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Your complete
guide to applying
for a Masters degree
Pursuing a postgraduate degree is a big decision, made harder by the fact
that the process can often be more intimidating or confusing than when
you applied for your undergraduate degree.

In this guidebook, we’ll cover everything you need to know from the main benefits of

studying for a master’s degree to application advice and information about funding.

In this guide...
The basics 3

Full-time, part-time, or online? 6

Applying for a master’s degree 8

Financing your master’s: what are your options? 10

What’s next? 13

  2  |  Your complete guide to applying for a masters degree

 The basics
While undergraduate degrees often provide a basic level of education
in a particular field, postgraduate study gives you the opportunity to
specialize in a topic of your choice or maybe even change the focus of
your studies entirely.

This increased specialist knowledge, along with soft skills you will continue to develop can

make postgraduates better qualified for certain job roles.

The career benefits of studying a postgraduate degree can’t be overstated.

To apply for a postgraduate degree, you will need to have obtained an undergraduate degree

from another recognized institution (this doesn’t always have to be in a relevant field).

You may also, depending on

the program, need to:

‰‰ Take an entrance exam

‰‰ Demonstrate language proficiency

‰‰ Have some professional experience.

 3 | The basics
 Want to study a master’s degree?
Here’s what to do now

Identify your
career path

This will help you work out which

course(s) offer the best preparation

for your ideal career.

Check the qualifications

Different master’s degrees offer

different qualifications, from MSc

to MA, Mphil to Meng - for example

MSc degrees have a scientific or Research,
technical focus, while MA degrees are research, research
more humanities-focused.
Find schools and master’s degrees

which suit your career needs. Try

the QS Course Matching Tool, which

features US, UK and Australian

universities. For a wider search,

consult the QS World University

Rankings or QS World University

Rankings by Subject.

 4 | The basics
 Choose your
study destination
It’s not just a case of picking the right

course - make sure you’ll be based in a Learn more about

town or city you’d love to live in. If you the university
need help, the QS Best Student Cities
Think you’ve narrowed your
ranking has lots of information about
options down to a few institutions?
the world’s top cities for students.
Learn more about them by
Our top 10 student city guide can
visiting their profile pages on
give you a better understanding
TopUniversities.com/universities
of what to expect when living in

each of these cities.

Speak to people
from the university
Judging if you’ll be a good fit for a

particular institution can be tricky

based on internet research alone. If

you attend the QS World Grad School

Tour, you can meet admissions staff

Start applying! and get first-hand information about

what the university is really like.

If you match all of the academic

requirements for your chosen

program(s), then it’s time to start the

application process. You can apply to

multiple schools but don’t spread your

efforts too thinly; Aim for four or five.

 5 | The basics
Full-time, part-time,
or online?
Master’s degrees are offered by schools in multiple ways.
Full-time study replicates the undergraduate university
experience, while part-time and online allow you to fit your
studies around work or other commitments.
 Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of each method.
Full-time

Pros Cons

‰‰ More immersive ‰‰ Can’t work at same time - no

‰‰ Stronger networking guaranteed job after graduation
opportunities ‰‰ Most popular study option so
‰‰ Fewer distractions from places are competitive
your studies ‰‰ Can be more expensive upfront

Pros Cons
Part-time

‰‰ Allows you to combine studies ‰‰ Fewer opportunities to network

with work; classes are mainly with classmates

evenings or weekends ‰‰ Challenging to balance demands

‰‰ Can put what you learn into of studies with full-time job and

practice at work immediately other commitments

and progress your career ‰‰ Takes longer to complete

‰‰ Can be more affordable your degree
Online

Pros Cons

‰‰ Near-total flexibility about ‰‰ Remoteness can make

when and where you study engaging with students and

‰‰ Course content is often program leaders difficult

identical to on-campus ‰‰ Requires significant levels

programs of self-motivation

‰‰ Opportunity to study using ‰‰ Quality of online programs is less

cutting-edge technology consistent between universities

  7  |  Full-time, part-time,
or online?
 Applying for
a master’s degree
Below, we run through some of the key things you may need to have ready when applying

for a master’s degree. The key thing, throughout the application process, is to stay on top of

deadlines, start your application as soon as possible and to always communicate honestly

with admissions staff.

