University Centre at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group
Entering Higher Education is about more than gaining a qualification – it’s an opportunity to boost your life skills, gain independence, enrich your experiences and can give you an enormous sense of achievement.
Whether you want to study Higher Education to change your career or expand your prospects further, we offer a range of full-time and part-time programmes that can be carried out flexibly and affordably.
Need advice on how to apply for a higher Education course?
Why choose the University Centre at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group?
At the University Centre at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, our students are more than a number.
Due to our smaller class sizes, we are able to get know our students personally and can support their learning and growth on a one-to-one basis. The nature of how our courses are delivered also mean that students can study alongside other commitments, whether that be around employment, a family, or other hobbies.
What is also fantastic about our programmes, is that they are delivered in conjunction with leading universities – meaning you are able to gain the same, recognised qualification without the higher tuition fees or living costs.
Employability
Studying with us is a great way to gain a recognised higher education qualification that will provide you with the skills, experience, and knowledge necessary to get ahead in your chosen career.
We Know Our Students
Small groups mean that your tutor will get to know the real you. We treat you like an individual and tailor our support to meet your needs.
Campus Facilities
We’re constantly investing in the best facilities including dedicated learning areas just for you so that you’ve got access to everything you need.
The University Centre
The University Centre at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, provides modern teaching and learning facilities for our undergraduate students.
Business Management
Working in partnership with nationally recognised professional bodies, our BA (Hons) Business Management degree will help train the business leaders of tomorrow.
Engineering Centre
Students benefit from learning in our excellent new engineering centre. The centre provides opportunities to study higher-level courses developed with leading industry employers, including Coca-Cola Enterprises and BOSCH.
Creative & Digital Industries
With the creative and digital industries identified as key growth areas locally, our creative and digital industry students will benefit from industry-standard facilities and collaboration with local businesses.
Game Development Studios
Courses are taught in studios which mirror realistic workplace environments so that transitioning to employment is seamless.
Sports Lab
The university centre is equiped with a sports testing facility and fitness suite.
Graduation
Course complete and exams passed? Then it’s time to celebrate and acknowledge all of your hard work! Recognising your achievements is extremely important to us and we take great pride in the success of each and every one of our students.
Reasons to choose the University Centre at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group
We offer a range of degree-level courses in a variety of subjects including Foundation Degrees, Full Honours Degrees, Higher National Certificates/Diplomas, Top-Up Degrees and Teacher Training.
Our Higher Education qualifications are awarded by the Leeds Beckett University, the University of Hull, the University of Huddersfield and Pearson, meaning you get the same qualification as you would at university.
You will benefit from reduced tuition fees, as well as reduced costs on living accommodation and travel/subsistence costs. Loans and bursaries may also be available to help you with your studies*.
As class sizes are smaller than traditional universities, you will have more time with your lecturers – giving you more opportunities for feedback and personal development.
Easily accessible from Wakefield and the surrounding area. You can choose to stay close to home (reducing any living expenses).
Our friendly and supportive environment means staff give you the time and support you need to help you progress. This gives our students better results and improved progression opportunities.
Our Starbucks cafe in the Harrison Building is a popular place to meet friends and enjoy a drink and a snack.
The LibraryPlus centre at the Wakefield City Campus spans over three floors.
We’ve invested in extensive facilities for sports and public services students, including a gym, sports hall, climbing wall, fitness testing lab, therapy and massage suite, and sports pitches.
Our degrees have been developed in partnership with industry and employers.
The Waterton Building is our performing arts centre with the 160-seat Mechanics’ Theatre at the heart. It’s just a five-minute walk from our Wakefield City Campus and includes dance and drama studios, spacious rehearsal rooms, and specialist facilities including a backstage workshop for production design and construction.
We offer support services so you can succeed in your studies and progress to the next step in your journey.
Our Foundation degrees are validated by the University of Hull and Leeds Beckett University. Our BA and BSc honours degrees are validated by the University of Hull and University of Huddersfield.
But don’t just take our word for it...
...Our students rate us:
94.12%
...of students felt they were able to express their ideas and beliefs regarding their course
92%
...of students were satisfied with the teaching of their course
92.2%
...were happy with the academic support they recieved
91.3%
...were delighted with the learning opportunities available to them
(National Student Survey 2023)
What our students say
There’s lots to learn as part of the course, but I really enjoy this as I’m always eager to learn more and expand my knowledge. I want to be a drama teacher in the future and this course will help get me there.
The film studios onsite give me the space and independence to explore my passion for film.
Studying Higher Education here is a very different. You are surrounded by like minded people who are aspiring professionals.
I’ve wanted to be a vet since I was a little girl so it was only natural for me to do my degree in Animal Management.
As a Young Carer myself, the course is teaching me skills which I can apply outside the classroom.
I’ve always loved animals and this programme can open a lot of doors for me in equine.
