FAQs

All the courses run for the full academic year from approximately mid September to mid May. Each module has its own detailed schedule indicating when you should be studying particular parts of the course, and when the assessment deadlines are. We do not offer multiple start dates.

Some modules run every year, but others run alternate years. See module availability for details.

For the purposes of fees, the University Term starts with Welcome Week in mid September. If you withdraw before the start of Welcome Week, you will not be charged a module fee. However if you withdraw after the start of Welcome week but before the end of Term 1 (Christmas), the university charges 25% of the module fee. In July new students have access to induction materials in Blackboard Module Spaces. At the start of Welcome Week all students receive a welcome email, and teaching starts the following week – usually the last full week of September.

All the learning materials are provided online on Blackboard, our Virtual Learning Environment which you can log into via the Student Portal with your uclan email address and password. Each module has its own area with links to the module readinglist, module schedule, module handbook etc. From mid July onwards, if you have formally accepted your offer you can access this area and start looking around and meeting other students on the discussion forums. You will find recommended preliminary reading from the recommended textbook. In some modules this is an ebook available free online via the uclan library. The learning materials are released to students at the start of teaching -usually the last full week of September.

Our fees are set on a per-module basis, and vary slightly from year to year. You should check our Module Fees page for up to date information. The fee may vary depending on where you live, not on your nationality.

The entry point courses (such as Introduction to Astronomy)require Maths at GCSE grade C or equivalent qualification. The modules assume general 'high-school maths' such as ability to use a scientific notiation and powers, perform calculations with a scientific calculator, rearrange simple equations, logarithms and simple trigonometry (sines, cosines and tangents). If you have not studied for some time, you may like to refresh your knowledge by looking at the Maths Pack. If you do not have a formal Maths qualification you should contact the Programme Administrator and ask to talk to the Course Leader.

Our Introduction to Astronomy module is a Level 4 undergraduate course. The syllabus is wider than the GCSE, and while many of the subjects will be familiar, you will study them in much greater depth. In addition the questions we ask and the tasks we set are much more demanding than GCSE level. Remember that the module is used to introduce our Astrophysics students to astronomy in their first year, and they begin with A Level Physics.

The modules do not require a telescope. However we run an optional weekend course at our Alston Observatory, subject to demand. This includes the opportunity to use our telescopes, weather allowing.

We offer an optional weekend course at Alston Observatory to students on the Introduction to Astronomy and Introduction to Cosmology courses. This includes opportunities to talk to the staff formally about the course materials, and to informally discuss astronomy in general with our staff and other students. In addition we attend science fairs, such as Astrofest in Kensington, and are delighted to see our current students.

We normally recommend that students start with one or possibly two modules. Experience has shown that this is what people with a normal level of work and domestic commitments can manage comfortably. As you demonstrate your ability to complete modules successfully, you may like to increase your workload, in consultation with the Course Team. The Courses are defined as Part-time Courses, setting an absolute limit of 4 modules per year.

We have to vary the availability of our modules according to staff commitments and in order to maintain viable student cohorts. Our Module Availability page indicates the modules available this year and gives an indication of future plans. All modules are subject to adequate recruitment, but we have always recruited enough students to run our Entry Point courses as planned.

This module teaches the Maths and Physics necessary for higher level study and is a core component of the BSc in Astronomy. It should be taken by anyone on these awards who does not have A level/University level Physics and Maths. It is not necessary to take this module before starting on level 5 modules, but must be completed before doing any level 6 modules. If you only intend to take the CertHE you can include Energy Matter and the Universe if you want, but it is not compulsory.

We have a process of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) that allows you to incorporate prior study at Levels 4 and 5 into our awards. APL is possible for the CertHE or BSc Astronomy, but not for single module Certificate courses. Study at other Universities will be considered on a case-by-case basis, to ensure suitable module match and suitability to your overall profile. For your guidance, we have accepted prior study from the Open University, and Level 4 adult education courses from places such as University College London. You can only apply for APL once you are enrolled on an appropriate course, and typically we accept APL requests in November to December each year.

You should start by studying the compulsory module AA1051 Introduction to Astronomy. This will enable you to check that the level and style of study are suitable for you before making a long-term commitment. When you have completed 2 individual Certificates, you can enrol on the 6-module award the Certificate of Higher Education. When that is complete you can enrol for the BSc. All modules that you study will be carried forward to your new award. This process allows you maximum flexibility before making a long-term commitment to enrol on the BSc.

The BSc consists of a total of 18 modules. The minimum allowed time is 5 years, but we expect most students to take considerable longer than this. If a students averages 3 modules a year, they will complete the BSc within 6 years. However student will need to check the module availabity carefully to plan their study.

The University uses two sets of codes numbers to keep track of the programmes of study and the modules they are made up of. The codes beginning VS indicate a programme of study leading to the award of some form of certificate (from the single-module University Certificate to the full 18-module bachelors honours degree). The AA codes are assigned to individual modules, and represent the different choices of subjects that you can study. Of course for University Certificates there is only one module, and the programme title associated with a given VS code will often be very similar to the title of the module it incorporates.

There is no body accrediting these sorts of courses in Astronomy. The BSc is recognised by the UK's Institute of Physics.