University of Bedfordshire Mini Guide 2025

Undergraduate Mini Guide 2025

At the University of Bedfordshire, we are committed to your success, to see you not just graduate but to soar towards an amazing future. We are passionate about equipping you with a degree that acts as a springboard to the career you’ve set your sights on and the skills you need to prepare you for the workplace.

We call it Career-Powered Education.

Career-Powered by skill-boosting courses.

Career-Powered by industry-informed degrees.

Career-Powered by first-hand experience of the world of work.

Career-Powered by teaching that keeps pace with real-world practice.

Career-Powered by facilities that replicate the workplace.

Career-Powered by employer partnerships.

Career-Powered by links with relevant sectors.

At the University of Bedfordshire, our courses are designed to fully prepare you for your career, develop skills to improve your employability and give you every opportunity to practise your new skills.

Our courses prepare you for your career

Our courses are designed to help you hit the ground running when you graduate. Depending on the subject, they may offer:

» Industry-recognised professional accreditations

» Placements and work experience including a year in industry

» Industry partnerships and links

» Industry talks and masterclasse s

» Industry-experienced academics

» Facilities that simulate real-world settings such as hospital wards and TV studios

» Industry-standard equipment

» Embedded employability units

» Additional employability skills training

» Practice-led courses where you work on live projects

» Field trips and sector visits

How does a professional accreditation help you?

Professional bodies/organisations offer different benefits. Depending on your course, an accredited qualification may offer you:

» free or reduced student memberships

» professional qualifications in addition to your degree

» exemptions from selected units or exam papers

» the option to apply/register for full or partial chartered or professional status when you graduate

» entry to trainee positions within your field.

You may also find accreditation is required to work in the field –and you may not be able to ask for accreditation retrospectively.

What do we mean by 'practice-led courses'?

Our approach to teaching and learning is ‘practice led’, which means you are offered many opportunities to put what you learn into practice.

So, depending on your course, you may find yourself working on reallife projects and scenarios; exploring real-world case studies; practising your skills in our on-campus, simulated environments including a moot court (law); hospital ward and operating theatre (health); and crime-scene flat (forensic science).

For more information on our facilities, see page 9.

1st in the UK for graduate social enterprise start-ups.

Our graduates are entrepreneurs

» 1st in the UK for graduate social enterprise start-ups still trading after three years (HESA, 2023).

» 3rd in the UK for all graduate business start-ups still trading after three years (HESA, 2023).

» In the top 5% of UK universities for graduate start-ups and continuing professional development (CPD) courses (KEF 2023, HESA 2023).

It’s a competitive world out there. That’s why we offer initiatives and activities to help you develop key employment-enhancing skills and experience.

We support your career development

At the University of Bedfordshire, our Careers and Employability Service will support you on your path to a brilliant career by providing professional, highquality advice and guidance throughout your degree and after you graduate.

Based at both our Luton and Bedford campuses, our specialist employability advisers can help and guide you to find part-time work alongside your studies as well as placement-year opportunities and graduate roles.

Our services encompass:

» advice on how to construct a CV and covering letter

» mock-interview sessions

» access to a wealth of careers information and online resources

» bookable careers guidance appointments and on-campus drop-ins

» employment-related events, such as career fairs, and competitions

» a lifelong graduate support package for alumni.

Our graduates get jobs

We rank in the UK top 10 for graduate prospects (on track and outcomes) for:

» biological sciences

» early childhood education

» sport science

» health and social care

» nursing

» public health

» law.

(Complete University Guide, 2024)

Over 90% of our Education graduates are employed within the first six months.

All our Physical Education students have secured jobs by the end of their course. (University of Bedfordshire student data, 2023)

“ The construction company JJ Rhatigan approached the University looking for some students and I was put forward by my lecturer. I came on a summer placement for two months and, at the end of it, they offered me a job on one of their other projects. At the moment, I’m an assistant site manager on this project.

I hope to become a site manager in the future.”

Jade Catchpole BSc (Hons) Construction Management

YOUR

This section will give you an overview of your application journey but, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at study@beds.ac.uk

1

What do you want to study?

Some of you may have a specific subject or course in mind already. Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what you want to study –you are definitely not alone! Think about the subject areas you enjoy and where they could take you. Talk to family, friends and your teachers or careers advisers to obtain more information.