What you’ll need

‰‰ Letters of recommendation / references

‰‰ Application essays

‰‰ Test results (i.e. IELTS, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL) - Head to QS Leap

if you need some test prep help before you

before you take the real thing

‰‰ Personal statement

‰‰ Academic transcripts (including undergraduate degree)

‰‰ CV

Key dates
As well as checking application deadlines, it’s also

worth keeping a track of the following key dates:

‰‰ Funding/scholarship application deadlines

‰‰ Admission interview dates

‰‰ Deadline for responding to your offer

‰‰ Deadline for paying your deposit

‰‰ Deadline for paying for your accommodation

  8  |  Applying for
a master’s degree
 The interview
Think about how you can stand out - be ready to convey your passion for
your chosen subject and future ambitions

Re-read your application - you’ll be

asked questions about things in your Plan your answers - interviews

application so be prepared to talk about
often cover similar questions,
anything you mentioned
such as why you want to study
Re-read the course information -
this course
demonstrate you’ve researched the course

and have questions ready to ask. DON’T

Arrive early - this mostly applies to in-
ask anything which you should have
person interviews (although you shouldn’t
been able to find out if you had done
be late to a Skype interview either!)
your research properly
Leave enough time for delays or getting

Plan your answers - interviews often cover lost if going in person

similar questions, such as why you want

Give a good impression - if your interview
to study this course. Have pre-prepared,
is over Skype, you should still look as smart
detailed answers so you can appear keen,
as you would if attending in person. Make
but don’t sound too rehearsed. Find
sure the background behind you is similarly
common questions here.
smart and respectable

  9  |  Applying for
a master’s degree
Financing your master’s:
what are your options?
Start looking for funding opportunities while applying to universities.
Here are some options to consider:

Government University
funding from your financial aid
home & host country
Information about bursaries, grants,

Check for schemes run by the scholarships and awards should be

Ministry/Department of Education on the institution’s website

 Scholarships
Usually based on academic
merit but others are
available. More info below.
Charities & trusts
Some dedicate budget towards
funding graduate studies
Student loans
These typically have lower
repayment rates than regular loans
  11  |  Financing your master’s: what are your options?
Teaching / research
assistantships
Earn funding in exchange
for time spent working in a
teaching or research role
Employer
contributions
Applying to a postgraduate
degree after a spell in full-time
employment? See if your company
will pay towards your tuition
National
research council
Public sector distributors of
investment, only really suitable if
you are applying for a research-
based master’s degree
 Scholarship application checklist

Research available options square

Check your eligibility square
Plan and organize your applications square
Make sure you’ve included all required information square
Ensure your application is neat and well-presented square
Have someone check for spelling/grammar mistakes square
Double-check all your information is correct square
Provide references/referees square
Keep an eye on deadlines! square

For more information about scholarships, see our guide here.

QS also offers a range

of scholarships each year.
Attend the QS World Grad School Tour

and you’ll automatically be eligible.

Find out more

  12  |  Financing your master’s: what are your options?

What’s next?
When you hear back about your master’s degree application,
the answer will probably be one of four things:

Unconditional offer
Congratulations! You’ve been offered a place on your chosen course. Now it’s time to

start planning for the beginning of your studies, including finding accommodation and

checking if you need to apply for a student visa. Of course, if you’ve applied to multiple
schools you can wait to give a response to find out which other universities offer you a

place. Don’t feel rushed!

Conditional offer
You’re nearly there - a place has been offered to you providing you meet a particular

requirement. This is often the case if you’re still studying at undergraduate level

and they want you to obtain a minimum degree (i.e. 2:1) in order to be accepted

onto the master’s program. If this happens, make sure you knuckle down and meet

the offer requirements.

 Interview
They liked your written application and want to interview you either in person

or remotely (e.g. over Skype) to learn more about you and why you’re interested

in the program. Read our section earlier in this guidebook for tips on how to

prepare for an interview.

Unsuccessful
Unlucky - despite your best efforts you’ve been unable to secure a place at your

chosen master’s degree. Don’t be discouraged though, you can always reapply

the following year. Check back through the tips in this guidebook and head to

TopUniversities.com for more helpful information that will ensure your application is

even stronger next time around.

 14 | What’s next?