Postgraduate study

Source: https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/global-communications/ Parent: https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/

Postgraduate taught

Global Communications MSc

Live Online Event About This Degree

Join us for our online panel discussion and Q&A with students and staff on 3rd March.

Panel discussion and Q&A

Our Masters in Global Communications will give you insights, experience and a critical understanding of global communication using current and emerging media platforms. You will gain practical skills and industry contacts to enhance your future opportunities while developing your knowledge of the cultural, historical and ethical contexts that shape international communication.

Academic contact: Dr Lindsay Balfour: Lindsay.Balfour@glasgow.ac.uk
Teaching start: September
Glasgow: Gilmorehill campus
MSc: 12 months full-time; 24 months part‑time

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Year of entry 2026 2027 2028

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Why this programme

Gain experience in communication campaigns, analysing media content, and using digital communication tools to engage diverse audiences.
Develop a critical understanding of the intercultural communication skills needed to address global issues, alongside the opportunities and challenges introduced by emerging media platforms and digital innovations.
Build contacts with industry professionals through projects and collaborations with media and communication organisations.
Learn how to implement and manage communication strategies and policies, considering organisational objectives, technological advancements, and the legal and regulatory frameworks in different regions.
Assess the complex ethical and professional contexts within which global communication professionals operate and apply this understanding to real-world scenarios.
Identify and apply the skills and processes essential for effective global communication practice, including digital content creation, media management, and strategic communication planning.
Glasgow is a culturally vibrant city, a UNESCO City of Music, and named the UK’s top cultural and creative city by the European Commission. You will have the opportunity to work on communications issues relevant to the cultural industries through direct engagement with Glasgow’s international cultural scene.
Glasgow has played a pivotal role in global communications both past and present. A distinctive feature of our programme is a rigorously historically grounded approach to communications and media studies. You will have the opportunity to utilise materials from the past to better understand contemporary communications. Our extensive collections provide access to a wide range of business and industry archives, enabling you to apply modern media approaches to their use and interpretation.

Programme structure

You will take two core courses and four optional courses, you will also complete an individual project.

Semester 1

Core course

Communications & Media: Theory and Concepts

Communications & Media: Theory and Concepts is a course that explores the foundational theories and key concepts in the field of communications and media studies. Students will examine the evolution of communication practices, media technologies, and their impact on society. The course covers topics such as media effects, audience analysis, digital communication, and the role of media in shaping public opinion and culture. Through critical analysis and case studies, students will gain a deep understanding of how media and communication influence contemporary social dynamics and national, international, and regional forms of engagement.

more about this course

This course aims to:

provide students with an understanding of foundational theories in communications and media studies, enabling them to critically analyse media practices and their impact on society
examine the development of media technologies and communication practices, and how they have shaped and been shaped by social, cultural, and political forces
investigate the effects of media on audiences and public opinion, focusing on how media content influences behaviour, perception, and societal norms
explore the role of media in communication, including digital media and the impact of social media, online platforms, and digital convergence on information dissemination and consumption
enable students to apply theoretical concepts to real-world media scenarios, using case studies and practical examples to understand the complexities of media in a globalised world.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

explain key theories and concepts in communications and media studies
analyse the influence of media on public opinion, culture, and social behaviour, using relevant theoretical frameworks
evaluate the role of digital media in contemporary communication, including its effects on information dissemination and audience engagement
critically assess media messages and their implications within various cultural, political, and social contexts.
apply theoretical knowledge to real-world media and communication scenarios through case studies, projects, discussions, and an independent research project or dissertation.

See the full course details for: Communications & Media: Theory and Concepts

Optional courses

Two optional courses (see below)

Semester 2

Core course

Research Methods and Strategies for Communication

Research Methods and Strategies for Communication is a course designed to equip students with the essential tools and techniques for conducting research in the field of communication including surveys, interviews, content analysis, and experimental design. Students will learn how to design research projects, collect and analyse data, and interpret results within the context of communication studies. Emphasising critical thinking and methodological rigour, the course prepares students to conduct independent research and apply research strategies to real-world communication challenges.

more about this course

This course aims to:

provide students with an understanding of research methodologies relevant to communication studies
equip students with the skills to design effective research projects, including the formulation of research questions and selection of appropriate research methods
train students in various data collection techniques, such as surveys, interviews, content analysis, and experiments, enabling them to gather reliable and valid data
encourage students to analyse critically and interpret research findings, to assess the strengths and limitations of different research strategies
prepare students to apply research methods and strategies to address real-world communication challenges, enabling them to contribute effectively to academic, professional, and industry-related projects

