Expand+Application Procedures
All applications must be made directly to the College as St Mary’s is not a member of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

To apply, go online to www.smucb.ac.uk/admissions or contact:

The Academic ...

Hide-Application Procedures
All applications must be made directly to the College as St Mary’s is not a member of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

To apply, go online to www.smucb.ac.uk/admissions or contact:

The Academic Registry
St Mary’s University College
191 Falls Road
Belfast
BT12 6FE
Tel: (+44) 028 9026 8320
E-mail: admissions@smucb.ac.uk

The College website is regularly updated with relevant admissions information.

When to Apply
For full-time undergraduate courses, applications for 2017 entry may be submitted from 1st October 2016 until 9th January 2017. Any form received after the closing date will be deemed late. Late applications may be considered if vacancies remain available.

Expand+Entrance Requirements for Undergraduate Courses
An indication of specific entry requirements appears in the College Entry Guidelines. Students may also receive a copy of the Entry Guidelines by contacting the Academic Registry at the College.

I...

Hide-Entrance Requirements for Undergraduate Courses
An indication of specific entry requirements appears in the College Entry Guidelines. Students may also receive a copy of the Entry Guidelines by contacting the Academic Registry at the College.

It should be noted that the Entry Guidelines may change depending on the number and standard of applications received.

Students with a Disability
St Mary’s welcomes applications from students with a disability, and these applications are viewed on the same academic grounds as other applications. St Mary’s has a Disability Policy which outlines the College’s commitment to making every reasonable effort to accommodate students with a disability or a specific learning difficulty. Most areas of the campus have been adapted to cater for people with disabilities, including sensory impairments. Any student who has a disability or a specific learning difficulty is advised to contact the Student Support Officer as early as possible to discuss any needs which he or she may have.

Funded Support for Disabled Students
Applicants may be eligible for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (or the Fund for Students with Disabilities, if the applicant is from the Republic of Ireland). Support entitlements include assistive technologies, special equipment and non‑medical helpers, as well as study skills and exam support.

Applicants for courses of Initial Teacher Education (BEd and PGCE) are also subject to the requirements of Circular 2000/8 from the Department of Education regarding Medical Fitness to Teach.

Further details of these requirements and confidential advice on specific applications may be obtained by contacting the Academic Registry.

Potential candidates are encouraged to visit the College on Open Days or, by arrangement, to meet staff before applying.

Access for Mature Applicants
St Mary’s welcomes applications from mature students. Each application is considered individually, and account is taken of the applicant’s experience and achievements. However, the College requires evidence of recent study at A-Level standard (or equivalent) or an Access Course in a relevant subject area to indicate the applicant’s ability to complete successfully an honours degree course. Access Courses are offered at colleges of Further and Higher Education within Northern Ireland and Great Britain as well as at Institutes of Technology in the Republic of Ireland. It is important that the content of the subjects and modules studied contain A-Level equivalence in relation to the course subject.

Mature applicants are advised that they must demonstrate an acceptable level of competence in English Language and Mathematics subjects. In addition, all new entrants to primary-level courses must demonstrate an acceptable level of competence in at least one Science subject. An acceptable level of competence is defined as a GCSE level pass at grade C or higher, or an equivalent qualification.

Applicants with a Criminal Record
It is College policy to consider applications from anyone with a criminal record on their individual merits and in the light of all available information. The College will seek permission to carry out a police criminal record check on all applicants. There are specific requirements for a criminal record check for all applicants for courses of Initial Teacher Education (BEd and PGCE).

St Mary’s recognises the key role of education in the rehabilitative process, and a criminal record will not necessarily exclude an applicant. Further advice on specific applications may be obtained, in confidence, by contacting the Academic Registry.

Prerequisites
In addition to the requirements on the pages that follow, all applicants must have minimum GCSE grade C (or equivalent) in English Language and in Mathematics.

Applicants Presenting A-Level Qualifications
• All applicants must pass three A levels,
• Applied A levels are accepted as part of the A-level requirement. However, there may be special considerations in relation to the subject applied for and applicants should check the Entry Guidelines for the year of entry,
• Two Advanced Subsidiary GCE or VCE qualifications will not be acceptable in place of one A-Level,
• The applicant’s GCSE profile will be taken into account when considering applications,
• Applicants for BEd Honours Primary degree courses other than Science must have minimum GCSE grade C (or equivalent) in a Science subject.

