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How to apply for a postgraduate course

We are now taking applications for our 2024/25 Masters and postgraduate courses. Start by finding the course you want to study and reading the information below.

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Use the guide below if you’re applying for:

  • Masters and conversion courses (MBA, MA, MSc, MRes, MFA and LLM)
  • postgraduate qualifications (PGDip and PGCert)
  • professional qualifications (CIM, CITMA and Apprenticeships)

Read a full description of all postgraduate qualifications available at NTU.

Applying for Masters and other postgraduate courses

For most courses, you can apply direct through our Applicant Portal and track the progress of your application. It’s quick and easy and takes around 15 minutes. You do not need to pay to submit an application through the Applicant Portal.

Our courses are very popular, and we recommend that you apply early to ensure a place as some courses may close if demand is high. The majority of our Masters and postgraduate courses start in September, but there are a number of courses that offer a January start.

 

Typically, there are no application deadlines, however we advise that you check the course pages for entry requirements, academic references, deadlines and start dates.

Courses that need further information or require an interview or portfolio submission will take longer to be assessed. We’ll contact you to guide you through the process.

Watch our quick guide

This short animation tells you all about the Applicant Portal process and how to apply for Masters and postgraduate courses.

Step-by-step guide to applying

To get started, head to our Applicant Portal. You can also follow the ‘How to Apply’ button on the course page.

Select ‘Not registered yet? Sign up here’ and create an account with a username and password.

You don’t have to complete your application all at once. Keep your login details safe so you can log back in whenever you want.

Work your way through the application form, making sure you:

  • include as much relevant information as possible
  • upload evidence of results (if you have them)
  • write a comprehensive personal statement that highlights your skills and motivations for applying. Read our guide to writing your postgraduate personal statement.
  • stick to the 4,000-word character limit. You can upload additional documents if you have more you need to say
  • if required, upload reference(s) with your application. We don't request references from referees on your behalf. It is your responsibility to request one. Make sure the reference is typed, on letter-headed paper, dated and signed by the referee and states their position and relationship to you.

Alternatively, your referee can email your reference direct to ntureference@ntu.ac.uk. It must come from their official email address (school, college, university or work).

When you submit your application, you’ll get an automated email. We’ll review your application and contact you by email when we’ve made a decision. If your application is successful, we’ll email you an offer. We’ll aim to make a decision on your application within 5-10 working days, however this can take longer, and you should allow at least three weeks for a decision.

We’ll update you throughout the process, so make sure you add @ntu.ac.uk to your safe senders list and keep an eye on your emails. You can also track the progress of your application and update your details through the Applicant Portal.

Some courses will require an interview or submit a portfolio of work. We'll contact you if either of these are required.

If you want to apply for a different course, you’ll need to make a new application through the Applicant Portal – you can make up to 5 applications with no charge. Once you have a new offer, you can choose which one to accept or decline.

  • Log in to the Applicant Portal to see the details of your offer, including any conditions.
  • If you’ve applied for more than one course, you’ll receive a separate decision for each course.
  • For conditional offers - you’ll be expected to meet the conditions to be accepted onto the course.
  • If the course requires statutory checks (i.e., Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)) you’ll be contacted directly.
  • For unconditional offers, you’ll have no further conditions to meet.

  • Accept your offer on the Applicant Portal.
  • You have approximately eight weeks to accept your offer. After this time it will expire.
  • Offers can be reinstated, but courses fill up quickly and we can’t guarantee you a space on the course if your offer has expired.

  • Log in to the Applicant Portal and use the ‘My Documents’ section to upload documents (i.e., qualification transcripts or certificates) providing evidence that you’ve satisfied the conditions.
  • You’ll need to present your original documents on arrival at NTU to complete your enrolment.

International students

If you're an international student, everything you need for your application is on our international application page. This includes step-by-step application guides, information on entry requirements and preparation, and lots of advice and support at every stage.

Already a student at NTU?

As a current NTU student, you can apply for Masters and postgraduate courses using the Applicant Portal. Depending on the course, you may be eligible for 20% off tuition fees as part of our alumni discount.

Apply for funding

Our funding opportunities, scholarships, bursaries and generous alumni discounts could offset the costs of your Masters and postgraduate studies. We'll do all we can to help you.

How to fund your studies

Get in touch

If you have any questions that aren’t answered in this guide, please contact our Postgraduate Admissions team on +44 (0)115 848 4200.