Progressing onto further study
- Access courses offered by Birkbeck
- Credit points
- Progressing onto Birkbeck degrees
- Degree study in the University of London
- Moving on from undergraduate to postgraduate degrees
- Moving on from Master's level to a PhD
Access courses
The following access courses can be used to progress onto courses at other universities:
- Legal Methods (Certificate of Higher Education)
- Higher Education Introductory Studies (Certificate of Higher Education)
- Physics and Mathematics (Certificate of Higher Education)
Details of progression routes are given with the individual course descriptions.
Progressing onto Birkbeck degrees
Some of our certificate modules form part of Foundation and BA/BSc degrees at Birkbeck, and may provide credit towards the first year of a degree. For example:
- If you gain a mark of Credit (50–59 per cent) or above in Science Foundation Year Certificate modules, you will be guaranteed a place on a related science degree at Birkbeck.
- You can progress from Foundation degrees to BA/BSc degrees at Birkbeck.
- Details of progression routes are given with the individual course descriptions.
Degree study in the University of London
If you successfully complete modules as part of a certificate programme and want to study full-time for a degree, you may be eligible for admission to the colleges of the University of London as a transfer student.
You will need to consult the admissions tutor of the course which you are applying for, who will consider whether the subject matter of your certificate covers all or part of the first modules in a University of London first degree.
With a certificate, in some cases, it may be possible to obtain academic credit for three or four modules or the equivalent of the first year of study.
Moving on from undergraduate to postgraduate degrees
Once you've finished an undergraduate degree at Birkbeck, you may find that you want to continue your studies. Your next natural step will therefore be a postgraduate degree.
You can generally progress from BA/BSc degrees to Master's degrees, although you will need to meet the entry requirements outlined in our course descriptions.
Details of progression routes are given with the individual course descriptions.
Moving on from Master's level to a PhD
A number of our Master's students go on to PhD studies after completing their course.
Progress to a PhD will normally be dependent on gaining at least a merit grade in the Master's programme. It will also be dependent on a member of the teaching staff agreeing to act as principal supervisor for your PhD research.
Details of progression routes are given with the individual course descriptions.

