Gateway to Arts 2024 entry

The Gateway to Arts programme provides supported entry into degree-level study at St Andrews for applicants who have narrowly missed our minimum entry grades and meet some, if not all, of the contextual criteria noted in the eligibility section below.

Our flexible degree structure allows students to benefit from a supported transition programme into the University of St Andrews, before progressing into year three of a degree programme offered in the Faculty of Arts.

The programme is only open to applicants who meet at least two, if not all, of the specific eligibility criteria below as well as the academic entry grades for this programme.

UCAS code
Y003
Start date
4 September 2023
Duration
Two years full time, with direct progression to year three of honours programmes
School
Access and Widening Participation Team

Entry requirements

After successfully completing the first and second years of study, students will progress directly into year three of one of our named degree programmes within the Faculty of Arts.

Eligibility

Typically, candidates for Gateway programmes are those who have fallen short of minimum requirements and meet some, if not all of the following contextual criteria:

  • live in Scotland in an area of deprivation as defined by the Scottish Government as SIMD20
  • attend a low progression school
  • are care experienced as defined by the local authority
  • were a registered young carer.

Typical entry requirements

Typical academic entry requirements are:

  • SQA Highers: BBBB

Offers will be determined on individual applications, taking into consideration contextual admissions information as well as academic performance.

Highers can be taken over more than one sitting. 

Applicants under serious consideration for this route will be required to attend an interview with a member of the Admissions team and a member of academic staff to discuss their application in more detail.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

No prior knowledge is needed for the Gateway to Arts programme. However, some of the Arts subjects may require previous knowledge. Applicants should have studied a range of subjects relevant to their intended degree interest.

Course details

The Gateway to Arts MA (General) is one of our Supported Pathways programmes coordinated by the Admissions department.

The pathway provides supported transition to university through out the first two years of undergraduate study. Supported Pathways students enter the first year of study with a specific Honoursdegree route in mind and during their first two years of study, will take all modules required for their intended Honours degree in the same way as if they had entered on that degree route.

Supported Transition

  • students will have a designated Adviser of Studies who will provide support and guidance for academic matters over the first two years of study
  • a single point of contact within Admissions for signposting and guidance on where and when to seek help should issues arise.
  • weekly Peer-to-Peer mentoring through year one of study to support their skills development and aid transition to university 
  • continued support through to graduation from Admissions contact person 
  • opportunties to attend workshops and events specifically designed to for our supported pathways students. 

At the end of the second year, if students have met all academic requirements for their chosen Honours route, they will progress to junior Honours (typically the third year of a four-year Honours course). Students who have not met the requirements will progress as per current Senate Regulations for progression.

Modules

In the first two years of the programme, Gateway students will undertake the standard compulsory sub-honours modules for the degree they intend to complete, as well as additional subjects from the full range of modules offered in the Faculty.

See module information, teaching format and assessment for different Honours degrees on the course pages.

If Gateway students successfully progress to the Honours programme of their choice, the full range of third and fourth-year modules are available to them.

If Gateway students progress to a General degree route, they will be able to choose from third and fourth-year modules for which they meet the pre-requisites.

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. More information on the structure of the modules system can be found on the flexible degree structure web page.

Teaching

Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements.

To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.

The University’s Student Services team can help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities, long-term medical conditions or learning disabilities. More information can be found on the students with disabilities web page.

Fees

Tuition fees 

£1,820 - only available to Home students.

More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation fees

Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to students each year.

Careers

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

What to do next

Online information events

Join us for one of our information events where you can find out about different levels of study and specific courses we run. There are also sessions available for parents and college counsellors.

Undergraduate visiting days

We encourage all students who are thinking of applying to the University to attend one of our online or in-person visiting days.

Contact us

Phone
+44 (0)1334 46 2346
Email
gatewayto@st-andrews.ac.uk
Address
Access and Widening Participation Team

Admissions
University of St Andrews
St Katharine's West
The Scores
St Andrews
KY16 9AX