University of Wolverhampton Undergraduate Guide 2024/25

UNDERGRADUATE GUIDE 2024/2025

BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE

Welcome!

At the University of Wolverhampton, we encourage you to be the person you want to be.

While you study with us, we’ll support you to gain the results you want, and prepare you to excel in your field while helping you conquer any challenges. Our excellent teaching is backed by outstanding student support and worldclass facilities – see what our students say about their experiences with us!

Make the University of Wolverhampton your first choice, and together we can make you unstoppable. Read on to learn why students from over 130 nations come to study with us, every year.

Open Days

Our open days are the best way to get all your questions answered and to get a feel for student life on campus.

wlv.ac.uk/openday

I’m really grateful to have studied at the University of Wolverhampton. The support I’ve had has been amazing, and if it wasn’t for the Uni, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Ezekiel Agyemang BA (Hons) Sports Studies and Development

Saturday 17 June 2023

Saturday 19 August 2023

October 2023: TBA

November 2023: TBA

Why the University of Wolverhampton?

GREAT

EMPLOYER LINKS

of our graduates are employed or in education*

EXCELLENT

TRANSPORT LINKS

for social mobility

%in England and Wales for two years running.**

We are diverse: almost twothirds of our new students are the first in their family to go to university, almost half are 21 or older, and over half are from global majority backgrounds.

STUDENT SUPPORT AWARD-WINNING

World-class courses with accreditation from professional, statutory, and regulatory bodies

I loved my degree – everyone I’ve met has contributed to my time here, I’ve made some great friends and received lots of support from the amazing lecturers, which has really boosted my confidence.

Coral Thacker PGCE Secondary Physical Education

% Student satisfaction rates include:^

for Chemical, Process, and Energy Engineering

for Accounting and for History %

Cost of living

Student life in Wolverhampton is welcoming and reasonably priced all year round. If you live in University-owned, on-campus accommodation, you’ll enjoy cost-effective living with all your bills included in the price.

During term time, we provide a free intercampus shuttle bus to attend lectures or other University facilities.

Our support services are on hand if you are ever struggling and need additional help. See p38 for information on our available bursaries.

If you move from undergraduate to postgraduate study with us, you get a 20% discount on the cost of your course, with our postgraduate loyalty discount. Find out more at:

wlv.ac.uk/loyalty

WLV Wallet

WLV Wallet is an online portal for all our students, offering resources to support you during your studies including student blogs, offers, an online shop, and a bursary. Receive £200 in your first year, and another £100 upon successful enrolment into your second year.

Wolverhampton city living costs*

Cheaper than London %

Basic meal in a restaurant with drink

Cheaper than London % % Accommodation Cheaper than London

Cheapest city to study in according to Student Crowd

Utility bills Cheaper than London

%

Main train routes through Wolverhampton

Transport links

The University of Wolverhampton is a central Midlands hub and just a short train ride away from many areas of the UK.

TRAIN TIMES FROM WOLVERHAMPTON

TRAIN TIMES FROM WOLVERHAMPTON BIRMINGHAM 19 MINS MANCHESTER 1 HR 10 LIVERPOOL 1 HR 25

LONDON EUSTON 1 HR 50

BRISTOL 1 HR 50

CARDIFF 2 HRS 40

EDINBURGH 4 HRS TRAVEL

Student life on campus

Whatever you’re into, there’s plenty on offer on and off our campuses to entertain you during your downtime.

Food

There are plenty of places to eat, drink, and meet up across our campuses. Our Costa Coffee at Wolverhampton City Campus will perk you up throughout the day, while the Courtyard Kitchen serves up tasty dishes to please your tastebuds. At Walsall Campus there’s the Boulevard Kitchen and Coffee Lounge, while at Telford you can relish snacks and meals at the Green Shoots Deli.

Students’ Union (SU)

Wolves SU offers an inclusive range of services and activities to enhance your student life. There are clubs and societies dedicated to sports, hobbies, interests and study subjects, and additional support from the SU too.

