MSc Biotechnology and Enterprise / Application and selection

Year of entry: 2024

How to apply

Please apply via our online application form. See the application and selection section for details of supporting documents.

Due to the high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process. We reserve the right to close applications at any stage if the course is full. Please apply as early as possible.

Your application must be complete to be considered within the relevant stage. For non-UK educated students, you will need to must provide some initial evidence of English language ability. We cannot provide any decisions without this.

Applications with missing supporting documents will only be given a final decision in the stage during which the outstanding documents are received. For example, if you submit your application in stage 1 but your references are not received until stage 3, you will be considered as a stage 3 applicant and you will only receive your decision by the stage 3 deadline.

We cannot prioritise any individual applications nor can we provide any decisions prior to the published stage deadlines. If you require a decision by a particular date, eg, for a scholarship application, it is your responsibility to ensure your application is submitted and completed in enough time for you to receive your decision.

If we make you an offer, you will have two weeks to reply. Offers not replied to within two weeks will be withdrawn.

  • Stage 1: Apply by 1 December 2023; decision by 29 January 2024
  • Stage 2: Apply by 8 March 2024; decision by 15 April 2024
  • Stage 3: Apply by 10 May 2024; decision by 10 June 2024
  • Stage 4: Apply by 26 July 2024; decision by 30 August 204

Please note we give preference to applicants with grades above our minimum entry requirements due to the competition for places.

Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date. If this is the case, we will let you know after the initial deadline has passed.

Advice to applicants

We require the following documents before we can consider your application: 

  • Transcript of your studies to date.
  • Degree certificate (if you have already graduated).
  • Personal statement of no more than 300 words detailing briefly why you are interested in the course, what relevant knowledge/experience you will bring, and how the course aligns with your future career goals. Please also give examples of your ability to work both independently and in groups. Personal statements over 300 words will not be read past the word limit which may impact your application outcome.
  • Curriculum vitae (CV).
  • Evidence of English Language ability.
  • Two academic references. You must provide the contact details of two referees in your application form. We will accept applications with one reference only but preference will be given to applications with two.
Your referees will be contacted directly and asked to provide a letter of reference. When providing referee details, you must ensure the email addresses are accurate and official, typically ending with an institutional domain. We do not accept references provided from a personal email address, eg Hotmail or Gmail.

If any of the supporting documents are not in English, you must also provide us with official or certified English translations.

If English is not your first language, we also require proof of your English language ability. If you have already taken an English language qualification, please include your certificate with your application. We cannot provide a decision on an application without seeing some evidence of a good level of English language ability. If you do not provide this when you apply, your application will remain on hold until evidence is received.

How your application is considered

We consider your full academic history including which undergraduate course units you have taken and the marks obtained. When application numbers are high, even if you have met our minimum entry requirements, we will take into account your marks in relevant undergraduate course units in our final decision making.

Interview requirements

International applicants might be invited to attend an interview by Zoom.

Overseas (non-UK) applicants

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

You cannot use your CAS to apply for a visa more than three months before the start date of your course. This means that if you intend to begin a course on 16th September 2024, we will not issue you with a CAS number before 16th June 2024.

Your CAS number is only valid for one student visa application.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.