Students offered cheaper part-time route to degree as places are capped

The Bradford Way is being offered from tomorrow by the city's university with 100 places in a choice of 40 different subject areas.

The part-time study route will be available through the UCAS clearing system on courses such as English, history, politics, archaeology, peace studies, business and management and computer science.

Students on the Bradford Way will be asked to complete 80 credits in an academic year, rather than the normal 120 done by full-time undergraduates.

Part-time student numbers are not capped like full-time recruits meaning Bradford University is able to create the new places.

Completing around two-thirds of the work of a full-time student means participants have more time to hold part-time jobs or take part in work placements.

Students must be able to complete the course in no longer than double the length of time it would take to finish studying it full-time. A three-year degree course is expected to take four-and-a-half years to finish on the Bradford Way.

This approach aims to open up part-time study as an option for more young people as the competition for places in higher education becomes increasingly tough.

Candidates whose household income is less than 16,845 can also receive support to cover their tuition fee but as part-time students they will not able to apply for student loans.

It is thought the course will appeal to students who want to study without leaving home in the Bradford area who to avoid huge debts.

Bradford University plans to expand the numbers of places available through this new part-time study route in future years.