Sport

You’ll find pulse-pounding sporting events and fitness activities across our campuses, which you can watch, play for fun or competitively, or just to try something new. The campus gym is also a great place to unwind and get or stay fit.

wlv.ac.uk/sport

Library

At our three libraries – Harrison Library at City Campus, Walsall Library on Walsall Campus, and Hutchison Library at Telford – you’ll find a great network of support. Our customer service team can guide you with any library support you need, and you’ll find a range of spaces to study as well as access to our print books and journal collections.

The Walsall Campus itself is amazing. Everything is just fantastic including the price, it’s a steal. I’m 100% going to stay there again, for all my years at the Uni if I can. It’s just a beautiful place. They’ve got the SU Lounge and the library that’s right next door. The facilities are just amazing.

Liam White History with Secondary Education (QTS)

Based at Wolverhampton City Campus?

Whatever your interest or budget, you’ll discover cinemas, theatres, galleries, gigs, restaurants, pubs and clubs, as well as beautiful local green spaces.

Venues across the city offer great student nights out, or you can head to nearby Bentley Bridge for a change of scenery. Shopping on a student budget is easy in Wolverhampton with major supermarkets close to student accommodation, as well as independent stores and a bustling market.

Based at Walsall Campus?

The SU at Walsall Campus is a great place to unwind between, and after, lectures, offering coffee, pool, karaoke and quizzes.

Meanwhile, off-campus at Walsall’s Waterfront there’s a growing nightlife and plenty of foodie options. There’s Walsall Arena and Arts Centre for theatre, music, or comedy shows, and you can get your film fix at The Light Cinema.

OVER 1,000 PLACES AVAILABLE ACROSS 3 SITES

Based at Telford Campus?

There’s plenty to do at Telford Campus, with pool and ping-pong in the Students’ Union space in the Angad Paul building, drinks at Greenshoots Deli, and a warm, tranquil welcome at the Chaplaincy.

Telford’s Southwater complex has food, fun and films on offer. Catch everything from Superslam Wrestling to The Nutcracker at The Place, or explore nearby the Ironbridge Gorge Museums.

LAUNDRY FACILITIES ALL BILLS INCLUDED IN YOUR RENT

INTERNET ACCESS ON-SITE CAR PARKING

ACTIVITIES TRIPS FREE SHUTTLE BUS BETWEEN CAMPUSES

FREE SHUTTLE BUS

BETWEEN CAMPUSES TERM-TIME

wlv.ac.uk/bus

Accommodation

If you want to live on campus we offer University accommodation at Wolverhampton, Walsall and Telford campuses. Dive straight in to making new friends, or live with your friends and apply together.

Our residential assistants (who are fellow students) are here to help you settle in.

wlv.ac.uk/ accommodation

Employability

I would strongly encourage future students to take every opportunity possible – work placements, skills sessions, volunteering and more. These opportunities enhance your CV, benefiting you and your personal development and boosting your confidence. The University offers a wide range of things for you to be able to jump on to.

Angel Morphew BA (Hons) Sociology

WAYS WE ENHANCE YOUR EMPLOYABILITY

1. HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

Employability and placements are woven into our courses to provide you with insights and experience.

2. PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION

Many of our courses carry accreditation from professional, statutory and regulatory bodies: approval they meet the highest standards.

3. YEAR IN INDUSTRY

Degrees with a sandwich placement allow you to benefit from paid, hands-on experience in your chosen field.

4. START-UP SUPPORT

We have links with hundreds of employers and community groups throughout the West Midlands that need your volunteering skills, and offer support to achieve your entrepreneurial ambitions with business start-up support.

5. STUDY / WORK ABROAD

Learn new skills and gain experience that are highly regarded by employers.

%

of our graduates are employed or in education*

Facilities

Whatever course or subject you study with us, we’ve invested in multi-million-pound facilities to help you excel.

Research

Our research is wide-ranging, tackling everything from brain tumours to sperm motility, cybersecurity to rainforest governance, biodegradable dressings to the perception of regional accents. At the heart of all we do is a desire to change the world for the better.

