Ways to study
UCL offers various modes of study including full and part-time, modular/flexible, online learning and short courses. Please refer to individual course listings for more information.
Full-time study
Courses marked as full-time study are generally completed in one year (for Master’s courses), nine months (for Postgraduate Diploma courses) or approximately four months (for Postgraduate Certificate courses), with the student enrolled on all modules and attending lectures and seminars on-site at UCL.
Online learning is available for a small but increasing number of courses at UCL.
A small number of our Master’s courses require attendance for two years full-time - this information will be given on the relevant course pages.
Part-time study
Courses marked as part-time study are generally completed in two years (i.e. double the length of the corresponding full-time course), with the student enrolled on all modules and attending lectures and seminars on-site at UCL.
Please note that all course fees are subject to an annual increase of up to 5%.
Modular/flexible study
Courses marked as modular/flexible study can take a maximum of five years to complete, with the student generally attending lectures and seminars on-site at UCL. Study is undertaken on a module-by-module basis, with the student accumulating credit by selecting which module(s) to complete in any given year. Advice can be given by the course organisers about the recommended period of time in which to complete your studies.
The fees for modular/flexible study are charged approximately pro-rata to the full-time fee for the corresponding Master’s course, and will vary year-by-year depending on how many modules you choose to take during that year. Please note that all course fees are subject to an annual increase of up to 5%.
Online learning
A number of courses at UCL are offered either fully or partially online. Course content, learning activities, and assessments are accessed via Moodle, UCL’s Digital Learning Environment (DLE). Students may also attend regular online seminars and tutorials and are encouraged to participate in discussion forums. Online courses are usually undertaken on a part-time or modular/flexible basis, but there is also the option to study these full-time if preferred.
Please note: all courses with at least an element of online delivery are marked as “Distance learning” in this Prospectus; please contact the relevant department to ascertain whether campus attendance is also required.
Read more about online graduate degrees at UCL
Short courses and continuing professional development
Academic departments may offer modules from taught courses and/or short courses, seminars and summer schools to support continuing professional development or for general interest.
