What is the UCAS Course Search?
Finding the right UCAS course for you is tough. There are more than 50,000 undergraduate courses from more than 300 universities. That’s why you need the UCAS Course Search tool.
The search tool has been designed for anyone, regardless of whether they want to study Art History, Psychology or even Maths.
Understanding the UCAS Course Search
The search tool is meant to be easy to navigate. You input the subject you want to study and your desired location. When you search, you’ll be given a list of courses that relate to your search enquiry.
Getting Started With the UCAS Search Tool
The first thing you need to do is pick a course to study. Lots of students pick something they’ve studied before, whereas others follow passions and some play to their strengths. It’s up to you what you pick and why.
However, it is sensible to think about the career you want in later life. If you want to be a surgeon, you should probably study medicine, for example.
However, if you don’t know what you want to study after you graduate, don’t worry about it. University is a great place to discover who you are, and you’ll probably find concrete career plans during the journey. As a minimum, study something you’re passionate about - a degree is hard work.
Try and pick similar subjects for all your choices, however. You’ll need to craft a personal statement, and this is harder when your subjects are diverse because you can’t make the statement fit all the courses.
Using the UCAS Degree Search Tool
Some courses on the same subject are different from one university to the next. You should take a close look at the degree programme and ensure you want to study the course.
Choosing a Course
You’ll need to compare courses across a lot of universities to pick the right ones for you. Let’s check out what to keep in mind during the application.
Your Modules
Take a look at the course modules and see what they offer. Do any of them excite you?
Your Entry Requirements
Take a look at the requirements for your course. Can you get what you need to study there?
The Teaching Style
What kind of tuition do you need? Take a look at how they teach, be it lectures or lots of independent studies.
The Assessments
How will they assess your progress on the course? Is there an assessment method you prefer?
Course Content
The course materials will vary from one place to the next, so take a look at what you need to know.
Which University Should You Apply For?
It’s important to think about where you want to study when using the search tool. You can filter results based on location, for example.
Each university is different, so take your time to look at what’s on offer. You should think about their reputation for teaching a course - some universities specialise in History, for example.
You should also consider going to study abroad. There are a lot of rewarding opportunities for international students.
Take a proper look at student accommodation when you’re choosing a campus too. Find out if it’ll work for your budget and explore financial aid options. There are generous bursaries for some students.
The UCAS website is a good place to find out about open days. If you’re going to study at a university, you need to visit and see the place for yourself.
Understanding Requirements For Entry
Every UCAS university will have different requirements for entry. These are the minimum qualifications you’ll need to attend the course.
Some universities are picky about which A-Levels they accept - ensure that you do your research. For example, Biology is a recognised study and often accepted. General Studies, however, are often not.
You need to be realistic about your application. You should have been given your predicted grades by the time you get to submit an application.
You’re only allowed to apply to 5 universities. You’ll often have a firm place and an insurance choice. If you need to change entry requirements for whatever reason, your insurance choice is there as a backup. It’s usually the easier course to get into.
Speak to your teachers and get advice about your application - they know a lot.
The UCAS Extra Search
If you don’t get an offer or don’t want to accept the offer, don’t worry too much about it. You can use the Extra Search tool to search for courses in computer science, mathematics and even economics. The system lets you see more options if you haven’t been able to get any of your first five choices.
The UCAS Undergraduate Search
You can apply for different types of degrees through UCAS, so ensure you tick the “undergraduate” box.
It’s important to remember that you can usually apply for five courses. However, if you’re applying for medicine, dentistry or veterinary studies, you only have four choices.
You can also only apply to Oxford or Cambridge. You can’t apply to both - so pick carefully. These are the best of the best, so you’ll be expected to take further tests in most cases.
There are a couple of different undergraduate courses you can study; let’s check them out to finish up:
Foundation Years Courses
These courses are the warm-up studies for a degree. You’ll take one year of study and prepare for the full degree.
Foundation Degree Courses
This would be another option if you didn’t get the grades you need or take the right exams. It helps give you skills and tools for a full degree.
Apprenticeship Courses
This is a course which combines work with academic study. It’s a more advanced apprenticeship than the college level.
The Bachelor’s Degree
The most common undergraduate programme is the Bachelor’s Degree. It’s one that will give you 3 to 4 years of study full-time.
You can do either a single or joint honours programme. It depends on the subject you study and where you study.