The School adheres to the University’s guidelines on required academic qualifications as specified in the Academic Quality Handbook. Postgraduate students are normally required to have attained an initial degree awarded by a university or an approved-degree awarding body. However, these guidelines also allow non-standard applications from students who may not conform to the academic requirements of the orthodox method of entry. The School is, therefore, able to consider applications from mature students who may have relevant experience and/ or qualifications other than those outlined above. International students whose mother-tongue is not English applying for study at postgraduate level will normally be required to show evidence of sufficient command of the English language in order to be able to follow their course, undertake research, and produce writing without major linguistic difficulties. Such evidence is usually the Cambridge Advanced or Proficiency Certificate, IELTS minimum score of 6.5, TOEFL minimum score of 575, or TOEIC minimum score of 700. Following the receipt and scrutiny of applications by the Head of School and the Programme Director, all eligible applicants are invited for interview. Distance learning students from abroad, are interviewed by Skype or telephone and under the same rigorous conditions as those interviewed at the University.