Once you've applied you may wish to make changes in the following ways:
We understand that applicants often have multiple interests and may decide to change their course after submitting an application.
If you want to request a course change, the likelihood of this being possible depends on the time of year you make the request and availability. We strongly recommend researching your new course option thoroughly and submitting your request before the UCAS equal consideration date for the best chance of being considered.
Please note that we can only consider one course-change request per admissions cycle, so be sure you are confident in your choice before submitting your request check the requirements for the course
Before, and including, the January UCAS equal consideration date:
Waiting for a decision on your application?
If you have applied for one of our courses, are still waiting for a decision, and have decided you would prefer a different course, please complete our Ask Us form to let us know. We will first check whether you meet the minimum requirements for the new course. If you do, we will update your application so it can be considered for your new choice
Already have an offer?
If you already hold an offer, we can consider you for your new course, but this will be in competition with other applications received by the January UCAS equal consideration date. This may mean it takes longer for us to reach a decision, as your application will be considered alongside others. To request a course change, please complete our form Ask Us form.
If you originally applied for a completely different subject area, you may wish to submit a new personal statement for us to consider substitute personal statement
Please note that if you received an offer for an alternative course rather than your original choice, we cannot consider a change back to the original course. However, if places become available during Clearing later in the cycle, you may be able to apply for your original course through that route.
After the January UCAS equal consideration date:
Following the January UCAS equal consideration date, course-change requests will only be considered for courses with available spaces.
If your preferred course is marked as closed on UCAS, we may not be able to consider your request.
An exception may apply if you are requesting a change within the same academic department. For example, a change from BSc Physics to MPhys Theoretical Physics may still be possible.
If you have deferred entry for the following year, it may not be possible to change your course. In most cases, you will need to reapply for the new course.
We recognise that circumstances can change for our applicants throughout the admissions cycle. As such we consider requests to either 'defer' a year (i.e. to start a year later) or to 'un-defer' a year (to start a year earlier).
All such changes are dependent on places being available, and as such it's often easier to 'defer' a year than to reverse this. If you're still deciding what year to apply for and aren't 100% sure you want to take a gap year, then we'd recommend applying for 'direct' entry.
If you'd like to make a change to your year of entry, please complete our Ask Us form. Please ensure you provide a reason for your request and any relevant evidence if this is based on medical grounds.
Which courses are changes of year possible for?Change of year requests are considered for all courses with the exception of Law, History and courses with a Foundation year. For these departments, a deferral would only be considered if you have mitigating circumstances (such as a significant and evidenced health reason).
Regardless of year of entry, we consider your application according to the entry requirements and standards of the year you're applying in. This means your application would be considered alongside all other applications for your course that year i.e. applying for deferred entry won't increase your chances of receiving an offer.
When won't we consider a deferral?
If you're successful in gaining a place with us through Clearing, or if we confirmed your place with us after you missed your offer conditions, this will be for the specific year of entry we accepted you for. As such, a deferral would only be considered if you have mitigating circumstances (such as a significant and evidenced health reason), and this would not be guaranteed.
If you'd like to join us the following year instead then you'd need to reapply in the next admissions cycle. Your application would be considered in competition with the rest of the cohort for the new cycle. If you'd missed your original offer conditions, you may wish to consider re-sitting exams to ensure your application is competitive.
Change of year for international students
We understand that travelling around the world to a new country is a significant commitment and as such will consider all requests to defer entry for international students.
Once you've made your firm and insurance replies, you have 14 days to make a change at UCAS and you won't need to contact us to let us know.
Beyond 14 days, this would usually require the approval from each university involved in the change. At present, we've advised UCAS that we're happy to support any change of replies and you'll be able to contact UCAS directly to request this. You may still need permission from other universities involved in the change however.
Please note, our view regarding change of replies after 14 days may change later in the cycle (for example if more applicants than expected choose one of our courses as their firm choice). Please check this webpage for updates as the cycle continues.
/prod01/prodbucket01/media/durham-university/study/study---undergraduate/how-to-apply/12862-(1)-949X342.jpg)