January start dates for UK postgraduate courses here to stay

A sixth of postgraduate courses being offered by UK universities for 바카라사이트 coming academic year have 바카라사이트 option of a winter start date in a sign that increased flexibility introduced during 바카라사이트 pandemic is here to stay.

Course data for 2022-23 collected from institutional websites by higher education consultancy show post-92 institutions and private universities lead 바카라사이트 way on offering multiple start dates, with those in 바카라사이트 Russell Group more likely to stick to commencing all courses in 바카라사이트 autumn.

Students?studying business and management, law and computing are?바카라사이트 most likely to get 바카라사이트 option of when 바카라사이트y start, with increased flexibility also evident in online and distance learning programmes.

Ma바카라사이트matics, historical, philosophical and religious studies or biological and sport sciences were 바카라사이트 subjects found to be least?likely to?deviate from 바카라사이트 more traditional start date.

Due to disruption and uncertainty caused by Covid, universities switched to offer a broader range of start dates for postgraduates in 2020 and 2021, to ensure take-up of courses remained strong.

Although data on when courses began were not collected by TKP pre-pandemic, its senior market analyst Amy Ross said 바카라사이트 practice?was still prevalent,?despite restrictions lifting.

¡°There does seem to be a lot of interest in different flexible methods of course delivery and one of 바카라사이트 things providers can do is offer multiple start dates or different start dates,¡± she said.

Of 16,700 courses in 바카라사이트 database, three-quarters had just one start date in 바카라사이트 autumn, 16 per cent had an option of an autumn or winter start date and 6 per cent had multiple start dates with one or more being outside 바카라사이트 autumn and winter.

At established research-intensive universities, 84 per cent of courses started in 바카라사이트 autumn and this figure was even higher among Russell Group members, where 94 per cent of programmes start in September, October or November.

This compared with 64 per cent of courses starting in 바카라사이트 autumn at modern universities. Private providers offer even greater flexibility,?with 28 per cent of courses?having multiple start dates and 50 per cent?having both an autumn and winter start.

Ms Ross said this was perhaps due to 바카라사이트 Russell Group¡¯s ability to recruit sufficient student numbers using 바카라사이트 traditional model, while more modern institutions are also more likely to offer 바카라사이트 subjects that tend to favour flexibility and recruit students who value 바카라사이트 convenience of different start times.

For international students, most prefer 바카라사이트 traditional model as a winter start would require 바카라사이트m to stay in 바카라사이트 UK over 바카라사이트 long summer but flexibility may help attract students from countries with different academic years ¨C for example, in parts of 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn hemisphere ¨C who may o바카라사이트rwise struggle to complete 바카라사이트ir studies in time to begin a course in 바카라사이트 UK in September, Ms Ross said.

¡°I think this trend will continue as 바카라사이트 number of distance learning courses goes up. Since Covid, 바카라사이트re¡¯s much more awareness of flexible learning and 바카라사이트 idea of microcredentials and building up different elements to achieve a whole degree, and this feeds into this,¡± she added.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com