By the end of this course students will be able to:

explain key research methods used in communication studies
design research projects that effectively address communication-related issues
demonstrate proficiency in collecting, organising, and analysing data using appropriate research tools and techniques, such as surveys, interviews, and content analysis
critically evaluate the quality and validity of research findings, recognising the strengths and limitations of various research methods
apply research methods and strategies to real-world communication problems, effectively translating theoretical knowledge into practical solutions

See the full course details for: Research Methods and Strategies for Communication

Optional courses

Two optional courses (see below)

Optional Courses

Typical optional courses taken are listed below. However, other courses from across the College of Arts & Humanities can be taken with the approval of the programme convener and subject to availability.

Media Ecologies

How does media make worlds? From data to water, cable to cloud, this course examines the relations between elemental phenomena and communication systems, exploring the deepening relationships between environment, media and culture. The material imprint of media weighs heavily on our climate, from the extraction of critical rare minerals, to fuel consumption and land use, the natural world affords and bears the weight of communication infrastructures. This course is informed by emergent theories from infrastructure humanities, environmental humanities and critical media studies that understand media objects beyond their traditional role as carriers of messages. This is an interdisciplinary course that considers questions that include: How do media affects systems of perception, value, and feeling alongside their lived environments? How does media not only represent the environment, but constitute it? How does thinking with elements (e.g. temperature, atmosphere, seawater) allow for an expanded understanding of media systems?

This course aims to:

assess key theories, debates and perspectives in media ecology and environmental media studies
analyse a range of media elements, interfaces, and infrastructures shaped by social, environmental, and political forces
investigate the relation between media ecology and their affective dimensions, questioning how media influences environments
critically evaluate media forms, to rethink what constitutes media and to assess their role in systems of aesthetic representation and social organisation
apply theoretical concepts and humanities methods to material infrastructures and real-world media objects.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

analyse key concepts in media ecology and environmental media studies
analyse the relationships between media as environment and environmental media
evaluate the influence of media ecologies on systems of communication and affective relations including emotions, value, and behaviour
critically interpret the role of media ecologies in structuring systems of aesthetic representation and social organisation
apply theoretical knowledge and abstract concepts to real-world environments and media forms through case studies, group projects and field trip

See the full course details for: Media Ecologies

Policy Communications

This course asks: how can policy communication be made more effective? Students will take a practice-based approach to policy communication across different media. Students will examine a range of policy communications across key areas, such as energy, food, poverty, and well-being, to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and produce alternatives. The course encourages a concretely place-based approach. Sessions will include fieldwork, assessing community responses to policy communications, and archive research to consider policy communications in the context of the past and present. The course aims to prepare students to be able to apply infrastructural humanities and critical media studies frameworks to understand problems and solutions around the material systems that shape people's lives and the social organisations that emerge in response to them, and communications that circulate from both community and policy-makers to frame and engage with these.

This course aims to:

Explore the strengths and failings of contemporary policy communication through place-based methodologies, fieldwork, and creative practice.
Build a systemic picture of the context in which policy communications operate and their role in shaping that context.
Provide students with real-world experience of engaging with communities and policy-makers, translating theoretical knowledge into work experience through policy, community, and third-sector workshops and the creation of policy communication.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

analyse critically policy communications across a range of media with respect to wider socio-cultural and historical contexts.
communicate effectively in real-world contexts with policy-makers, community and third-sector organisations.
produce effective policy communications across a range of key policy areas.

See the full course details for: Policy Communications

Histories of Communication

This course examines the evolving forms and genres of communication across history and geography, beginning with inscriptions on stone and wax tablets and ending with file transfers and email. Combining current research in media and information studies with materialist approaches to bureaucracy and 'paperwork', we will consider how the development of new systems and technologies for storing, organizing and transmitting information changes communication landscapes, affording new possibilities for both controlling and disrupting how we communicate across national boundaries. Our aim throughout the course will be apply insights from analysing past and current media transformations to enable us to shape the future of global communication.

This course aims to:

Introduce the dominant forms and genres of communication and information management in the past and today.
Identify how and why the material forms of communication have changed over time.
Isolate the logistical and ideological effects of communication genres within specific organizations and communities.
Enable critical reflection on how forms and genres of communication structure thought and behaviour.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

Understand the evolution of communication genres in relation to structures of information management more broadly.
Analyse how the material forms of communication shape institutional, national, and multinational communication networks.
Make historically informed arguments about the forms of modern communication media.
Work collaboratively to propose innovative forms of communication that support a more equitable vision of global communication.

