Postgraduate - How to apply - Postgraduate courses

Applying to Kent

Everything you need to know about applying for postgraduate study at Kent.

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If you already know what you want to study use the button below to find your course and click the 'apply' tab on the course page.

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Taught Master's programmes

Most taught degrees begin in September, although we do offer postgraduate courses with January starts. Please check when your course starts on the relevant course page.

There is no fixed application deadline for applications from home students, though we strongly recommend you apply as soon as possible; no later than three months before your intended start date.

For international students, the deadline for applications is 31 July 2024.

In your application you will typically need to provide:

A personal statement - this must be a minimum of 100 words and not exceed 2,000 characters (How to write your personal statement)
At least one academic reference
Your academic transcript
Any other personal documentation and details

How to write your personal statement

Your personal statement is an opportunity for you to show the admissions tutor that you have applied to the right course for you. Think of the personal statement as a 'written interview'.

Please answer the following five questions in no more than 200 words per question:

Why do you wish to study this course?
Why do you wish to study at the University of Kent?
What have you done previously that is relevant or related to this area of study? (This could include previous employment, internships, previous study, volunteer work, etc)
Which modules are you most looking forward to and why?
What are your career aspirations, and how will this course help you achieve them?

Research / PhD programmes

We strongly recommend you contact potential supervisors in the school where you wish to study. This is an important part of the application process as we must be confident that we can provide you with suitable supervision, support, training and facilities. School or staff contact details can be found on the school's website. Alternatively, you can use our 'Find a supervisor' search tool to look up academics.

We also recommend you get in touch with the Director of Graduate Studies in your chosen school to discuss your application and funding options. The University must be satisfied that you have the necessary qualifications and experience to undertake a research degree. Any schools with a different process for PhD enquiries are listed below*.

Kent has three PhD entry dates during the academic year: September, January and May. Entry to Master's by Research is in September only. We encourage PhD students to start in either September or January so you are able to take advantage of our induction programme.

Although there is no fixed closing deadline for applications to research degrees, we strongly recommend that you apply as soon as possible and no later than three months before your intended start date. However, if you are seeking funding, you should keep in mind that most scholarship awards will have set deadlines. Please see our scholarship pages for more information.

If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you should also allow enough time to complete the visa application process. For more information about student visas, visit our country pages.

To apply, choose your course from our postgraduate course pages and click ‘Apply now’ to be taken to our online application portal, Kent Vision. You will be asked to provide the following information:

details of your previous studies
a research proposal (usually between 1000-3000 words)
contact information for at least one academic referee
evidence of proficiency in English, where applicable.

Some schools may also ask you to provide an academic writing sample.

It is compulsory for all research students to attend an interview as part of the application process. There is usually the option to do this remotely, for example via Zoom or telephone.