Postgraduate study in the UK Benefits
Most full-time postgraduate students study towards a masters degree over one to three years and if they are taking a postgraduate course that doesn’t require a thesis, they are working towards a Postgraduate Diploma instead. Postgraduate study in the UK has tremendous advantages. Listed below are a few of its benefits.
High-quality education
- Education Certificate obtained after Postgraduate study in the UK are recognized by employers, universities, and governments around the world.
- UK research is “global” and “internationally excellent” – according to the latest Research Assessment Exercise in 2008, which produces quality profiles for universities and colleges by evaluating research activities against standards recognized quality.
- Graduates of British conservatories have a remarkable track record or hold a job in the entertainment professions.
An interesting place to live
- There’s a mix of cosmopolitan cities and countryside villages all over the four regions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- You’ll find widely varied cuisine, strong transport links, famous music festivals, and international sporting championships.
If you are considering Postgraduate study in the UK, Read through the guides below to find out more about the different UK regions.
East of England
Home to: artist John Constable, inventor of the hovercraft Sir Richard Cockerell, and the inventors of the world’s first computer game, the digital quartz watch and the slimline pocket calculator. It’s also the home of the Silicon Fen – the UK’s equivalent of the USA’s Silicon Valley – and the world’s third oldest university.
- Natural attractions: Epping Forest, Nene Valley, The Chilterns, Norfolk Broads, and the Suffolk Coast.
- Other attractions: Sutton Hoo, Lee Valley White Water Centre, The Henry Moore Foundation, The Backs (Cambridge), Fitzwilliam Museum, Peterborough Cathedral, the Ridgeway.
Counties
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Cities and towns with universities
- Cambridge: monthly rent for a room £435 to £750; University of Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University, BPP University
- Norwich: monthly rent for a room £260 to £310; University of East Anglia, Norwich University of the Arts
- Colchester: monthly rent for a room £190 to £380; University of Essex
- Hatfield: monthly rent for a room £310 to £410; University of Hertfordshire
- Bedford: monthly rent for a room £220 to £350; University of Bedfordshire
- Luton: monthly rent for a room £280 to £500; University of Bedfordshire
- Chelmsford: monthly rent for a room £340 to £420; Writtle College
- Peterborough: monthly rent for a room £280 to £420; University Centre Peterborough
- Ipswich: monthly rent for a room £290 to £400; University Campus Suffolk
East Midlands
Home to: writer D.H. Lawrence, scientist Isaac Newton, Pilgrim Fathers, and fictional hero Robin Hood. The area is known for its food, e.g. the Bakewell tart, Lincolnshire sausage, Melton Mowbray pork pie, Bramley apple, and Red Leicester cheese.
- Natural attractions: Peak District National Park, Sherwood Forest, The Fens, The Wash, the Lincolnshire Coast.
- Others attraction: Donnington Park Racing Circuit (Grand Prix), National Space Centre, De Montfort Hall, DH Lawrence Heritage Centre, Nottingham Castle, Nottingham Lace Market, Doddington Hall.
Counties
Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire.
Cities and towns with universities
- Nottingham: monthly rent for a double room £340 – £450; University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University
- Derby: monthly rent for a room £240 – £320; University of Derby
- Loughborough: monthly rent for a room £280 – £340; Loughborough University
- Leicester: monthly rent for a room £292 – £450; University of Leicester, De Montfort University
- Northampton: monthly rent for a room £300 – £400; University of Northampton
- Lincoln: average monthly rent for a room £350 – £440; University of Lincoln, Bishop Grosseteste University
Greater London
Home to: The UK Prime Minister, the monarch, the headquarters of MI6 and 8.3 million people speaking approximately 300 languages. Greater London includes the built-up area of London and parts of the Metropolitan Green Belt, and is bordered by the counties of Surrey, Kent, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, and Hertfordshire.
Attractions: Many, including landmarks Big Ben, London Bridge and the biggest Hindu temple in the world outside of the Taj Mahal. The capital is constantly evolving, particularly along the river Thames. Here you can find the Gherkin tower and the O2 dome near Greenwich where the Emirates Airline cable car has overhead views of Canary Wharf.
