Self-funding
Many postgraduates fund their course with savings or family support. Part-time postgraduate study to enhance career development can be a popular option.
The Job Shop
Our Job Shop helps students to find part-time, temporary and vacation work in many areas, including postgraduate-level roles.
We recommend that postgraduates work for a maximum of 20 hours per week during term-time. Employers who advertise with the Job Shop are aware of this and may be flexible around your timetable.
International students should always seek individual immigration advice for working rights in the UK.
UKRI funded students are limited on the amount of paid work that they may undertake. Full-time funded students are recommended to undertake no more than 6 hours of employment per week.
For more information and to view current vacancies, visit the Job Shop.
External funding
UKRI Funding
The UKRI awards a limited number of fully funded studentships leading to a doctoral award, which are open to UK and a capped number of EU and international applicants. To receive UKRI studentship funding, as a minimum you must have qualifications or experience equal to an honours degree at a first or upper second class level. See Doctoral Training Partnerships for more details.
State funding
There is limited state funding for postgraduates.
Funding is available for teacher training in England and Wales. See the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) for more information.
If you are training to work in social work or certain areas of healthcare, you may be able to get an NHS bursary see Directgov for details.
Charities, trusts and foundations
Many charities, foundations and trusts award funding for postgraduate study - you can find lists on the Prospects website and through Scholarships search.
Some awards are dedicated to a particular cause while others have very general eligibility criteria. Most do not cover both tuition fees and living costs, and many amount to just a few hundred pounds a year.
Sponsorship and employer-funded study
Your employer may sponsor a postgraduate course if the qualification will improve your ability to do your job. You may have to sign an agreement tying you to the company for a specified period.
Some PhD studentships are sponsored by employers who have an involvement with the research you intend to undertake.
You may also wish to apply for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). KTP projects usually last for two years, and involve a partnership between a commercial company and a university. Graduates work on projects central to the company’s development whilst continuing to train.
External funding for international students
There are many sources of funding available to international postgraduate students, depending on your nationality and the programme you wish to undertake. A list of scholarships is available on our International's finance and fees pages.
Prodidy Finance ( International Students)* : Prodigy Finance is a fintech platform that enables financing for international postgraduate students who attend a participating business school or postgraduate institution.
- Lends to most international students, subject to eligibility
- Lending for approved Masters level courses
- Funded by community investors, and external investors
- Lending levels based on innovative model of predictive post-degree salary indicators
- Prodigy Finance fully responsible for lending decisions - eligibility criteria apply
- Competitive interest rates
*Please note: This information is provided for reference purposes only. The inclusion of provider does not indicate a recommendation or approval by the University. You are responsible for undertaking your own due diligence and checking all terms and conditions before entering into an agreement with a loan or scholarship provider. The inclusion of a provider does not indicate a partnership agreement with Brunel University London .Learn more about Prodigy Finance and apply
Additional Funding
Looking for additional funding? Postgrad Solutions now offer 15 bursaries across a number of subject areas.