Frequently asked questions about applying to Warwick

You can find out how to apply online. If this is your first application, you will need to select the link for new users which will take you to the registration page to create an account. Once set up, you can log in and begin completing a new application.

You must apply through the Universities Central Admissions Service (UCAS) and submit your application between the 1st September and the 16th October. Applications by any other route, or submitted after the deadline, will not be accepted and the University does not accept deferred entry or transfers from other programmes.

Find out more about applying for Graduate Entry Medicine at WarwickLink opens in a new window.

Your Personal Statement, or Statement of purpose, is a vital part of your postgraduate application at the University of Warwick. Check out our personal statement guide to help you submit a strong personal statement.

For 2024 entry onwards (applying from October 2023) the application fee for postgraduate taught courses is £75. Master of Research (MRes) courses are classed as taught courses due to the taught elements of the course. There is no application fee for postgraduate research applications or Postgraduate Awards (PGAs).

The University requires evidence that your English language capability is of a level that will enable you to succeed on your chosen course of postgraduate study. We therefore have English language entry requirements based on minimum standards. There are a number of tests that students can take to meet the English requirements of the course. Please provide your most recent English language test.

See our guide to referencesLink opens in a new window for further information about reference requirements.

See our Postgraduate courses available for applicationsLink opens in a new window. Unfortunately the Admissions Service is not able to offer advice on the suitability of courses or whether or not you are likely to receive an offer prior to submitting an application. The Warwick website and department pages in particular contain specific information about courses. You should start your search at the course listings at the link above.

Once you have received an unconditional offer and you are within 3-4 months of the start of your course you will receive an email to confirm the personal details that the University holds about you. Once you confirm your details are correct, you will be directed through to the CAS request form. Please complete the form as fully as possible as the University will use this form to assess your eligibility for student route sponsorship.

Typically, where no further information is required, these are usually processed within 10 working days of receipt of the request form. Further information can be found on the Warwick Immigration Service pagesLink opens in a new window.

See our postgraduate student funding advice for further information about fees and funding.

Frequently asked questions relating to Enrolment can be found on the Warwick Enrolment websiteLink opens in a new window.

If an applicant has received an offer for their main postgraduate course, it may be possible to issue a joint/combined CAS that covers both Pre-sessional English and main course. The Postgraduate Admissions Service will contact applicants by email before the University starts to issue CAS to those students starting the Pre-sessional English course. Visit the Pre-sessional English CAS eligibility page to see if you are likely to receive a joint or single CAS.

Some postgraduate courses can be taken by part-time studyLink opens in a new window but you should contact the academic department concerned to see if this is possible for the course you wish to study. A small number of courses are available via Distance Learning, including MBA, MA Education, MA Educational Innovation and MA Islamic Education. Unless the course is specifically designed for part-time study, taught courses will normally include some compulsory day time teaching.
If you are an international student you may be able to study part-time depending on your visa restrictions. The University of Warwick does not sponsor students for part-time study who want to study on a student route visa.

The fee can be paid online by card at the end of the application submission process, or up to twenty working days after you have submitted your application. Please log back into your registration account and click on the ‘Pay application fee’ link next to your submitted application.

Scans of your academic documents can be uploaded with your application. English language certificates and non-academic supporting documents should be uploaded through the Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window. Successful applicants who receive an offer of a place will be given access to the Postgraduate Offer Holder page which will include details on how to meet academic conditions.

You may apply for as many courses as you wish, however you will need to complete a new application form for each course and an application assessment fee is payable for each taught application. If you are applying for a Postgraduate Taught course in WMG you will only be considered for ONE WMG course but may apply for additional courses in another department.

Pre-sessional English is a set of academic English language and study skills programmes. These courses prepare you linguistically and culturally for your future degree studies and give you a chance to settle into life in and around the University.

Pre-sessional English courses are for students whose first language is not English and who have a conditional offer to study for a degree at the University of Warwick or another UK university that requires or recommends attendance. They are also suitable for students who need to develop academic English and study skills, and who wish to become familiar with British university culture and life before beginning their studies. Find out more about Pre-sessional English courses at WarwickLink opens in a new window.

If you will require a visa to study a Pre-sessional course at Warwick, you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT). Currently, the UKVI IELTS test is the only English language test (SELT) recognised by the UK Visas and Immigration Service.