Monthly rent for a room: Within travel zones 1 and 2, £500 a month is considered a very cheap rent for a small room; many rooms are more expensive – around £800 to £900 a month. Rents towards the edge of London are more likely to be £500 to £600 a month for a larger room but then you should take into account the increased cost of travelling to your university if it is based near the centre of the city (and many London universities are central).
Universities
- University of the Arts London (and London College of Communication)
- Birkbeck, University of London
- Brunel University
- City University
- University of East London
- Goldsmiths, University of London
- University of Greenwich
- Imperial College London
- King’s College London
- Kingston University
- London Metropolitan University
- LSE (The London School of Economics and Political Science)
- London South Bank University
- Middlesex University
- Queen Mary, University of London
- Regent’s University London
- Roehampton University
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies)
- St Mary’s University, Twickenham London
- University of Westminster
- UCL
- University of West London
Specialist private universities, schools, and colleges offering postgraduate courses
- Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (drama)
- BPP University
- Central School of Speech and Drama
- City of London College
- Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, comprised of: Central School of Ballet, The Circus Space, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), London Contemporary Dance School, Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)
- Courtauld Institute of Art
- Drama Centre – University of Arts London
- EThames Graduate School
- European Business School
- Greenwich School of Management
- Heythrop College
- Holborn College
- Institute of Cancer Research
- Institute of Education
- Islamic College for Advanced Studies
- Istituto Marangoni
- Kensington College of Business
- London Business School
- LCA Business School – Anglia Ruskin University
- London College of Business Management & Information Technology
- London School of Advanced Studies
- London School of Business and Finance
- London School of Business and Management
- London School of Commerce
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- London School of Theology
- Ravensbourne (broadcasting, fashion, design)
- Regent’s University London including Regent’s Business School London and European Business School London
- Richmond, The American International University in London
- Rose Bruford College (theatre and performance)
- Royal College of Art
- Royal College of Music
- Royal Veterinary College
- School of Advanced Studies
- St George’s, University of London
- Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
- University College of Osteopathy
- University of Law
North East England
Home to: Sir Humphry Davy, inventor of the miner’s safety lamp; explorer Captain James Cook; father of the railways George Stephenson; Saint Bede and Saint Cuthbert; the Angel of the North.
- Natural attractions: Northumberland Coast, Cheviot Hills, Kielder Forest.
- Other attractions: Hadrian’s Wall, Durham Cathedral, Millennium Bridge and Baltic Gateshead, Bamburgh Castle, Alnwick, Tyne Bridges, Newcastle Castle, Lindisfarne/Holy Island .
Main areas
Northumbria, County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Teesside.
Cities and towns with universities
- Newcastle Upon Tyne: monthly rent for a room £270 to £490; Newcastle University, Northumbria University
- Sunderland: monthly rent for a room £240 to £320; University of Sunderland
- Middlesbrough: monthly rent for a room £220 to £350; Teesside University, University of Sunderland
- Durham: monthly rent for a room £300 to £450; Durham University
Northern Ireland
Home to: actor Liam Neeson, poet Seamus Heaney, songwriter Van Morrison, film director Kenneth Branagh, the Titanic, the film studios for Game of Thrones.
- Natural attractions: Giants Causeway, County Antrim; Mourne Mountains, County Down; Lough Neagh (the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles); the Sperrin Mountains.
- Other attractions: Titanic museum (and boat trips), Grand Opera House Belfast, Cathedral Quarter Belfast, Dundrum Castle, Titanic museum and SS Nomadic, Derry-Londonderry Peace Bridge, Dunluce Castle.
Counties
County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County Fermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone.
Cities and towns with universities
- Belfast: monthly rent for a room £185 to £285; Queen’s University Belfast and St Mary’s University College (part of Queens; for teacher training at postgraduate level); and the University of Ulster. Seven miles from Belfast, at Newtownabbey and the foot of the South Antrim Hills, are the Jordanstown Campus and Ulster Business School(both part of University of Ulster).
