WHY IN THE UK?
The UK offers thousands of taught and research postgraduate courses which are respected and recognised throughout the world. Whatever your subject, you will be able to further your academic qualifications in an environment that attracts some of the best intellects to study at some of the best institutions in the world. It is usual to study the same subject as your first degree, or a related subject, but you do not have to do so. There are also Conversion Master’s, which are designed to help you move into a new subject area such as computer science, information studies, teaching and law.
The UK research base is exceptional. It contributes almost a tenth of the world’s research output. This is one of the many reasons why you should consider coming to the UK to do postgraduate research. The most prestigious research degree is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which is the highest academic award for which a student can be registered. But there are several others like Master of Philosophy (MPhil), Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MSc) by research.
WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?
Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates are almost always taught course qualifications and last nine months. They usually follow the same programme as a Masters degree but are assessed only by exam, without a thesis. The most common are:
PG Dip (Postgraduate Diploma)Masters degrees are usually awarded for one year’s study and are assessed by exam and a short thesis. They can consist of both taught and research elements. The most common are:
MA (Master of Arts)Doctorates take three or more years of independent study and research. Almost all Doctorates are completed purely by research, ending in a dissertation or thesis of 70,000-100,000 words (shorter in science). Amongst Doctorates there are:
PhD/DPhil (Doctor of Philosophy)ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
To take a postgraduate course you will usually need a good quality first degree in the relevant subject and a test of proficiency in English language which is usually an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) grade 6, a TOEFL score of 550 or equivalent.
Prospective students should carry out thorough research into the programmes available at:
Education UK for course and institution informationIn order to choose your research topic and institution a good place to start is the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). This is an official assessment conducted every five years and gives a ranking, by subject, for research at each institution. It is then advisable to contact the relevant departments in your selected universities to request details of their research activities. Once you have decided at which universities you would like to study, check with the departments to see if there is a closing date for your application. Then, apply direct to the institutions (forms are available from them). Your application could be speeded up if you use the Internet to apply (where possible). In the meantime, prepare your research proposal. This should be a short (perhaps two-page) summary, based on research in your field.
For a doctoral research programme, you will normally need an outstanding academic record, with proven academic achievement.
FEES
European Union (EU) students studying at universities and colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland pay the same fees as UK students, known as ‘home fees’ which start at £3,000 per year, but higher fees (up to £8,500) are charged for particular programmes that are more expensive to run. International students from outside the EU pay international student fees.
Most students will need around £650 a month (£750 a month in London and the South East of England) to cover accommodation, food, clothes and basic needs. This will cover the costs of your accommodation, your food, clothes and basic needs.
Some universities do offer scholarships, but there is a lot of competition for these and you should not depend on them. The majority of scholarships are for postgraduate students.
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