The University Enrolment Team will contact you by email with enrolment instructions approximately 4 – 6 weeks before your course starts.

You can find further information on available methods of payment on our Admissions page. Your application will be held for twenty working days to allow for the fee payment to be made, after which it will automatically become void and you will need to submit a new one.

If you are a postgraduate student from another UK university or from an international higher education institution you can apply to study as a visiting student for a period up to 12 months.

As a visiting student you will not be registered for a formal University qualification but you can, with agreement of the relevant academic staff, follow individual taught courses or undertake a period of supervised research.

Once you’ve applied, you will be given access to the Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window. Look out for an email to register your IT Services (ITS) account or visit ITS account setupLink opens in a new window. This can take up to 2 working days from when you receive the acknowledgement email and Warwick ID number from the Postgraduate Admissions Service.

Applicants who are applying for PGCE and MBChB courses are not able to access the Applicant Portal.

Please use your Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window to upload documents. You should be able to upload as many documents as required. If you are experiencing difficulty with the document upload facility please submit an enquiry through the Postgraduate Admissions Service.

Read our frequently asked questions about enrolment first to see if there is a solution to your issue with the enrolment process. If you are not able to resolve your issue from the FAQS, you can contact the enrolment teamLink opens in a new window.

All accepted tests must have been taken within two years and one month of the start date of your course at Warwick. Please provide your most recent English language test.

If your visa application is refused, you should contact Warwick Immigration Service. Warwick Immigration ServiceLink opens in a new window will assess your eligibility for a new CAS. In some cases this may not be possible.

Some departments allow applicants to defer their offer (not application) to a later date or by one academic year. Please complete the Postgraduate Enquiry FormLink opens in a new window to request to defer your offer.

Some of the documents submitted as part of your application may no longer be valid for the following academic year. The Admissions Service will consider this when deferring your application and may ask you to meet some conditions again, for example if your English language certificate is no longer valid. Departments usually only allow applicants to defer once.

We are unable to accept direct bank transfers as a method of payment for the application assessment fee.

A CAS number can only be used once and must be from the University you intend to study at. If your visa application is refused, you should contact Warwick Immigration ServiceLink opens in a new window and attach all pages from the visa refusal notice to request a new CAS.

In a small number of cases, your department can contact Admissions to request an English language waiver in support of your application. This will normally be based on established proficiency in the English language and will require you to provide evidence.

Please contact your department for advice. In most cases applicants are required to provide one of the accepted English language tests to meet the English language conditions.

The Postgraduate Admissions Service will contact you by email to acknowledge receipt of any documents that you have submitted.

If you are a conditional offer holder, they will confirm whether or not your documents meet the conditions. At peak times in July and August there may be a slight delay in confirming receipt of your documents.

We appreciate that waiting for a decision can be frustrating and worrying but please be assured our Admissions Team is working very hard to process applications and to respond to enquiries, as quickly as possible.

If you are intending to start a postgraduate research degree, it may be possible to change your start date. This will need to be agreed with your academic department and supervisor.

If you are an international student requiring a visa, you should request any changes to dates before requesting a CAS. Taught courses usually have a fixed start date in September/October each academic year.

If you are holding an offer and are not able to attend at the start of the course, you should contact your academic department to request to defer your application.

Assessment fee waivers are only considered in exceptional circumstances. You can request a waiver if you are from a war-torn country or are applying for a full scholarship or loan.

If you're applying for a scholarship, you must state which one. You can request the fee waiver at the end of the application, before submitting it.

Requests will be automatically rejected for the following reasons:

• Family paying your fees
• Financial hardship not caused by war or natural disaster
• Employer sponsorship (excluding NHS employees)

Once you have submitted your application, and paid the application assessment fee (if required) you will be sent an acknowledgement email which will include information on how to access the Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window. Please use the portal to upload as many documents as required.

If you have completed a Bachelor degree level (or higher) course in the UK within the last 2 years from the start of your new course, this may be sufficient to meet the language conditions of your offer.

If you have renewed your passport you do not need a new CAS. Please email a scan of the new passport to pg dot visa at warwick dot ac dot uk and we will add a sponsor note confirming this change. The UKVI allow amendments to the information on your CAS as long as your visa application is not in the advanced stages and has “USED” status.

