‘Notes of Guidance’ for Completion of the Online Postgraduate Application Form

These notes are intended to help you complete the University’s online application form, and to ensure that, once completed, your application may be processed as efficiently as possible. Please read these notes carefully to the end where you will then be directed to the on-line form.

Select Application Type

If this is a new application you will need to select an Application Type:

Graduate Research degrees (MPhil/PhD) do not have a title, as they are defined by the particular piece of research you intend to carry out. The minimum period of registration for a Masters degree by research (e.g. MPhil) is two years full-time or three years part-time. It is normal to be registered initially for an MPhil and for the registration to be subsequently amended to PhD on the basis of academic progress. It may, in some cases, be possible to register directly on to a PhD programme, especially if you have already carried out research in a subject closely related to your proposed doctoral research, or have qualified for a Master’s degree in a cognate subject.

Graduate Taught programmes are usually either for one year full-time or two or more years part-time and comprise a combination of lectures, tutorials etc, plus a long essay or dissertation. Such programmes usually have a specific title; e.g. MA in Banking & Finance; MSc in Environmental Forestry which you should indicate on the form. Most taught postgraduate programmes are at the Master’s level, but there are some programmes which are at the Diploma or Certificate level.

Admission term

Note that admission to taught courses is normally only possible at the beginning of the academic year, admission to research degree courses (PhD; MPhil) is possible at the beginning of any month. The academic year here at Bangor University commences at the end of September, so for example, if you wanted to commence your studies in September 2010, then the admission term would be 2010/11.

Name

Please complete your full name. Your name should be your official name e.g. as it appears in your passport; nicknames and pseudonyms are not acceptable.

Agent ID Code

Not applicable – to be used by existing Bangor University Agents only.

Permanent address and phone number

Permanent address refers to your permanent residence and place of abode.
Please note - the FULL postal address is required.

Personal Information

Please provide as much information as possible; this will save time during registration.

e-mail: The University will communicate primarily with you via your e-mail address. Please ensure that you inform the University of any subsequent change to your e-mail address.

Disability/Health: This section is included for the purposes of monitoring equal opportunities and to ensure that the University can provide students with appropriate facilities. It will not affect the University’s decision whether or not to offer you a place, and the information will remain strictly confidential.

Criminal Convictions: To help the University to reduce the risk of harm or injury to its students caused by the criminal behaviour of other students, we must know about any relevant criminal convictions that an applicant has.

Relevant criminal convictions are only those convictions for offences against the person, whether of a violent or sexual nature, and convictions for offences involving unlawfully supplying controlled drugs or substances where the conviction concerns commercial drug dealing or trafficking. Convictions that are spent (as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974) are not considered to be relevant and you should not reveal them (but see below).
If you are applying for a programme in teaching, health, social work, or programmes involving work with children or vulnerable adults, you must tell us about any criminal convictions, including spent sentences and cautions (including verbal cautions) and bind-over orders. For these programmes, you may need an ‘enhanced disclosure document’ from the Criminal Records Bureau. More information may be found on the Criminal Records Bureau website at www.crb.gov.uk.

Courses in teaching, health, social work, and other courses involving work with children or vulnerable adults

For these courses, you must answer Yes in the box if any of the following statements apply to you.

I have a criminal conviction.
I have a spent criminal conviction.
I have a caution (including a verbal caution).
I have a bind-over order.
I am serving a prison sentence.

If you are currently serving a prison sentence, you must also give the prison address as your postal address on page 1 of your application and a senior prison officer must support your application.

All other courses For these courses, you must answer Yes in the box if either of the following statements apply to you.

I have a relevant criminal conviction that is not spent.
I am serving a prison sentence for a relevant criminal conviction.

If you are serving a prison sentence, you must also give the prison address as your postal address on page 1 of your application and a senior prison officer must support your application.
Convictions that are spent (as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974) are not considered to be relevant and you should not reveal them.

