Applying for postgrad study

What does a typical application involve?

There is no central admissions system that covers all postgraduate courses. Most applications are made directly to a college or university, through the UKPASS clearing house or at Prospects.ac.uk. In Northern Ireland, applications are made through the Postgraduate Applications Centre (PAC).

Timetable for applications

Most postgraduate courses have no official closing date, but you should still apply as soon as you are ready. Exceptions include medicine, law and teacher training.

24-18 months in advance - Research your options and plan a timetable of action

• Consider your options and research how you can give yourself a good chance of success when it comes to filling out your application forms. For example, you could identify appropriate voluntary and work experience opportunities.
• Try to source work experience. This is particularly important if you are interested in very popular courses, such as law, journalism and professions related to medicine.
• If you are interested in research, consider potential supervisors and make initial enquiries. They may also be able to help with funding opportunities.

18-12 months in advance - Continue research and firm up your plans

• Some courses may have early closing dates for applications so check in plenty of time.
• Speak to members of staff at your own institution who are experts in your chosen field. They may be able to suggest related areas of study and institutions worth investigating.
• Check the dates of postgraduate fairs and university open days.
• If you have a specific research interest, consider writing your own research proposal in conjunction with your potential supervisor for submission to funding bodies.
• Consider how you will fund your course.

12-6 months in advance - Apply for places and funding

• This is the time when most people start to plan and take action with regard to postgraduate study in the UK.
• If you have not already done so, make initial enquiries about courses. Prospectuses are often available online. Make contact with course tutors and check course details, specific entry requirements and the possibility of nomination by the department for a funding award (where relevant).
• Attend department open days or arrange a visit to the department.
• Make sure you get good academic references to support your application as they are critical to the selection and award-seeking processes. Choose your referees with care and discuss your plans with them. Check that they will be available to respond quickly to a request for a reference.
• Write personal statements. Look at Postgraduate Studentships for examples used by real students to enter postgraduate study.
• Make applications as soon as you are clear about the courses or research programmes you prefer, possibly before Christmas or soon after New Year.
• Look into any available funding and make applications.

Last 6 months - Continue with applications and attend interviews

• It is at this time that course providers start to call in candidates for interviews and it is important to be prepared.
• By now, you will probably know if you have been successful in obtaining offers and whether funding is attached. The offers are usually conditional depending on your final degree results, so give priority to your academic work.
• By the end of the academic year departments are much clearer about the level of funding available and, subject to a candidate’s satisfactory degree performance, can confirm or clarify their offers.
• If you have made a late decision to consider postgraduate study, keep looking for courses and research posts because it is still possible to pick up late offers, particularly if you have your degree results rather than a predicted grade.

Personal statement

Most applications require a personal statement and you are usually asked to name your referees or send a reference. In your statement, you will be expected to prove your commitment and skills in relation to the course and your chosen career.

• Proving your commitment

Your application should show that you have a genuine interest and enthusiasm for the subject and have carefully planned how you will use the qualification to further your career. Therefore, you should demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of each particular course and course provider and outline why they suit your skills, interests and aspirations.

• Outlining your skills

You should demonstrate that you have the specific skills required to succeed on the course and in your career. This means that, each time you approach a course provider, you should research the specific skills they require and tailor your application accordingly, giving specific examples. For example, if a university expects you to have excellent research skills, you could outline how you used a range of sources and checked your results during your undergraduate thesis.

Provide recent and relevant examples of the skills and commitment required by the course provider/s you are approaching, and don’t just focus on how much you like the subject.

You should also include the following elements:

• an introduction to what you have touched on in your statement and a brief summary;
• short paragraphs;
• short dynamic sentences and action words.

At all costs avoid the following:

• spelling mistakes;
• grammar mistakes;
• untailored applications.

If you need help in finding a course or research opportunity, search the official postgrad course database at www.prospects.ac.uk/courses.