2

Visit us at an open day

Open days are a great way to find out more about a university. You can find the dates for our open days at beds.ac.uk/open-days

If you can’t make it to an open day, we also run regular campus tours and virtual events.

ACTION

5

Take part in offer-holder experience days

At the University of Bedfordshire, we run offer-holder experience days, where you can visit the campus and take part in subject-specific taster sessions. You’ll have the chance to tour the campus, meet some of your classmates and get to know your future tutors.

6

Apply for accommodation

Once you have accepted an offer, you can apply for accommodation. For more information about our accommodation, see page 14.

3

Apply

Once you have done your research, visited some universities and had your questions answered, you should be in a position to apply. You can apply for up to five courses through UCAS.

4

Accept your offer

UCAS allows you to select a Firm (first) and Insurance (second) choice. If you applied to university by the January deadline, you typically need to have accepted your offer by May. For exact dates, visit ucas.com

7

Results day action

If you have met the conditions of your Firm choice university, your place will be confirmed via your UCAS Hub. If the University of Bedfordshire is your Firm choice, we’ll also send you a text on results day, followed by a welcome pack. If you didn’t receive the results you wanted, or have changed your mind since making your original application, do not panic. Our Clearing team will be happy to discuss your options and the different courses we have available.

8

Welcome to the University of Bedfordshire

The majority of our courses start in October. We’ll be waiting to welcome you onto campus with a range of events and activities.

PLAN

FANTASTIC FACILITIES

Luton

Our recently built STEM building houses modern engineering and research laboratories as well as specialised industrystandard equipment for high-end pharma/ biotech experiments. There is also a specialist forensics and IT security lab and a forensics mock crime-scene flat; games and graphics studios; and a robotics lab.

Our health-related courses benefit from a new simulation floor, taking students from mock-home to hospital; simulation ‘wards’ with medical-grade mannequins; mock operating theatre; physio suite; and mock occupational therapy ‘flat’.

Other facilities across a range of subjects include a mock-custody suite; art and design 3D workshop; print room; HD multi-camera TV studios; green-screen room; and a range of industry-replicating computing environments.

Bedford

This campus features facilities for teachertraining including mock classrooms; a Forest School; and a specialist sensory environment. Sports students have six BASES-accredited labs; Human Performance Centre; sports therapy and rehabilitation centre; strength and conditioning suite; and more. Equipment is industry standard and external facilities include sports pitches and multi-use games areas. Health-related students based at Bedford have a ‘real-life’ simulation area and two clinical-training ambulances.

At Bedfordshire, our students learn in a modern and vibrant environment fully equipped for today’s real world approach to teaching.

Aylesbury

Our Aylesbury campus is fully equipped for our Nursing and Midwifery students. Based at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, our students learn in a modern and vibrant environment suited to today’s vocational approach to teaching.

Our libraries

We have a library at each of our campuses providing the resources, equipment and space to work independently, including extended opening hours; remote database access; laptop loans; access to PCs and Macs; and the latest AV equipment. For more information about facilities across all of our campuses, visit beds.ac.uk/about-us/campuses

360° Tour

SUPPORTING YOU TO SUCCEED

Going to university is a big step. At Bedfordshire, we offer a supportive, caring environment where it’s easy to ask for and receive support, whatever your needs.

Student Information Desk (SiD)

If you have a question, you can head to one of our SiD desks, where an adviser will be able to help you or direct you to someone who can. SiD is also available online.

Personal academic tutors

Every student is allocated a personal academic tutor (PAT) to support them with their studies. This is in addition to your tutors at unit and course level.

Student Engagement and Mitigation (SEAM)

SEAM provides support to students on issues that affect attendance, ability to submit work and course progress; they also review applications for extensions and reassessments.

Academic Achievement Support

Our libraries offer training in developing students’ academic skills; improving assignment writing; resource searches and referencing; and IT skills.

Disability Support

If you have a disability, a long-term medical condition or a specific learning difficulty, our dedicated team can support you during your application and throughout your course.

Mental Health

We offer personal support to students experiencing mental health difficulties, have been given a formal diagnosis or are returning to study after ill health.

Counselling Service

We provide professional and confidential counselling for students experiencing problems of a personal nature that may be affecting their academic work and life.

