What are your choices when it comes to course ‘types’?

Taught Master’s

We offer a range of Master’s courses that are ‘taught’ – that is, they are delivered by an experienced faculty team through a programme of lectures, seminars, tutorials and lab-based work (if relevant).

Read more about taught courses

Research degrees (Master’s by Research)

A research degree – or Master's by Research - is an independent, advanced study programme, administered by our Research Graduate School (RGS), supervised by academic staff at our 10 research institutes and lasting between one and seven years.

Read more about research degrees

Intermediate taught Master’s awards (PgCert and PgDip)

You gain a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) once you’ve completed 60 credits of a Master’s degree whereas a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) is awarded after completing 120 credits. A full Master’s requires 180 credits in total.

We offer some courses where you study up to PgDip level then have the option to ‘top up’ your credits by completing your Master’s. This flexible pathway allows you to tailor your educational journey, advancing your qualifications at a pace that suits you.

Find out about credits

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) prepares graduates for a successful career in teaching with all graduates eligible for Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) on completion. Our course combines academic study and practical teaching experience, with 80% of your time spent in placement schools.

Read more about PGCE

Short courses and CPD

The University offers accredited courses for UK professionals in a range of subject areas, providing you with opportunities to undertake continuing professional development, progress your career and enhance your skills.

Our business-oriented short courses include project management and Lean Six Sigma training.

We also offer CPD for healthcare professionals who wish to develop their clinical skills in areas such as intensive and high-dependency care; mental health; neonatal care; and our 25-week non-medical prescribing

For those moving from full-time, first-degree (Honours) study directly into postgraduate study, a one-year, full-time course is more or less business as usual. But, for those with work and childcare commitments, it’s crucial to consider ways of studying that will fit around your life – such as part-time, block delivery or blended learning.

Part-time courses typically last two to three years, with at least 20 hours a week dedicated to study. At the University of Bedfordshire, we offer both daytime and evening courses; whichever option suits you best depends on your circumstances. If you are in employment and your choice of Master’s is relevant to your work role, it may be worth approaching your employer about leave to attend part-time day sessions.

Block delivery gives you more flexibility in when you start your course. At Bedfordshire, we offer six modules spread across a year to 15 months, and you can jump in at any time.

Blended learning offers a mix of online distance learning and face-to-face sessions so you undertake more guided independent study at home with less need to attend the campus.

Increasingly, hop-in hop-out modular courses – such as our Advanced Social Work Practice MA for qualified social workers – allow you to work towards a Master’s as and when you feel ready.

If you are interested in pursuing a Master’s by research, we have impressive research credentials, with the majority of our research rated ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ by the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF, 2021).

Learn more about our research

Over the past few years, we have also invested heavily in our facilities, equipment and technology. Our buildings include a dedicated Postgraduate and CPD centre, STEM building and a seven-storey library at our Luton campus; a bespoke teacher-training centre, Forest School and healthcare simulation unit at our Bedford Campus; and a three-storey specialist nursing teaching centre at our Aylesbury campus, which is situated on the same site as Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Find out more about our industry-inspired facilities

Your time at Bedfordshire is about more than getting a degree – there's lots of other aspects of University life that go into your higher education experience, all building your confidence, adding to your skills and widening your horizons.

The University has inspiring credentials to its name, too – not something they publish in the league tables. Did you know we are one of the top three universities in the UK for 'green' thinking and initiatives? Or that we are a leading institution when it comes to ‘widening participation’, opening up higher education to students who wouldn’t previously have considered it?

Learn more about its ethos, courses, facilities, academics, research specialisms and more.

University of Bedfordshire Business School – for business and law

School of Applied Social Sciences – for childhood, youth and family studies; healthcare practice; and internal social welfare and development

School of Arts and Creative Industries – for art, design, communication, media, film and television

School of Computer Science and Technology – for computer science, IT, cybersecurity and engineering

School of Education – for specialist education and PGCE as well as linguistics with TESOL

School of Life Sciences – for bio-sciences, food and nutrition, pharmacology and environmental management

School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Education – for adult and mental health nursing, midwifery and dental/medical upskilling for professionals

School of Psychology – for forensic, health and a applied psychology conversion course

School of Society, Community and Health – for social work and public health

School of Sport Science and Physical Activity – for sport leadership and management, health/mental wellbeing and physical activity, rehabilitation therapy, and strength and conditioning

Before making your application to the University, it's a good idea to visit us and see the campus and facilities for yourself. Attending an open day will give you a realistic picture of student life and help you make the best choice. Come along with friends or family to meet our staff, discuss your course options with academics, and talk to current students already enjoying life at Bedfordshire.

If you are a student with a disability, the open day is an opportunity to see for yourself how the course and facilities will suit you, and to talk to academics and our support services team about any specific accessibility needs you have.

Find out more about applying as a student with disabilities

Find our next open day

If you are unable to attend an open day, you might want to book a campus tour instead. Campus tours are led by our student ambassadors who walk you through all the facilities and tell you what life is like studying at the University of Bedfordshire.

The tours also include a visit from the accommodation team, who will show you around our student accommodation, and a trip to Admissions, who will be on hand to answer any queries you have about applying to Bedfordshire.

Campus tours usually take place on Wednesday and start promptly at 2pm or 3pm, typically lasting about 30-45 minutes.

Occasionally, due to mid-week teaching commitments, some areas of the University will be unavailable for viewing. Where possible, we will inform you of this before the day of your tour.

If you can’t take an actual tour, check out our 360° VR tours of our Bedford or Luton campuses.

Explore the county of Bedfordshire before you arrive. You really get the best of all worlds with our campus locations in Luton, Bedford and Aylesbury. Colourful, culturally diverse towns with a long history and strong sense of community, big enough to offer a tempting choice of shops, sports and entertainments. Beautiful countryside, framed by the Chiltern Hills, is on your doorstep as well as villages perfect for a pub lunch. Want a bit of the big-city buzz? Well, London is just a short train journey from Luton and Bedford.

If there’s one thing that concerns most postgraduate students, it’s paying for their Master’s, particularly with the rise in cost of living. So it’s good planning to start looking into funding your course at an early stage. You may be able to apply for the government’s Master’s loan; if you are a Bedfordshire alumnus, you could be eligible for a 20% tuition-fee discount.

Find out more about your funding options