See the full course details for: Histories of Communication

Communicating Culture: Arts and Media Infrastructures

In this course, students will ask: how do we build more equitable and sustainable ways of producing the arts and culture? Students will assess, interrogate, and examine how the infrastructures that support the production, dissemination, and sustainability of arts and culture rely upon effective communication strategies. The course approaches communications through the field of infrastructure humanities. It understands “infrastructure” as both the technical systems of circulation that enable creativity (e.g., music venues, theatres, funding bodies) and as a political and aesthetic ideas about who and what gets to participate in the creative industries. This course emphasizes case studies to explore specific real-world problems within Glasgow that are widely applicable to the larger, international cultural sphere. Our course will work with community and/or industry partners from across the Glasgow arts landscape to introduce students to immediate issues facing their organizations and to assess the role that communication plays in enabling them to continue to function.

This course aims to:

Facilitate the examination of the arts ecosystem through interdisciplinary methodologies, emphasizing the political and cultural aspects of communication and media studies.
Assess critically the multiple ways that media infrastructure can be re-imagined in new, sustainable, and creative ways.
Equip students with contemporary methodologies for media and communication through disciplinary methodologies including literature, architecture, sociology, and human geography.
Encourage students in the exploration of the relationship between communication, art, and infrastructure.
Engage students with real-world experience translating theoretical knowledge into work experience through industry and third sector workshops.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

Communicate effective strategies for supporting arts and media organizations.
Distinguish different methodological approaches to infrastructure drawn from media studies and communication.
Construct an individual research exercise based on a need of a partner organization.
Evaluate critical accounts of arts communication with respect to wider socio-cultural and historical concerns.

See the full course details for: Communicating Culture: Arts and Media Infrastructures

Communicating Health, Illness and Disease

How do we communicate health, illness and disease? This course covers health communications in a variety of scales, locations, and contexts, extending from the clinical encounter, to public health communications, to the cultural authority of the medical professional. It brings to this topic the distinctive approaches and interests of humanities disciplines, offering a perspective complementary to that of health sociology.

This course introduces students to humanities perspectives upon health communication. Students will have the opportunity to encounter a range of approaches to health communication, broadly conceived to extend from the small scale of the clinical encounter to larger public and cultural statements on health, disease, and illness. Methods examined on the course may include corpus linguistics, conversation analysis, hermeneutics, discourse analysis, narrative medicine, and book and publishing history. Students will have the opportunity to situate specific topics and methods within wider socio-cultural and historical concerns, and within frameworks of ethical and responsible research.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

Distinguish different methodological approaches to topics within health communication.
Formulate a reflective analysis of ethical and responsible research within a specific area of health communication.
Evaluate critical accounts of health communication with respect to wider socio-cultural and historical concerns.
Critically analyse and evaluate strategies of health communication with respect to a defined research topic.
Communicate responses to the material studied on the course both orally and in written form through coherent and sustained argument.
Work as an autonomous group to organise a lecture from a local expert on a student-led topic in health communication.

See the full course details for: Communicating Health, Illness and Disease

Communication and Constructed Languages: from Esperanto to Elvish to AI

This course examines constructed languages, their literary applications, transnational networks, the media through which they flourish, and relation to AI. It explores the history of constructed languages past and present, from Volapük and Esperanto to the languages of Tolkien to language generator platforms such a Vlgarland, and discusses the relation of these languages to global communication, cosmopolitanism, Eurocentrism, and nationalistic agendas. Students will have the opportunity to experiment with the challenges and opportunities of invented languages in the age of AI. Assessment will include a podcast and creative exercise.

This course aims to:

Introduce the history and ideology of constructed languages from the nineteenth century to the present day, and their relation to IA.
Identify the means of communication through which these languages circulated in the past and today.
Enable critical reflection on how constructed languages serve practical and ideological agendas.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

Understand the way in which constructed languages challenge assumptions about language and global communication.
Analyse how constructed languages work in relation to readership, transnational networks, communication media, and AI.
Engage creatively with digital platforms to create a constructed language and write a piece of short fiction in it; reflect critically on their attempt in relation to the concepts studied in the course.