Applicants using email servers/providers 126.com, 163.com, Sina.cn and QQ.com may have difficulty receiving email messages from the Admissions Service. Students should use their university email account or Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail or similar commercial email providers when making an application.

If you have successfully paid the application assessment fee online, you will be sent an automated payment receipt email containing a payment transaction reference number.

Unfortunately we cannot change the email address which is used for your login to the Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window. However all correspondence will be sent to the contact email addresses you provided in your application. If you haven’t yet submitted your application, you can change the email addresses in your application yourself before you submit it.

Once you have submitted your application you can log into the Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window to update your email addresses. If you are using a QQ.com, 126.com, 163.com or sina.cn email address as your contact address, we would recommend changing this to a different provider as you may not receive all communications from us.

Please remember to check your Applicant Portal regularly for messages from the Admissions Service.

If there is a mistake on your CAS please contact pg dot visa at warwick dot ac dot uk as soon as possible. We can then assess whether or not you require a new CAS. In most cases we can add a sponsor note to your CAS correcting the mistake. The UKVI allow amendments to the information on your CAS as long as your visa application is not in the advanced stages and has “USED” status.

The University accepts scans of original documents to support your application, so you're not likely to be asked to provide attested copies.

If you are asked for attested documents, these are 'official' copies of your original documents that have been verified by your university, the British Council, a solicitor, lawyer, or official notary. Each page should include an official stamp, confirmation that the original has been seen, and the contact details of the attesting officer.

If you're in the UK, the Post Office offers this service for a small fee.

Attested documents are 'official' copies of your original documents that have been verified by either your university, British Council, solicitor, lawyer or official notary. Each page of the copy of the document should include an official stamp, confirmation that the original has been seen and contact details of the attesting officer.

If you are in the UK, the Post Office offer this service for a small fee. The University accepts scans of original documents to support your application so you are not likely to be asked to provide attested copies.

You must meet all conditions of your offer by the date stated in your offer. If you are an international student requiring a visa to study in the UK, you must meet all conditions in enough time to complete the CAS request process and visa application process to enable you to travel to the UK to start your course. It is recommended that all conditions are met 4 weeks prior to the start date of the course.

The University welcomes applications from disabled people and those with specific learning difficulties, and considers them on the same academic grounds as all other candidates. Many such students have successfully pursued postgraduate study at Warwick.

To ensure we can provide appropriate advice and guidance on the services and facilities available, it’s helpful to let us know in advance if you have a disability or specific learning difficulty. Further information and contact details are available on the Wellbeing and Student Support websiteLink opens in a new window.

Warwick Accommodation service manage the booking of accommodation for students at the University. There is information on the Warwick Accommodation websiteLink opens in a new window which discusses the different options available to postgraduate students, the application process and when to expect a decision.

There is no requirement to post documents to the University as we accept scanned uploads of your original certificates and transcripts.

If you have posted documents and require these to be returned, please contact the Admissions Service and we can advise when this is likely to happen.

If you have clicked the ‘Cancel’ button when your application is open, you will have received a warning stating that all of your data will be lost. If you click the ‘OK’ button, your application will be deleted and cannot be retrieved.

If you have made a tuition fee payment you do not require a new CAS. The Student Finance team can update this information on your CAS once the payment has reached the University of Warwick accounts. Please email studentfinance at warwick dot ac dot uk for further information.

A refund can be issued for excess payments if you send all of your application assessment fee payment transaction reference numbers to appquery at warwick dot ac dot uk.

The Postgraduate Admissions Service can accept scanned copies of English language certificates uploaded through the document upload facility. Original (or attested copies of) degree certificates and transcripts should be used to meet academic conditions. Referees should submit references through the reference portal.

There is a different application system for the MBA, which is administered by Warwick Business School. If you require further information about the MBA, please email warwickmba at wbs dot ac dot uk.

If you have been awarded a scholarship and this does not appear on your CAS, please email studentfinance@warwick.ac.ukLink opens in a new window as soon as possible. It may be that your department has not informed admissions or student finance regarding your award. We are able to add University of Warwick scholarships and awards to your CAS, however external scholarships should be evidenced with official documentation and will not be included on your CAS.

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platformLink opens in a new window. 

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the Module CatalogueLink opens in a new window.  

