Excellent. Lecturers are passionate about what they do, and the campus is well developed. There is plenty to do, and good facilities available. Great atmosphere on campus.
The University of Kent is an internationally renowned institution located in Canterbury and offers an impressive portfolio of postgraduate degree courses.
The university teaches advanced skills and provides access to fantastic professional networks and learning facilities, helping postgraduate students realise their academic and personal goals.
Kent's campuses are based in amazing locations, with two UK campuses in Canterbury and Medway that are both close to London, as well as a postgraduate centre, the Paris School of Arts and Culture. Kent has six academic faculties offering a wide range of subject areas that students can study at postgraduate level.
Postgraduate students can study full or part-time on the majority of programmes or can choose from a range of short courses and distance-learning options. There is also the opportunity to study abroad for those undertaking a research degree, and there are both January and September intakes for some courses.
In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) Kent’s reputation was confirmed as a ‘world-leading’ research university across the arts and humanities, sciences and social sciences. Kent incorporates its world-class research into all forms of postgraduate study, offering outstanding taught and research programmes.
University of Kent on Postgraduate Search say:
“University of Kent is an amazing place to study. it has a very warm and welcoming environment and feels like a second home. There are lot of places to be around in campus. They have a lot of events every week. there are many societies as well which helps to make friends and socialize really fast.”
“The people are so welcoming and chatty. Kent union offer as much support as they can. I feel safe on the campus at all times. Pretty campus”
“Beautiful campus and lovely professors.”
Postgraduate courses are assessed through coursework and exams, with a number of programmes requiring the write up of a dissertation during the final part of the year.
Research degrees are available to study abroad, with access to extensive learning facilities as well as regular study workshops and a supervisor.
Postgraduate students at Kent have access to the Graduate Researcher College, a dedicated department offering study support, workshops and social events exclusively for postgraduate students.
Students can choose to study in the UK, or for certain programmes they can also choose to study at the Paris School of Arts and Culture. Research degrees are also available to study abroad. Many of the programmes also offer a ‘study abroad’ module, where students will be able to spend some time in one of the partnership institutions.
Students have praised the friendly and knowledgeable lecturers who they describe as being incredibly approachable in their reviews.
Kent has six academic divisions offering a wide range of subject areas, which students can study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
These are:
Division for the study of Law, Society and Social Justice – including journalism, law and sociology courses.
University of Kent on Postgraduate Search say:
“Great teaching”
“The best is my professors. Always competent and present.”
“My supervisor is great. We have regular meetings.”
Interested? Order a prospectus to find out more about the uni and the courses on offer.
GET PROSPECTUSKent offers a wide range of postgraduate course options which can be studied at a number of different academic levels, with various modes of course delivery and different subject areas. Consequently, specific admission requirements differ on a course-by-course basis. Prospective students are encouraged to check out their chosen course page on the university website to find out the full details and also to familiarise themselves with any key dates and deadlines before submitting an application.
For a place on one of Kent’s postgraduate degrees, students would need to hold or have a projected 2.2 UK bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Each application will be considered individually and on a case by case basis.
Courses are delivered in English, so there is a minimum English language proficiency requirement which students must demonstrate before they start classes.
For more information on individual course entry requirements, prospective students can head to the university's website.
Send a message directly to the uni to learn more about their entry requirements.
ASK A QUESTIONPostgraduate students studying at the Canterbury campus are eligible to apply for accommodation at the postgraduate-only Woolf College as well as Tyler Court, Keynes and Darwin, all of which are located on campus. Facilities and prices vary but include a shared kitchen and dining area, Wi-Fi and on-site laundry.
In Medway students can live in Liberty Quays, which is a ten minute walk away from the university. Students live in a flat with between five and eight other students, each with their own en–suite bedroom.
The university has a vast amount of academic and leisure facilities for students to benefit from.
At the Canterbury campus, there is an arts centre that contains a café, cinema and theatre – which hosts regular live music, comedy and poetry nights. There is also a sports centre, complete with a fitness suite, sports pitches and an outdoor tennis centre.
The Canterbury library includes 500 study spaces, a café, silent study zones and a vast collection of manuscripts and archives, while the library at the Medway campus has over 400 computers and numerous open study zones. Both libraries are open 24/7.
University of Kent on Postgraduate Search say:
“The library being 24/7 access is the best thing on campus for studying as more often than not I’m in the library late into the night studying.”
“My room is cosy and decently big for the money that I pay for it and as a general rule stuff seems to be looked after well enough”
“I had no issues at all with halls”
What's it like to study at this institution? Current students and alumni share their opinion...
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The University of Kent understands the need for comprehensive student support services, so that everyone in its learning community can study in confidence and achieve their potential. Support teams are based across the university. The vast majority of students have felt their needs were met and that staff were friendly and willing to help.
The student support team is designed to help students with learning difficulties, and staff are on hand to find the best way to help postgraduate students and their specific needs. The wellbeing team provide a free and confidential counselling service, while there is also a chaplaincy, onsite medical centre, and nursery for children under the age of five.
