UK Universities: Intakes
Universities in the UK follow an academic calendar that begins in September and ends in July. Between this time, UK universities and colleges, like their counterparts in the USA and Canada, accept students in three intakes.
- Fall or September/October intake
- Winter or January/February intake
- Summer/Spring or May intake
Here is how UK universities and colleges conduct their admission cycles throughout the year
INTAKE | STARTS FROM | DURATION | NATURE | PROS AND CONS |
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FALL | September | September–December/early January | Primary/Main intake | Most popular intake for international students, including Indian students because
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WINTER | January | January–April | Secondary intake |
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SUMMER/SPRING | May | May-August | Least preferred intake |
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The Winter Window: Don’t Pass Up
Undeniably the Fall intake is the most popular among international students. However, it will be unwise not to explore your options for the Winter intake as well, especially if you need more time on working on your application. There are a handful of UK universities that offer a host of both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in their Winter term. Please check out individual universities for offered courses and real-time updates on application deadlines.
Which Intake for Me?
To study in the UK, your decision will depend on your chosen university and preferred course, your past scholastic performance, your test scores, the acceptance rate of your university of choice, opening of application, class commencement, and your availability for the course. Consider the following.
COURSE | CONSIDERATION |
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Postgraduate in the UK |
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Ph.D. in the UK |
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MBA in the UK |
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Deadlines
Here is a general guideline for the deadlines of the UK universities.
- Fall or October Intake
- Top Universities: Between February and May of the same year
- Winter or January/February Intake
- Top Universities: Between June and September of the previous year
- Summer/Spring or May Intake
- Top Universities: Between October and January
Note that
- For all three intakes, the deadlines vary between universities, courses, and the levels of courses
- Always check your university/department for its deadlines for your chosen course
The UCAS Connection
Are you applying to UK universities through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) portal? You should check out these application deadlines for UCAS.
- For Undergraduate (UG) courses
- Any course at the universities of Oxford/Cambridge
- Courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, dentistry
- For most of the courses
- For Postgraduate (PG) courses
- The UCAS does not have its deadlines
- UCAS follows the deadlines of the universities
- The universities and their departments decide their deadlines for different courses
The Good and the Not-So-Good News from UCAS
- The October deadline is generally inflexible
- Applications received after June are archived in UCAS Clearing
- Many universities and colleges are flexible about accepting applications from international students late into the year, close to the beginning of the course
- However, ask the university if it has a vacancy, especially for courses with an October deadline because these courses are highly competitive
- Some universities might have additional admission tests alongside UCAS application and these tests might have deadlines
Types of Deadlines
UG: See the UCAS section
PG: In the case of a Master’s, there are generally two types of deadlines.
- Course Application deadline
- Scholarship Application deadline, which will be different from the Course Application deadline.
- The scholarship deadline can be as early as 6 months from the commencement of the course or as late as a few weeks before the course starts.
MBA: Most B-Schools have several rounds of deadlines: Early Decision, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, and sometimes Round 5
- Early Decision: Early September
- Round 1: Between mid-September and late October
- Round 2: Between early November and mid-December
- Round 3: Between early January and March
- Round 4: Between early April and mid-July
Still, feeling a little confused? You can always reach out to us at counselcatalyst Education. We provide study-abroad counseling and would be happy to help you to stay on a steady course in your journey of studying abroad.
6 Steps to Study in September UK Intakes 2022
Step 1: Start Now..!!
- Begin early and by August, shortlist at least 8-12 universities that you want to apply to. Visit the universities and note application requirements, due dates etc.
- By September, be familiar with bank loan options and scholarships to support your studies
- Start downloading the admission brochures from the respective university websites
- Do proper research on different accommodation options
Step 2: Crack the exams: January 2022 to February 2022
- Prepare for the standardized tests like IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT, GRE- relying upon the course and university
- Enroll for GMAT/GRE, by June-July or 3 months before the test date
- Register for TOEFL/IELTS less than a month prior to the test date
- Take the required tests around September and plan for buffer time just in case if you need to retake the test
Step 3: Its application time: February 2022 to March 2022
- Shortlist the Universities and prepare your application. Write carefully and make sure your application stands out better than the rest
- It’s better if you contact the University professors and ask for at least 2 or 3 Reference letters
- Start drafting your SOP and Essay. Give yourself at least 01 month to structure the documents carefully
- Apply before the due date
- UK September intake 2022 deadline will be around in the months of February to May
Step 4: What next: April 2022 to May 2022
- Don’t wait replying to college e-mails. Also the responses will be quite a few
- Appear for personal/video interviews. These are planned for around January to March
- Once you get acceptance letters, make sure you make your decision as quickly as possible
- Depending on the deadline, inform the universities your final decision
Step 5: Visa and money matters: June 2022 to July 2022
- Search for and begin applying for external scholarships (only if its relevant)
- Apply for the student loan, after you get your acceptance letter
- Assemble paperwork for your UK student visa. Check visa prerequisites
Step 6: Get ready to fly: July 2022 to August 2022
- Book airline tickets
- Organize an International Debit/Credit card
- Gather all the documents and their photocopies, to take along
- Check out the Pre-departure checklist!