- Coleraine: monthly rent for a room £170 to £270; University of Ulster at Coleraine
- Derry-Londonderry: monthly rent for a room £150 to £220; Magee Campus (Magee College), part of University of Ulster.
North West England
Home to: Poet William Wordsworth, painter L.S. Lowry, architect Sir Norman Foster, Kendall mint cake, northern soul music, northern football clubs, The Beatles.
Natural attractions: The Lake District, The Pennines, Holcombe Moor, Forest of Bowland, Lancashire Coastal Route, Crosby Beach (with 100, life-size, cast-iron statues by Antony Gormley buried in the sand and looking out to sea).
Other attractions: Tate Liverpool; Liverpool Cathedral; Albert Dock; Merseyside U-Boat 534, Birkenhead; Manchester Ship Canal; People’s History Museum, Manchester; Whitworth Gallery, Manchester; Manchester Town Hall, MediaCityUK, Salford; Chester; Blackpool Tower.
Counties
Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.
Cities and towns with universities
- Bolton: monthly rent for a room £230 – £380; University of Bolton
- Carlisle: monthly rent for a room £230 – £380; University of Cumbria. Other major campuses at Lancaster, Ambleside, Barrow-in-Furness, Penrith and London.
- Chester: monthly rent for a room £360 – £550; University of Chester (Campus also at Warington), The University of Law
- Lancaster: monthly rent for a room £270 – £380; Lancaster University
- Liverpool: monthly rent for a room £210 – £550; University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Hope University, BPP University
- Manchester: monthly rent for a room £370 – £550; University of Manchester, Manchester Metroplolitan University, The University of Law, BPP University
- Ormskirk: monthly rent for a room £340 – £420; Edge Hill University
- Preston: monthly rent for a room £290 – £400; University of Central Lancashire in Preston (UCLAN)
- Salford: monthly rent for a room £260 -o £450; University of Salford
Scotland
Home to: writers J.K Rowling, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Louis Stevenson; inventors Alexander Fleming (Penicillin), Alexander Graham Bell (telephone), John Logie Baird (TV and fibre optics), James Chalmers (adhesive postage stamp), Robert Watson-Watt (radar) and James Watt (steam engine); economist Adam Smith and philosopher David Hume.
- Natural attractions: Loch Ness, Ben Nevis, Cairngorms National Park, Glencoe, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Isle of Skye, Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, Borders.
- Other attractions: Carlton Hill Edinburgh, Wallace Monument Stirling, Falkirk Wheel, Burrell Collection Glasgow, Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre Glasgow, Scottish National Portrait Gallery Edinburgh, Craiglever Castle Aberdeen, Clyde Auditorium Glasgow, Scotland’s Secret Bunker St Andrews.
Counties
There are 34 Scottish counties in total from, in the north, the Shetland Islands whose capital Lerwick is closer to Norway than it is to Edinburgh, and Berwickshire, Dumfriesshire plus Roxburghsire on the borders with England.
Cities and towns with universities
- Aberdeen: monthly rent for a room £350 to £500; University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University
- Ayr: monthly rent for a room £330 to £450; UWS (University of the West of Scotland)
- Dumfries: monthly rent for a room £180 to £350; UWS (University of the West of Scotland)
- Dundee: monthly rent for a room £180 to £350; University of Dundee, University of Abertay Dundee
- Edinburgh: monthly rent for a room £250 to £620; University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University
- Glasgow: monthly rent for a room £250 to £580; University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian University
- Hamilton: monthly rent for a room £300 to £450; UWS (University of the West of Scotland)
- Paisley: monthly rent for a room £170 to £450; UWS (University of the West of Scotland)
- Stirling: monthly rent for a room £200 to £450; University of Stirling
- St Andrews: monthly rent for a room £380 to £550; University of St Andrews
The University of the Highlands and Islands is an alliance of 13 higher education providers in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Its headquarters is in Inverness but it is spread across 70 centres throughout the region.
Heriot-Watt University also has a campus in Stromness on Orkney and one at Galashiels on the Scottish Borders.
South East England
Home to: writers H.G. Wells, J.R.R Tolkein and Jane Austen, actors Kate Winslet and Ricky Gervais, astronomer John Herschel, singer Kate Bush, engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Sir Winston Churchill, and William Caxton, who introduced the printing press to England.
