Postgraduate Degrees
Compare masters, MPhil, MBA and PhD routes, choose between them, and get help with your application.
A postgraduate degree is a qualification you study after a bachelors degree. The main routes are a taught masters, a research masters such as an MPhil, an MBA, or a PhD.
This is our postgraduate hub. It compares the routes, helps you choose between them, and leads on to our guides for each one. We also give masters application help and PhD application help, from choosing a course to checking the final application.
Reviewed by Dr Elizabeth Adey · Uni Direct team, 2026
What types of postgraduate degree are there?
A postgraduate degree is any qualification above a bachelors, and the four routes below cover most people’s choices.
MSc or MA
Structured modules followed by an extended dissertation, according to FindAMasters. The usual choice for a career step or a change of direction. See our masters degrees guide.
MRes or MPhil
Mostly independent, supervised research. Prospects says an MPhil is often used as a step towards a PhD. See our MPhil guide.
MBA or LLM
FindAMasters classes these as professional masters, focused on specific careers. See our MBA guide.
The fourth route is the doctorate. Our guide to what a PhD is explains it.
Sources: FindAMasters and Prospects, read 9 October 2026.
Masters or PhD: which postgraduate degree is right for you?
A PhD is one level above a masters and takes several times as long, so the choice depends on whether you want to specialise or to research.
Masters
PhD
Sources: the QAA, FindAMasters, Prospects, GOV.UK Master’s Loan and UKRI, read 9 October 2026. Not sure yet? An MPhil lets you test research for one to two years, and many universities allow an upgrade to a PhD.
Where to go next
Start with the guide that matches your question, then come back here for application help.
Masters degrees in the UK
Types, entry, how and when to apply, and funding.
Masters guide →MBA
How an MBA differs from an MSc, and how to apply.
MBA guide →MPhil degrees
The research masters between a masters and a PhD.
MPhil guide →What is a PhD?
How long it takes, what it costs and how it is assessed.
PhD explained →Applying for a PhD
Advertised posts, research proposals and the documents you need.
PhD application →Postgraduate scholarships
Funding for masters and research study.
Scholarships →Masters application help: how to apply in four steps
UK postgraduate admissions mostly run through each university rather than UCAS, and for a masters the work comes in four steps.
Step oneShortlist your courses
Read each course page for its entry requirements, start date and deadline.
Step twoGather your documents
Order your transcript, ask referees early and draft your personal statement.
Step threeApply to each university
Make an online account, upload your documents and submit before the deadline.
Step fourWait for the decision
The wait is usually between two weeks and two months, according to Prospects.
Sources: FindAMasters and Prospects, read 9 October 2026.
Applying for a masters this year? We can help you from shortlist to offer.
Message us on WhatsAppDo you apply for a masters through UCAS?
Not usually. UCAS does not run most masters applications, so you apply to each university directly, and each one has its own form, documents and deadline. That is why the shortlist matters: every extra course you apply to is another application to complete.
Our guide to masters degrees covers documents, deadlines, references and entry requirements in full.
PhD application help
You may be considering a doctorate or already be part way through your research. Whatever your starting point, the commitment, focus and flexibility needed at this level is significant.
Posts and proposals
We support applications for advertised posts, the development of research proposals and the process of identifying a suitable research group and supervisor.
Prepare for the interview
Our guide to the PhD interview covers the questions you can expect, and our support helps you build the confidence to fulfil your ambitions.
They all differ
For advertised PhDs the deadlines are clear. If you are submitting your own proposal, you can do this at any time.
How do you pay for postgraduate study?
The route you choose changes how you can fund it.
Master’s Loan of up to £13,206
GOV.UK Master’s Loan says this is the most you can borrow for a course starting on or after 1 August 2026. Residency rules apply, and most international applicants will not qualify.
A stipend and fees
UKRI says the minimum full-time stipend is £21,805 from 1 October 2026, and fees are paid up to the home rate. You apply to the university, not to UKRI.
Scholarships
Many universities list their own funding. Our guide to postgraduate scholarships covers more.
Sources: GOV.UK Master’s Loan and UKRI, read 9 October 2026.
What do international applicants need to add?
International applicants add passport details, language test scores and proof of finances to the same application. Check each one early, because the language test and the visa both take time to arrange.
