Guide to becoming a degree apprentice

Becoming a degree apprentice is a fantastic way to gain a bachelor’s or master’s degree whilst continuing to work and earn, gaining valuable work experience alongside developing new skills, knowledge and behaviours.

Contact our degree apprenticeship team 

 

 

There are a number of eligibility and entry criteria apprentices must satisfy in order to successfully apply to a degree apprenticeship programme. To help you understand if you are eligible to undertake a degree apprenticeship and if it is the right programme for you please read our guidance below.

Employer support

Degree apprentices must be employed in a role that will enable them to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours associated with their chosen degree apprenticeship. As degree apprenticeships are funded and facilitated by an employer, they must have engaged with the university to confirm their support and eligibility prior to us inviting you to apply.

Our Employer Engagement team can support conversations with your employer regarding joining a degree apprenticeship programme. 

 

 If you are not employed in a suitable job role you can search apprenticeship vacancies on the Find an Apprenticeship website or explore vacancies with our partner employers.

Degree apprenticeship eligibility criteria

All degree apprentices must meet the following, mandatory eligibility criteria. This criteria is set by the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and applies to all degree apprentices on any degree apprenticeship programme with any provider:

Eligibility criteria:

  • UK nationals who are over 16 and have been ordinarily resident in the UK or the EEA for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship
  • Irish nationals who are over 16 and have have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Ireland or the EEA for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship
  • EEA nationals who are over 16 and have obtained pre-settled or settled status under the EU settlement scheme and have have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, Gibraltar or the UK for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship
  • Non- UK, Irish, EEA nationals who are over 16 and have permission from the UK government to be ordinarily resident in the UK (not for educational purposes) and have have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship.
  • Employed and spend at least 50% of working hours in England over the duration of the apprenticeship.
  • Qualified at Level 2 (equivalent to grades 4-9 at GCSE) or above in English and maths.

Non-UK citizens who have alternative English and maths qualifications and whose first language is not English are required to have an appropriate grade or score in an approved examination in English language (such as International English Language Testing System (IELTS)) before they can register on an academic programme.

 

Degree apprenticeship entry criteria

Each degree apprenticeship has entry requirements set by the university, this is in addition to the mandatory degree apprenticeship criteria set by the ESFA. The entry requirements reflect the academic rigour of studying a programme at a Russell Group university and are there to ensure potential apprentices are working at the right level to be successful on the apprenticeship programme.

Each programme has its own entry criteria, which are detailed on the programme’s web page. Entry criteria may include preceding qualifications at a set level, industry experience or both. Those with equivalent qualifications to those detail for entry or significant work experience in the relevant field are encouraged to speak to our Degree Apprenticeship team who can advise them on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the criteria detailed above and would like to progress your apprenticeship journey, contact our Degree Apprenticeship Team today.

Get in touch with the degree apprenticeship team