Previous study or work experience can sometimes count towards your qualification. Successfully completing all or part of a higher education course may allow you on to the second or third year of a course. A smaller amount of credit, at higher education level, may count towards your qualification. We call this accreditation of prior credited learning.

We may also consider relevant work experience, provided it is at an appropriate level for your course. This is called accreditation of prior experiential learning.

For more information please contact

Undergraduate admissions team (for undergraduate enquires)
Email admissions@shu.ac.uk
Phone 0114 225 4791

Direct admissions (for postgraduate enquiries)
Email directadmissions@shu.ac.uk
Phone 0114 225 4791

For courses involving work with children and/or vulnerable adults, you must declare criminal convictions, cautions and bindings over, including those considered spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

Criminal convictions do not necessarily prevent acceptance on a course, but some employers or professional bodies may regard them as excluding you from practice. A full criminal record check takes place when you enrol for these courses.

We normally only consider you for a place if you can apply for a bursary funded by the Department of Health.

At your selection interview, you must sign a declaration of fitness to take the course. Your admission onto the course depends on your continued fitness, so you need to tell your admissions tutor immediately about any change in your circumstances.

When you enrol, you must have a medical examination and an occupational health screening to confirm your fitness to practise. All students on health-related courses must be immunised to meet the needs of the Department of Health.

We will normally invite you for an interview, which may include numeracy and literacy skills tests.

We are committed to equal opportunities.

If you have a disability which you think may affect your studies please tell us. Our course tutors and disabled student support staff will make every effort, under the Disability Discrimination Act, to meet your needs so you can study effectively.

We welcome applications from a wide range of people, with no upper age limit. We often accept the completion of further or adult education courses as a suitable entry qualification. Completing an access or foundation course might be a good move if you've been away from formal education for a few years, as it gets you back into the swing of things.

If you're interested in becoming a mature student here, contact your local careers service or our guidance service at guidance@shu.ac.uk or on 0114 225 3813. They'll be able to give you an idea of which types and levels of course are most suitable.