Community and Faith

Our Community and Faith teams welcome students of all faiths and no faith, and offer confidential support as well as a range of social activities and events. beds.ac.uk/student-support

GET INTO SPORT

If you want sport to play a big part in your future, our partnerships, coaching and competitive sports opportunities will all add to your career scorecard. Or you can just play sport and have fun. It’s a win, either way.

British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS)

If you want to take part in competitive sports, join a University team and compete in the BUCS leagues. Choose from athletics, badminton, basketball, netball, football, futsal, hockey, plus many more.

Aspire Gym

We have two purpose-built gyms at our Luton and Bedford campuses, featuring a wide selection of cardiovascular and weight machines. Our gyms are staffed by qualified personal trainers.

Free fitness sessions

The University’s Get Active participation programme enables you to take part in a variety of activities alongside your studies, for free. They are a great way to keep fit and make friends.

Sport Scholarships

We currently have a sport scholarship programme in place for 2024, which is reviewed every year. For more information, visit beds.ac.uk/sportbeds/scholarships

Coaching opportunities

We offer an extensive coach education programme with a network of community and external partners that students can coach for.

Our sports partnerships

We are proud to be the Official Education/ Higher Education Partner of Luton Town Football Club and Bedford Blues Rugby Club, opening up opportunities for work experience; behind-the-scenes involvement and observation; guest speakers and masterclasses; and field trips.

STUDENTS’ UNION

We give you a voice

Beds SU is run by the students of the University of Bedfordshire, who are at the heart of the work Beds SU do. The Union ensures that student views and feedback are represented at all levels, whether that is through the academic representative system, feedback sessions, online, speaking to the executive officers, or by having your say in our annual student elections.

We help with problems

Beds SU provides all students with access to free, impartial advice and support on all aspects of University life including finance, housing issues, representation, safety and welfare.

On accepting an offer to study at the University, students automatically become members of Beds SU, which offers a great range of services and entertainment. Beds SU aims to empower every student to achieve their full potential while providing a great student experience along the way.

We power up your down time

Alongside serving food and drink, the Metro Bar in Luton and The Hub in Bedford offer social spaces for in-between lecture breaks as well as evening entertainments. There’s something for everyone, from film nights, quizzes and club nights to workshops and talks. Beds SU also offers online activities so, wherever you’re based, you can get involved.

We build communities

Beds SU has a whole range of faith, academic, cultural and recreational societies. We also have three student networks for those who identify as a member of the ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQ+ communities.

Find out more: bedssu.co.uk

Aylesbury Campus

CONNECTED

Our campuses in the buzzing towns of Luton, Bedford and Aylesbury provide a great student lifestyle right on London’s doorstep, with easy access to the rest of the UK and Europe.

Luton

Luton town is packed full of cultural diversity. It has plenty of bars and restaurants, an 11-screen cinema, bowling lanes, a shopping mall and indoor market, football stadium and other sports facilities as well as a vibrant arts and cultural scene based around the town’s Cultural Quarter. Plus it’s a short train ride from the sights and nightlife of London.

Bedford Campus

Bedford

Bedford is a riverside town with a mixture of lively traditional pubs and restaurants, shops and first-class sports facilities. It is well placed with train stations linking to London and Brighton to the south and Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield to the north.

Aylesbury

Some of our Nursing courses are based in Aylesbury, a town bursting with culture, international cuisine and clubs. It boasts a cinema, two theatres, galleries and regular music concerts.

ACCOMMODATION

By living in our student halls, you are part of a great community, and your bills, wi-fi and more are included in the rent. It’s great value for money, especially given our proximity to London, providing you with a safe, secure and friendly home away from home.

We can offer a wide range of accommodations, all on or close to our Bedford and Luton campuses. Both of the towns’ thriving social scenes and amenities are on your doorstep, with local and national transport links nearby. We have more than 1,000 rooms, including en-suite rooms, with the majority of study rooms grouped into flats with kitchen/lounge areas to relax in with flatmates.

Did you know?

Our accommodation has been voted the most cost-effective in southeast England (Student Crowd, 2023).

Other benefits of our on-campus accommodation include:

» staff on site 24 hours a day

» CCTV

» electronic fob and swipe-card entry

» free high-speed wi-fi

» bills and contents insurance included in rent

» on-site gym and laundry

» Village Life activities programme.

To find out more, visit beds.ac.uk/accommodation

SUBJECTS AT A GLANCE

We offer a wide range of courses in the following areas.

