Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
You will need to apply for an ATAS clearance certificate if you require student Entry Clearance or a Visa to study in the UK and you are applying for a postgraduate taught Masters within the Department of Mechanical Engineering or a Research degree within the Faculty of Engineering (not MPhil or PhD in Architecture).
Applying for ATAS clearance
After you have been made an offer we will inform you via Application Tracker if you need to apply for an ATAS certificate.
We will provide you with the information you need to complete the application process, including applying for an ATAS certificate.
You will either be sent this information at the point of offer or nearer your course start date so that you have sufficient time to apply. You should not try to apply for an ATAS certificate until you have been notified by us that you need to do so.
Please note:
- it can take at least four weeks for an application for ATAS clearance to be processed and you must start your course within six months of the date that your ATAS certificate is issued.
You therefore need to ensure that you obtain your clearance certificate in time for your visa application but that you do not apply more than six months before your course start date as your ATAS certificate will no longer be valid and you will need to re-apply.
If your course requires ATAS clearance and you do not provide your ATAS clearance certificate when you apply for your visa, your visa application will be refused.
You do not need an ATAS certificate if:
- you are a UK or EU/EEA (including Switzerland) national or
- you are applying for a course leading to an undergraduate qualification or a distance-learning course or if you spend the majority of your time studying abroad and only come the UK for short visits of less than six months.
Programmes requiring ATAS clearance
Undergraduate programmes leading to postgraduate qualification:
- MPhys Physics
- MPhys Physics with Year Abroad
- MPhys Physics with Research Placement
- MEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering
- MEng (Hons) Biochemical Engineering
- MEng (Hons) Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
- MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
- MEng (Hons) Automotive Engineering
- MEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering
Postgraduate taught programmes:
- MSc Aerospace Engineering
- MSc Automotive Engineering
- MSc Engineering Design
- MRes Sustainable Chemical Technologies
Postgraduate research programmes:
- all full-time research postgraduate programmes in the Faculty of Science (with the exception of Statistics), Faculty of Engineering and Design (with the exception of Architecture), and the Department for Health within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