Applicants Presenting Irish Leaving Certificate Qualifications
• Applicants must pass six subjects at higher level for admission to BEd courses. The exception to this requirement is BEd Honours Post-primary with Technology and Design, where applicants must pass five subjects at higher level,
• Applicants must pass five subjects at higher level for admission to the BA Liberal Arts course,
• Applicants must have achieved at least a grade D (ordinary level) in English and in Mathematics,
• Where a grade B (higher level) is listed as a guideline in a particular subject, a minimum grade of B2 will normally be expected,
• Applicants for Primary courses of Initial Teacher Education must have achieved Junior Certificate Science, grade C (higher level).

EQUIVALENT QUALIFICATIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
BTEC/OCR Qualifications
The College will consider BTEC/OCR qualifications as equivalent to GCE A-level. However, admission decisions will be based on the outcome of individual unit results. The College will not assign the equivalent UCAS tariff for the overall grade presented. The qualifications concerned are as follows:

BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/OCR National Certificate/Cambridge Technical & Introductory Diploma (6 Units) – equivalent to 1 GCE A-Level Grade A - 6 Distinctions, Grade B - 3 Distinctions and 3 Merits, Grade C - 6 Merits BTEC National Diploma/OCR Diploma/Cambridge Technical Diplomas (12 Units) – equivalent to 2 GCE A-Levels Grade AA - 12 Distinctions, Grade AB - 9 Distinctions and 3 Merits, Grade BB - 6 Distinctions and 6 Merits, Grade BC - 3 Distinctions and 9 Merits BTEC/OCR/Cambridge Technical Extended Diplomas (18 Units) – equivalent to 3 GCE A-Levels Grade AAA - 16 Distinctions and 2 Merits, Grade AAB - 14 Distinctions and 4 Merits, ABB - 12 Distinctions and 6 Merits, Grade BBB - 10 Distinctions and 8 Merits

BTEC National Awards/OCR National Certificates/Subsidiary Diploma
BTEC National Award/OCR National Certificates/Subsidiary Diploma qualifications are acceptable although (normally) a maximum of one BTEC National Award/OCR National Certificate will be counted as part of an applicant’s portfolio of qualifications.

CACHE Diploma
The CACHE Diploma is accepted for entry to the BEd Degree as long as the subject requirement is met.

For further information, please contact:
The Academic Registry
St Mary’s University College
191 Falls Road
Belfast
BT12 6FE
Tel: +44 (0) 28 9026 8320
E-mail: admissions@smucb.ac.uk

Interview for the BEd Honours
Applicants for courses of Initial Teacher Education will be interviewed. They will also be asked complete a short written task.

Interviews will normally be held in the College in February or March of the year of entry.

Whilst examination performance is the most significant factor in determining admission, the interview outcome is also significant.

Expand+Tuition Fees
All full-time and part-time students will be charged tuition fees. This includes PGCE students. For students who are Northern Ireland domiciled these are currently £3,925 per year and are normally subject to an annual inflationary uplif...

Hide-Tuition Fees
All full-time and part-time students will be charged tuition fees. This includes PGCE students. For students who are Northern Ireland domiciled these are currently £3,925 per year and are normally subject to an annual inflationary uplift. A student will be liable for the full tuition fee at the point of enrolment and registration. This includes a non-refundable element of 25% of the calculated tuition fee.

Tuition Fee Loan
Students may defer their fees by applying for a Tuition Fee Loan of currently up to a maximum of £3,925 or pay the full fee directly to the College or a combination of taking out a fee loan for part of the fees, and paying the rest directly to the College.

A single application form PN1 is used for applying for a fee loan, loans for living costs and maintenance grants and the St Mary’s College Bursary.

Students can apply online or download an application form via the Student Finance Northern Ireland website www.studentfinanceni.co.uk.

Once applications have been assessed, the local branch of Student Finance NI will send the student a Student Notification which will include details of the amount of fee loan the student has requested.

Payment Options
Students who do not avail of the fee loan can pay their fees in one of two ways:
• Direct Debit – students can complete a direct debit authorisation which spreads the fee due over six months from December to May.

• Cash or Cheques – students who do not complete a direct debit authorisation will receive one invoice in November for the full amount, which will be payable within 30 days.

EU Students Non-UK EU Students, including students from the Republic of Ireland, can defer their fees by applying for a fee loan of currently up to a maximum of £3,925.