Art & Design

Our courses give you access to a creative team who publish, design and exhibit nationally and internationally. Their industry links open the opportunity for you to work on live briefs and collaborate on projects with leading practitioners in the field.

Business

Our Business School offers a variety of courses covering all aspects of business including accounting and finance; management; human resource management; marketing and tourism. You benefit from industry talks and have the opportunity to work on live industry briefs.

Computer Science & Engineering

Study in our purpose-built STEM building and benefit from cutting-edge facilities, equipment and software, whatever your subject area; industry-accredited courses; expert teaching staff with up-to-the-minute sector knowledge; and support from academic success tutors.

Education & Teaching

We offer a range of teaching courses and have partnerships with over 500 schools and educational organisations. We focus on realworld experience with practice-led courses as well as work-based courses that give working adults the opportunity to progress their careers.

English Language & Communication

Explore a variety of approaches to English language and linguistics as well as exciting and varied forms of literature, including creative writing. Our English with TESOL meets the requirements for TEFLi status.

Law

Gain hands-on practice of real legal work through our community Law Clinic and Refugee Legal Assistance Project as well as six months’ qualifying work experience at a local law firm. On graduation, you can progress to the professional stage of Bar training and are also qualified to work as a paralegal.

Life Sciences

Benefit from working with research-active staff who have links with employers across a range of sectors, ensuring you graduate with the up-to-the-minute workplace skills you need for a career in your specialist field.

Media & Culture

Learn your craft from an experienced team of industry professionals. You will have access to industry-standard facilities and equipment including our HDTV multicamera studio; green screen; and Macequipped newsroom.

Nursing, Midwifery & Health

With a focus on delivering a high level of professional skills, our contemporary health courses are developed with practice-placement providers. You put your skills into practice on placement and in our high-tech simulation suites.

Psychology

Our science-focused degrees are accredited by the British Psychological Society and delivered in industrystandard, specialist facilities. Our academic team remain active in the sector and external organisations such as the police and local charities.

Social Sciences

We are accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to deliver courses which give you soughtafter employment skills and meet the Government agenda.

Sport Science & Physical Activity

Our sport-related courses offer industryexperienced academics; up-to-theminute facilities and equipment; and a strong track record for graduate employment. We also offer exciting opportunities - including placementsthrough our official partnerships with Luton Town Football Club and Bedford Blues Rugby Club.

USEFUL INFORMATION

UCAS tariff

Most of our courses have standard entry requirements. For more information on tariff points for each of our courses, see our website.

UCAS course code

This is the code you should use when applying to the University through UCAS. For some courses, applications should be submitted directly to the University.

Foundation Year

Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an undergraduate course, our degrees with Foundation Year provide an alternative entry route for you to work towards a degree-level qualification. The tariff for Foundation Year will be lower than our standard courses – please see our website for full details.

Professional Practice

Many of our courses are available with a Professional Practice Year, where you can undertake a year in industry between your second and final year, helping you to gain experience and enhance your employment opportunities. Check website for eligibility.

Location

We have various campuses and, over the page, you can identify at which campus a course is running using the location column. Campus codes are:

UoB – L Luton campus

UoB – B Bedford campus

UoB – A Aylesbury campus

Note: D in the UCAS code column indicates you need to apply directly to the University.

COURSES

Art & Design

Business

Business

*Subject to approval or revalidation

Computer Science & Engineering

*Subject to approval or revalidation

COURSES

Education & Teaching

English Language & Communication

General

General

Law

Life Sciences

Media & Culture

COURSES

Nursing, Midwifery & Health

Psychology

Social Sciences

*Subject to approval or revalidation

Sport Science & Physical Activity

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

We are an inclusive University that takes pride in enabling you, whatever your circumstances, to pursue new possibilities and achieve your career goals.

Each course has its own entry requirements; for details, visit our website. Please note that we treat every applicant as an individual and will consider a wide range of qualifications for entry, and not just those on the UCAS tariff.

What grades get me the tariff points I need?

96 Three

112 Three A levels, grades BBC or ACD –

120 Three A levels, grades BBB or A*CC Merit (overall grade) Distinction/ Distinction/Merit

or D24+M21

HOW TO APPLY

Applying online

For all full-time higher education courses at universities and colleges in the UK starting in September or October, you must apply online at ucas.com

There are two types of applicant: students at a school or college registered with UCAS, and independent applicants.

