How to apply for distance learning
1. Gather supporting documents before completing your online application
Please provide the following documents when submitting your application to enable us to make a prompt decision:References
Please see the ‘entry requirements’ information on the relevant course page to find out whether your course requires references in support of your application. Your referees can be academic (tutors, lecturers, mentors) or professional (managers, supervisors, colleagues). References must be written in English.
If required for your course, please either:
- provide contact details for your referees on your application. We will then email them to request your references; or
- if you have organised recent, signed and dated references yourself please upload them to your application.
Certificates and transcripts
The certificates and transcripts are also sometimes known as diploma certificates or supplements. Please take copies of your original documents and upload these to your online application. If these are not in English we will require both original copies and certified translations.
Personal statement
Your personal statement should focus on the following areas:
- Your reasons for applying for the course
- How your knowledge and experience links to the course content
- How the course relates to your longer term plans
Please see the ‘entry requirements’ section of the course page, which will detail any additional requirements of your personal statement.
Evidence of English language
If your first language is not English, you may be required to provide evidence of your English language ability.
If you do not meet the requirements in one of the ways listed then it would be necessary to take one of the accepted English tests. As a convenient alternative, for some of our courses you may be able to take our online Leicester English Test (LET) which costs £40. You will be provided with details about the LET if you receive a conditional offer of a place on your chosen course. Please note that the LET cannot be taken as an alternative English language test for courses in the School of Education.
CV/Résumé
If you are applying for the MBA, please provide a copy of your current CV or résumé. Your CV or résumé should demonstrate your management skills and responsibilities in some detail and include clear dates for each job.
2. Completing your application form
You can apply online for a distance learning course by scrolling to the bottom of your chosen course page and clicking on the 'Apply now' button. A pop-up box will appear. Please select the country where you will be residing during your studies and your preferred start date, then click on the Continue button.
If you have not applied before, select the ‘New User’ button on the right hand side of the page. Otherwise, log in using your email address and password. Once you have begun your application you can save and return to it at a later time.
Follow the instructions to complete the application form, upload your supporting documents and click ‘submit’. You will receive an email to confirm that we have received your application.
If you were unable to upload your supporting documents before submitting your application you can upload these later through MyStudentRecord. If you are unable to upload these please contact the relevant Distance Learning Team.
3. Assessment of your application
Once we have received your completed application and all supporting documents, we will aim to contact you regarding your application within two working days. In some cases where supporting documents are pending we may issue a conditional offer.
Application decisions are provided by email and include details of your next steps. If you receive an offer and wish to receive a hard copy for funding or other purposes, please contact the relevant Distance Learning Team.