Applying for a postgraduate course or Master's degree
The application and admissions process for a postgraduate course or part-time Master's degree with Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) is rigorous and can take several months. We're here to support you. Our application guide outlines what to expect and has information for each stage of application. Still have a question? Get in touch and our friendly and knowledgeable team will help.
Key stages of applying
The application and admissions process involves 3 key stages.
- Getting ready to apply: choosing your course and preparing your application
- Submitting your application: uploading supporting documents, submitting references and paying your application fee
- After applying: interviews, offers, communicating with us and post-application admissions
Applying for an MSt
Contact our support team
PG and MSt application guide
The following teams at Cambridge may be involved in your application:
PACE admissions team
Our friendly and experienced admissions team will be your main and official contact after you have chosen your course and applied. We handle applications for most postgraduate certificates, diplomas, and all MSt courses, liaising with all parties on your behalf. We can help determine if you meet our English language requirements and advise if you need to take a test. And we’re also responsible for determining your fee status as either a UK or overseas student.
PACE academic team
The PACE academic team responsible for your course will consider your application based on the entry requirements on the relevant course page. They’ll also inform you of the format of your interview, if you’re shortlisted. If you’re an overseas student, they can provide a short-term visa letter for teaching sessions in Cambridge, if you need one.
The Postgraduate Admissions Office (PAO)
The PAO is responsible for all regulations, complaints, and appeals procedures and policies related to postgraduate students. PACE also has specific policies for postgraduate applicants.
Cambridge Colleges (MSt students only)
MSt students become members of a Cambridge College. Our admissions team will seek College membership on your behalf if you receive a conditional offer.
To learn more, watch our video on choosing a College.
You’ll find information on all our available courses on the individual course pages. Do read these details carefully to help you choose the right course for you and prepare your application. They include:
- Course overview
- Information on teaching and assessment
- Standard entry requirements
- Non-standard application considerations
- Any course-specific application requirements, such as a sample of work
- Visa information for overseas students
- Fees for home and overseas students
Have any queries while you consider applying for a course? Get in touch with our team on the course page.
To learn more, watch our video on applying for an MSt at PACE.
English language requirements
Our courses are taught in English and require a good level of fluency. If English is not your first language, you'll need to prove you have sufficient fluency before admission. If we offer you a place, it will be subject to you meeting our requirements:
IELTS Academic: overall band score of 7.5 (with a minimum of 7.0 in each individual component).
TOEFL Internet: overall score of 5.5 with no element below 5.0. Please note, the TOEFL test format has recently changed. If you take it on or after 21 January 2026, we'll ask you to take an additional assessment with the University of Cambridge Language Centre. If your test results are from before 21 January 2026 and no more than 2 years old before the course start date, the required overall score is 110 (a minimum of 25 in each individual component), and you will not need to take an additional assessment.
C1 Advanced: Grade A or B (with at least 193 in each individual element), plus a Language Centre assessment.
C2 Proficiency: Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200, with no element lower than 185).
For more information, visit the University’s language requirements page.
After choosing your course, you can prepare and submit your application on the University’s Applicant Portal. Make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare everything you need for your application before the deadline.
Application deadlines
The deadline for your course is listed on the course page. We accept applications until 11.59pm (British time) on the day of closing.
Apply through the Applicant Portal
Apply for your course through the ‘Apply now’ button on the course page, which will take you to the Applicant Portal. There, you can:
- create, save, and submit your application
- upload your supporting documents
- submit and manage your references
- pay your application fee
- track your application while we consider it
When completing your application, please note the University restrictions and risks of using AI tools.
Supporting documents
When you submit your application, you’ll need to provide the supporting documents specified on the course page. All documents should be in English, with an official translation by a registered translator if applicable.
Qualifications and transcripts
A transcript is a list of all the courses you have taken during a programme of study, with your result, and with the credit value if applicable.
If you’re currently studying, please provide a transcript listing the courses taken during your programme of study, with the results or grades obtained for each. Current Cambridge students should upload a copy of their unofficial transcript from their Student Self-Service.
If you have previously completed degree-level study, please provide a transcript or degree certificate for each degree-level programme you have studied, showing the date the degree was awarded and the final class or grade obtained.
Please note that we may also ask you to send the originals via post if we make you an offer of admission and supplying these may be a condition of your offer.
Find out more on supporting documents.
