature students
We have a range of support and advice services to help non-school leavers. We have an induction for mature students during Freshers’ Week, which is designed to ease you into your new surroundings.
The Students’ Union runs an advice centre, providing help with issues such as benefits and accommodation problems (refer to Your welfare). And, if you feel your essay-writing skills are rather rusty, we also run a mentor scheme so you can get support and advice. Our student advisors are on hand to help you with any problems you may have, be they personal, financial or academic.
To find out whether you are ready for university life, we invite you to attend one of our Open Days (refer to Visit us and Open Days), where you can attend subject talks, meet our academics and ask any questions you may have.
We also offer pre-application information sessions for prospective mature students from October to December. These sessions offer general information about applying to university as a mature student, including advice about personal statements, a talk on welfare and finance, and a guided tour of our campus.
To book a place on one of these sessions, refer to Visit us and Open Days or contact Student Recruitment Services (T +44 (0)1273876787).
Special admission schemes
We participate in several special admission schemes, which involve guaranteed standard offers or interviews, and work towards ensuring that Sussex has a diverse and representative student body. These include:
- the Sussex Liaison and Progression Accord (SLPA), designed to encourage applicants from participating schools and colleges in East and West Sussex to consider their local Higher Education institutions
- the Sussex Channel Islands Progression Accord (SCIPA), working with participating schools and colleges in Jersey and Guernsey.
Our widening participation programme – the First- Generation Scholars scheme – aims to encourage applicants from families with no history of university attendance (refer to Funding for home/EU students).
We have close links with several local colleges running Access courses. If you would like to enquire about your eligibility for any of these schemes, contact Student Recruitment Services (T +44 (0)1273 876787).
Young care leavers at Sussex
The University has achieved the Frank Buttle Trust kitemark for provision for young people in care. We offer financial support and 52 weeks’ on-campus accommodation in the first year. We also offer a dedicated student advisor, additional advice through the Careers and Employability Centre and priority for the Access to Learning Fund. Applicants to Sussex will be given a reduced offer if felt appropriate, and academic tutors made aware of an individual’s background with their permission.
Contact Sarah Cullen (T +44 (0)1273 877909) for further information.
Jonathan's perspective
'I’m a product of Sussex’s enlightened approach to selecting students – a process that recognises potential, not just academic qualifications. I applied to a number of universities when I was 22, realising that the lack of a degree was going to hurt my professional and personal development. Although several universities responded to my application, all of them bar Sussex required me to retake my A levels and to justify why I should take the place of an 18-year-old school leaver.
‘I was happily surprised to find that Sussex actively embraced the concept of older students applying for a place, and they were prepared to consider alternative methods for evaluating whether or not an applicant would be able to cope with the rigours of the academic course. I was simply asked to complete a set essay and attend an interview to assess my suitability, and, to my delight, my application was accepted shortly thereafter. Sussex gave me a second chance to get it right, and I wasn’t about to let that opportunity pass me by. I studied for a BA in Politics, graduating with first-class honours in 1987.
‘From Sussex, I went to Columbia University Business School in New York, graduating with an MBA in 1989 and embarking on a career in strategy and transactions with companies like Booz Allen, GTE and Wendy’s International.’
Jonathan Catherwood
Politics graduate