How do I choose what to study?
There are a lot of different courses you can use to get into university. No one course is any better than the other, so you need to find the right course for you. Some courses are taught in college, some at university, whilst others may be taught via distance learning like the Open University courses. Some are taught during the day, some at night. Some have costs attached whilst others might have financial support available. If you are not sure what course to do then get in touch with our Student Recruitment Team to get some advice.
It's important to find out what the entry requirements are for the degree you want to study. There might be a specific subject you have to study, or some extra requirements you need on top of your studies, and you need to know this before you decide what to study. You can find out exactly what by looking at our course pages - you are looking to see if there is an 'essential subjects' section in the entry requirements. Get in touch with the team to check if the access course you are looking at will meet our entry requirements, and if we can offer any extra advice on what you might need to support your application.
Science subjects requirements
For most of our Science degrees we look for a specific subject at Higher with a B or above, or the equivalent - usually one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics. For some of the Environmental subjects we would also accept things like Environmental Science or Geography. You can find out exactly what by looking at our course pages - you are looking to see if there is an 'essential subjects' section in the entry requirements.
When you see 'or the equivalent', what we mean is we would accept something other than a Higher. For instance if you are doing an access course or an HNC/HND then it should be science based, unless you already have a relevant higher.
Education, Social Work and Nursing requirements
There are also some qualifications that you specifically need that are tied into registration with the relevant professional bodies. When you look for a course to study you should make sure that the one you choose includes all the relevant subjects.
- Primary Education and Secondary Education - the General Teaching Council require anyone who wants to register as a Primary or Secondary School teacher in Scotland to have Maths at either National 5 (B), Standard Grade 1/2 or Intermediate 2 (C) pass and English Higher at B, or Communications 4 (Comms Higher) and Literature 1 which are college based modules. Open University modules in Maths and English at OU Level 1 would also count.
N.B. these qualifications are not included in the University's own access course so this might not be a suitable route for you if you want to become a teacher.
Degrees in these subjects also require work experience and knowledge of the profession.
- Primary Education and Secondary Education - we look for significant relevant work experience with children under 12 years of age for Primary, or over 12 years of age for Secondary, including classroom based work. In addition if you are interested in the Early Years Primary specialism we would look for specific work experience with the Early Years age group of zero - eight years of age.
- Social Work and Nursing - you should be able to show an awareness of the needs of someone in a vulnerable setting as well as an awareness of the relevant profession e.g. disability and/or mental health charities, old folks homes, community work. There are also some Maths and English requirements, and Science for Honours Nursing. Please check the course pages for more information, or get in touch.
