FAQs
How many courses can you take at university?
Most universities will allow you to study at least two subjects at a time. Some universities have been known to allow students to study three. Studying two courses at once is known as a Joint Honours degree, these can be face-to-face courses at university, or they can be online university courses.
Check out our article on Joint Honours Degrees to learn more.
When do university courses end?
Most university degrees take place over a 3 or 4-year period, depending on what course you're sitting. An academic year will typically end in June and then restart again in late September/early October.
How many university courses can you apply for?
You can apply for up to 5 different courses. You can apply for all 5 of these at the same university, or you can apply for 1 course at 5 different universities. You can find any of these using our university degree finder and the university courses list.
What are foundation courses at university?
A foundation course is a preparatory course, which is designed to teach you skills and specific knowledge in a subject area before you begin your university degree. Foundation uni courses typically take between 1 and 2 years depending on the subject and how frequently you study.
To learn more, check out our article on Foundation degrees.
How can I switch courses at university?
The process for switching courses is fairly straightforward. First, you will need to find which course suits you best, then you will need to speak to your course tutor and begin the process of transferring. Then you will need to attend an interview with your new tutor or university and await their decision before you move. The process is the same for undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses.
What is Clearing?
Clearing is a process that universities will go through in order to fill out the remaining places on their courses. If you didn’t meet the conditions of any of the offers you received from the universities you applied to, you will enter the Clearing process, which allows you to apply to another university instead.
You will also take part in the Clearing process if you have declined an offer at your firm choice, if you didn’t receive any offers or if you paid the multiple-choice application fee to UCAS.
Searching for courses isn’t a problem because most universities will advertise any courses that still have spaces available and most uni course searches will have a Clearing filter and provide you with a lost of degree courses for you to choose from.
For more information check out our article on Clearing.
What is Adjustment?
Adjustment is for students who have gotten into their desired university but want to apply elsewhere. Where Clearing is mainly reserved for those who didn’t achieve the required grades, Adjustment is the opposite.
Adjustment allows you to reconsider where you want to study, without the worry of losing your secured place. If you have exceeded the expectations of your firm offer, then you are automatically eligible to apply through Adjustment.
As with Clearing, you can simply search for any subject and apply as you see fit. Both Clearing and Adjustment processes can be used for undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses.
Check out our article on Adjustment to learn more.