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What are Entry Profiles?

UCAS Entry Profiles can help you make that important decision about which universities/colleges and which courses to apply to. Many courses with the same title are actually very different in terms of content and methods of study. Which one will you like best? Which one will suit you best? At which university or college will you be happiest - a city university, a small college, a rural campus? Each offers a unique experience. But which one is for you?

If you are thinking about applying to higher education, you will need to gather and consider a lot of information before you are ready to make a choice. Entry Profiles provide details about courses, about the university or college offering each course, and about the information you need concerning their entry qualifications, selection criteria and admissions policy. This information is essential to enable you to make fully informed choices about entry to higher education.

We believe that Entry Profiles are invaluable guidance tools for teachers, careers advisers, applicants and potential applicants. They are compiled by staff at the university or college, who understand the kind of detail you need to know about their courses, and what kind of personal qualities, interests and experiences will be helpful for you to have, in order to be a successful student on the course you ultimately choose.

What are Entry Profiles for?

• To provide important information for anyone interested in applying for a higher education course.
• To help you imagine what it would be like to be a student at that university or college.
• To let you know what the entry qualifications are, so that you can be sure that you are studying the required subjects for that course, and are on track to gain the grades which the university expects. If you are in year 9 or 10, and will not be applying to higher education for another couple of years, this information will help you choose the subjects that are essential for entry to a particular course later on. Information is also provided for applicants who have a wider range of post-16 qualifications and/or work experiences.
• To tell you about the course in detail - what makes it different from other courses with the same title? What is the content of the course? Are there optional modules, special features, opportunities to travel abroad? The information supplied in the Entry Profile should help you find out exactly what you would be studying, if you chose to apply to that course.
• To tell you about the university or college which is offering the course. Where is it? How far away from your home is it? What facilities does it have? What kind of accommodation is available to first-year students?
• To let you know what interests, personal qualities, or relevant experience the admissions staff might be looking for in their applicants - information that will help you choose the course which is right for you.
• To explain the institution's admission policy and selection procedures, including (where applicable) information about interviews or auditions.

How do I find Entry Profiles on the web?

• Entry Profiles can be found via Course Search.
• When you find courses which interest you (by searching for a particular subject, or for courses at a particular university), look for the symbol after the course title on the results page. If the symbol is present, it means that the course has a full Entry Profile.
• Courses without the symbol have details about qualifications, but no information about the course itself.
• When you click on the course title you will go to the main course information page. You will find the Entry Profile link below the information required to complete the application. This link will take you to the profile for that course.

Once I have found an Entry Profile on Course Search, what should I look for?

• Read the information about the course. Ask yourself if this course covers the aspects of the subject that particularly interest you. Does it have the flexibility you might be looking for? How will it be taught? What career opportunities are open to you, if you study this particular course?
• Does the Entry Profile tell you about the personal qualities the university or college is looking for in applicants for that course? Does their description sound like you? Do you have the experience they say would be beneficial in their applicants, or the time to acquire it before you apply? Do you think this course will suit you?
• Check the academic entry requirements. Are you studying the right subjects for entry to this course? Are you expected to achieve the grades or tariff points required?
• Make sure that you know where the course will be taught - sometimes it is not at the main campus. Will you be able to travel to lectures and tutorials easily, if you live some distance away?
• Will you need to take an additional entrance test for this course? If so, you must find out how to apply for it. Is there an audition or interview as part of the selection procedure? Look for specific information in the Entry Profile about this.
• Look for comments about the course or about the university which have been written by current or former students. What they have to say will help you imagine what it will be like to be a student at that university or on that course.

The Entry Profiles are subject to a process of continuous development and updating. To help us with this task, we welcome your comments. Please send them to profiles@ucas.ac.uk.