See the full course details for: Communication and Constructed Languages: from Esperanto to Elvish to AI

Case Studies in Religion and Global Challenges

This course introduces students to specific case studies involving religious participation in societal and political challenges and the impact of religion on local and international levels. Students will focus on four or five case studies presented by experts in the field and apply relevant theoretical and methodological approaches to inform their analyses. Case studies may include: inter-/intra-faith organisational forms, religious ideologies, conflicts and wars, displacement and migration of religious minority groups, religiously motivated racism and hate crimes, freedom of speech versus religious offenses, human rights violations by religious institutions or regimes, public health and scientific advice in faith communities, and religious responses to environmental crises.

This course aims to:

Examine local and global case studies in relation to religion and its role in politics and international affairs.
Employ religious studies perspectives to analyse specific case studies of global challenges.
Interrogate documentary and other types of evidence (e.g. literature, newspaper reports, films) in order to study examples of religious influences in their specific socio-political contexts.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

Analyse the role of religion in politics and international affairs using specific examples in their historical and geo-political contexts.
Apply theoretical and analytical religious studies and interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary global and regional issues (e.g. violent conflict, economic crisis, public health, sustainability, migration, etc).
Communicate research findings effectively, applying advanced transferable skills involving cultural and religious awareness in both local and international contexts.

See the full course details for: Case Studies in Religion and Global Challenges

Please note that not all optional courses may be available every year.

Summer

Global Communications Individual Project

The Individual Project enables students to undertake a period of independent research on a Global Communications topic of their choosing. The research will be on a specific field, subject or issue within the field of Communications, will demonstrate knowledge of relevant scholarship in the field, and will apply methods of data collection, analysis and interpretation appropriate for the subfield(s) researched. The project will normally be undertaken after the end of Semester 2 and will be submitted at the end of the academic year.

more about the project

This project aims to provide:

an opportunity to conceive, develop and execute a piece of independent research in the field of communications
a research focus for students to test ideas and arguments of the academic and professional communities and develop their own arguments and insights
a framework to put their project into the wider context of their professional field

By the completion of the project students will be able to:

identify scholarship relating to their chosen topic
situate their research in wider context of Communication studies
compile and critically analyse relevant evidence
display relevant, detailed and informed knowledge of the chosen topic

See the full course details for: Global Communications Individual Project

Programme alteration or discontinuation\ The University of Glasgow endeavours to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.

Career prospects

The programme places a strong emphasis on equipping students with the skills employers are looking for.

You will gain practical competencies and real-world problem-solving abilities that prepare our graduates for roles across diverse sectors including:

international organisations
NGOs
multinational corporations
digital marketing
government.

Fees & funding

Tuition fees for 2026-27

MSc

Home & RUK

Full-time fee: £11,367

International & EU

Full-time fee: £27,720

Fee status

Fee status guidance

Deposits

International and EU applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2,000 when an offer is made.

Deposits: terms & conditions

The following guidelines will apply in determining whether a deposit will be refunded. Where the deposit is refunded, a 25% administration fee will be deducted unless otherwise stated.

a: Deposits WILL be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:

Where the University is unable to offer you a place on the programme as specified on the offer. A full refund will be issued in this case.
Death of a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
SERIOUS ill health of the applicant or a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
Applicant does not meet conditions of offer. This may be academic or language test requirements. Satisfactory evidence must be uploaded to the student’s applicant self-service to prove that they have not met the conditions of their offer (note that applicants who do not meet the language condition of their offer must show reasonable attempt to meet this, i.e. they must provide at least two language tests which were taken after the date the deposit was paid).
Visa / ATAS refusal: we will only consider a refund if the visa / ATAS refusal was based on matters outside of the applicant’s control.
If a refund request is received within 14 days of the deposit being received a full refund will be issued under the Consumer Protection Regulations.

b: Deposits WILL NOT be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:

An applicant decides not to attend the University for any reason not outlined above.
Personal financial constraints / unsuccessful scholarship application.
Applicant has decided to defer – in this situation the University will retain the deposit and hold it against the applicant’s account to secure their place for the following year of entry. You may defer twice. After the second deferral standard conditions will apply.
There is still time to meet the English language test requirement before the final upload date. Please see section a) 4.
Visa / ATAS was applied for too late. Please see section a) 5.
Any documents used for admission are proven to be fraudulent. We work in partnership with Qualification Check to check academic qualifications. English language qualifications are verified with the provider.
The refund request is received more than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email.

Timeframe for requesting a refund

Refund requests must be received no later than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email. As per section b)7 above the request will be denied.

