The application process 

Once UCAS receives your application, it sends it to our Admissions Office, who assess it and decide whether to offer you a place. The way we assess your application will differ from course to course, but we will use the information supplied in your application form including your personal statement, predicted and achieved grades and the reference supplied by your school or college. 

We carefully consider every application so please don’t worry if you don’t hear back from us straight away. We aim to make a decision on all applications within four weeks, and you will be able to track the progress of your application on UCAS Track. 

We will email you with the outcome of your application and confirm this with UCAS so that you can see the decision online using UCAS Track. If we offer you a place, we will explain any conditions attached to that offer (for example, the need to achieve certain grades in your examinations). 

Interviews

For some courses, we invite prospective students for an interview before making an offer. These are: 

• Accounting and Business (assessment centre run in conjunction with PwC) 
• Archaeology 
• Art
• Chemistry 
• Film, Theatre & Television 
• Food and Nutritional Sciences 
• Graphic Communication 
• Pharmacy 
• Primary Education 
• Psychology (MSci courses) 
• Meteorology and Climate (MMet course) 
• Theatre Arts, Education and Deaf Studies (TAEDS) 

Visit Days

If you are offered a place to study at the University of Reading without an interview, we will invite you to attend a Visit Day in your department of choice. Visit Days take place between November and March and will usually include a tour of our campus and facilities, a visit to a hall of residence, and the chance to meet academic staff and current students. 

Choosing offers 

Once you have heard from all of the universities that you applied to, UCAS will ask you which offer you want to accept. Most people choose two: one as your ‘firm’ or first choice, the other as your ‘insurance’ or second choice. If you meet the conditions of your offer, you will automatically be accepted onto your firm choice course. 

Confirmation of your place 

Most offers are conditional on exam results. If you meet the conditions set out in our offer, your place is assured and you will see this on UCAS Track . If you do not meet the conditions set out in your offer, you may still be able to get on the course. We will let you know as soon as possible after we have received your results. 

Gap year/deferred entry 

We welcome deferred entry applications. You need to apply at the same time as if you were planning to go straight to university, but you should state in your UCAS application that you wish to be considered for deferred admission.

Entry requirements

Please visit our postgraduate entry requirements page for information on academic qualifications and English language requirements.

When to apply

There is no specific deadline date for most courses and applications will be considered until the course is full. However, to allow time for us to process your application we recommend that you apply by the following dates for admission in September:

Please note that the MSc Speech and Language Therapy has an earlier application deadline of 1 November. Applications for PGCE courses are made through UCAS (see above) and the deadline is 15 September of the year of entry though early applications are recommended.

Most of our taught courses start at the beginning of the autumn term (in September) but there are a number that also have a start at a different time of the year or have multiple starts throughout the year. Please see the individual subject pages for further details.

After you apply

As soon as you have submitted your completed application we will send you an email acknowledgement. We will also create an applicant account for you which will allow you to check on the progress of your application online and access other useful information about the University of Reading.

We aim to reach a decision on your application within 4 weeks. The length of time taken to reach a decision will vary as each application is considered on an individual basis according to your relevant strengths and merits. Once your application has been considered you will receive an email from the Admissions Office informing you of the decision. If your application has been successful, our email will explain the offer and any conditions attached to it and also give further details of the fees and other expenses associated with your course. 

Our team of experienced admissions staff is here to help you throughout the application process so please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you need any help with completing your application or have a question about the progress of your application. You can contact us at pgadmissions@reading.ac.uk.