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 to 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.
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. You can search for pre-master's courses here.
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. You can search for PG Cert and PG Dip courses here.
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. You can search for taught master's courses here.
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. You can search for research master's courses here.
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. It's the best-known and most popular postgraduate qualification and you can search for courses here.
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. You can search for PhDs here.
New Route PhDs
New Route PhDs include taught elements as well as a research project and give you the opportunity to undertake interdisciplinary study. You can search for New Route PhDs here.
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 should get details of the course requirements from the institution’s current prospectus or direct from the faculty. 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 |
Prospective students should carry out thorough research into the programmes available at:
It is then useful to obtain the institution's own postgraduate prospectus and an application form (There is not a standard form and you will need to apply direct to each university). Start your application procedure at least twelve months before the proposed start date (usually October). If you are applying for a scholarship, apply at least one year before the course starts.
In 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.
If you need more information, please send us an email.
| 
Search for courses and find information on studying in the UK!