Receiving a refund

To comply with Money Laundering Regulations, the University will pay all refunds to the original payer using the source payment details. This is known as a “return to source” payment.
All appropriate documentation and evidence relating to the original payment must be provided, when requested.
All payments and refunds are in GBP currency - the University is not responsible for any exchange rate fluctuations or beneficiary bank charges associated with the refund.
Where University approved payment methods have not been used, this may cause significant delays or prevent payment altogether.
We will aim to issue the deposit refund within 8 weeks of receipt of information per point 2 above. At peak times this may be longer.

How to request a deposit refund

Please go to our enquiry form and select 'Fees and Deposit' as the enquiry reason and then 'Can I have a deposit refund?'.

Please upload all supporting documentation to your applicant self-service portal before submitting the above request.

Find out more about Deposits

Additional fees

Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
Registration/exam only fee: £170

Funding opportunities

University of Glasgow African Excellence Award

The University of Glasgow African Excellence Award aims to support high achieving students from across Africa in their journey to become Future World Changers. We are looking for students who wish to undertake Masters level study (postgraduate diploma or certificate programmes are not eligible for this scholarship), to further develop their knowledge and skills, in order to positively contribute to their community in the future.

The University is offering up to 16 scholarships for International students from Africa, starting a one year postgraduate taught Masters programme, in any discipline for academic session 2026/27.  The scholarship is a full tuition fee waiver.

University of Glasgow African Excellence Award

World Changers Glasgow Scholarship

The University of Glasgow is proud to announce the World Changers Glasgow Scholarship for September 2026/ January 2027 entry to acknowledge incredible applicants from India, Singapore, Nigeria, Thailand, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Israel, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Yemen, Chile, Brazil, Lebanon, Colombia and Mexico. The scholarship is awarded as a £5,000 tuition fee discount and will automatically awarded to all eligible applicants.

World Changers Glasgow Scholarship

University of Glasgow Caribbean Excellence Award

The University of Glasgow Caribbean Excellence Award aims to support high achieving students from across the Caribbean in their journey to become Future World Changers. We are looking for students who wish to undertake Masters level study, to further develop their knowledge and skills, in order to positively contribute to their community in the future.

The University is offering up to 4 scholarships for International students from the Caribbean, starting a one year postgraduate taught Masters programme, in any discipline for academic session 2026/27.  The scholarship is a full tuition fee waiver.

University of Glasgow Caribbean Excellence Award

World Changers Glasgow Scholarship PGT (EU)

The University of Glasgow continues to be committed to ensuring a strong relationship with our existing and future EU students, and supporting EU talent to make their home at the University of Glasgow.

We appreciate the challenging financial implications that have arisen for our European applicants, and are therefore delighted to offer the World Changers Glasgow Scholarship PGT (EU) to new incoming EU students starting an postgraduate programme for Academic Session 2026-27. The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fee discount of £5,000 for every year of study and is subject to satisfactory progress for consecutive years of study. This discount cannot be combined with another University scholarship with the exception of the Alumni Discount.

World Changers Glasgow Scholarship PGT (EU)

The Humanitarian Scholarship

We are delighted to announce the launch of the University of Glasgow Humanitarian Scholarship, created to support Displaced and Conflict-Affected (DACA) applicants applying for Postgraduate Taught (PGT) programmes for 2026 entry.

This scholarship reflects our commitment as a University of Sanctuary to removing barriers to education for those impacted by war and displacement. Successful applicants will receive a full tuition fee waiver, a living stipend, accommodation and travel support, ensuring they have the resources needed to thrive academically and personally. Full eligibility criteria are listed below.

Through this initiative, we aim to provide meaningful opportunities for talented individuals whose education has been disrupted by conflict, enabling them to build a secure future and join our global #TeamUofG community.

The University is offering the Humanitarian Scholarship to 9 postgraduate taught applicants. Please note that you must have a programme application in progress before applying for this scholarship. If you have not yet started a programme application, please submit this first and then return to complete the scholarship application.

This scholarship is only available to applicants living out with the United Kingdom. If you have been displaced or conflict affected and are currently residing in the United Kingdom, you may be eligible for you Sanctuary Scholarship. Details of this scholarship can be found here.

This scholarship is not available to PhD, PGdip, PDGE or part time programmes.

This scholarship can not be combined with any other University of Glasgow scholarship. In the event you are offered 2 scholarships, the lower value scholarship will be removed from your student account.

The Humanitarian Scholarship

GREAT Scholarships 2026

In partnership with the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign, University of Glasgow is offering 5 scholarships to students in Greece, Spain, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh applying for postgraduate courses in any subject (excluding MBA and MSc Research courses). All eligible courses can be viewed under the 'eligible programmes' tab on this webpage.