Read our guides to language requirements, the masters visa and our entry requirements map.
How do you write a postgraduate personal statement? Arsen’s Oxford MPhil offer
Arsen obtained an offer from the University of Oxford for an MPhil in Russian and East European Studies. His writing and research skills, and his experience working for an NGO in Armenia, were key to his success. In the video he gives his top tips for a winning academic statement of purpose:
- Understand your academic interest by doing lots of research.
- Read about the different research groups at the university and cite them in your statement.
- Make more than 50% of the statement your research proposal, with the rest covering your prior experience and career goals.
Your personal statement explains why you want the course and how you have prepared for it, according to FindAMasters. Our guide to writing a personal statement works through the structure, and our guide to writing a CV helps with the CV some courses ask for.
Source: FindAMasters, read 8 October 2026.
Postgraduate application support: how we help
You deal with one adviser, Dr Elizabeth Adey, from your first message to your offer. She starts from you and your plans, and then looks at courses.
Our masters application services give you assistance in three parts. We help you choose your pathway and the course, shape your personal statement and CV, and check the whole application before it goes in. Our academic support pages explain what follows.
Ongoing support
Once you have secured your place, we stay available for academic support and mentoring through your degree.
We helped Amy secure her place at Royal Holloway
Since completing her Master’s degree we have helped Amy develop her CV further for internship and PhD applications.
“Liz is absolutely brilliant, she is an encouraging lady that you can go to with any question”
Amy Garden, MSc in Clinical Psychology at Royal Holloway
When someone writes to me about postgraduate study, I start with the question of which degree, because masters and PhD applications are very different jobs. Then I work back from the deadline. References take the longest, so ask your referees first. Draft your personal statement against what the department says it wants, and leave the form until last. A small number of well-tailored applications beats a long list of general ones.
Postgraduate degrees: your questions answered
What is a postgraduate degree?
A postgraduate degree is a qualification you study after a bachelors degree. It includes taught masters such as the MSc and MA, research masters such as the MRes and MPhil, professional masters such as the MBA and LLM, and the PhD.
What postgraduate degrees can you apply for?
You can apply for a taught masters, a research masters, a professional masters such as an MBA, or a PhD. Our guide to masters degrees compares the masters options and our guide to what a PhD is explains the doctorate.
What is the difference between a masters and a PhD?
A masters is level 7 and usually takes one year full time, while a PhD is level 8 and usually takes three to four years. A PhD must make an original contribution to knowledge and gives you the title Doctor.
How do you apply for a masters degree in the UK?
You choose your course, gather your documents and apply directly to each university online. Our masters guide explains each step.
How do UK postgraduate admissions work?
Each university runs its own postgraduate admissions. You apply to the course, usually online, and the department that teaches it makes the decision, which usually takes between two weeks and two months for a masters.
Do you apply for a postgraduate degree through UCAS?
Not usually. Most UK masters and PhD applications go directly to the university, and UCAS’s postgraduate pages cover routes such as teacher training and conservatoires.
How do you apply for a PhD?
You either apply for an advertised project or contact an academic with your own research proposal. Our guide to applying for a PhD explains both routes and the documents you need.
What is an MPhil?
An MPhil, or Master of Philosophy, is a research masters assessed on a thesis and viva. Many students use it as a step towards a PhD. Read our MPhil guide.
Can you do a masters without an honours degree?
Sometimes. Some professional courses admit students without a bachelors degree if they have relevant experience. Our guide to masters without honours explains the routes.
How much does postgraduate study cost, and can you get funding?
Fees depend on the university and course. Eligible students can borrow up to £13,206 for a masters through the Master’s Loan, and funded PhD students receive a stipend from £21,805 a year from 1 October 2026. See our scholarships guide.
Can Uni Direct help with a postgraduate application?
Yes. We help you choose your pathway and course, shape your personal statement and CV, and check the whole application before it goes in. Message us on WhatsApp to start.
Do you apply for a masters through UCAS?
Not usually. UCAS does not run most masters applications, so you apply to each university directly and each sets its own form, documents and deadline.
Sources: the pages cited above, read 9 October 2026.
Talk to us about your postgraduate application
Tell us your degree, your shortlist and your deadline, and Dr Elizabeth Adey will reply herself.