Postgraduate programmes

With over 100 universities and a huge range of courses to choose from the possibilities for postgraduate study are endless.

Postgraduate study in the UK falls into a two-band structure:

• postgraduate qualifications by coursework (taught)
• postgraduate research

Applications are made directly to the university or universities you are interested in. There is no limit to the number of universities to which you can apply.

Use our course search database to search for postgraduate courses.

Coursework programmes

Postgraduate qualifications by coursework are known in the UK as postgraduate taught courses. They normally consist of lectures, seminars and classes.

There are broadly three types:

1. Postgraduate Certificate
2. Postgraduate Diplomas
3. Master's degrees

Certificates and Diplomas, such as the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), the Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and Postgraduate Certificate (PG cert) are usually of 9 months' duration.

Some Master's degrees involve the submission of a written dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words at the end of the course. Master's degrees are usually of 12 months' duration.

Download our taught postgraduate courses pdf for more information.

Research programmes

There are broadly four types of research degrees:

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) - takes two years and is a research programme ending in a dissertation.

Master of Arts(MA) or Master of Science (MSc) - a one year research programme ending in a dissertation

Taught Doctorates (DEng, DMus, DEd, DClinPsych,DBA)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD or DPhil) - takes three years. It is not usually possible to register immediately for a PhD unless you already have a research Master's qualification.

An increasing number of institutions also offer jointly supervised ("split") PhD programmes, in which you spend part of the registration period at a UK institution and the other part at an Australian institution.

Download our postgraduate research programmes pdf for more information.

Entry requirements

UK Honours degrees generally take three years while the Australian Honours degree consists of a fourth year.

An Australian degree with a credit average is combarable with a UK Honours degree.

You should contact universities to which you are considering applying directly to discuss your qualifications.

The university you are applying to will assess your suitability for admission to a particular course, taking into account::

• the nature, relevance and standards of completed studies
• other relevant experience (e.g. in professional work)
• academic references submitted on the applicant's behalf.

How to apply

You apply directly to the institutions. There is no central system of admissions. Application forms can usually be downloaded from a university's web site.

Often there is no set closing date for postgraduate courses however for courses starting in October apply by March the same calendar year.

For some postgraduate courses, the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) or BMAT (Business Management Aptitude Test) may be required.

When applying to University of Oxford or University of Cambridge for postgraduate study:

• you must apply to the faculty in which you wish to study
• if successful, your application will be passed onto a college for consideration
• you must be admitted by a college before your place at the university is confirmed.

Fees information

Fees vary depending on the institution and the course.

The normal fee range is AU$15,000 to $30,000 per year, but courses involving clinical or laboratory work can be more expensive than this.

How to apply

You apply directly to the institutions. There is no central system of admissions. Application forms can usually be downloaded from a university's web site.

Often there is no set closing date for postgraduate courses however for courses starting in October apply by March the same calendar year.

For some postgraduate courses, the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) or BMAT (Business Management Aptitude Test) may be required.

When applying to University of Oxford or University of Cambridge for postgraduate study:

• you must apply to the faculty in which you wish to study
• if successful, your application will be passed onto a college for consideration
• you must be admitted by a college before your place at the university is confirmed.

Fees information

Fees vary depending on the institution and the course.

The normal fee range is AU$15,000 to $30,000 per year, but courses involving clinical or laboratory work can be more expensive than this.