How to apply

Applying to university doesn’t need to be overwhelming – we’ve put together the information to help you tackle it.

What do I need to apply?

Standard entry requirements

The grades or qualifications you need will vary by course and may also depend on your personal circumstances.

You will find the qualifications you need for each course under the Entry requirements on the individual course pages.

So for example, if you want to study Accountancy in our Glasgow School for Business and Society, we may ask for the following entry requirements:

SQA Highers: ABBBB
A levels: BCC
IB: 26

You will normally need to achieve grades as good as or better than these standard requirements to be made an offer unless your personal circumstances mean you qualify as a widening access student.

Alternative qualifications

If you do not have the stated standard entry, we also consider alternative qualifications such as Foundation Apprenticeships, HNC/ HNDs, Access courses and T Levels. Additionally, depending on your personal circumstances, you may be assessed as a widening access student and, for some courses, may get a lower or adjusted offer.

Foundation Apprenticeships

We accept selected Foundation Apprenticeships, in combination with SQA Highers, for entry to our degree programmes. Your Foundation Apprenticeship will take the place of one SQA Higher qualification for our standard entry requirements and will be treated as equivalent to a B grade at Higher.

College qualifications

Many Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), which are qualifications taken in college, allow you to enter the 2nd or 3rd year of a university degree programme.

The year of entry should be made clear in the ‘choices’ section of the UCAS Apply online application.

When applying to Year 1 of your chosen course, this box should be left blank. For entry into the second or third year of a programme, you should enter the year in this box. For example, if you are applying to start in Year 2, put 2 in the box.

SWAP Access

Additionally, depending on your personal circumstances, you may be assessed and qualify as a widening access student and, for some courses, may get a lower or adjusted offer. We consider you to be a widening access student if you are from a group that is not currently well-represented in higher education.

We aim to identify each applicant’s full talent and potential and look beyond grades to do this. We consider you to be a widening access student if you:

Have successfully completed a pre-entry SWAP programme
Live in a target postcode area
Have experience of being in care
Have refugee status or are an asylum seeker.

When do I apply?

Applying to university after the January UCAS deadline isn’t a problem, there's still time plenty of time to apply to join Glasgow Caledonian. We accept applications for most of our undergraduate courses until early July.
If you are an international applicant, you should apply by 30 June.
All applications after 30 June can be made through UCAS Clearing however spaces on degree courses are limited.

How much does it cost?

The application fee is £28, enabling you to add up to five choices, as well as take advantage of the additional services UCAS has to offer, such as Extra, Clearing, and Clearing Plus.

Student studying at Glasgow Caledonian University

Apply online

For full-time courses, you apply online via the UCAS portal.

Apply to UCAS

Other ways to apply

International students

If you are an international student applying for undergraduate programmes there are two ways for you to apply:

1. Apply directly with us

Between July and September, you can apply directly to the university. You can contact a GCU representative in your country for advice on applying direct.

2. Apply through UCAS

You can apply online using UCAS. UCAS will then send your application to us on your behalf.

English Language

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence of your English language skills through qualifications.

College students

Many Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), which are qualifications taken in college, allow you to enter the 2nd or 3rd year of a university degree programme.

The year of entry should be made clear in the ‘choices’ section of the UCAS Apply online application.

When applying to year one of your chosen course, this box should be left blank. For entry into the second or third year of a programme, you should enter the year in this box. For example, if you are applying to start in Year 2, put 2 in the box.

Enrol as a GCU Pathways student

You may also choose to enrol to GCU as a College Pathway student, studying a HND for two years at college, with the opportunity to gain direct-entry to 3rd year of a programme.

Graduate Apprenticeships

You may choose to undertake a degree level programme at the University through our Graduate Apprenticeships routes. This route enables you to build your capacity and capabilities to gain credit for the job you do now and develop skills for the career you aspire to.

Part-time study

Part-time study is flexible and rewarding.

You can apply directly through the course page you are interested in, by clicking on the Apply button on each course page.

Have a look at our undergraduate part-time courses (BA/BSc courses)

Relevant experience (RPL)

If you have relevant experience equivalent to our standard entry requirements, you can still apply to study here through the recognition of prior learning (RPL) process.

More routes to success

We believe that education is for everyone; there is more than one path to GCU. Find out about other options you can take to join us.