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Studying at UEL 

By studying for a postgraduate qualification, you’re making a big investment in your career. You’ll be strongly supported all the way by your tutors - many of whom run world-leading research projects. Throw in our vibrant east London location, and you can take your career to a whole new level.

How UEL can benefit you

UEL has almost doubled our output of ‘world-leading’ research over the past few years. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework rated 17 per cent of our research submission as ‘world-leading’. A further 45 per cent of research was rated ‘internationally excellent’. Overall, 94 per cent of our research was judged to be international standard.

We also score highly for the impact of our work. Our psychology research was ranked equal first in the country for its impact - ahead of Oxford and Cambridge.

Many of our leading researchers also teach on our postgraduate courses, so you’ll benefit directly from specialists at the forefront of their fields.
Studying for a postgraduate qualification is a sound investment in your career. The specialist knowledge you gain marks you out from other graduates - making you more attractive to prospective employers or opening doors in your career.

But we offer you more than just a degree. You’ll also have the opportunity to gain extra skills and experience that will help you stand out against the competition.
UEL is London’s leading university for civic engagement. That means you get a deeper learning experience by working on real-life community projects as part of your studies.

Our industry links can also open doors to placements and internships, while our Careers and Student Employability team can offer you expert advice to help you pursue your ambitions.
UEL’s campuses in Docklands and Stratford are at the heart of east London’s rapidly evolving landscape - the powerhouse for our dynamic culture of research and innovation.
Stratford is home to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and Europe’s largest urban shopping mall, while nearby Canary Wharf is a global hub for the finance and banking industry. The area is a magnet for high-tech companies and arts organisations.

Whatever your specialism - architecture, engineering, social work, psychology, business, education, the arts, health, law or anything else - east London is an inspiring place to learn. It’s a living laboratory, right on your doorstep.
We’ve invested £170 million in developing our facilities, and now we’re ranked among the UK’s top universities for spending on facilities per student.

University Square Stratford (USS) is just one example - a modern, £33 million learning environment we opened in partnership with Birkbeck, University of London, in 2013.

We’ve also built a £14 million library at our main Stratford campus, and the facilities at our £21 million SportsDock complex are so impressive that Team USA chose it as their training base for the London Olympics and Paralympics. 

Our campuses boast world-class learning facilities, including superbly equipped computer suites, libraries open 24/7 during term time, professional-standard performance studios and workshops, a multimedia production centre, clinical education centre, and our Knowledge Dock business incubation centre.
We offer a range of postgraduate bursaries and scholarships to support your studies.

All postgraduates can apply for a bursary to help with the cost of books, equipment or accommodation. You can also apply for a scholarship worth up to 50 per cent of your course fees.

You can find out more about the financial support we offer on our postgraduate Fees and funding page. Or you can contact our Student Money Advice and Rights (SMART) team on +44 (0)20 8223 4444.

Teacher London Design and Engineering UTC

“The Academic Skills programme was very well organised, fantastic context supported by wonderful ambassadors. It has made my students aspire towards Higher Education”.

Choose how you'll learn

    For our taught postgraduate degrees, you’ll attend lectures and seminars leading to qualifications like a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert), Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Diploma in Management Studies (DMS) or Master of Science (MSc).

    The Master of Research (MRes) is another taught postgraduate course that covers tuition in research methods as well as research project.

    Taught courses

    We offer two research degrees: a Master or Doctor of Philosophy (MPhil/PhD); and Professional doctorates. The MPhil is a one- to two-year supervised master's programme. Many postgraduates start an MPhil and transfer to a PhD - usually essential for a research-based academic or business career.

    Professional doctorates involve both practice-based and taught elements, and are aimed mostly at people in relevant professional roles.

    Research-based courses

    We offer a number of postgraduate courses via distance learning, which attract students from all over the world.

    Distance learning lets you fit your studies in around personal and professional commitments. We send your study materials by post or online, and you won’t have to attend face-to-face tutorials or lectures.

    Completing one of our distance learning degrees shows potential employers you can manage your time effectively, are self-motivated, and have a good work ethic.

    Online and distance learning

    Examples of our research expertise

    • TACKLING LONDON'S HEALTH INEQUALITIES

      Health experts from UEL’s Institute for Health and Human Development (IHHD) have engaged with some of London’s most disadvantaged communities and supported them to improve their health and wellbeing.

    • DISASTER EDUCATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA

      A pioneering project led by UEL’s Cass School of Education and Communities has researched how social networking sites could be used more effectively to educate people in the event of a national disaster.

    • GREENING URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE

      Researchers at our Sustainability Research Institute are helping to enhance biodiversity in urban areas by developing alternative green roof designs that mimic local conservation priority habitat.

    • REFORMING UK MEDIA POLICY

      UEL research has contributed to reform UK media practice through influencing regulatory outcomes, policies and debates relating to product placement, cross-media promotion and media ownership and pluralism.

    • STRENGTHENING HEALTH SYSTEMS IN INDIA

      Our Institute for Human and Health Development research is helping to tackle health inequality in some of India’s largest states by changing the way healthcare is financed and implemented.

    • SUPPORTING COUNTER-TERRORISM

      Our criminology experts have supported UK and international counter-terrorism efforts by improving our understanding of radicalisation and disengagement from violent extremism.

    • ADOLESCENT SELF-HARM AND CHILD ABUSE

      Our Centre for Social Work Research has investigated ways to evaluate social work practices and social problems. This helped improve delivery of social services for adolescent self-harm/suicide prevention and child abuse.

    • TRACKING GLOBAL BEAT

      Researchers from UEL’s School of Arts and Digital Industries have studied global dance music culture, from legendary 1970s New York club The Loft to the launch of Dubstep in London.

    Akanni Waisu Wale

    MSc Computer Systems Engineering

    Before coming to UEL I held a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and had been working in a financial institution for three years. The multicultural aspect of UEL was fantastic and the lecturers friendly. My course adviser always made us feel comfortable no matter what difficulties we might have been experiencing. Doing a postgraduate course gives you a great legacy. I’m now a software engineer within the financial sector.

    Our Alumni network

    Postgraduates at UEL automatically become part of an expanding global network that will continue to benefit your career for year to come.

    As a former UEL student, your career support continues long after you leave us. As soon as you complete your course, you will automatically become a member of our very active, 70,000-strong Alumni Association.
     
    The Alumni team manage a busy calendar of events, including about 15 networking gatherings each year. It also arranges events in the UK and abroad for the alumni of specific courses - often featuring prominent guest speakers. Events take place as far afield as China, Malaysia, Ghana and Jamaica.
    If you’re already a UEL graduate and thinking of returning to us for postgraduate study, you’ll qualify for our generous 15 per cent Alumni discount on postgraduate fees. And you may even be eligible for a scholarship of up to £3,000.
     
    Our Alumni Association organises networking events and reunions around the world, often with industry-leading guest speakers.
    our alumni network

    Susanna Halonen

    Applied Positive Psychology

    When I began my MSc Applied Positive Psychology studies at UEL, I focused on building my Happyologist business alongside it. It was an intense year during which I learned more about the topic than I ever thought possible and made lifelong friends. I’ve since put everything I learned into practice - in my own life as well as my business, which offers coaching services to individuals and organisations.