A master's degree in the UK
A master's degree in the UK is awarded at RQF level 7 and takes one year when studied full time. Applications are made through each university's own portal separately rather than through a central system.
2-minute form · free · no sign-up
An undergraduate application runs through one central form; a postgraduate one does not, and that difference changes how the whole timetable is built. The undergraduate route is at UK education guidance.
01
How long is a master's degree in the UK?
A full-time master's in the UK takes one year and is completed at RQF level 7. Programmes run in two kinds: taught programmes built around coursework, and research programmes that prepare a student for doctoral study.
The one-year length is what distinguishes the UK from most other systems, and it is the reason the timetable is tight: the dissertation period begins before the taught modules are fully behind the student.
02
How is a master's application made in the UK?
A master's application is made through each university's own online portal separately; UCAS, the central body for undergraduate applications, does not operate at this level. There is therefore no single deadline, and some programmes admit on a rolling basis.
Because deadlines are set programme by programme and some run on rolling admission, applying early carries more weight at this level than at undergraduate. The timetable is built from the chosen programmes.
03
What do universities ask for at master's level?
Universities ask for an undergraduate degree, a transcript and evidence of English, and each programme publishes its own entry threshold on its page. The Student visa requirement sits alongside those and is assessed separately from the university's decision.
A conditional offer at this level commonly turns on the final degree classification or an English score, and the CAS follows only once those conditions are met.
Free starter report
Let us draw up your free starter report
Seven short questions, one tap each. In return you get a costed sheet worked out from how many people are coming, what scale you are looking at and whether it is London — alongside the steps in months, the documents and the published rules.
04
What does a master's degree cost in the UK?
Each university sets its own master's tuition fee and publishes it on the programme page; there is no single published figure for international students. Maintenance and the visa costs are added to the fee separately.
The maintenance figure a Student visa applicant evidences is published by the Home Office and differs for London and elsewhere, so the total cost depends on the city as well as the programme.
05
Is it possible to stay in the UK after a master's?
The Graduate visa permits work without employer sponsorship after graduating from a recognised UK institution. GOV.UK grants two years to applications made up to 31 December 2026 and 18 months to those made after it.
The route cannot be extended and time on it does not count towards settlement on its own. What follows it is set out at the UK Graduate visa.
Sources
- GOV.UK — A Student visa rests on a CAS from a licensed sponsor and requires evidence of funds for fees and maintenance. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — The published English requirement is CEFR B2 for degree-level courses. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — The Graduate visa permits work without sponsorship after a UK degree, granting two years for applications made up to 31 December 2026 and 18 months after that.