The scholarship offers financial support of £10,000 to students pursuing one-year postgraduate study in the UK. This discount cannot be combined with another University scholarship.

GREAT Scholarships 2026

Global Leadership Scholarship

The University of Glasgow has several Global Leadership Scholarships available to International fee students starting a postgraduate taught Masters programme in any discipline for Academic Session 2026/2027. The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fees discount for one year only.

Global Leadership Scholarship

India Excellence Award

This scholarship is now closed.

The India Excellence Award aims to support exceptional students from the country in their journey to become Future World Changers. We are looking for students who wish to undertake Masters level study (postgraduate diploma or certificate programmes are not eligible for this scholarship), to further develop their knowledge and skills, in order to positively contribute to their community in the future.

The University is offering up to 10 scholarships for International students from India, starting a one year postgraduate taught Masters programme, in any discipline for academic session 2026/27.  The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fee waiver of £12,500 for one year only.

India Excellence Award

Chevening Scholarship

Please note that the Chevening Scholarships are now closed for application for the 2026/27 academic year.

Chevening Scholarships are the UK government's global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organisations. The scholarships are awarded to outstanding scholars with leadership potential. Awards are typically for a one year Master’s degree at universities across the UK. There are over 50,000 Chevening Alumni around the world who together comprise an influential and highly regarded global network.

For further information, please refer to the Chevening website .

Chevening Scholarship

575th Anniversary World-Changer Scholarship

For those ready to create the change the world needs

The University of Glasgow has been changing the world for 575 years. With 2026 marking the founding of the university in 1451, we are delighted to announce the 575th anniversary scholarship, empowering exceptional world-changers of tomorrow, at a pivotal moment in our history.

Established in 1451 in service of our people and our city, we have evolved from being the university for Glasgow, to the university for the world. During this landmark year, we are reflecting on centuries of impact locally, nationally and internationally, celebrating our achievements to inspire the world-changers of tomorrow.

Open to students looking to make positive change through their chosen area of study, successful 575th anniversary world-changers will join an international community that cross centuries and span continents, at a special time of celebration and reflection.

The University’s Principal and Vice Chancellor, Professor Andy Schofield, said:

“This milestone is not just about our past, it’s about the opportunities ahead and the future impact we can make together. Not only are we one of the oldest universities in the world, but one of the first to provide greater and fairer access to education. The 575th anniversary world-changer scholarships enable us to continue that legacy, while supporting students who will shape the world in the centuries to come.”

The scholarship offers at £15,000 discount to international students holding an offer for a PGT programme for the 2026-2027 year. Mphil 24-month Masters students can be awarded this scholarship for 1st year of study only.

575th Anniversary World-Changer Scholarship

Commonwealth Scholarship Schemes

Commonwealth Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are offered to citizens from low and middle income Commonwealth countries. The majority of Scholarships are funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth Scholarship Schemes

Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans

Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans are EU-guaranteed loans with favourable pay-back terms. They’re designed to help prospective students finance their Master’s courses in an Erasmus+ Programme country while leaving as little of a lasting economic footprint as possible.

The scheme is designed to provide postgraduate students with the means to pay their tuition and living expenses – thereby allowing individuals to focus on their degree instead of managing their bank balance. The programme aims to be as inclusive as possible, working under the following guidelines:

No need for collateral from students or parents - ensuring equality of access
Favourable, better-than-market interest rates
Pay-back terms that allow graduates up to two years to find work before beginning repayment.

Please visit the Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans website for more information.

Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans

Postgraduate Student Loan (Scotland and EU)

Eligible full-time and part-time students, undertaking an eligible postgraduate course, can apply for a tuition fee loan up to a maximum of £7,000 towards their course. Eligible full-time postgraduate students can apply for a living-cost loan of up to £4,500.

This support extends to online Masters or Postgraduate Diplomas, and not to the online Postgraduate Certificate courses.

For more information visit the SAAS website.

Postgraduate Student Loan (Scotland and EU)

Postgraduate Loans for Welsh Students

If you are a Welsh student looking to study a postgraduate programme* in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan in exactly the same way as you would for a Welsh University.

* does not apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes

For more information visit Student Finance Wales

Postgraduate Loans for Welsh Students

Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loans England only (PTFL)

If you’re an English student looking to study a taught Masters programme in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan. Students from England are able to apply for a non-means tested Postgraduate Master’s Loan of up to £11,570 to help with course fees and living costs. You have to repay your Postgraduate Master’s Loan at the same time as any other student loans you have. You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

If you’re studying by distance learning, you can also apply.

Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loans England only (PTFL)

Colfuturo Fundacion para el Futuro de Colombia

The University of Glasgow offer discounts to all successful Fundacion para el Futuro de Colombia (Colfuturo) scholars who enrol at the University of Glasgow to complete a postgraduate programme.

Colfuturo Fundacion para el Futuro de Colombia

Postgraduate Student Loan (NI)

If you are a Northern Irish student looking to study a taught Masters programme* in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan in exactly the same way as you would for a University in Northern Ireland.

Northern Irish students are able to apply for non-means-tested tuition fee loans of up to £5,500, to help with the costs of funding.

For more information visit www.studentfinanceni.co.uk/types-of-finance/postgraduate .

* does not apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes

Postgraduate Student Loan (NI)

DAAD-University of Glasgow 1-year Master’s grant

The University of Glasgow will offer a full tuition waiver to those students that successfully apply and are nominated by DAAD to the University. DAAD offers a monthly stipend and travel bursary, as well as health, accident, and personal liability insurance coverage in addition to the full tuition fee waiver from the University of Glasgow.

Wichtige Hinweise zu DAAD-Stipendien - DAAD (general info on DAAD tuition fee reimbursement)

Current list of tuition reduction / waiving offers (not including U Glasgow yet) : Stipendien für ein Masterstudium im Ausland - DAAD - Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst

DAAD-University of Glasgow 1-year Master’s grant

Alumni Discount

To recognise our returning University of Glasgow graduates, we are pleased to offer a 20% tuition fee discount to eligible self-funded alumni starting a Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Masters or Postgraduate Research (PGR) programme in the 2026/27 academic year.

Alumni Discount

Sanctuary Scholarships

The University of Glasgow Sanctuary Scholarship has been created to support applicants with Refugee or Asylum Seeker status who are currently living in the UK and hold an offer to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year. The scholarship is open to prospective undergraduate and postgraduate taught students at the University of Glasgow applying for entry in September 2026/27. Please note that you must have applied to the University before submitting an application for this scholarship.

As a University of Sanctuary, we are committed to ensuring that those with the ambition and determination to pursue higher education have the opportunity to do so. This scholarship provides a full tuition fee waiver along with financial support for living costs, helping recipients focus on their studies and thrive both academically and personally.

Through this initiative, we aim to offer meaningful opportunities to talented individuals seeking sanctuary, enabling them to rebuild their futures and become part of our global #TeamUofG community. Full eligibility criteria can be found below.

The scholarship will meet the cost of tuition fees for the duration of your programme, for applicants who are unable to access mainstream funding through Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) or Student Finance. The Sanctuary Scholarship also provides a £5,000 per year stipend, to assist with study costs.

This scholarship is not available to PGdip, PDGE or part time programmes.

Undergraduate students with refugee status (or equivalent) and access to funding, are eligible to apply for the scholarship and would receive the £5,000 stipend towards study costs only, if successful.

Postgraduate Taught Masters students with refugee status (or equivalent) and access to funding, are eligible to apply for the scholarship and would receive the £5,000 stipend towards study costs and a partial tuition fee waiver, to cover any shortfall not met by your Postgraduate Masters tuition fee loan.

Sanctuary Scholarships

The Clan Gregor Society Prize

The Clan Gregor Society is offering an award incoming students to the University of Glasgow who descend from Clan Gregor. Students will be asked to submit an application highlighting areas of consideration such as academic excellence and financial need. The award is open to both Undergraduate and Postgraduate applicants who are joining us for 2025/26 entry.

The Clan Gregor Society Prize

The Dima Alhaj Scholarship

The Dima Alhaj Scholarship was set up in 2024 in memory of a University of Glasgow alumna. After graduating, Dima worked in Gaza with the World Health Organization as a patient administrator at the limb reconstruction centre, as part of the trauma and emergency team and was tragically killed in Gaza in November 2023.

The University is offering the Dima Alhaj Scholarship to 1 undergraduate applicant and 1 postgraduate taught applicant joining us in September 2026. Please note that you must have a programme application in progress before applying for this scholarship. If you have not yet started a programme application, please submit this first and then return to complete the scholarship application process.

This scholarship is not available to PhD, PGdip, PDGE or part time programmes.