Our academics and researchers collaborate with others around the world, and the latest Research Excellence Framework, released in 2022, judged more than half of our output to be either internationally excellent or worldleading. Our research benefits people and communities across the world, while its success and impact reflects the high quality of our teaching.

Automotive Engineering at Telford Campus

Midwifery at Marches Centre of Excellence, Telford Campus

Motion capture in the Alan Turing Building

Life Sciences in Rosalind Franklin Building, City Campus

After doing a lot of research, I realised that the University of Wolverhampton was a great place to study because it specialises in Architecture as well as focusing on regeneration and brownfield remediation – turning waste ground into relivable spaces.

Bashir Aminu MArch Architecture

Key to our courses

UCAS CODE

CAMPUS

FOUNDATION YEAR AVAILABLE

SANDWICH YEAR AVAILABLE

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

DURATION

UCAS TARIFF POINTS

ACCESS

This is the code you’ll need to use in your application to identify the specific course you’re applying for.

Your course may be taught at one campus only, or be available to study at more than one location.

Some degrees have a foundation year option, which includes a year of extra study which provides an entry route onto a full Bachelor’s degree programme.

Some degrees have a sandwich year option, which adds a year of work experience in industry between your second and third year of study, taking a typical degree to four years.

These may include DBS or health checks, interviews or portfolio reviews. Visit: wlv.ac.uk and find your chosen course for full details.

Number of years of study for a standard full-time course.

This is how many points your qualifications must add up to for entry onto the course.

Y = Access courses are accepted for entry on this course.

UCAS TARIFF CALCULATOR

UCAS TARIFF T LEVEL OVERALL GRADE POINTS

Distinction* (A* on the core and distinction in the occupational specialism

Distinction

Merit Pass (C or above on the core)

Pass (D or E on the core)

COURSES OUR

Whatever course or subject you study with us, we have the facilities to help you excel.

COURSES

Apprenticeships

What are higher and degree apprenticeships?

Higher and degree apprenticeships are apprenticeships which include the achievement of academic and vocational qualifications from diploma of higher education/HND level (NVQ Level 5) and above.

Benefits

· Earn while you learn.

· Develop in-demand workplace skills. Get a head start with an employer that invests in you.

Benefit from state-of-the-art learning facilities.

Find out more

Our Apprenticeship Hub is a one-stop destination where you can access valuable resources, support and information on our apprenticeship programmes.

Your employer can call: 0800 953 322 or email: apprenticeshiphub@wlv.ac.uk

How are they delivered?

A combination of learning on the job and additional study.

Do I need to be employed? Yes. You must already be employed and need to secure an apprenticeship role yourself.

How long do they take to complete?

Between 1-6 years.

How much do they cost?

Doing a higher or degree apprenticeship won’t cost you, the apprentice, a penny.

If you’re thinking of applying to the University of Wolverhampton, I would highly recommend you to do it, I have had so many opportunities and everyone is here to support me and to make sure I thrive. I thought I would not be engaged and I would feel out of place, but I really feel like I belong to the university.

Verlaine Beth Nsingi Nzekele BA (Hons) Sports Business Management

Sector expertise

Our sector knowledge and expertise include specialisms led by world-leading researchers. Academic excellence, outstanding facilities, professional accreditations, and industry links ensure our students are prepared for future careers in these growing sectors.

I look back on my time at Wolverhampton with great pride and am thankful for the friends I made there. Even though I now interview students for Cambridge and Oxford, I would not swap my Wolverhampton experience for either of those famous institutions.

Gavin Simpson BA (Hons) Economics

Architecture and construction

Springfield Campus is Europe’s largest architecture and built environment campus. World-leading research is delivered on site, into brownfield regeneration, green innovation, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). We are also a key partner for Wolverhampton city’s Green Innovation Corridor project.

for Architecture in the Guardian University Guide 2023

Our courses are accredited by professional bodies including:

Going to university helped me access an industry that seemed very difficult to enter. To learn what I did and achieve my degree opened doors that were simply closed before.

