Masters degrees and other postgraduate programmes are a very popular choice of course for overseas students studying in the UK.
Almost 1 in 3 postgraduate students in the UK are overseas students.
· Why study at postgraduate level in the UK?
The UK has some of the very best universities in the world. In 2007, the UK had 19 universities in the top 100 world rankings, including 4 in the top 10. Only the USA had a higher number. Students at UK universities are taught by world class lecturers and professors and also have access to widespread resources including vast libraries, modern laboratories, up to date computing equipment and extensive research facilities.
The UK has been at the forefront of providing high standard university education to UK and overseas students alike, for many years. Many UK universities have a long list of famous alumni including world leaders in politics, business, science, medicine, innovation, etc.
As with all UK academic qualifications, a masters degree, PhD or MBA earned at a UK university will be recognised and respected all over the world. Holding such a prestigious qualification will open many doors of opportunity. It can provide students with instantly recognisable proof to potential employers of their ability to think and work independently and conduct their own research and analysis as well as having high level knowledge of a subject.
Most masters degrees and MBA programmes at UK universities can be completed in only one year, compared to two years in the USA and most other countries. So taking a postgraduate course in the UK can prove to be excellent value for money, as only one year’s tuition fee needs to be covered and students could be out into the job market with their newly gained experience and qualification all the sooner.
Many graduates will be eligible to remain in the UK to work for two years or possibly longer after completing their studies. Additionally, overseas students have the opportunity to experience life away from home, learning to live independently in a culturally diverse country with a rich history. Not to mention that living and studying in the UK will also vastly improve a student’s level of English language ability, thereby increasing their future employability and career prospects further still.
Postgraduate programmes lead to qualifications that are higher than bachelor degrees. Postgraduate students need to have a thorough understanding of a general subject area, as learnt during their bachelor degree, which they then use to extensively study and/or research a more specialist subject area or topic, at an even higher level. This requires postgraduate students to have an in-depth knowledge of current trends and new developments within their subject area, allowing them to explore issues at the very forefront of their specialist area of study.
The UK provides a choice of different postgraduate programmes available in a wide range of subjects, meaning every student can find a course to suit them.
· Taught masters (MA, MSc, etc.)
Taught masters are the traditional and most common type of postgraduate programme in the UK. They are studied over a one year period for full-time students. Courses consist of a number of specialist taught modules, which will involve students attending lectures and seminars. Each module is assessed by coursework, project work or examination. These taught elements constitute two-thirds of the overall course assessment. The remaining third is assessed on a dissertation, usually about 20,000 words, based on an independent research project carried out by each individual student. The taught courses are commonly undertaken first, followed by the project and dissertation at the end of the programme.
Most UK universities require students to have obtained a high grade in their bachelor degree, i.e. a first or an upper second-class (2:1) or overseas equivalent, in a directly related subject to gain admission to a taught masters programme. In addition, overseas students will also need proof of a high level of English language ability, i.e. IELTS band score of 6.5 – 7.0 or higher.
Many masters degrees are purely academic in nature and others also incorporate the development of knowledge and skills for use in a particular professional field, such as health, law, education, etc. Admission onto some of these masters programmes may require students to have first gained a certain amount of work experience in their particular industry, in addition to the standard entry requirements.
· Research masters (MRes, MPhil)
Research based masters programmes are commonly studied full-time over a one year period. The taught element of the course is considerably less than on a taught masters degree, often involving the study of research skills. The course assessment is commonly based entirely on one large independent research project and dissertation, usually about 35,000 words, which each student is expected to undertake individually, with the assistance of a research supervisor.
MRes or MPhil programmes are therefore quite similar to a PhD, in that the majority of the work is a large individual project, although at a lower academic level and involving a considerably shorter dissertation. Hence, some students study for a research masters hoping it will lead them to a Doctorate. UK universities will often register PhD students for an MPhil first of all, and then let them progress to a PhD if they are deemed to be making sufficient progress with their research project.
Most UK universities require students to have obtained a high grade in their bachelor degree, i.e. a first or an upper second-class (2:1) or overseas equivalent, in a directly related subject to gain admission to a research masters programme. In addition, overseas students will also need proof of a high level of English language ability, i.e. IELTS band score of 6.5 – 7.0 or higher.
· Postgraduate certificate or diploma (PGCert, PGDip)
There are postgraduate programmes available at many UK universities that do not involve a research project. A postgraduate diploma (PGDip) is roughly equivalent to a taught masters programme without the final research project and dissertation. A postgraduate certificate (PGCert) is roughly equivalent to half the taught element of a PGDip. These courses usually run for less than one full academic year and are available in a range of academic and professional subjects.
Admission requirements are generally a little lower than for masters programmes. Students still need to have a relevant bachelor degree but many UK universities will not insist on it being an upper second-class (2:1) degree or higher. Overseas students still need to have proof of a high level of English language ability, i.e. IELTS band score of 6.5 – 7.0 or higher.
A PhD is a post masters qualification which usually takes between two and four years to complete on a full-time basis. It is the pinnacle of academic achievement, bringing with it great prestige and social status as well as the “Dr” prefix to the name of the holder.
