University of East London Homepage

100 degrees for February? Early starts keep growing at UEL

Thursday 12 January 2006

Thinking of university in 2006? Increasingly, students are opting to begin their studies in February, rather than the traditional September entry.

The University of East London (UEL) has been offering February starts for the last six years, and has become recognised as a leader in this field with more than 100 degree programmes on offer. Hundreds of students are already benefiting from the system and several thousand applications have already been received for this year.

Carol Elliott, Head of Admissions at UEL, said: "The February intake has really taken off. For many students, it is an ideal time to start a degree programme. We are getting tremendous interest from a wide range of applicants, including mature students seeking to change their careers and younger students who are taking a few months off to work after school or college before applying to university.

“Last year around 800 students joined in the second Semester, making up over 20% of total intake for the year. This is a system that really works for us and our students and we are looking to extend it in future."

Students starting in February start new modular programmes at the start of the second semester along with students who had previously studied different modules in the first semester, then complete an extra semester after the earlier starters have already finished.

Health and Bioscience is one area that has seen big increases in February starts. Roger Worgan, Registrar for UEL’s Stratford-based School of Health and Bioscience, said: "We have opened up our admissions criteria to include NVQs, access programmes and returning students. More of these students are aware of higher eductaion throughout the year. We have seen a rise in numbers of local students interested in sports science and related degrees, which may be related to the Olympics."

For full details contact 020 8223 3333 or log on to www.uel.ac.uk

February Starters - Student Profiles

For Andrew Cameron, UEL’s graduate diploma in Psychology offered exactly the bridge he needed towards his ambition to be an educational psychologist, helping him get British Psychological Society accreditation in 18 months. Andrew, 27, signed up in February 2004 after careful research and a recommendation from a friend.

“I graduated in philosophy from Durham University in 2000 and then worked in schools as a learning support assistant, and with a charity for children and adults with learning disabilities, “ he explains. “This experience gave me a clearer idea about what I wanted to do and has been invaluable as I apply for courses in a different subject area.”

Trevor Wiggan, 24, of Leyton, started his BA (Hons) degree in Politics and Sociology in February 2005. Trevor had previously completed a GNVQ in IT at Leyton 6th Form College, but had been out of education for some time and was advised by UEL admissions staff to consider the four-month New Beginnings 2 course, which started in September 2004 and helped to equip Trevor with the basic skills necessary for successful learning in higher education.

Trevor said: “I decided to apply to UEL because I wasn’t particularly enjoying my work in a call centre and wanted to improve my prospects for the future. The New Beginners course was very helpful and prepared me very well for university life – I don’t know if I would have coped if I’d started in September.

“I’m now very much enjoying the course and learning a lot of interesting things. In the future, I hope to do a masters in race relations before perhaps going on to find work as an adviser in that field.”

Francis Latzoo, 47, of Forest Gate, began his BA (Hons) degree in Health Service Management in February 2005. Francis was working as a housekeeping supervisor in a London hotel and decided to change direction.

“I saw a bendy bus advertising UEL and their opportunities to start in February, so I decided to come in and have a look round. I had a chat with one of the course tutors, who introduced me to some of the other lecturers and really raised my interests, especially as UEL is so close to home.

“I’m really enjoying my time at UEL; the facilities are great and its such a wonderfully friendly and diverse environment. Even though I started later than most of the other students, it only took me a couple of weeks to settle in and make friends

Neena Mir (30) from Barking, was one of the first students to choose a February start when she began her Bachelors of Law (LLB) degree at UEL in 2001. After leaving school Neena trained as a hairdresser, but gradually built up the confidence to go to university. After graduating in 2004, Neena worked part-time at a barristers chamber and helped Yasmin Qureshi, a Labour politician and human rights adviser to Ken Livingstone, during her election campaign. She is currently studying for a Masters of Law at UEL

Neena said: “I was always interested in law but had never had the opportunity to study it seriously before. Starting in Feb was great – it meant didn’t have to wait for months and it was definitely the right time for me. I found the degree fascinating – I don’t know if would have been able to do it when I was younger because it requires a good understanding of life. I'm now really enjoying my Masters; it’s a great course with wonderful opportunities to discuss and write about important current issues. I'm planning to do my my Legal Practice Course next year and hopefully go on to become a solicitor."

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

Information for screenreader users:

For a general description of these pages and an explanation of how they should work with screenreading equipment please follow this link: Link to general description

For further information on this web site’s accessibility features please follow this link: Link to accessibility information