The application is essentially the same as the system for applying for fee loans and other support. EU students may also be eligible for a College Bursary. This will be dependent on the level of their household income. EU students should contact the Student Loan Company EU team by telephoning 0141 243 3570 in Darlington for advice. For maintenance support EU students should contact their local county council.

Expand+Maintenance Grants
Grants of up to a maximum of £3,475 will be available to full-time undergraduate students from lower income households. Students from Northern Ireland with a household income of less than £19,203 will receive the full non-refun...

Hide-Maintenance Grants
Grants of up to a maximum of £3,475 will be available to full-time undergraduate students from lower income households. Students from Northern Ireland with a household income of less than £19,203 will receive the full non-refundable grant of £3,475 per annum. Partial grants will be payable to students where household income is between £19,204 and £41,065.

Grants are usually paid in three instalments, one at the start of each term. To apply for a maintenance grant students should contact their local Student Finance NI Branch as soon as possible.

Special Support Grant
For students who are in receipt of Income Support or other means tested benefits such as Housing Benefit a Special Support Grant is available, which effectively replaces the maintenance grant.

It will cover additional course costs such as books, equipment and travel that result from attending a course. The amount of support, the income assessment arrangements and the payment arrangements are the same as for the new Maintenance Grant. However, it will not reduce entitlement to support for maintenance from the Maintenance Loan.

To apply for the Special Support Grant students should contact their local branch of Student Finance NI.

Maintenance Loans
Students may apply for a student loan to help cover living costs through their local Student Finance NI branch using the PN1 form. Rates will vary according to household income but like tuition fee loans will not have to be repaid until you leave university and are earning £17,495 or more. Student loans are paid in three instalments by credit transfer directly into students’ bank accounts.

St Mary’s Bursaries
St. Mary’s will provide additional financial support, based on assessed household income, in the form of a non-repayable annual College Bursary. Students who are entering St Mary’s as first year students with assessed household income of less than or equal to £19,203 will be entitled to a College Bursary which is currently £510. College Bursaries will be increased annually to take account of inflation.

Students do not need to complete a separate application form for entitlement to a St Mary’s Bursary. The College will use information submitted in the PN1 application to the local student finance provider to assess eligibility.

Student Support Funds
Each year an amount is made available to the College to provide help to students who have serious financial difficulties or who might not otherwise be able to afford to enter higher education.

Student Support Funds are available to full-time students, and part-time students studying at least 50% of a full-time course. To qualify, students must meet the same residence conditions as for Student Loans and be following an undergraduate or postgraduate course.

To qualify for a grant from Student Support Funds, students must be able to show that they need financial assistance and that they have explored other ways of supporting themselves including having taken out the maximum amount of Student Loan available.

Students from England, Scotland, Wales
St Mary’s will charge £9,000 to full-time undergraduate students who are resident in England, Scotland and Wales. Students will not normally have to pay upfront for tuition and can defer payment of their tuition fees by taking out a fee loan. Students should apply to their respective student finance providers.

Expand+What is a Liberal Arts Degree?
Introduction
There is a distinctive philosophy of learning which underpins the Liberal Arts degree, and it emphasizes a broad and balanced programme of learning as preparation for further academic studies, profession...

Hide-What is a Liberal Arts Degree?
Introduction
There is a distinctive philosophy of learning which underpins the Liberal Arts degree, and it emphasizes a broad and balanced programme of learning as preparation for further academic studies, professional development or employment.

While relatively new in the British Isles, the tradition of Liberal Arts education is firmly established in North America and Continental Europe. By definition, it delivers a high-quality undergraduate degree programme which seeks to develop students with a well-rounded university education as a preparation for further study or employment. The Association of American Colleges and Universities defines a truly Liberal Education as one which “prepares people to live responsible, productive and creative lives in a dramatically changing world”. It is an education which fosters well-grounded intellectual resilience, a disposition to lifelong learning and an acceptance of responsibility for the consequences of one’s ideas and actions. A degree in Liberal Arts is not tied to a specific career path such as teaching, engineering or medicine. A Liberal Arts degree prepares the citizens of tomorrow, the leaders in business and across society, and it is particularly relevant now in Ireland, north and south.