Extra academic support is available for postgraduate students in the graduate school, with workshops ranging from interview practice to cover letter drafting, something that was praised in student reviews. Support is also designated to international students at the university and those on exchange.
University of Kent on Postgraduate Search say:
“Student support is good”
“The best thing about University of Kent is that the support is always available. They keep you engaged and interact with you regularly even just after you have applied for admission.”
“My interactions with the staff have also been wonderful as most of them are ready to help.”
Find out more about the student support offered on the university’s website.
VISIT WEBSITEThe University of Kent produces leading research work in a number of key areas. The university supports a network of research groups which connect the university’s work with other partner educational institutes, as well as the wider research community.
Computer Science
98% of the department’s research was considered to be of international quality. Staff include National Teaching Fellows, authors and distinguished scientists. The programme incorporates a work placement into the year and graduates have found work across the globe, including at companies like Reuters, Shell, IBM and Microsoft.
Sociology
Sociology was ranked 1st for research quality and The School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR) is one of the largest and most successful social science research communities in Europe. Postgraduate students will have access to a dedicated office space, and have the opportunity to teach part-time at the school. Graduates have gone on to find work for government, NGOs, charities and global media organisations.
Postgraduate students are represented by the Kent Union vice-president, who is elected by the students. Their main aim is to maintain Kent’s unique community spirit while improving the postgraduate experience for all students. There’s also hundreds of student societies to join including the mature student society, where like-minded postgrads host social events and activities.
Societies range from cooking to art, with subject specific, cultural, and religious groups for students to join. Sports fans will be able to join one of the many clubs, such as sailing, windsurfing, rowing, swimming, golf, boxing, caving and mountaineering, and there are also many student run media outlets to get involved with including a radio station, TV channel and newspaper.
Canterbury is famous for its cathedral and city heritage. The city is compact but has everything students could possibly need, including open green spaces and a selection of shops, pubs, bars, clubs and cultural attractions. Students have also found the local community to be friendly and welcoming.
The nearby coastal town of Whitstable is home to several beaches and there are plenty of country parks in the surrounding area.
University of Kent on Postgraduate Search say:
“The societies and the campus are amazing! If has been so easy to make friends.”
“There is so much to do (not that I get a lot of time to take part as a part time student with children!) and so many clubs, societies and interest groups to join.”
Kent is a great choice for students looking ahead to their graduate employability and career success. The university works to ensure that every course allows students to develop their career skills while studying, in addition to maintaining a comprehensive career support service. This support takes the form of one-on-one guidance, workshops and events, and a wealth of easily accessible resources.
Postgraduate students at the University of Kent benefit from access to extensive career support and graduate opportunities. The university’s careers and employability service offers individual advice and runs workshops and networking events throughout the year. Students have a lot of freedom and resources to build a pathway to career success.
The University of Kent offers students impressive job prospects, with 97% of its postgraduate students securing work within six months of concluding their course.
The university is also home to the graduate school, which arranges a variety of career-focused training courses like the global skills award. Through this, students will leave their course confident in their personal development and postgraduate skillset.
University of Kent on Postgraduate Search say:
“Offers and supports to career opportunities is amazing”
Kent has a multimillion-pound postgraduate scholarship fund and offers a range of scholarships and bursaries to postgraduate students, including scholarships for both domestic and international students.
The University of Kent has a long-standing relationship with Chevening, which has successfully placed scholars from all over the world at the university for many years.
Kent offers three partner scholarships, in addition to the standard Chevening Scholarships.
UK Research Council Awards
Kent is a research driven university and provides resources to assist with many aspects of postgraduate work, such as the submission of applications, negotiating research contracts, and administering awards. There is a fund dedicated to research support through the university’s partner organisations and joint enterprises, as well as a generous package of university-funded scholarships.
Postgraduate Loans for master’s Degrees
Students can borrow up to £12,471 from the Student Loan Company to cover living and study costs (2024/25 rates).
Fees vary by school and location, and if whether a student is opting for part-time or full-time. The average fees for taught master’s courses in 2024/25 are:
Send a message directly to the uni to learn more about their scholarships and bursaries.
ASK A QUESTIONThe university offers a range of professional and academic programmes available across the campus locations and most can be studied either full time or part-time. Many courses include the opportunity to study abroad or undertake a work placement.
Studies include compulsory and elective modules, and assessments will consist of a mix of coursework, exams, essays and research projects depending on the subject. The majority of courses will require students to undertake a dissertation.
Research students will be supported by a supervisory team, who will be there to offer guidance throughout the research and thesis writing stages.
A mandatory research training programme teaches skills-based courses in areas such as statistics, computing and electronic literature searching. Students who undertake research programmes abroad will receive support in the form of a supervisor, study facilities and workshops.
There are currently several distance learning programmes available to study, including professional practice and advanced child protection. Recently, the University of Kent launched the psychology conversion MSc fully online in 2023. Coursework for these study programmes is taught through web-based resources, online lectures and videos. Some of the courses are available to study purely online, while others incorporate learning at the campus as a blended approach.
There are currently no postgraduate open days available to book at this university.
Take a look at open days at unis across the UK.