How to apply

We recommend applying for a master's degree at least six months before your start date. Most universities will accept applications nearer to this, but some popular courses may fill up. So, applying in plenty of time will help avoid any disappointment. It will also give you more time to apply for accommodation or financial support. If you're an international applicant, you should also remember to plan in time to arrange your visa.

You can apply for most master's degrees directly through your chosen university. Some courses, for example teacher training courses, have their own processes and deadlines.

If you're planning to study at Sunderland, you can complete the online application form on your chosen course page. If you studied your undergraduate course with us, the process is even easier as we already have most of your details on our system. All you need to do is select the form for current students.

Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll usually hear if you’ve been successful within eight weeks. However, this will vary by university and the volume of applicants. There are four possible outcomes following your application:

1. Unconditional offer: You've met all the entry requirements for your chosen course and you've got a place.

2. Conditional offer: We'll keep a place for you and will accept you onto your chosen course once you've met all the entry requirements.

3. You're selected for an interview: This will be part of the conditions of your offer.

4. You've been unsuccessful.

If you’ve been unsuccessful, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback to see how you can improve in future applications.

Criteria can vary from course to course. For example, you may be asked to include:

• A personal statement
• Academic or professional references
• Copies of your degree certificate and academic transcripts
• Your CV

We may also need you to provide extra documents. For example, if you're an international applicant, you'll need to provide proof of English language proficiency.

Check the entry requirements of your chosen course to see what you need to include.

Some master’s courses may need you to attend an interview as part of the application process.

During the interview, you can expect to answer questions around things like your academic interests and knowledge, your reasons for choosing the course, your experience, and your future goals.

See the entry requirements on your chosen course page for more details.

You can apply via the relevant course page:

• MPhil
• PhD
• PhD by Existing or Creative Published Work.

To apply for a higher or degree apprenticeship, you must have:

• an employer in place to support you
• or have applied for an apprenticeship vacancy with an organisation that's recruiting apprentices

If you're interested in applying for one of our apprenticeships and have an employer, please email apprenticeships@sunderland.ac.uk. We'll provide you with the relevant application link.

To search for apprenticeships offered by employers in your area, visit the gov.uk website. Our apprenticeships team may also be able to signpost you to employers in our region who are currently recruiting.

To apply for one of our short courses, please contact the team on 0191 515 3361 or cpd@sunderland.ac.uk.

If you are planning to study one of our Sunderland Online courses, you can apply via the online application form.

This may be possible. An academic tutor would make this decision, and base it on the content of your previous study.

Please contact our admissions team with details of your request: admissions@sunderland.ac.uk. Where possible, please include copies of your transcript/module information.

If you’ve changed your mind and would like to defer your offer, please contact admissions@sunderland.ac.uk. Please include your full name and application number.

How to cancel

To exercise your right to cancel, you must inform us by logging into myApplication and selecting 'Contact us'.

To meet the cancellation deadline, you must send your right to cancel statement before the end of the cancellation period.

Effect of cancellation

If you cancel your contract in this way, we'll reimburse you any payments received from you under the contract. We'll make the reimbursement without undue delay and within 14 days of receipt of your notification of cancellation where possible. We'll make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used to pay us. You won't incur any fees as a result of any reimbursement.

Starting your course before the end of the cancellation period

If you ask us to let you start your course before the end of the cancellation period:

• You'll lose your cancellation right if your course completely finishes without the cancellation period and you had acknowledged that you would lose that right in these circumstances

and/or:

• You'll retain your cancellation right if your course does not completely finish within the cancellation period, but you'll have to pay us for what you have received until the time you informed us of your decision to cancel. The amount of the payment due to us would be calculated on the basis of the value of educational services received from us in relation to what you would have had to pay for your course as a whole if you had not cancelled.

Statutory rights

The right to cancel is a statutory right under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Once 14 days have passed you can still choose to cancel your Firm or Insurance choice, subject to UCAS deadlines and regulations.

Please note there are UCAS regulations that both the University and applicants need to take into account when making any changes to an application to study. Please refer to the UCAS website for further information.

Your statutory right of cancellation doesn't affect your right to withdraw from the University at other times, subject to any ongoing obligations you may have to the University as a result of your registration, should you commence studies at the University.

Please also note that this cancellation right only applies if you have accepted the offer of study in the capacity of a consumer, (that is, for purposes which are wholly or mainly outside your trade, business, craft, or profession).