St Mary’s has developed a degree programme to provide this particular form of university education for students who feel it is right for them. As a result, the Liberal Arts degree has a number of distinctive features:
• a multi-disciplinary study of people, as individuals and as members of society, from economic, political and ethical perspectives

• an economic and cultural exploration of Ireland in its European and global contexts

• opportunities to experience the world of work through study visits and placements with businesses, organisations and community enterprises

• opportunities to develop the key skills of communication as part of career and personal development

• a careers service that is fully integrated into the learning and teaching programme

The Liberal Arts programme is supported by an excellent team of lecturers, administrative staff, technicians and a careers officer, all of whom are dedicated to ensuring that students enrolling for the BA (Hons) degree will find it interesting and purposeful. Liberal Arts students consistently experience very high levels of academic and pastoral support.

The international dimension is integral to the Liberal Arts Programme at St Mary’s, and all students are encouraged to take advantage of the exciting opportunities on offer to study, with full academic credit, at partner institutions elsewhere in Europe and in the USA.

Students are urged to work hard to achieve personal success. Furthermore, they are encouraged to release their often untapped creativity and potential during their years at St Mary’s.

Structure of the Degree
The Liberal Arts degree is a three-year, full-time honours degree course consisting of eighteen modules organised in three inter-linked elements. All students take modules in Human Development Studies and International Studies. The subjects on offer are Business Studies, English, History, Irish, Physical Education and Religious Studies.

Human Development Studies
Human Development Studies is a multidisciplinary study of human nature at both an individual and a communal level. The course has both an intellectual and a skills-based dimension. It offers students the opportunity to integrate College-based study with placements in the world of work, thus preparing them for future employment. Human Development Studies is academically challenging and personally rewarding. It opens horizons to new ways of thinking and equips students with the skills for a productive and responsible future.

The degree introduces students to a variety of academic disciplines in which they explore different understandings of human nature. In the first year, students examine various definitions of human nature and how humans interact in the public sphere. By surveying the writings of philosophers and political thinkers, students become familiar with different answers to these questions and develop the intellectual skills associated with undergraduate study.

In later years, this element of the degree course builds on these foundations to explore key concepts in contemporary political discourse (citizenship, human rights, individual and community identity). Students also develop skills for responsible decision-making by examining various ethical themes.

In parallel to exploring human existence in its political aspects, students are introduced to economic approaches to understanding human nature. The College approach is distinctive: while making use of business and management studies, it places the person, not profit, at the centre of discussion. Students examine models of management and industrial relations in the first year. In the second year, students look at the role of the consumer, and they explore the phenomenon of globalization in the final year.

As part of Human Development Studies, students will also have the opportunity to improve a wide range of key skills. They develop their communication skills in collaboration with the staff of the Writing Centre, recognised nationally as a Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Students will also develop their oral communication skills and use of ICT.

In the first year, students will participate in seminars to develop the study skills necessary for a successful career in higher education. In conjunction with the staff of the College’s Careers Office, students will also have the opportunity to enhance a wide range of other skills sought by employers.

Work Related Learning
Students begin to relate their learning to the workplace in the first year by means of a series of lectures and presentations by visiting professionals. This series, called “Investigating Careers in the Workplace”, seeks to raise awareness of the range of work environments available for exploration in second-year and third-year work placements.

In Years Two and Three, students follow the Work Related Learning programme and are placed in businesses and organisations for a period of six weeks each year. While each work placement has its own particular features, placements are designed to provide students with an opportunity to carry out small projects and, when appropriate, to shadow and assist management personnel.

Evaluations to date suggest that this opportunity is highly valued by the students. This experience has proved to be a highlight of the Liberal Arts degree, both for the experience it provides to develop employability skills and for the future employment opportunities it opens up.

International Studies
Europe has been the context within which society has developed on the island of Ireland for two millennia and more. Increasing communications, mobility of peoples and political connections mean that the educated citizen of tomorrow cannot be ignorant of Europe and its impact on life on this island.

However, “Europe” is a multi-dimensional concept that means many different things, both positive and negative. This focused study will enable students to explore these concepts and to consider them as contexts for future action. Students will examine Europe, not merely as an economic context but also as a cultural home. By doing so, they will be developing the life skills for living and working in a world marked by great diversity yet increasing unity.

Students will engage with staff from a range of academic disciplines to conduct an active investigation of the concepts and contexts which Europe represents. They will develop their knowledge and understanding of definitions of Europe (geographical, political, cultural and economic) and pay particular attention to the evolution of the European Union as a major context for Ireland’s future development. They will develop and apply a range of skills: intellectual, practical, and transferable.

The International Studies element aims to provide students with an awareness and understanding of Europe as a cultural context and as a business environment. It equips students to engage with others as citizens of Europe in the twenty-fi rst century. Such graduates will be well-placed to take up leadership roles in a cosmopolitan Ireland to serve the needs of their community and economy.

