Masters Courses in the UK

What is a Masters degree?

A postgraduate or masters course in the UK follows the successful completion of an undergraduate degree, generally lasting for just one year compared to two-year Masters programmes found elsewhere in the world. This means international students can save time, money and begin their career much quicker with a highly regarded UK postgraduate degree.

Why study a Masters degree in the UK?

The UK is home to some of the leading universities in the world, renowned for their quality of teaching and research. A UK postgraduate degree is held in high esteem by employers, and for international students studying in the UK it is a fantastic opportunity to improve your English and immerse yourself in a multicultural and exciting community of academics and students. You will:

• Improve your career prospects
• Gain an internationally recognised qualification
• Earn more over the course of your career because of the weight a UK Masters carries
• Be able to shape study around your schedule

A study carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency showed that 86 per cent of students who completed a Postgraduate Masters in the UK were in full-time employment following graduation, compared to just 75 per cent of undergraduate leavers.

Types of Masters degree

– Taught Masters

There are four main types of taught programme, Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Engineering (MEng), with each lasting 1-2 years full-time.

On a taught programme, students are expected to attend weekly seminars, tutorials and lectures, much like an undergraduate degree, and assessment can be via exam, dissertation or project.

– Research Masters

A Research degree will see students take more responsibility for their work and schedule, basing their study around a thesis while being supervised by an academic. The most popular research degree is a PhD, which can take 3-4 years to complete, and consists of writing a thesis between 60,000 – 100,000 words which is then presented in an oral examination.

Other types of Research degree include the Master of Science (MSc), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Master of Research (MRes). These degrees are similar to a PhD, but not as academically demanding with papers being much shorter.

How much does a Masters cost?

The average cost of a postgraduate and Masters degree in the UK for an international student is £14,620. Tuition fees at postgraduate level vary on the type of Masters you wish to study, which part of the UK you wish to live, and what university you attend.

Postgraduate schools in the UK are far less expensive than graduate schools in the USA, and studying in the UK can be 30 to 60 per cent cheaper than American equivalents.

Study a Masters in the UK

If you wish to learn more about studying a Masters in the UK, arrange your free consultation in London or Manchester.

Which Top UK Universities Have the Cheapest Tuition Fees for International Students?

If you want to study in the UK, unfortunately it doesn’t come cheap – around £12,200/US$16,120 is needed for living costs alone (and that’s if you don’t study in the more expensive London).

Domestic/EU students can now be charged a maximum of £9,250 (~€10,830) for an undergraduate degree, while international undergraduate tuition fees vary considerably.

So, if you’re on a budget and looking for more affordable options, here are the 10 cheapest UK universities for international students, based on data from the Reddin Survey of University Tuition Fees 2018/19, conducted by The Complete University Guide. All fees are for overseas students who started in 2018.

Of course, these fees are still high – but luckily there are plenty of scholarships available.

=8. University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Annual international tuition fees: £11,000 (~US$14,540)

If you want to study in Wales, the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David could be ideal, offering the cheapest tuition fees for international students in the country. It’s another young university, founded in 2010 through the merger of some of the oldest universities in Wales, the University of Wales, Lampeter (UWL) and Trinity University College (TUC).

=8. Plymouth Marjon University

Annual international tuition fees: £11,000 (~US$14,540)

Also featuring in the joint eighth among the cheapest UK universities in 2018/19, Plymouth Marjon University (known as Marjon for short) is a small university located just outside of Plymouth in southwest England. As well as boasting a green, leafy campus, Marjon offers small class sizes and all programs involve work placements of some degree.

=8. Buckinghamshire New University

Annual international tuition fees: £11,000 (~US$14,540)

Buckinghamshire New University is the third institution to be tied for third place among the cheapest UK universities for international students, and is split across three campuses in High Wycombe, Uxbridge and Aylesbury. It’s a good option for those who want to be close to the sights and attractions of nearby London, without spending too much on tuition fees.

7. Ravensbourne University London

Annual international tuition fees: £10,800–13,500 (~US$14,300-17,700)

Another good option for those with their sights set on studying in London, Ravensbourne University London, a small institution in East Greenwich, is currently ranked within the top 150 of the QS World University Rankings by Subject for art & design, and was awarded a ‘Silver’ in the UK government’s Teaching and Excellence Framework in 2017.

6. University of Sunderland

Annual international tuition fees: £10,500 (~US$13,440)

Another of the cheapest universities for international students is the University of Sunderland, which has its roots in the Sunderland Technical College (founded 1901) and gained university status in 1992. As well as its two campuses in Sunderland, the university has a site in London, and recently opened a Hong Kong campus.

The University of Sunderland has also been awarded an overall rating of 4 Stars in the QS Stars rating system, which provides a detailed look at which universities rate highest in areas such as facilities, graduate employability, social responsibility, inclusiveness, and more. A full breakdown of its QS Stars rating by category can be found on the university profile.

5. University of the West of Scotland

Annual international tuition fees: £10,600 (~US$14,000)

The University of the West of Scotland is the most affordable university in Scotland for international students, and is the largest modern university in Scotland, with around 16,000 students spread out across five campuses: with one each in the Scottish towns of Paisley, Hamilton, Dumfries and Ayr, as well as a campus in London.

4. University of Cumbria

Annual international tuition fees: £10,500 (~US$13,440)

In the northwest, the University of Cumbria is another young university offering lower tuition fees than many other universities in the UK. Formed by a merger of previous universities in 2007, the university is continuing to grow academically as well as geographically.

3. University of Suffolk

Annual international tuition fees: £10,080 (~US$12,900)

The next of these cheapest universities for international students in the UK is also one of the youngest, with the University of Suffolk only 12 years old (having been founded in 2007). The university has just over 5,000 students, again with a large proportion of female students. It has five sites, with its main campus in Ipswich.

2. Royal Agricultural University

Annual international tuition fees: £10,000 (~US$13,200)

Placed second for the lowest tuition fees is the specialized Royal Agricultural University, the oldest agricultural college in the English-speaking world (founded in 1845). It’s located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, a market town with fascinating Roman origins.

1. Coventry University

Annual international tuition fees: £9,000-12,600 (~US$11,900-16,650)

Concluding our look at the cheapest universities in the UK is a new entrant, Coventry University, which has fees as low as £9,000 for international undergraduates (in contrast, at the UK’s highest-ranked university, the University of Oxford, international undergraduate fees start at £24,750 per year). Ranked 571-580 in the QS World University Rankings® 2019, Coventry is one of the fastest growing UK universities, with around 31,700 students. It also achieved a ‘Gold’ rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework in 2017, and 97 percent of students are in employment or further study six months after graduating.