If you’ve attended community college or a university in the US, and have obtained, or are about to obtain an associate’s degree, you might be wondering if this pathway will hold any weight on your application, and if your credits will be transferred toward your UK degree. In this article, we break down how college credits are viewed in the UK, the expectations of applying with college credits or an associate’s degree, and the application process.
How an Associate’s Degree Helps Your Application
Most universities are happy to take associate’s degrees in place of entry requirements to get into their programs. You can refer to our article on US entry requirements on what is typically required to apply to UK universities coming from high school. This means that instead of needing AP exams or the SAT/ACT, you can use a year’s worth of college classes or your associate’s degree instead.
For some specialty programs, universities do reserve the right to ask for specific classes on top of your associate’s degree. For example, if you are applying for STEM subjects, they may request specific science classes to ensure that you have a level knowledge in science before admitted. In most cases, your college classes or associate’s degree will suffice in place of exams, especially if you’ve taken classes related to the program you are applying for.
Will Credits from an Associate’s Degree Transfer to a UK degree?
The short answer to this question is: it depends on the university and the types of classes you have taken.
To fully grasp the transfer process in the UK, it’s crucial to understand how it differs from the US system. In the US, when a student wishes to transfer from one university to another, the admissions office will review their academic history and take into account the number of classes or credits they’ve completed. These credits will then transfer over to the new university, regardless of the amount, and will be factored into the student’s schedule. Whether the student starts in September or January, they can continue on with their studies, taking available courses as necessary.
This process does NOT apply to UK universities.
The UK’s credit system differs from that of the US in several key ways. Unlike in the US, where students can transfer credits between universities, UK universities have a set curriculum of classes at a certain time of the year that students must complete to earn their degree. Additionally, UK universities do not have general education requirements, and most degrees are completed within three years. This means that it is not possible for students to transfer mid-year with a set number of credits and be admitted directly into a degree program. If a student has completed only a few classes or up to 1.5 years of education, they are generally not eligible to transfer any credits. Instead, their admission to the university would be seen as an opportunity to begin their studies anew.
In the UK, transferring with an associate’s degree is possible, but only if certain conditions are met. Typically, if a student wants to transfer into Year 2 of a UK university program, they must have completed relevant classes that relate to their chosen program of study. Unlike in the US, UK universities tend to focus more on specialized courses that are directly related to a student’s major. Therefore, if a student has taken a significant number of classes that are applicable to their chosen program, they may have a good chance of having those credits transferred. In most cases, students would need to have at least two years’ worth of credits before transferring, especially if they are applying for a three-year degree program. This is referred to as “Year 2 Entry” in the UK system.
Some universities are more likely to consider starting a student at Year 2 Entry. Typically, the higher ranked universities are less likely to start students at Year 2, however, this is decided on a case-by-case basis by the admissions department.
What is Year 2 Entry, exactly?
The typical entry point for most students is called Year 1 Entry. This would be where your incoming freshman start their studies.
Therefore, Year 2 Entry is just as it sounds: you’d be starting your studies in the second year of the program. If you can demonstrate that you have fulfilled the requirements for Year 1 with the classes you have taken from your associate’s, then you will be considered for Year 2 Entry. This is why admissions will be looking to see what classes you have taken in your associate’s degree, and if they relate to the program you are applying to.
Adding Year 2 Entry to Your UCAS Application
It’s really very simple to be considered for Year 2 Entry at your UK university choices! When adding your university choices to the UCAS application, you’ll come across the question of ‘Point of entry.’
This is where you will mark that you’re looking for Year 2 Entry, and will alert your university choices’ admissions teams as such.
As you can see, Year 3 Entry is also an option, but very rare to be granted to students. The other entry points are for more speciality programs.
If you’re wondering if you have enough classes in the subject to go into Year 2, most universities will be able to provide an assessment for you before applying. You can contact them directly on our university search pages by clicking “Contact University”.
We also have advisors who can access your profile to give you the best chances of getting into your dream UK university!
Ultimately, having your credits transferred to over to the UK is decided on a case-by-case basis by admissions departments, but is surely worth a try, given the very cheap application fees! It doesn’t hurt to try, right?
Overall, an associate’s degree is beneficial towards your UCAS application, and might even grant you the ability to start at Year 2.