Subject Study in the Liberal Arts
The Liberal Arts programme allows students to choose one area of subject study which they pursue in all three years of the degree. Subject study comprises up to one half of the degree and aims to increase knowledge in a particular academic discipline. Along with the other elements of the BA Honours Liberal Arts degree, subject study aims to develop intellectual, practical and transferable skills. In the first year students take one module linking subject study with professional skills, in particular the communication skills appropriate to that subject discipline. In the second year students take one module linking subject study to employability skills, making use of the work placement to explore the relevance of the subject in the world of work. In the pages that follow, information on other modules offered by each subject area is presented.

Expand+Business Studies
Year One students take a double module, Foundation Studies in Business, which is a broad-based course introducing fundamental concepts in Economics, Financial Accounting, Marketing and ICT.

Year Two students take two separate m...

Hide-Business Studies
Year One students take a double module, Foundation Studies in Business, which is a broad-based course introducing fundamental concepts in Economics, Financial Accounting, Marketing and ICT.

Year Two students take two separate modules which consolidate and develop the work covered in Year One in the following disciplines: Human Resources Management, Statistical Techniques, Marketing and Financial Analysis.

Year Three students undertake the core module of Strategic Planning and International Marketing, as well as up to two modules from the list below:
• Industrial Relations & Management Information Systems,
• Entrepreneurship & Management Information Systems,
• Entrepreneurship & Researching the Growth of Small & Medium Enterprises.

N.B. The list of available options for Year Three may vary.

Expand+Employability
When students have successfully completed the Liberal Arts degree, they will have had a wide range of the learning experiences that are sought by employers. Consequently, the Liberal Arts degree students will be:
• familiar with imp...

Hide-Employability
When students have successfully completed the Liberal Arts degree, they will have had a wide range of the learning experiences that are sought by employers. Consequently, the Liberal Arts degree students will be:
• familiar with important aspects of industry, commerce, management and the wider business environment
• trained in a variety of communication skills – oral, numerical, written and ICT
• knowledgeable of how society works both at a local and European level
• competent in personal development skills and the interpersonal skills to negotiate difficult issues with others
• proficient across a range of academic disciplines
• well-developed in the essential skills of effective management, planning and organisation

Employment Opportunities
The Liberal Arts degree can open doors to a range of careers, including the following:
• accountancy
• banking
• business and commerce
• charitable organisations
• fashion
• journalism
• leisure and entertainment
• marketing
• public relations
• retail management
• sports coaching
• teaching
• travel and tourism
• youth work

Expand+A Degree with a Difference
St Mary’s has developed the Liberal Arts degree as part of its mission to make a distinctive contribution to higher education in Northern Ireland. The College considers it to be a “degree with a difference”. Building on i...

Hide-A Degree with a Difference
St Mary’s has developed the Liberal Arts degree as part of its mission to make a distinctive contribution to higher education in Northern Ireland. The College considers it to be a “degree with a difference”. Building on its successful experiences in teacher education, the College is now offering wider access, based on the same values and standards, to meet the needs of students who have not chosen teaching as a career.

This innovative degree offers students a combination of modules focusing on a chosen academic subject alongside other modules that make use of a wide range of disciplines to explore the human condition and our contemporary European context. This combination of focused study and broad development is a key feature of a Liberal Arts education. The learning programme seeks to develop the skills necessary to succeed in new and challenging situations. It also offers the opportunity to deepen one’s personal values and sense of responsibility to the needs of society. The College therefore believes that a Liberal Arts degree offers students learning opportunities for both employability and fulfilment.

St Mary’s University College is academically integrated with Queen’s University Belfast. Liberal Arts students at St Mary’s are registered students of the University and have access to its learning resources, Students’ Union and Physical Education Centre. As a result, courses offered by St Mary’s are backed by academic maturity in teaching and research so that they are equivalent to those of comparable programmes offered elsewhere in the University.

The educational aims for the Liberal Arts degree are to develop the following:
• an intellectual and ethical framework for living and working in tomorrow’s world
• an understanding of Europe as a cultural concept and as a business environment
• knowledge and understanding in certain key areas of a selected subject
• a range of communication, practical, management and professional skills

These aims are intended to ensure that students:
• are prepared for lifelong learning and professional development
• are well-equipped for a range of employment opportunities at graduate level
• can contribute effectively to society
• can achieve personal fulfilment