Sunderland Futures

Your reasons for considering postgraduate study will influence your choice of course or research opportunity.  You may want to:

• Study a particular aspect of your undergraduate degree subject in more depth, perhaps in preparation for a research programme such as a PhD.
• Research an area of interest to you through a PhD or Masters by Research programme.
• Study a professional qualification that is a requirement of the job you wish to enter.
• Use postgraduate study to convert to a new career/study area.

It is important to be clear about what you want to achieve before you choose a course and make applications.   It is also essential to identify the criteria that are important to you before selecting courses and making applications.  Factors to consider include location, course content, research interests of staff, work placements/employer contacts, career prospects and fees and funding.

With so many postgraduate study courses available in the UK and further afield, it is important to research the various courses and modes of study that are available to you.

The shortlist of websites below provide detailed information to help you to make the right choice for you:

• Prospects.ac.uk: offers a ‘latest courses and funding’ search, together with information on funding and postgraduate events and fairs.
• TARGETpostgrad: provides a database of postgraduate courses and a funding database for thousands of different funding awards.
• findamasters.com: A database of Taught and Research Masters Courses from universities across the globe
• findaphd.com: A guide to current postgraduate research and PhD studentships with details of graduate research programmes from universities throughout the UK, Europe and further afield.
• Steps to Postgraduate Study: A guide to asking the right questions about taught postgraduate study in the UK.
• Postgraduate Study in the UK: learn about the different types of postgraduate courses available and decide if you want to study in the UK or abroad.
• Save the Student: A guide to the Government's newly introduced PhD loans

Fees can vary widely between subjects and institutions, and with a variety of loans, scholarships and bursaries potentially on offer it is important to know what is available to you. What’s available to you will relate to factors including your intended subject of study, chosen university, prior academic study, location or nationality.  Some key points to be aware of include:

• New postgraduate loans for Masters degrees in the UK became available in the UK on 1st August 2016.  Eligible students can borrow up to £10,000 to cover tuition fees.
• Postgraduate loans of up to £25,000 for PhD study will be introduced in 2018.
• The University to which you are applying will be able to give you information on scholarships and studentships that relate to that institution, faculty, department or course.
• Trainee teachers who meet the government eligibility criteria and who are following non-salaried initial teacher training programmes are eligible for tuition fee loans and maintenance loans.  Bursaries relating to the chosen teaching subject/age phase and the degree classification of candidates are also available.
• Some social work and health students receive bursaries and support with tuition fees, administered through the NHS Business Services Authority.

If you choose to continue studying at Sunderland, you may be eligible for a variety of loyalty discounts, scholarships and awards. Learn more about Postgraduate funding and the financial support available to University of Sunderland students.