Tom Martin BSc Architectural Design Technology, now project director in the construction industry

Creative industries

Wolverhampton School of Art has been the heart of the city’s creative community since 1851. Professional practice and live briefs from companies in the creative sector are embedded into our courses.

in the UK for Fine Art*

for teaching satisfaction for Graphic Design courses*

The course pushed me to visualise what I wanted to achieve. It gave me the tools to create and the confidence to pull it off. The course also taught me how to work as part of a team, collaborating with others to use their knowledge, influence, and above all their talent collectively.

Craig Hartwell BA (Hons) Film and Television Production

Digital and cyber

As the Cyber University of the Year (National Cyber Awards 2022), our researchers collaborate with industrial and governmental organisations to help tackle threats in the cyberspace, and our courses are accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. The University of Wolverhampton Cyber Quarter also scooped the ‘Tech InnovationOrganisation Sector’ award at the Innovation Awards 2022.

“The University of Wolverhampton gave me the chance I needed for an excellent start to my career and gave me skills that will help for the rest of it.

Peter Ting BSc (Hons) Computer Science

The encouragement from my course leaders gave me the confidence to advance my career path from a student to working as a paramedic.

WOLVERHAMPTON

Health and social care UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON

Our life-changing research investigates male fertility, brain tumours, autism, and more. We have specialist teaching facilities for health and social care in Wolverhampton, Walsall, and Telford. These include world-class equipment such as Anatomage tables, simulated wards and rooms, and clinical skills labs.

Our health courses support employers to address the fundamental economic and social challenges of the region through the education of tomorrow’s workforce, giving access to local jobs for local people.

We believe in providing students with an applied curriculum aligned with the needs of the sector.

We do this through engagement with healthcare providers at every level to ensure that our courses are designed to meet their future workforce needs and ensure that students are adequately supported on placement.

Partners are involved in curriculum design and development, attending recruitment events and are represented at meetings.

We believe in providing students with an applied curriculum aligned with the needs of the sector.

We do this through engagement with healthcare providers at every level to ensure that our courses are designed to meet their future workforce needs and ensure that students are adequately supported on placement.

for Mental Health Nursing in the Guardian University

Partners are involved in curriculum design and development, attending recruitment events and are represented at meetings.

for Paramedic Science for Midwifery and

Guide 2023

‘Virtual dissection’ Anatomage tables

Ayesha Bal DipHE Paramedic Science, now a paramedic

Professional services

Our employer-relevant academic programmes and tailored business services have run for over 80 years. We have the Midlands’ largest and most successful Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development centre, are an approved centre for ILM, and hold membership of the Chartered Association of Business Schools. Law students benefit from our unique partnership with DWF LLP to receive careers advice and mentoring.

We have strong links with professional bodies.

This course gave me confidence, an aim in life, a hard work ethic, strength and courage. The University of Wolverhampton is the best university for law students.

Sapna Seth LLM, now CEO and founder of Sapna Seth and Associates law office

Our Walsall Campus is home to British Judo’s Centre of Excellence.

We have excellent professional links and partnerships with sport associations, clubs, and professional bodies, including Wolverhampton Wanderers and British Judo. Our world-class facilities support Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and our courses are accredited and endorsed by organisations including: the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, and the Society of

while our local partners provide wider opportunities for our students.

Wolverhampton is such an inspirational place for Sport and Physical Education. I remember being totally engaged in the information that the lecturers were delivering.

We have strong links with

LOCAL PARTNERS

Niamh Deasy BA (Hons) Physical

Teaching and Education

We are in partnership with over 450 schools, colleges and private providers to offer placement opportunities, CPD and accredited courses. Our world-class education research has key expertise in policy development and debate through our Education Observatory. All Initial Teacher Training Provision within our School of Education is rated “Good”.

The opportunities and support provided are endless. If you believe in yourself and work hard, you can go the distance!