English language test results
If English is not your first language, and you have already taken a test that meets our requirements (see ‘Getting ready to apply’), you can upload your results as part of your application.
If you do not have test results, and you receive an offer that requires proof of English language proficiency as a requirements, our Admissions team will advise you.
For more information, visit the University’s language requirements page.
References
You’ll need to provide details of 2 referees who can provide written references in English. These can be academic and/or professional references, please check the course page for your reference requirements. Our system will automatically contact your referees after you submit your application. Make sure you discuss your application with your referees before providing their details, and that you have the correct referee details in place before you submit your application.
Referee selection
Your referee should be someone best able to comment on your academic ability or explain why your work experiences would suit academic study. We do not ask them to give a character reference.
Referee contact details
You must provide a professional email address for your referees when you apply. We cannot accept personal email addresses.
Managing referee details
You can access, amend and manage your referees’ details on our Applicant Portal, until a reference is submitted.
Confirming your references
Your referee will submit your reference via our reference system. We will contact your referees to give them access to this system after you have submitted your application.
Make sure your references are submitted by contacting your referees directly to meet the application closing deadline. You’ll receive a confirmation email, and the reference status in your applicant portal will be updated.
Restrictions on references
We cannot accept references sent by email directly from the applicant or via a third party, use references from any previous application, or accept written references unless agreed prior to application by our Admissions team.
Find more information on giving references.
Application fee
There’s a postgraduate course application fee of £85, unless you’re eligible for a fee waiver. You’ll need to pay this before you submit your application.
The application fee payment is subject to a 14-day cancellation period, during which you can receive a full refund.
Find more information on application fees, fee waivers and application fee terms and conditions.
Unspent criminal convictions
Having an unspent criminal conviction will not normally prevent you from being able to study with us. But you must let our Admissions team know if you have a relevant unspent conviction when you submit your application.
Find out more in the University’s guidance on criminal convictions.
After you submit your application, our academic and admissions teams will review and process it.
To learn more, watch our video on what happens after submitting your MSt application.
Interviews
If you’re shortlisted for a place, we'll invite you for an interview. These can be face-to-face, online, or over the phone. The interview is an opportunity for us to discuss your application, your experience and interest in the course, as well as any samples of work or research proposal you submitted with your application. It is also an opportunity for you to ask us questions. We’ll contact you to arrange a suitable time and format.
Postgraduate Applicant Self-service Account
If you receive a conditional offer after interview, we'll send you an email inviting you to access your Postgraduate Applicant Self-service Account. This email will contain your applicant ID (USN) and password.
It’s important to check your Postgraduate Applicant Self-service Account regularly. Use it to do things including:
- communicate with us about your application
- track the progress of your application
- upload or change supporting documents to meet requirements for your offer
- change your contact details
- view your offer conditions
- accept or decline your offer
For more information, see the University’s page on and tracking and managing your application, which includes Postgraduate Applicant Self-Service.
Post-application admissions
Once you’ve received an offer, it will be subject to certain conditions, which you’ll need to meet before we can finalise your admission. If you disagree with your fee status, you may also want to ask us to reassess this.
Proof of English language proficiency
If your offer is subject to you proving your proficiency in English, you may need to take an English language test and achieve the scores we require (see ‘Getting ready to apply’). Our admissions team can advise you on this.
Your fee status
Our admissions team will determine your fee status, as either a UK or overseas student, once the department or faculty for your course decides to make you an offer. We base this on the information you give in your application, following UK Government regulations. Your conditional offer will state your fee status.
Fee status disputes
If you disagree with your fee status, you can request a reassessment by submitting a fee status assessment questionnaire. To do this:
- download and complete the fee status questionnaire
- upload the questionnaire, along with relevant supporting documents, to your Self-service Account under the fee status category
Fee status criteria and eligibility
Before requesting a reassessment, visit the University’s fee status page for information on fee status criteria and eligibility. We cannot reassess your fee status before you receive your offer of admission.
Visa support
If you’re an overseas student, the academic team for your course can provide a short-term visa letter for teaching sessions in Cambridge, if you need one.
Learn more about visa requirements on the University’s International Students website.
Deferring your course
Deferring your course means delaying your start date to the next academic year. This would usually only happen in exceptional circumstances such as a serious health problem or an unexpected redundancy.
To do this:
- check our deferral policy
- complete and a deferral request form and send it to our admissions team