UK Applicants

If you are a mature student (aged 21 or over) or no longer at school or college, you can apply online through UCAS or via our Direct Admissions form as an independent applicant. 

We recognise that students come from all backgrounds and embrace the different experiences that mature learners bring to our community. If you have a non-traditional academic background, we will look at your educational and employment history, together with your personal statement and reference, to gain a deeper knowledge of your suitability for the course when we assess your application.

Our mature students page will help to answer your questions. You may also find this UCAS information for mature students useful.

• In addition to the standard requirements outlined at the top of the page, you need to show evidence of your ability to undertake degree-level work.
• If you have not received formal education for some time you may need to complete a preparatory course, or you might be able to join us on a degree course with a foundation year, through our Essex Pathways program.
• If you receive an offer to study at Essex we may need to see evidence of your qualifications before you can register.  If you took your qualifications some time ago or have misplaced your certificates, there is some useful information online about what to do if you don’t have copies of old exam certificates.

You can find further information about applying as a mature student on the UCAS website.

We understand that for some people going to university before they turn 18 is the right choice for them and so we can admit students aged 16 and over, providing they meet the entry requirements for the course they have applied for.

If you will be under 18 at the point of entry you will be required to provide additional documents:

1. An under 18 form as part of your offer conditions
2. Parent/guardian approval for your application
3. Details of an emergency contact aged over 21 

Further details for applicants who will be under 18 at the point of entry to the University are available on our Undergraduate Admissions Policy and on this webpage.

Please note: Offers cannot be made to applicants who will be under 16 at the point of starting their degree.

If you've already met all the requirements for the course you have applied for, your offer will be unconditional.

If there are additional conditions that you need to fulfil in order to meet the entry requirements for the course you have applied for, you may receive a conditional offer.

Additional conditions include:

• Completing an academic or English language qualification
• Providing additional documentation such as a reference or an ‘under 18’ form

If your final grades are not as high as you had hoped, we may be able to offer a small amount of flexibility once we have your results. We’ll review each part of your application, including previous academic achievements, personal statement and reference before a final decision is made.

If we are unable to accept your application for your chosen course, the good news is you may still be able to secure a place with us on a course which includes a foundation year.