Question
Are there places available for 2026 entry to Republic of Ireland applicants on medical and paramedical degrees in Ulster University, as in recent years?
Answer
There are, but the deadline for applications for any such places in Northern Ireland and on any other courses in the UK must be submitted to UCAS by Wednesday, January 14th.
Regarding the UU Department for Health-Funded Programmes (DFH), the below table sets out the allocated student places for 2025 as well as the associated method of candidate selection.
While there is a late application facility until June 30th, Ulster University will not consider or respond to applications received after the January 14th deadline on the programmes listed below. Usually, universities will only accept late applications if they still have vacancies left on their programmes.
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All DFH programmes now require students to sit the MSAT Ulster test, except for Dietetics and Paramedic Science, which requires students to sit an interview. The MSAT Ulster is currently open for registration, and the registration deadline is February 4th. Applicants have the choice of sitting the test at Ulster University’s Belfast or Derry Campus, on either March 7th, 8th, 14th or 15th.
| Programme | 2025 Places | Candidate selection method |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic Radiography and Imaging | 94 | MSAT Ulster |
| Dietetics | 21 | Interview |
| Nursing (Adult) | 345 | MSAT Ulster |
| Nursing (Mental Health) | 70 | MSAT Ulster |
| Occupational Therapy | 93 | MSAT Ulster |
| Paramedic Science | 55 | Interview |
| Physiotherapy | 115 | MSAT Ulster |
| Podiatry | 27 | MSAT Ulster |
| Radiotherapy and Oncology | 20 | MSAT Ulster |
| Speech and Language Therapy | 56 | MSAT Ulster |
Whereas most applicants to UCAS will be made conditional offers based on either their predicted grades, personal statement, reference, ability to meet the entry requirements or a combination of the aforementioned, my understanding is that in the case of the University of Ulster’s DFH programmes, that it is the outcome of the MSAT test or interview that will determine whether an offer is received.
At this late stage, getting the application submitted by the 14th should take priority over the quality of predicted grades, personal statement or a reference.
Once a student has received decisions back on all their application choices, they will be set a deadline to respond to any offers they’ve received. If a student receives all their decisions back by March 31st, their deadline to reply is May 6th; if they receive back decisions by May 16th, then their deadline to reply is June 3rd. Or if they receive all decisions back by July 15th, then they need to reply by July 22nd.
In the case of all offers through UCAS, if a student is holding more than one offer, they must make one of them their “Firm” choice, which is their first preference, and another their “Insurance”, which is their backup choice.
The firm choice is where an applicant will be placed if they meet the conditions of their offer on results day; their insurance choice will be where they’re placed if they don’t meet the conditions of their firm offer but do meet the conditions of their insurance offer. All remaining offers must be declined. If a student does not reply by the deadline, UCAS will automatically decline all offers on their behalf.
On results day, students can either accept the offer where they have been placed or can look for alternative course options available through UCAS Clearing facility.
- email: askbrian@irishtimes.com
