Bristol, University of the West of England

UWE Bristol, (University of the West of England) is one the largest providers of higher education in the UK. It’s a progressive and supportive university where collaboration with industry helps them to identify skills shortages, develop courses and provide employment enhancing opportunities for their students. Its wide range of postgraduate study options are designed to open up student’s career options and fast track them into new professions regardless of the subject of their undergraduate degree. These include taught and research courses, and online programmes in a variety of subjects including biomedical science, animation, health psychology, and wildlife filmmaking.

Students enjoy their time at UWE Bristol, which is ranked in the top 10 universities in the UK for student satisfaction (Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey, 2019). The university offers many industry standard facilities, including an award-winning architecture building, media studios and a skills simulation centre – mimicking a real hospital. Students also have plenty to do in their spare time, with a £10million Students' Union complete with a range of bars and coffee shops, and convenience shops selling everything from sandwiches to ecological cleaning products.

The university has seen 98% of postgraduate students go on to find professional work and/ or further study within six months of graduating (Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, 2019), and all students have access to UWE Bristol Careers during their time studying. This offers a wide range of services, including drop-in sessions to meet a careers advisor, help with writing CV’s, interview techniques and information on relevant work-related events and workshops. There are also a number of online resources that students can have access to on the go, including an online enquiry service – My Questions – which allows students to submit their queries to the careers team.

UWE Bristol has a wide range of taught and research degrees that can be studied both full or part-time, as well as a number of online learning programmes – ideal for those wishing to study alongside a full-time job or busy family life. Students can also choose to study a professional short course, in areas ranging from Business to Education and Childhood.

Teachers at the university have been recognised for their work and were awarded a gold quality award in the latest Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessment.

The Students' Union is a registered charity and run by elected presidents and officers, who work to represent students at UWE Bristol, running campaigns and attending meetings with university bodies to help ensure that student’s voices are heard.

University accommodation is only guaranteed to first year students, so postgraduate students may need to consider finding private accommodation. This has many benefits, as it allows students to have the flexibility in the type of place they rent, the location and who they live with. The university offers information and help on its website, listing good websites to find accommodation in the area, and help to make sure that landlords are registered and reliable.

The university has some impressive subject-specific facilities designed to help students gain practical experience using industry standard equipment while in class. These include a skills simulation suite replicating a real-life hospital, a financial trading room, animation studios, a flight simulator, a mock courtroom and virtual law office, media studios, a crime scene house and a games studio. There are also group and individual study spaces around the campuses, and a 24-hour library. Sports fans will enjoy the £5.5million sports centre, complete with fitness suites, astro pitch, climbing wall and squash courts.

Bristol is a vibrant city with something for everyone and is so popular that over 50% of students stay there after graduating. Bristol has a huge range of high street and independent shops, as well as plenty of bars, restaurants, pubs and clubs – including the famous Thekla, situated on a boat. Throughout the year, the city comes alive with festivals and cultural events, such as the Harbour Festival, Balloon Fiesta and Bristol Pride. With a thriving cultural scene, there are also many galleries, theatres and independent cinemas.

UWE Bristol has a wide range of societies to choose from, ranging from the Animation Society to the Live Music Society. There is also the opportunity to start up a new one. Sports clubs include football, basketball, rowing and cheerleading. Volunteering is also encouraged, with a wide range of opportunities listed on the Students' Union website.

The university offers extensive support services. From a well established careers service through to a wellbeing service offering online counselling and self-help workshops. Academic personal tutors are on hand and accessible while student advisers and info point staff provide practical support and signposting to other services. There’s also a dedicated international student support service, specialist advice for students with disabilities and GP services on site. The purpose built Halley Nursery also provides on-site childcare.

Fees vary depending on the course, so below is the average. See the fee calculator to find out the exact cost of your course.

To see the full list of financial help available, visit the university's website.

Postgraduate Masters Loan

Students can access a loan of up to £10,906 to help contribute towards the cost of their study.

Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship

Students in their final year of undergraduate study at UWE Bristol may be eligible for a tuition fee discount of 50% on selected full time and part time postgraduate courses.

UWE Alumni Scholarship

Students who graduated with an undergraduate degree at UWE Bristol more than 12 months ago are entitled to a 15% discount on selected full-time and part-time postgraduate courses.

Bristol MBA Scholarships

Bristol Business School are offering a selection of scholarships for international students on the Bristol MBA programme. These include the Chancellor's Scholarship, which offers 50% off tuition fees for one student who has received a first class honours degree in an undergraduate programme.

UWE Bristol is an ambitious university, with high academic standards that have earned them many accolades and a reputation for excellence in teaching and research.

They have connections with over 1,000 employers, professional bodies and industry specialists, who they collaborate with to design courses that equip students with the skills they need for success in their chosen industry.

Their academics are creating ‘research with impact’ – internationally renowned academic research in areas such as biological energy, big data, air quality, and next generation flight design.

This research has been produced for and used by leading global companies such as CERN, Airbus, Hewlett-Packard, and the Ministry of Defence.

Their outstanding performance in graduate employment and earnings with students from all backgrounds achieving outstanding outcomes led them to achieve gold status in the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) 2018 rankings.

UWE Bristol offer a wide range of postgraduate courses – ranging from full-time and part-time taught Master’s degrees to Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas and Postgraduate Research Study. As such, the entry requirements vary from course to course. At the very least you’ll need an undergraduate honours degree in a relevant, related subject.

For international students, if English is not your first language, you will need to meet the Universities minimum English Language requirements.

To see the full list of courses available to study, visit the university's website.

The university’s world-leading research has increased by over 170% in the Research Excellence Framework. Unlike postgraduate taught degrees, students will work for the majority of their time independently on one subject area, with the support of a supervisor. This will then lead to them writing up a thesis of their findings. Research students have access to a graduate school and are encouraged to be part of the postgraduate research community, which regularly run events to bring students together.

Just like undergraduate courses, all taught programmes follow a similar structure of attending lectures and seminars. Assessments will include coursework, exams, essays and presentations, and will vary depending on the individual course. Many programmes also offer work experience and/or mentoring schemes with industry professionals.

The distance learning courses, just like regular programmes, allow students to study full or part-time. Students learn via an online classroom, and will need access to a headset with a microphone and a webcam so that they can take part in group activities and webinars with teachers and fellow students. The interactive nature of online learning means that students will be working alongside peers from around the world, leading to global opportunities in the future. Activities will include lectures, quizzes, video and discussion boards, while assessments will include online presentations, exams and written assignments.