Natural attractions: the Thames path, Devil’s Dyke/South Downs. North Downs, the Ridgeway, Seven Sisters, Dungeness Beach, Icknield Way, Dunstable Downs, Port Meadow Oxford, Commoner’s Walk Blenheim Palace.
Other attractions: North Lanes Brighton, Sissinghurst Castle Garden, The Great Hall and Round Table, Arundel, Bodleian Library Oxford, Windsor, Henley, Uffington White Horse, Canterbury Cathedral, Spinnaker Tower Portsmouth.
Counties and conurbations
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.
Cities and towns with universities
- Abingdon: monthly rent for a room £300 to £450; BPP University
- Buckingham: monthly rent for a room £315 to £500; University of Buckingham
- Brighton: monthly rent for a room £250 to £750; University of Sussex, University of Brighton, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
- Canterbury: monthly rent for a room £260 to £600; University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University
- Chichester: monthly rent for a room £270 to £550; University of Chichester
- Cranfield: monthly rent for a room £350 to £470; Cranfield University
- Guildford: monthly rent for a room £270 to £700; University of Surrey, University of Law
- Hastings: monthly rent for a room £320 to £450; University of Brighton in Hastings
- Henley on Thames: monthly rent for a room £330 to £650; Henley Business School
- High Wycombe: monthly rent for a room £280 to £550; Buckinghamshire New University
- Oxford: monthly rent for a room £290 to £700; University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, Saïd Business School, Oxford Business College
- Portsmouth: monthly rent for a room £220 to £480; University of Portsmouth
- Reading: monthly rent for a room £250 to £520; University of Reading
- Southampton: monthly rent for a room £200 to £600; University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University
- UCA (The University for Creative Arts) has campuses at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester.
- Winchester: monthly rent for a room £360 to £520; The University of Winchester
South West England
Home to: Graffiti artist Banksy; comedian John Cleese; novelists John Le Carre, Agatha Christie and Thomas Hardy; computer pioneer Charles Babbage; Cheddar cheese, and Cornish pasties.
Natural attractions: Dartmoor, The Mendips, South West Coast Path, The Cotswolds, Stonehenge, Severn Walk, New Forest, Jurassic Coast, Isle of Purbeck.
Other attractions: Royal Crescent Bath, Clifton Suspension Bridge, Minack Theatre, Dartmouth, Glastonbury Tor, Eden Project, Gloucester Cathedral, Cheltenham.
Counties
Gloucestershire, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall.
Cities and towns with universities
- Bath: monthly rent for a room £375 – £600; University of Bath, Bath Spa University, City of Bristol College, BPP University
- Bournemouth: monthly rent for a room £350 – £500; Bournemouth University, Arts University Bournemouth, Bournemouth and Poole College of Further Education
- Bristol: monthly rent for a room £350 – £550; University of Bristol, University of the West of England (UWE), City of Bristol College, BPP University
- Cheltenham: monthly rent for a room £320 – £450, University of Gloucestershire
- Cirencester: monthly rent for a room £320 – £500, Royal Agricultural University
- Exeter: monthly rent for a room £350 – £550, University of Exeter
- Falmouth: monthly rent for a room £300 – £500, Falmouth University
- Hartpury: monthly rent for a room £380 – £450, Hartpury College
- Plymouth: monthly rent for a room £270 – £450, Plymouth University, University of St Mark & St John, City College Plymouth
- Swindon: monthly rent for a room £280 – £450, BPP University, Swindon College
- St Austell: monthly rent for a room £320 – £420, Cornwall College
- Taunton: monthly rent for a room £320 – £400, Somerset College
Wales
Home to: writer Roald Dahl, comedian Rob Brydon, architect John Nash, designer Laura Ashley, explorer George Everest, soldier T.E. Lawrence, poet Dylan Thomas, singer Tom Jones and the longest place name in Britain –Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
- Natural attractions: Brecon Beacons, Cader Idris, Mount Snowdon, Mawddach Estuary, Worm’s Head/Rhossili Bay, Barafundle Bay, River Wye (Yat Rock), Llŷn Peninsula.
