Interview information for Health & Social Sciences students

Interviews for all courses (except Social Work) will take place online, on Zoom. 

Zoom is free to download and requires access to a microphone, camera, and a stable internet connection.  If you anticipate any difficulties using this platform, please notify our admissions team in advance, and we will explore alternative arrangements.

Interviews for BA (Hons) Social Work and MA Social Work will be held in-person, for applicants based in the UK. Overseas applicants for these programmes will be able to interview online. 

You will receive joining instructions and important details about your interview via email, three to five working days before your interview is scheduled to take place. Please look out for this email and contact Admissions if you are unable to locate this in your inbox or junk folder. 

On the day, you will join the Zoom meeting using the link(s) provided in your email from Admissions. As multiple candidates are being interviewed on the day, you may have to wait for your interview to begin.

Each applicant will be assessed using a standardised scoring template, ensuring a fair and consistent evaluation process. Offers will be made based on these scores, reflecting how well candidates meet the required criteria.

If invited to interview, you will also have access to online, on-demand information presentations, virtual campus tours, and other resources to review beforehand. 

Some points you may like to consider when preparing for your interview day:

• Undertake independent research on the profession that you are being interviewed for and familiarise yourself on recent developments, challenges and trends. Demonstrating your knowledge and genuine interest in the profession will strengthen your interview responses.
• Prepare examples which show skills and qualities that you think would benefit the profession and if able, expand on any examples given in your personal statement. This is a great opportunity to discuss any other examples and experiences that were not included in your application.
• Practice using Zoom before your interview, to ensure you are familiar with the platform. Test your microphone, camera and account are working to avoid technical issues on the day of your interview. 
• Practice answering questions in a formal setting by asking somebody at home, work or college to interview you. Practising responses out loud can help refine your answers and boost your confidence.

Good luck for your interview!

• Be confident and positive in your approach 
• Show your enthusiasm and passion for the subject and course you are interviewing for, and be yourself
• Take your time with your answers – listen carefully to the questions and take a moment to think about what you want to say. If you need clarification, don’t hesitate to ask.
• Avoid short responses. Fully develop the point you would like to get across and include examples in your answers. 
• Speak clearly and make sure that your interviewer can hear you well. 
• Don’t forget to ask your own questions! What do you want to know about the course at BU?

Good luck!

Once you’ve received your interview invite, please contact us if you would like to make us aware of any additional support you may require for your interview, such as physical access, audio content or visual specific requirements. This is in accordance with Bournemouth University’s Dignity, Diversity and Equality Policy. We have a dedicated Additional Learning Support team at the university and will do our utmost to meet your requirements. Our practitioners and academics have prepared some of their top tips in the below video. We wish you the best of luck at your interview!

We will aim to notify you of your interview outcome as soon as possible and usually within five working days. However, during peak periods of the admissions cycle it may take us a little longer. We appreciate your patience whilst you wait for our decision.

You will be emailed a link to complete our applicant survey. Your feedback is important to us, and we’d love to hear how your interview went!

If your application is successful:

Congratulations! You will see an update on your UCAS application, and you will also receive an offer letter. Please carefully read your offer letter and any conditions that are included in your offer and get in touch with us if you have any questions. If your offer letter includes a placement, please note that this is provisional until enrolment and assigned on a first come, first served basis. Once you have received a decision from all the institutions you applied for, you can respond to your offer in UCAS. 

Waiting List Consideration:

Some applicants may be held on a waiting list after interview. If this applies to you, we will keep you informed and let you know if a place becomes available. If a place does not become available for you, we may be able to make you an offer for an alternative course in a similar subject area. 

If you are unsuccessful at your interview:

Please contact us in Clearing once you have received your results. We may be able to offer you place on a course that fits your interests and qualifications.