The Dima Alhaj Scholarship

Travel Bursary for Forced Migrants

The University of Glasgow is offering travel bursaries to assist with public transport travel costs, to support undergraduate and postgraduate students are currently asylum seekers and who could face financial difficulties in taking up their place to study at the University for 2026 entry. The value of the bursary is 50% of your monthly public transport travel costs to get to University, up to a maximum value of £50 per month.

Travel Bursary for Forced Migrants

Glasgow Highland Society Scholarship

The University of Glasgow is excited to promote this scholarship opportunity on behalf of the Glasgow Highland Society.

The Glasgow Highland Society is offering multiple grants of up to £500 for new and continuing students of Glasgow university who fit the eligibility requirements of the scholarship

Glasgow Highland Society Scholarship

The scholarships above are relevant to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database

Entry requirements

2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in any subject.

A 2.2 Honours degree will be considered where supported by relevant experience. Substantial, directly relevant experience may be considered in place of formal qualifications.

English language requirements

For applicants from non-English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Government, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Common equivalent English language qualifications accepted for entry to this programme:

TOEFL (ibt, mybest or athome)

Tests taken up to 20 January 2026

90 Overall, no subtest lower than Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test, this includes TOEFL mybest.

Tests taken from 21 January 2026

92 Overall, no subtest lower than Reading 22; Listening 20; Speaking 23; Writing 21
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test, this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

65 overall with no subtest less than Reading 60; Listening 60; Speaking 65; Writing 60
Online PTE not accepted for entry
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

176 overall with no subtest less than 169
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

7 overall with no subtest less than 6
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

LanguageCert Academic/ Academic Online

70 overall with no subtest less than 65
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Password Skills Plus

6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Trinity College Integrated Skills in English II

Two subtests at 96 or higher, and two subtests at 80 or higher
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Kaplan Test of English

Any two subtests at 480 or higher, and any two subtests at 450 or higher
Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
students must have studied for a minimum of their final year at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
Undergraduate 2+2 and 3+1 degrees from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
students must have completed their final year of study in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS);
essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University;
flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.

More information on our Pre-sessional courses.

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

Heriot Watt
Kingston Upon Thames
Middlesex University
Manchester University
Reading University
Edinburgh University
ST Andrews University
UCL
Durham

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form

International students

We are proud of our diverse University community that includes students and staff from more than 140 different countries.

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We cannot accept applications any other way.

Please check you meet the Entry requirements for this programme before you begin your application.

Documents

As part of your online application, you also need to submit the following supporting documents:

A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
Evidence of your English language ability (if your first language is not English)
Any additional documents required for this programme (see Entry requirements for this programme)
A copy of the photo page of your passport

We may also request additional documents such as a personal statement, portfolio, references or a sample of academic writing to support your application.

You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process.

You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload supporting documents such as your final transcript or your language test.

For more information about submitting documents or other topics related to applying to a postgraduate taught programme, see how to apply for a postgraduate taught degree

Guidance notes for using the online application

These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately; they are also available within the help section of the online application form.

If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application, see Application System Help.

Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.
Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.
Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.

Application deadlines

International & EU applicants

Due to demand for degree places on this programme, the University has an application process with application rounds which recognises that different geographical areas complete and submit their applications at different times of the year. This process aims to ensure fairness and equity to applicants from all geographic regions.

Round 1 application dates: 1 October 2025 to 5th November 2025

All International and EU applications submitted within these dates will be reviewed with no priority given to any geographic region. You will receive our decision on your application by 16 January 2026.

Round 2 application dates: 6 November 2025 to 17 December 2025

Round 3 application dates: 18 December 2025 to 4 February 2026

Priority will be given to under-represented geographic regions. You will receive our decision on your application by 8 April 2026.

Round 4 application dates: 5 February 2026 to 25 March 2026

Priority will be given to under-represented geographic regions. You will receive our decision on your application by 6 May 2026.

Round 5 application dates: 26 March 2026 to 13 May 2026

Priority will be given to under-represented geographic regions. You will receive our decision on your application by 17 June 2026.

Round 6 application dates: 14 May 2026 to 8 July 2026

Priority will be given to under-represented geographic regions. You will receive our decision on your application by 29 July 2026.

All international applications submitted by 17 December 2025 will be reviewed and processed normally with no priority given to any geographic region. From 18 December 2025, priority will be given to applications from geographic areas which have been unable to submit applications before that point.

As we receive a great number of applications, prospective students are only allowed to apply once per year to the same programme. However, students may submit multiple applications in a year as long as each application is for a different programme.