Applicants who answer Yes will not be automatically excluded from the application process. However, the University may want to consider the application further or ask for more information before making a decision.

If you are convicted of a relevant criminal offence after you have applied, you must tell us immediately. We may then ask you for further details of the offence before making a decision.

Residency information

This is to enable the University to classify you for fees-payment purposes. In some cases, it may be necessary to request, in addition, completion of a Fees Status Enquiry form.

Proposed course of study

To complete your application, you must enter precisely the course of study for which you wish to be admitted. If you wish to study part time, please make sure you indicate this clearly in the appropriate place. Note that admission to taught courses is possible normally only at the beginning of each academic session; admission to research degree courses (PhD; MPhil) is possible at the beginning of any month.

Proposed Research Title: This section provides an opportunity for you to specify the research area(s) in which you would like to undertake a research degree programme, and applies to MPhil and PhD applications only. You will be required to submit a detailed research proposal in Section 8 of the on-line form.

Supervisory arrangements: Please name any member of staff with whom you have discussed your proposed research topic, and also the name of your prospective supervisor (if known).

Education history

You should ensure that all courses of study at post-secondary school level are listed (including those with no qualification outcome), making sure that the full title of the university/institution is listed. You should enter the dates of registration at each institution. Give the grades you attained and indicate the system of assessment used; e.g. Degree Class, Grade Point Average (GPA), Percentile Rank, numerical or alphanumerical scale (indicate range and maximum/minimum scores) etc.

Language ability

If your first language is not either English or Welsh, you will have to produce documentary evidence of your English language ability. A range of English language tests is acceptable, including IELTS and TOEFL.

We would advise that it is your responsibility to check the English Language requirements for the course(s) for which you are applying. If you require additional English language training, the University is able to provide tuition and arrange appropriate tests through ELCOS (the English Language Unit details of which are available at http://www.bangor.ac.uk/international/future/elcos.php )

Additional information

Relevant employment: You should list all periods of employment which may be relevant to the course of study for which you are applying. This should include unpaid or voluntary work.

Other Qualifications or Experience: Include in this section any experience you have gained, whether in formal training or otherwise, which may be relevant to your studies.

Personal Statement: It is mandatory to include a personal statement of no more than 200 words. You should use the personal statement to explain why you are applying for your chosen programme of study and you should also include any other information in support of your application.

Funding your Studies: Please give as much detail as possible about your known or anticipated funding arrangements. You should note that you will have to demonstrate to the immigration authorities when you enter the UK that you have sufficient funds to pay for your fees and support yourself throughout your course.

Supporting Documents

IELTS/TOEFL score sheets: for those whose first language is not English or Welsh

Certified copies of all your further/higher education academic certificates: this does not apply to Bangor University students/graduates

Letter of recommendation from your nominated referee:
It is your responsibility to ensure that this section is completed by a suitable referee (usually not a family member or relation). Recent graduates should provide an academic reference, e.g. from the last institution at which you studied. If you are applying under the mature student regulations, your reference should be from a relevant employer. Additional references may be sought at a later date.

Alternatively, your referee can send their reference directly to the Postgraduate Admissions Office, Academic Registry, Bangor University, College Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG, United Kingdom, e-mail postgraduate@bangor.ac.uk

NB – Please note, if you are applying to study in the School of Ocean Sciences, two references are required.

A detailed research proposal (min 500 words): Applicants for research degrees are required to submit a research proposal including details of anticipated resource requirements and proposed research methodology.

Letter confirming financial support: This should be the official letter from your sponsor confirming the details and the full value of the award (if available).

Passport: International applicants only, scanned copy of your passport (identity details pages i.e. name, passport number, and nationality)

Declaration

If any information included in your application is found to be false or misleading, then the University has the right to cancel the application and withdraw any offer(s) already made. International students are advised that where the University has made an unconditional offer of a place on a programme of study and the student has accepted that offer, but subsequently fails to register without satisfactory explanation, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at the Home Office may be informed.

To apply on-line click here.