Pathway to Bath gives academically-able students the chance to develop important key skills for university study by completing their own research project across a variety of subjects – and the deadline to apply is later this month (14 Feb 2020). By scoring highly in the project students will receive an ‘alternative offer’ to study at Bath – typically an A-Level grade lower than they would otherwise have to achieve.

With separate programmes available for A-Level and BTEC students, Pathway to Bath also offers students support to make a competitive application to study at Bath and successfully transition to university. This includes support writing a personal statement, understanding the UCAS application process, and managing finances.

Subjects areas available for A-Level students on the Pathway include Business, Engineering, Languages, Maths, Psychology and Science. The BTEC Pathway covers IT and Computing, and Sport and Exercise science.

The programme is aimed at supporting students from under-represented backgrounds to achieve their potential and is part of the university’s broader Widening Participation activities.

Dr Andrew Ross, Head of Widening Access and participation at the University of Bath said:

We understand how busy students are and so we have designed Pathway to Bath to be slightly different from other programmes by delivering it online, this gives students the flexibility and space to undertake the programme around their other commitments, whilst still retaining contact and engagement with academics, current University students and peers. Bath values the skills students have when they apply to us and so this and our other similar outreach programmes develop students’ skills necessary for them to succeed at university.

The Pathway courses will run from March through to December 2020, with students supported remotely by experienced university staff, working within a real research environment.

In addition to the online study programme, students on the A-Level Pathway can attend an on-campus residential from 22 to 25 June 2020. This aims to provide an opportunity for students to experience what it’s like to live and study at Bath.

To gain a place on the Pathway programme students need to demonstrate they are on track to meet the university’s typical offer for their chosen course and meet one or more of Bath’s Widening Participation criteria. These include living at a postcode within an area ranked as disadvantaged, students with carer responsibilities and those with refugee status.

Applications to either the A-Level or BTEC Pathway to Bath programmes must be submitted by 14 February 2020. Apply online here.