Nutrition, massage therapy and human anatomy have been my favourite modules so far. The skills I’ve learn in these areas will help prepare me to become a Sports Therapist in the future.
“The course has enabled me to learn valuable skills like coding, advanced programming and referencing which will help prepare me for a career in computing.”
The University Centre at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group has something for everyone - our aim is to get you started at the right level and on the best route for you.
Finding the right level for you
The table opposite shows examples of the qualifications gained at each level, course entry requirements normally require you to hold a qualification at the level below the qualification you are applying for.
We do look at everyone individually and you may have different skills, interests, experiences or qualifications to offer. We will ensure that we will advise you on the best route for you.
| Level | Qualifications |
|---|---|
| Level 8 | Specialist qualifications such as PhDs (NB not currently offered at Wakefield College) |
| Level 7 | Masters degrees, postgraduate certificates, postgraduate diplomas |
| Level 6 | Bachelor’s degrees (e.g. BA or BSc) |
| Level 5 | Foundation degrees, HNDs, Level 5 diplomas |
| Level 4 | HNCs, Level 4 diplomas |
Courses at Level 4 and above are generally considered to be Higher Education courses
| Level 3 | A Levels, Level 3 NVQs, Level 3 certificates |
| Level 2 | GCSE grade A* - C, Level 2 NVQs, Level 2 diplomas |
| Level 1 | GCSE grade D - G, Level 1 certificates |
| Entry | Entry level courses to develop skills and increase confidence |
Do I have the the right qualifications for university?
Even if you left education some years ago and would like to take your learning to the next level, or make a change of career, then you can study with us. Around 37% of all undergraduate entrants are over 21 years of age when they enter university and 87,000 of those are studying higher education courses at colleges. (AOC 2021)
The minimum entry requirements for each programme are shown on our course pages. We also prefer all candidates to have Level 2 qualifications in English and Maths at grade C or equivalent (level 4 under the new GCSE grading system).
The entry requirements for our Level 4 and 5 qualifications are expressed in the form of A Levels and BTEC Extended Diplomas, but we also encourage applications from students with Access to Higher Education Diplomas and other Level 3 qualifications.
We consider all applications on their own merit, so we still encourage applications from those who do not meet the stated minimum criteria. We would consider accepting an applicant to a course if they have extensive related employment experience, for example, or have studied on a similar course at a different university.
What can I do if I don’t have the qualifications?
If you would like to study one our Higher Education programmes, but do not have the entry requirements, you can take one of our Access to HE Courses: Access to Higher Education courses.
Get a Prospectus
Higher Education Prospectus 2023/24
If you think you have to go to university to get a degree, then you might be surprised to learn that we offer high-quality university-level courses in a supportive learning environment, across our three Colleges in Castleford, Selby and Wakefield.
Open Prospectus PDF Download [20MB]
Adobe Acrobat Reader
To read the above PDF files you need to download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is available free for download here - www.adobe.co.uk.
Fees & funding
At University Centre at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group we believe that pricing people out of Higher Education would devalue our institution by not allowing such a diverse range of students to continue their education.
Our tuition full-time tuition fees for 2023/24 at £6,950 will be substantially less than most universities. This means that, all our full-time Higher Education students will have significantly less to pay back once they have completed their studies and are in work. As fees for part-time courses vary, please refer to relevant course leaflets.
Learn more about full & part-time funding
Financial support
For more information on any funding or money matter issues please contact the College’s Financial Support Team. Telephone 01924 789283 or email student.finance@heartofyorkshire.ac.uk.
Financial SupportWakefield College
Margaret Street
Wakefield WF1 2DH
Opening times: 9am - 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Care experienced students
What do we mean by care experience?
This is where we can evidence that you are covered by the following UCAS definition of care experience:
Being care experienced means you will have spent time living with foster carers under local authority care, in residential care (e.g. a children’s home), looked after at home under a supervision order, or in kinship care with relatives or friends, either officially (e.g. a special guardianship order) or informally without local authority support*.
Kinship care – family or friends care – is where a child lives full-time or most of the time with a relative or close family friend, usually because their parents are not able to care for them. You can find out more here: https://compass.kinship.org.uk/advice-and-information/what-is-kinship-care/.
*Please be aware that informal kinship care can be very difficult to evidence, but we would like to try to consider your circumstances where possible. You may be able to evidence this through something such as a:
- A letter from a local authority social worker (this could include a copy of a completed IC1 form claiming support for a child informally living with a carer, signed by a registered social worker).
- A letter from a school/college or other education setting, or other relevant professional, who can evidence your situation.
- Any evidence of relevant benefits paid to your carer (e.g. child benefit being claimed by someone other than your birth parents [as listed on your birth certificate], Guardian’s Allowance).
Register with us for updates
By signing up with us you’ll recieve a tailored copy of our email newsletter, which will feature only news, course information and dates for forthcoming events which will be relevant to yourself. We may also send you information we think will be of interest to you.