A postgraduate course in the UK gives you the ultimate opportunity to pursue
your own specialist interests. You'll be expected to initiate and develop
original research under the supervision of academics at the top of their fields.
You'll need to be hard working and demonstrate intellectual independence but
there's no doubt that the qualifications and experience you'll gain will be
worth every minute.
Courses last from one year to four years, and you can choose from thousands
of opportunities in the arts, sciences, social sciences and humanities. The
broad range and flexible approach of the UK higher education system means that
you're free to choose exactly what you want to study.
What qualifications will I need?
To begin a postgraduate course in the UK, you'll need to hold an undergraduate
degree from the UK or overseas. This is the foundation from which you'll be able
to go on to a postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma or a master's
degree and then, afterwards, to a PhD. You'll be expected to have obtained a
first or good 2:1 (or international equivalent) in a directly related subject
and you'll also need to speak English to at least IELTS 6.5 level.
You'll find the exact entry requirements for each course explained clearly on
the course profiles on this website. To give you a rough idea, the sort of
qualifications you'll need are as follows:
Pre-master's
undergraduate degree plus IELTS 5.0-5.5
PG Cert/PG Dip
undergraduate degree plus IELTS 6.5-7.0 or a pre-master's
course
Master's degree
first or upper second class undergraduate degree plus
IELTS 7.0, or a pre-master's course
MBA
first degree, 2-3 year's business experience, IELTS
6.5-7.0
PhD
master's degree, IELTS 6.5-7.0
What sorts of courses are available?
Pre-master's courses
You may need to take a pre-master's course if your qualifications or English
language skills don't quite match the standard required to begin a master's
degree. Pre-master's courses can last from one term to a complete academic year
and cover academic study, cultural instruction and language training. Many
courses will guarantee progression onto a master's course at a particular
university.
Postgraduate certificate or
diploma (PG Cert/Dip)
Postgraduate certificates and diplomas are one-year taught postgraduate courses
that don't usually involve research. They're often accepted as professional
qualifications in the relevant field, such as education or management, giving
you a fantastic head start in your chosen career.
Taught master's (MA, MSc, LLM,
MEd etc)
Taught master's courses generally last for one year and consist of two elements:
you'll complete a number of modules (which will include attending lectures and
seminars, writing essays and taking examinations) and produce a dissertation
from original research.
Research master's (MRes, MPhil)
On a master's degree by research, you won't typically attend lectures - instead
you'll devote the entire year to research. Your final mark will be determined by
the quality of your dissertation.
Master of Business Administration
(MBA)
An MBA is a specialist business taught master's course that will give you a real
step up the managerial ladder.
Doctorate (PhD)
A PhD, also know as a doctorate, will take you three to four years to complete,
during which you'll be working on a single research project. In you final year,
you'll be asked to present a dissertation of approximately 100,000 words.
New Route PhDs
New Route PhDs include taught elements as well as a research project and give
you the opportunity to undertake interdisciplinary study.
How much will it cost?
UK postgraduate study offers you great value for money. Course fees can vary
considerably between institutions, but the figures below show approximately what
you'll need to pay. Costs for individual courses are given in the course
profiles on this website.
Arts and humanities courses: £7,000-£9,000 per year
Science courses: £7,500-£12,000 per year
Clinical courses: £10,000-£21,000 per year
MBA: £4,000 to more than £30,000 per year
How will I know if my course is a good one?
Part of the reason that UK postgraduate qualifications are so highly valued
across the world is the strict measures of quality imposed on them. Many of the
checks and reports are available online, so you'll never be left in any doubt
about the validity and quality of the course you choose.
The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) ensures that UK higher education is of a
standard that's respected and admired across the world.
Every few years, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) takes place to judge
the quality of research being carried out in UK colleges and universities.
You can also find information on
postgraduate courses on the Teaching Quality Information (TQI) website, which
provides information on many different areas of postgraduate education,
including results of the national student survey and destination information of
recent postgraduates.