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department. 

Unfortunately we are not able to accept academic qualifications by email. Please upload scans of your documents through the Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window.

If you are submitting an application for research, please ensure that you have located a suitable supervisor for your intended area of studyLink opens in a new window, before you submit your application. Please note that the Postgraduate Admissions Service is not permitted to locate a suitable research supervisor on your behalf.

You can log back into the Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window at any time. You will be able to see all of your applications and the status of each one. If you haven’t yet submitted the application, click on the link to open it to review and continue completing it. If you have submitted your application, you will no longer be able to open or change it. We will keep you updated by email about your application.

We require scanned original certificates or transcripts that confirm your academic qualifications. We can verify English language scores online. There is no need to post English language certificates to the University as you can upload a scan of your certificate through the Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window.

A supporting statement (also known as a statement of purpose/purpose of study) is required by the Course Selector in order to consider your application. A CV is also useful to the Course Selector, although not mandatory. Research applicants should submit a research proposal outlining their intended area of research.

The Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window has a ‘forgotten your password’ link which will email you a new password. Please enter the password manually, as copying and pasting it can sometimes generate an error. If you do not receive the requested new password, this is because it is automatically sent to the email address you used to register an account and this will have contained an error. If this is the case, please register a new account with a different email address.

The Student ReceptionLink opens in a new window is not currently able to receive documents to support your application.

If you are entering your personal statement in the space provided on the Employment section of the application form, there is a character limit of 4500 (including spaces). If your personal statement is longer than this, please upload it via the clipboard icon on the same page, which has a file size limit of 2Mb.

See our guide to writing your personal statement.

If you haven’t yet submitted your application, you can log back into your application and amend the details.

Once you have submitted your application and paid the application assessment fee (if applicable), you will need to contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team which is dealing with your application. Their contact details will be in your application acknowledgment email.

If you have submitted your application, but not paid the application assessment fee (if applicable), you can submit a new application, as your first application will automatically expire after twenty working days of non-payment of the fee.

Please ignore the automated application assessment fee payment reminder emails you receive (do not pay the fee) and your submitted application will become void twenty working days after submitting it. Please submit a new application (you don’t have to wait until your submitted application becomes void).

If you log back into your registration account, any new application you create will automatically contain most of the data you entered on your first form, so you won’t have to enter all of the information again. When you pay the application assessment fee, please ensure that you select the correct application.

As these applications do not incur an application assessment fee, your application will have been fully processed onto our system. Please refer to your application acknowledgement email and contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team which is dealing with your application. This information will be in your application acknowledgement email, which is sent within approximately 24 hours of submitting an application.

If you haven’t yet submitted your application, you can change the course you wish to apply for yourself. You can do this by logging into the Applicant PortalLink opens in a new window, clicking on your application to open it and then edit the course information section.

If you have already submitted your application and paid the application assessment fee (if applicable), please contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team which is dealing with your application in the first instance. The team’s contact details are contained in your application acknowledgment email. We will then be able to advise you how we can go about changing the course on your application. In some instances, we may need to withdraw your application and require you to complete a new one.

The offer emails we send have The University of Warwick letter head at the top so that they can be printed out. Please note that hardcopies of offers are not required for Visa applications.

The deadline for submitting documents and meeting conditions will be stated at the top of your offer letter if you are successfully made an offer for the course which you have applied to. We advise all applicants meet all conditions as soon as they are able to.

For international applicants requiring a visa to study in the UK, we advise that conditions are met no later than 4 weeks before the start of the course to allow enough time to receive a CAS and submit a visa application, and prepare to study at Warwick.

See our guidance regarding grade equivalenciesLink opens in a new window.

Admissions decisions are made based on complete applications and take into consideration a number of factors including qualifications currently being studied or already obtained, personal statement, references and level of English language. We therefore recommend that applicants submit an application and full supporting documents.

If you want to study a Postgraduate Taught course (MSc/MA/MRes), the start date is in the September or October of the academic year, which is the only intake. Most Postgraduate Research courses have start dates that are agreed with your department and supervisor and are normally commence on the 1st of the month.

Whilst most full-time taught courses start at the beginning of October each year, many part-time taught courses and research degrees have flexible start dates.

Please check the course webpagesLink opens in a new window and/or contact your chosen department for more information.