Universities with September Intake in UK
- Birmingham City University
- University of Central Lancashire
- University of Reading
- Bucks New University
- University of Surrey
- University of Derby
- University of Hertfordshire
- University of Westminster
- Keele University
- University of Leeds
- University of Wolverhampton
- London Metropolitan University
- University of Bradford
- Kingston University
- Swansea University
Universities with January Intake in UK 2023
- Bangor University
- Brunel University
- Edge Hill University
- Birmingham City University
- Kingston University
- University of Chester
- University of Greenwich
- Northumbria University
- University of Sunderland
- Birkbeck University of London
- Anglia Ruskin University
- City University of London
- De Montfort University
- Coventry University
- Keele University
- University of Brighton
- University of Lincoln
- Oxford Brookes University
- University of South Wales
Which UK Intake to Choose?
It can be a lot confusing when it comes to choosing which UK intake is best for you. The best way to select which intake is better consider some of these factors like:
- Availability of your chosen program
- Your acceptance rate of the university
- Your Entrance exam score
- Job Opportunities available
- Your academic record
- Your readiness to join the university
Most international students prefer to take the September intake, However January and May intake are also great for some of the selected courses like Business management, Data Sciences, Finance Management etc. Don’t lose hope if you don’t enroll for this year, be ready and apply for next year’s intake.
MBA Intakes in UK
If you are applying for MBA in the UK, then you need to apply during April/May admissions intake in the UK. The MBA admissions are open from April and May to around September. Here are the top business schools for MBA or top MBA colleges in UK admissions in the UK in April/May intakes 2022:
- London Business School
- Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
- Said School of Business, University of Oxford
- The Business School (formerly Cass), CITY, University of London
- Imperial College Business School, Imperial College London
- Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester
- Booth School of Business
- The University of Chicago
- University of Cambridge, Judge Business School
- University of Edinburgh Business School, The University of Edinburgh
PhD Intakes in UK
When it comes to doing PHD in the UK, there are no such fixed intakes as all the universities stay open to accept the applications especially from the PhD Scholars throughout the year. So you can apply for the PHD intake throughout any of the three intakes or as per specific admissions dates for your chosen university.
Intakes for Masters in UK
Out of all the 3 major intakes in UK, January and September admissions mainly focus on Masters while there are some of the universities that even go for May intake and they also accept master’s applications as well. The best intake for masters in UK is either done in January or September since most of the universities are open for admissions and you can enroll for at least 5 universities.
How to Apply to Universities in UK?
It is not a complicated process, all you have to do is follow these few steps and you are good to go:
- Shortlist Courses and Universities
- Know Your Deadlines
- Take Entrance Exam
- Compile Your Documents
- Get Started With Application
How to Take Admission in UK University for Indian Students
Let us understand the steps involved in this whole process:
- On the UCAS website, fill out your application
- Apply to up to five programs in the UK, at the same or different universities
- Complete personal information, including educational qualifications, employment history, and financial details
- Write a personal statement
- Submit Your Application
Documents Required for Admission Intakes in UK
You have to keep in mind that there are some of the Documents that are considered most important if you are applying to study abroad. Candidates need to arrange some of the supporting documents for the intakes in the UK. Below we have some of the mandatory documents which are required for applying for the top universities of the UK for international candidates:
- Completed application form
- Application fees
- Student permit for UK or visa application
- Academic transcripts
- Statement of Purpose
- Personal essay
- Standardized test scores
- Letters of recommendation
- Proof of financial availability
- Health insurance (if required)
- CV/ resume
- Immigration documents
- English proficiency test scores
- GPA, GMAT, or GRE scores
- Work Experience (if applicable)
Scholarship Deadlines for Intakes in UK
Most of the universities and colleges of the UK provide several scholarships to international students who are planning to study with financial aid as this would help them to cover their education. You are only eligible to apply for the Scholarship if your profile is upto the mark.
Here are some of the universities in UK that provide Scholarships along with the deadlines:
University/Foundation | Scholarship Name | Deadlines |
University of Nottingham | Nottingham Developing Solutions Scholarships | May 22, 2022 |
University of Westminster | Foundation Degree Scholarship | July 8, 2022 |
University of Kentucky | Academic Scholarship | December 01, 2022 |
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