Miss first year if you like, brightest students told in university reform

Published on Wednesday 25 March 2009 21:12

ONE of Scotland's leading universities is planning radical reforms, including entrance exams so students can go straight into second year, The Scotsman can reveal.

Aberdeen University thinks the move could attract the brightest students from both Scotland and England keen to cut a year off their course.

School-leavers with particularly strong Advanced Highers or new baccalaureates in science and languages, or A-levels, would benefit from the move. It would allow English students, who have to pay fees in Scotland, to complete their degree in three rather than four years.

The arrangement could be introduced from September 2010, and already other universities have contacted Aberdeen with a view to adopting similar schemes.

Professor Bryan MacGregor, the university's vice-principal for curriculum reform, said he only expected a minority of applicants to take the exam route straight into second year, but predicted it might appeal to some of the brightest students from either side of the Border.

He added: "Our research found students didn't like the idea of missing out on the fresher experience. What we are looking to do is create a specially designed second year for those students."

In third year, the direct entry students would then join the cohort which started in first year.

An admissions exam would allow those with non-standard qualifications or from outwith the EU, or even British students who felt school exam results did not properly reflect their ability, to enter second year.

The changes, which also include exit qualifications for those who drop out before graduation, are aimed at making Aberdeen's graduates more attractive to employers.

New enhanced study courses, such as in business or languages, will also be embedded with the degree structure to give graduates an edge in the jobs market.

Prof MacGregor believes the qualification for those who leave before the end of their degree will be of great benefit.

He said: "If people want to come for a year, that's fine. If they want to interrupt their study, that's fine. If you come as a mature student and find you are financially struggling, you still have something you can take away, with the opportunity to come back if your life circumstances change.

"Or if you are a school leaver and you just wander into university, you can go out with something positive and come back once you feel that you are more ready for university.

"The idea is to let people in and out of the system so it's flexible and the achievement at any level is a sign of success rather than failure."

Every student would also have access to more courses to help prepare them for life after graduation. Business and languages would be on offer, for example, so a biology student interested in pursuing an entrepreneurial career could choose business.

Prof MacGregor said: "The enhanced study courses are designed to give some breadth to what the student is studying but the total student workload would remain unchanged."

A spokesman for Universities Scotland, which represents principals, said: "Universities are constantly innovating and Aberdeen's reforms are certainly evolutionary."