University of Reading

The University of Reading is a research-intensive campus university in south-east England. With more than 150 years of history, it's now recognised for its expertise in areas such as climate science, business, agriculture, and food science. It also has a global presence, with two overseas campuses and dozens of international partnerships. It's the university's ambition to become net zero carbon by 2030, and we have been ranked the fourth greenest university in the UK according to the 2022/23 People & Planet University League.

We’re ranked 169th in the world and are a top 30 university in the UK according to the QS World Rankings 2024. Many of our courses are available to study part-time to help you achieve your master’s alongside your other commitments. We have a number of facilities to help you return to study wherever you are in your life, including breastfeeding rooms on campus, and our on-site day-nursery for children of students, staff and local community members.

Facilities

• The library provides 1,500 study spaces, is open 24 hours a day during term time (except Saturday nights) and has a large cafe.
• The university is home to three museums and houses a variety of special collections that students can view and use.
• Study support services include academic liaison librarians, study advisers, and maths and statistical support resources.
• Research postgraduates benefit from the support of the library's research engagement team.
• Reading's chaplaincy centre welcomes people of all beliefs and offers a signposting service for all faiths. There's a Muslim prayer centre on campus, and atheist/humanist/secularist, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh societies.

Funding your Master’s

Home-domiciled students may be eligible to apply for the Master’s Loan depending on their circumstances. Eligibility criteria includes age, the programme you have applied for, the mode of study, and whether you have already achieved a master’s level qualification. For part-time courses, fees are calculated at 50% of the standard fee, or pro rata for modular programmes.

University of Reading scholarships

Centenary Scholarships. They are open to all eligible master’s students and take the form of a partial fee waiver.

Subject Scholarships. They are course-specific across 15 subject areas and also applied in the form of a tuition fee reduction.

Centenary and Subject Scholarships are competitive and typically awarded on the basis of previous academic accomplishment. For 2023/24 entry, awards were valued at £2,000 for UK/home-fee-paying students and £4,000 for international-fee-paying students. To apply, you first need to hold an offer of admission to one of our participating master’s programmes for full-time or part-time study (excluding flexible modular).

If you completed your undergraduate degree with us, you’re entitled to a discount on your master’s degree at Reading. You’ll automatically receive £1,500 off the cost of your full-time tuition fees, or if you’re a part-time student studying over two years, you’ll receive a £750 discount each year.

You can view full details of our scholarships and alumni discount on our postgraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation

• Reading has nearly 5,000 rooms, including adapted rooms for students with disabilities and special requirements.
• There's a variety of room types including shared bathroom, en suite, with both catered and self-catered options. There are also some self-contained studios and some accommodation for couples and families.
• Halls are on, or within walking distance of, the university's Whiteknights and London Road campuses.
• Standard contracts are 40 or 51 weeks and include all utilities and Wi-Fi.
• All halls have dedicated security patrols, CCTV, and a 24/7 support hotline.
• You can request “quiet lifestyle” and single-gender accommodation, so you can make the most out of living with likeminded people.

Accommodation costs 2023-24

Catered: £152- £229 per week

Self-catered - £140- £304 per week

Careers and Employability

95% of our taught postgraduates are in work or further study within 15 months of the end of their course and, of those working full-time, 96% are in graduate-level roles. (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21, of 2,480 postgraduate taught leavers, of which 44% responded.)

Applications & entry requirements

You are normally required to have a good undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent from a university outside the UK).

For international students, our English language requirements are usually an overall score of either 6.5 or 7.0 in the IELTS (depending on the programme).

How to apply

The quickest and easiest away to apply for postgraduate study at the University of Reading is through our online application service. The online service allows you to complete your application form and attach electronic copies of your academic transcripts, certificates and other supporting information. It also provides a tool for sending an email request to your referees, enabling them to send your supporting references directly to us.

Candidates for the PGCE and School Direct courses should submit an application via the DfE Teacher Training portal.