At the centre of a Doctorate programme is the Doctoral thesis, a substantial research project on a specialist topic within a certain academic field, under the supervision of an academic who is an expert in that field, concluded by the writing up of a thesis of about 100,000 words. The thesis needs to contribute new findings and original ideas to a field of expertise, backed up by thorough research so that academic peers judge it to be worthy of publication.
Traditional UK PhD programmes usually include some taught modules on research methods, although assessment is based solely on the quality of the written thesis. Newer types of PhD programmes in the UK also involve subject specific taught elements which are assessed in addition to the written thesis.
Most PhD students will have taken a masters degree prior to embarking on a PhD programme, although it is possible to progress straight from a bachelor degree under certain circumstances. In addition, UK universities will require overseas students to have proof of a high level of English language ability, i.e. IELTS band score of 6.5 – 7.0 or higher.
A Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is the most popular choice of postgraduate course among overseas students studying in the UK. About 80% of full-time MBA students in the UK are overseas students.
MBAs are taught masters programmes specialising in business. They are mostly studied over a one year period for full-time students. During which time students study core subjects such as finance, accounting, economics, marketing, human resource management and business IT systems as well as additional elective modules such as mergers and acquisitions, derivatives, etc.
Gaining in popularity in the UK are specialist MBA programmes that focus on a particular industry or area of business management, such as hospitality, entrepreneurship or international business.
Most UK universities and business schools will expect applicants to have obtained a high grade in their bachelor degree, i.e. a first or an upper second-class (2:1) or overseas equivalent, as well as a number of years of business and management work experience; hence MBA students are commonly between the ages of 25 and 40. Overseas students will also need proof of a high level of English language ability, i.e. IELTS band score of 6.5 – 7.0 or higher. In addition, many institutions require applicants to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
Postgraduate students will commonly follow a postgraduate programme that is directly related to their previous studies at bachelor degree level. Therefore, their choice of postgraduate course is usually limited to a certain subject area so choosing which type of course, PGCert, PGDip, taught masters or research masters, is often given more consideration than the actual course subject.
It is important to note that postgraduate programmes, particularly taught masters and MBAs, by the same title will vary significantly in the teaching methods used and the subject areas taught, between institutions. Therefore students need to look carefully at the actual course content offered at each university when choosing where to study.
The quality and reputation of a universities’ research facilities, professors and other faculty members might also be a key consideration, particularly for students wanting to undertake research based programmes. University departments with impressive research facilities and high-profile academics that are well known in their field of expertise will hold more appeal for MRes, MPhil and PhD students.
Many students undertake postgraduate studies to give themselves an edge in an ever increasingly competitive job market, where holding a bachelor degree, even from a reputable university, is no guarantee of securing top positions within the best companies. So choosing an institution with a good reputation amongst potential employers and with an impressive list of employers that an institution’s alumni are employed by will be a priority for many students.
For postgraduate programmes and MBAs in particular, the reputation of an institution and its rankings in the various unofficial league tables are an important factor. The UK based Financial Times (FT) publishes an annual, international MBA league table, which places a large emphasis on MBA graduate destinations and salaries. All the most popular league tables can be viewed in the News (League tables) section of this website.
Naturally, the universities at and near the top of the various league tables have a far greater demand for places than lower ranking institutions, hence the top universities and business schools set far higher entry requirements and are generally much harder to gain admission into, especially for their popular courses. Students need to be realistic when applying to institutions that set high entry requirements and those that do will commonly apply to several institutions simultaneously.
When choosing a university, there are other important factors students should consider.
Cost – how expensive is the tuition fee and what is the cost of living and accommodation in the area? Tuition fees vary from university to university. On average, masters degree course tuition fees for overseas students are about ￡7,000+ per year, ￡10,000+ per year for science based courses and higher still for medicine based courses. Note that most scholarships for students studying in the UK are awarded to postgraduate students, so high achieving students may be more interested in applying to universities offering potential scholarship awards. MBA tuition fees vary greatly, from below ￡10,000, to well in excess of ￡40,000 for the full two year programme at London Business School, one of the very best MBA providers in the world. In terms of living expenses and accommodation, London is the most expensive area to live in. Generally speaking the cost of living and accommodation is higher in the bigger cities than in the smaller towns and rural areas and also generally higher in the South of England than in the rest of the UK.
Location – although the UK is quite small, it is very varied. Some students may prefer to be in a big city like London, Manchester, Birmingham, etc. with lots of people, shops, bars, restaurants, etc. all within easy reach and generally lots to do and see. Others may prefer more semi-rural locations offering more peace and tranquility. Some smaller towns such as Oxford, Cambridge and others are known as “student towns” as there are so many students living within the town, the colleges and universities play a very important role in the local community.
Amenities – what amenities does the university provide? Students that are keen on sports may have a preference for universities with excellent sporting facilities. Universities usually have amenities such as libraries, sports halls, gyms, swimming pools, music studios, etc. placed on campus. Some institutions will have more and/or better quality amenities than others. This may or may not be an important consideration.
· Applying for postgraduate level study in the UK
Unlike the UK’s centralised admissions system for undergraduate programmes (UCAS); each university in the UK uses its own admissions system for postgraduate programmes, meaning that students must apply separately to each university.
Click here for more information about applying to study at postgraduate level in the UK.
Blue Sky Study are able to assist students in making their postgraduate course applications as well as assist students with their visa applications and much, much more.
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