Interview information for Health & Social Sciences students

Your interview will take place online, on a free video communication platform.

The video communication platform will be free to download onto your device but does require access to a microphone and camera, and a suitable internet connection. Please let our admissions team know in advance of your interview if you are likely to have difficulty using this method and we will attempt to make alternative arrangements.

Your individual interview is where you will have the opportunity to tell us a little more about yourself and why you would be a great candidate for the course. You will be scored using a common template and offers will be made based on these scores.

A member of the Admissions Team will email you with joining instructions and information about what to expect at interview.

You will be given an interview slot and on the day of your interview, you will join the online meeting using the details provided. When you join the meeting, you will be asked to wait until the meeting host lets you in. You may have to wait some time as there will be a number of people being interviewed in the same time slot as you, but everyone will be interviewed individually. Interviews are between 10 and 40 minutes long depending on your course. You may be interviewed by one person or for some courses there may be a panel of more than one person asking you questions.

If you are invited to interview, you will also be able to access online on-demand information presentations, virtual campus tours and more which you can watch before your interview. On the day of your interview you may also be able to join a live chat-room where you can ask questions to our current student ambassadors and other members of staff.

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

• Brief yourself on current issues in the profession you are being interviewed for. You don’t need to know everything but you need to be able to demonstrate your knowledge and genuine interest in this area.
• Prepare examples which show skills and qualities that you think would benefit the profession and if able, elaborate 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.
• Think about how you would answer questions like those listed below, and how you could relate the answers back to the course that you’ve applied for.
  
  • Why do you want to study the course and what do you like the most about it?
  • Why Bournemouth University?
  • What is your understanding of the profession and why have you chosen it?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • What aspects of the course do you think you will find most challenging, and how will you overcome these challenges?
  • Why do you want to work in this profession ?
  • What will you bring to group work?
• Practice answering questions in a formal setting, ask somebody at home, work or college to interview you.

Good luck for your interview!

• Dress for an interview - even though you are on camera - a clean, smart outfit will help make a good impression and make you feel confident in your interview. There is no need to dress formally, smart and comfortable is fine.
• Be confident and positive in your approach 
• Show your enthusiasm 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.
• Try not to use short answers - we want to hear more about you!
• 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!