School and college applicants

All UK schools and colleges (plus a small number of overseas establishments) are registered with UCAS, which manages student applications.

» If you are a student at a school or college, you will need to fill in an online application and submit it to your teacher or careers adviser, who can offer advice about the form and your choices.

» After checking your details and adding the academic reference, your school or college will submit the application online to UCAS.

» Payment to UCAS must be made online by credit or debit card – your school or college will advise you on how and when to do this.

Independent applicants

Applicants who are not at a school or college in the UK can apply online independently through UCAS. When applying as an independent applicant, make sure you consider the UCAS application deadlines listed on the UCAS website. For more information visit ucas.com. If you are an independent applicant, living in the UK, UCAS offers help and advice for those returning to study.

Do bear in mind that you are responsible for paying the correct fee, nominating a suitable referee and submitting the application online to UCAS. When you have provided the contact details of a referee, UCAS will send a request via email asking them to complete and submit a reference through the UCAS website. Your application will not be sent to your chosen institutions until the reference is received by UCAS, so ensure you leave enough time before the application deadlines for your referee to complete and return the form. Applications without a reference or with a reference provided by the applicant may not be considered. For more information on how to apply, visit beds.ac.uk/howtoapply

FEES & FINANCE

We understand that the cost of going to university is a key consideration for many of you. That’s why we make sure financial support and cost-ofliving initiatives are in place if you need them.

Tuition fees

At the time of publication, tuition fees for 2025-26 had not been published. For 2024-25 entry, the Government set the fee for full-time undergraduate courses at £9,250 per year. For the most up-to-date information, visit beds.ac.uk/fees

Student finance

You can apply for both a tuition fee loan and a student maintenance loan to support you throughout your studies. We recommend applying for student finance as soon as you have selected your first-choice university with UCAS to ensure that you receive your financial support at the start of term. For more information, visit gov.uk/student-finance

Financial assistance

We don’t want money worries to come between you and your studies so we offer financial hardship assistance and other initiatives if needed. For more information, as well as eligibility criteria, please visit beds.ac.uk/student-support/finance

If you are an international student, you can find out more at beds.ac.uk/international/fees-andscholarships

CONDITIONS & REGULATIONS

The information about courses provided in this prospectus is intended to give potential applicants an overview of the programmes that the University intends to make available in the next academic year.

Every effort is made to ensure that the information in the prospectus is accurate. However, it may become necessary for the University to make changes, for example, to programme content, course delivery and fees, due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons including (but not limited to) industrial action; lack of demand; departure of key personnel; change in government policy; withdrawal or reduction of funding; the requirements of the quality code of the quality assurance agency; or a change of law. The University will endeavour at all times to keep such changes to a minimum and to keep students informed appropriately.

If a course is not provided in whole or in part, the University will take such steps as are available to it to minimise the effect of any alteration or withdrawal. Such steps may include alterations to the delivery of teaching or assessment; the offer of a place on an alternative course; or the offer to transfer to another course at the University or elsewhere. You will be entitled to decline to accept the changes to the programme and withdraw but not to receive a refund for those parts of the programme that you have completed whether or not you have passed any assessment. If there are any physical restrictions to access then, depending on a student’s disability, reasonable adjustments will be made.

Published by:

The University of Bedfordshire

Production Editor: Eric Sithole

Content Editor:

Erika Harvey

Design and Art Direction: Absolute –absolute.agency

Photography: Roy Mehta –roymehta.com

Hugh Beaumont

Print: Belmont Press, Northampton –belmont.co.uk

Thank you to all the staff and students who helped in the production of this prospectus.

Luton Campus

University Square

Luton

Bedfordshire

United Kingdom

LU1 3JU

Bedford Campus

Polhill Avenue

Bedford

Bedfordshire

United Kingdom

MK41 9EA

Aylesbury Campus

Stoke Mandeville

Hospital

Mandeville Road

Aylesbury

United Kingdom

HP21 8AL

Putteridge Bury Campus

Hitchin Road

Luton

Bedfordshire

United Kingdom

LU2 8LE

Discover more about the University of Bedfordshire, tour our facilities, and meet some of our academics and current students at one of our open days.

Find out about our upcoming open days at: beds.ac.uk/open-days

beds.ac.uk

+44(0)300 3300 073