- Other attractions: Ogmore Castle and stepping stones, Llangollen Canal, Cambrian Coast Railway, St Fagans National History Museum, Tintern Abbey, Llanthony Priory, Bute Park Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre.
Counties
Clwyd, Gwent, Dyfed, Glamorgan, Gwynedd, Powys.
Cities and towns with universities
- Aberystwyth: monthly rent for a room £270 to £380; Aberystwyth University
- Bangor: monthly rent for a room £270 to £350; Bangor University
- Camarthen: monthly rent for a room £240 to £340; University of Wales Trinity St David
- Cardiff: monthly rent for a room £270 to £420; Cardiff University, University of South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University, University of Wales Trinity St David, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- Lampeter: monthly rent for a room £230 to £320; University of Wales Trinity St David
- Newport: monthly rent for a room £290 to £350; University of South Wales
- Pontypridd: monthly rent for a room £200 to £320; University of South Wales
- Swansea: monthly rent for a room £200 to £450; Swansea University, University of Wales Trinity St David
- Wrexham: monthly rent for a room £220 to £390; Glyndŵr University
West Midlands
Home to: William Shakespeare, Simon Cowell, singers Ozzy Osbourne and Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac), chocolate manufacturer George Cadbury and Alfred Bird, the inventor of custard powder; Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.
Natural attractions: the Black Mountain, Shropshire Hills, Malvern Hills, Cannock Chase, parts of the Wye Valley, Cotswolds, River Severn and the Peak District
Other attractions: Stratford Upon Avon, Ironbridge Gorge and Bridge, Shrewsbury, Lichfield Cathedral, Mow Cop Castle, Worcester Cathedral, NEC (National Exhibition Centre), Birmingham Back to Backs, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts.
Counties and conurbations
Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
Cities and towns with universities
- Birmingham: monthly rent for a room £140 to £580; University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Aston University, BPP University, University of Law
- Coventry: monthly rent for a room £200 to £550; Coventry University
- Keele: monthly rent for a room £180 to £450; Keele University
- Newport: monthly rent for a room £360 to £490; Harper Adams University (agri-food and rural industry)
- Sutton Coldfield: monthly rent for a room £280 to £550; Birmingham Metropolitan College
- Stoke on Trent: monthly rent for a room £200 to £460; Staffordshire University
- Wolverhampton: monthly rent for a room £250 to £450; University of Wolverhampton
- Worcester: monthly rent for a room £280 to £550; University of Worcester
Yorkshire and the Humber
Home to: Yorkshire pudding; writers Ted Hughes, W. H. Auden, Simon Armitage, Alan Bennett and the Brontë sisters; painter David Hockney; rugby league; Downton Abbey; and Count Dracula on his travels to Whitby.
Natural attractions: Robin Hood Bay, Malham Pavement and Kielder Water (Yorkshire Dales), Yorkshire Moors, Hebden Bridge, Humber Estuary.
Other attractions: York Minister, York ghost walks, Hull Truck Theatre, Castle Howard, National Coal Mining Museum.
Counties
Yorkshire and Humberside.
Cities and towns with universities
- Bradford: monthly rent for a room £250 – £500; University of Bradford
- Doncaster: monthly rent for a room £180 – £330; Doncaster College and University Centre
- Huddersfield: monthly rent for a room £220 – £380; University of Huddersffield
- Kingston upon Hull: monthly rent for a room £220 – £400; University of Hull, Hull York Medical School, University of Lincoln (Hull College)
- Leeds: monthly rent for a room £280 – £550; University of Hull, Hull College, Leeds College of Music, Leeds Beckett University, The University of Law, BPP University
- Sheffield: monthly rent for a room £260 – £490; The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University
- York: monthly rent for a room £280 – £550; University of York, York St John University University
Rents are average highest and lowest costs for a room in a shared house at the time of compiling, based on up to three miles commute from the city center. Source: based upon costs on studentrooms.co.uk, flatmaterooms.co.uk, and roomrental.co.uk.