Abbie Martin BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Graduate Competencies

Supporting you

Our support services are available for all our students. In particular we can provide tailored advice and support for:

• d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing students

• disabled students

• care leavers and estranged students

• mature students and those who’ve been out of education a while.

Student support and wellbeing

The Student Support and Wellbeing team are here to support you throughout your University journey from application to graduation, with advice on funding for various support options.

wlv.ac.uk/ssw

DIGITAL MENTAL AND

WELLBEING SERVICE

Learning support

Free one-to-one advice can help develop and improve your academic study skills, with topics including: planning and writing assignments, exam revision, presentations. You can attend workshops on finding information, referencing, academic writing, critical thinking, as well as access online study guides for a wide range of topics.

Health services

The health and fitness department offers training, classes and top-notch facilities, allowing you to fit some exercise in to your day – regardless of ability or interest, at little or no cost.

Mental health

All students have access to a wealth of online resources and wellbeing apps, regular wellbeing drop-ins, groups and events. The team can support you to connect with the right external services for you. We offer free access to Togetherall, a 24/7 digital mental health and wellbeing service.

Chaplaincy and faith provision

Our multi-faith Chaplaincy team are here to support all students, whether you are a person of faith, someone who is searching and has questions or doubts, or don’t follow a faith. If you need a quiet place to gather your thoughts, a space to pray, or a chat over coffee, there is dedicated space, including a multi-faith prayer room, on each campus. All are welcome.

Fees and finance

Most UK students studying in the UK don’t have to pay upfront for tuition and can get a loan to help with living costs; the cost is covered by a Government loan. The amount available depends on household income and other circumstances. You don’t need to have a confirmed place to apply for funding, so apply as soon as possible.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees may vary depending on your course type and length, but most standard undergraduate courses (BA/ BSc/ BEng/ BEd/ LLB) cost

£9,250

per year for a full-time, three-year course (2022/23)

HNC/HND and Foundation degree courses taught at the University

£8,600

HNC/HND and Foundation degree courses taught at partner colleges

£6,165 maximum

Part-time (60 credits)

£3,120

Sandwich year

£1,200

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer a number of scholarships and bursaries to ensure financial concerns don’t prevent you progressing in your studies.

Access Bursary

cash payment for students who are deaf, have hearing loss, or are care leavers. (Application and evidence required.)

Sports Achievement Scholarship

over three years. Application required, limited numbers. Includes physiotherapy; strength and conditioning; funding towards coaching, competitions, training and equipment; annual WLV gym membership; mentoring support.

Estranged Students Bursary

£ cash payment for students who are estranged from, and have no contact with, their families. (Application and evidence required.)

The WLV Wallet online portal has resources to support you, including free live events, student blogs, wellbeing resources and an online store where you can receive a bursary of up to £300 to spend!*

WLV Wallet

*WLV Wallet Bursary available to eligible new full-time undergraduate UK students: bursary comprises £200 in first year and £100 on successful enrolment onto second year, to be spent in the online store.

How to apply

So, you’re ready to apply –what next?

Whatever your circumstances, we’re keen to make the application process as simple as possible for you.

Most school-leavers apply for a full-time undergraduate course. You’ll need to do this through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Your school or college will be able to help you with your application, plus there’s loads of helpful advice and information on the UCAS website. Visit: ucas.com/apply

If you want to apply for undergraduate part-time study, you should apply directly to us.

Choose your course at: wlv.ac.uk/courses and click ‘apply now’.

Entry requirements

Each course will have its own specific entry requirements that may include both academic and non-academic elements such as work experience, occupational checks, or a portfolio. Make sure you check the entry requirements on your chosen course.

The Gateway

If you need some pre-entry guidance or advice, contact The Gateway with all your questions.

wlv.ac.uk/gateway

UCAS: Key Dates

UCAS starts accepting applications for autumn 2024 entry from mid-September 2023.

The recommended deadline date for submitting your application through UCAS is 25 January 2024.

Applications after this date will only be considered if there are vacancies left on the course.

After 30 June 2024, applications enter the Clearing process.