How to Apply - International Students

Apply to us Directly

1. Choose a Course
Your starting point to gaining a place at Swansea University is to choose what course or subject you wish to study from our Course Pages or  Prospectus.

2. Make an application
Apply online using the Apply application system.  Our application system is free and you can save your application before submitting.  Throughout the process you will be given guidance on how to complete the form.

3. Keep Track of your Application
With the Apply application system you can view the progress of your application system. On applying, you will be given a unique reference number, which you can then use to load a saved application form. An uncompleted application can be returned to up to 1 month after you started it.

If you have applied online you will receive regular e-mail updates on what stage your application is at, e.g. when your application has arrived, when it has been forwarded to a departmental admission tutor, when the department has made a decision about your application and when the decision letter has been sent.

1. Choose a Course
Your starting point to gaining a place at Swansea University is to choose what course or subject you wish to study from our Our Courses page or our Prospectus.

2. Make an application
When applying for a postgraduate degree be sure to include the following:

• A fully completed application form
• A Resume (CV)
• A Personal Statement
• Copy of qualifications to date, ie, degree certificate and transcripts
• English language score (IELTS,TOEFL, etc.), if available

Apply online using the Apply System.
This option is ideal for all postgraduate candidates, with the exception of our Postgraduate Legal Practice Course, Law and Legal Practice, LLM and Professional Legal Practice, LLM programmes. To apply for the above Law programmes, please go to: www.lawcabs.ac.uk.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants for PhD/EngD/ProfD/EdD - to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University you are required to complete an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form in addition to your programme application form.  Please click the following link to complete your Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form (online form)

If you have any queries about how to apply feel free to contact us in the Admissions Office. 

Upon receiving your online Application form we will send you a confirmation email or letter outlining your application and the timescale of a decision.

3. Keep Track of your Application
With the Apply System you can view the progress of your application system. On applying you will be given a unique reference number, which you can then use to load a saved application form.  Your application, whilst being completed, can be saved at various points before being submitted; an uncompleted application can be returned to up to 1 month after you started it.

If you have applied online you will receive regular email updates on what stage your application is at e.g. when your application has arrived, when it has been forwarded to a departmental admission tutor, when the department has made a decision about your application and when the decision letter has been sent.

We will acknowledge receipt of your application via email within 2 working days.

If you have not sent all your supporting documents with your application, please do so as soon as possible so that your application can be considered and a decision made on whether to offer you a place. Please quote your Swansea student number in all correspondence with us.

Your application will be considered “complete” once your supporting documentation is received and will be considered by our Admissions tutors.

Our decision:

Following consideration by Faculty Admissions Selectors, you will be informed whether:

• You are to be offered a place
• You are to be invited for an interview
• We are unable to offer you a place

You will receive either a conditional or unconditional offer from us, or we will inform you that we are unable to offer you a place. We will notify you of our decision by email. 

Taught Master's applications: Once we have received all the necessary supporting documentation, we aim to notify you of our decision (or issue an invitation for interview) within 5 working days from the date we acknowledge receipt of your application.

Research degree applications: we aim to make a decision within 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the additional information we require (for example, further details of your research proposal).

Interviews: The majority of programmes do not require an interview as part of the selection process. If an interview is required, the purpose and format will be communicated to you by the Faculty so you know what to expect and what role this plays in the overall selection process.

A few Masters’ courses (specifically in the Department of English Language and Literature) require candidates to provide additional written work to supplement an application.

Please click here for information about accepting your offer.

As part of the international admissions process from September 2024 entry onwards, you may be asked to verify your academic qualifications.  Information will be provided in your formal offer of admission.

You will complete this step by accessing the University’s Qualification Check portal.  There is a fee to use this service (usually £40.00). Once the verification is complete, Swansea University will be able to see the outcome of your check and you will automatically receive an ‘ImVerified wallet’ which digitally stores your qualification verifications. This can be shared with all future employers or any other Universities to which you apply. 

If your school/college/university is not listed on the portal, please let us know (undergraduate applicants – admissions@swansea.ac.uk; postgraduate applicants – postgraduate.admissions@swansea.ac.uk)

Qualification Check User Guide for Applicants 

You should try to meet all the conditions of your offer by August if you are applying for entry in September (this is particularly important for international students due to visa application deadlines). This means that you will need to supply the required documentation demonstrating that you have met any outstanding conditions (e.g. academic requirements, English language and/or references) as detailed in your offer letter. We will send you a reminder prior to this deadline. Please note, the Postgraduate Taught document deadline is 21st August - all conditions must be met by this date

Applicants for taught programmes in Childhood Studies will require a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. International students may be asked for a police check from their home country instead of a DBS check. Please note that we will require a copy of your disclosure certificate or police check before you can be considered to have completed this condition and allowed to register with the University.

Some international students who are offered places to study on full-time programmes in certain science/engineering related subjects will also require an ATAS Clearance Certificate before applying for their student visa. Instructions on how to apply for an ATAS Clearance Certificate will be included with your offer letter.

You are encouraged to contact the Admissions Office at any time during the application process if you have any questions. Please remember to quote your Swansea student number in all email correspondence.

Unconditional offer and CAS statements

In order to receive a formal Unconditional offer statement, or, for international students a letter (known as a ‘Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies’ (CAS) statement) which will enable you to apply for a Student Route Visa (if applicable) you will need to:

1. Provide copies of degree certificates, transcripts and references as outlined in your Conditional offer letter.
2. Demonstrate that you have reached the required standard of English language competence by providing an English language test certificate of results which meet the scores specified in your Conditional offer letter.
3. Pay your tuition fee deposit (international students only) to confirm your place. You can read our deposit deadline FAQ for more information.

If you are unable to meet all the conditions outlined in our offer letter, or you wish for personal reasons not to take up our offer, you can request that our conditional offer be deferred until a later date. Applicants may be allowed to defer their place once, if further deferral is needed then a new application must be made. 

New international students will have a space in University accommodation guaranteed if: 

• You have applied before the 30th of July;
• You hold a firm offer of a place on a full-time course;
• You make an application for University accommodation

Places will be allocated on a date order basis until all vacancies are filled. 

You can apply for accommodation as soon as you have your student number (you are given this when you submit an application to one of our degrees).

All international students must pay a minimum deposit of £4,000* to secure their place and obtain a CAS statement (*Exceptions apply, please see our deposit deadline FAQ for more details). This deposit is refundable only in the event of the Government refusing to grant a UK visa under the Points Based System of Immigration, or a student failing to meet the University's entry requirements. This deposit will count towards the payment of tuition fees and is not an additional sum charged above the tuition fee quoted in offer letters.

The remainder of the Tuition fees can either be paid in full before enrolment or can be paid in two instalments. 50% of your annual tuition fee must be paid at or before enrolment and the remaining 50% should be paid no later than February (Postgraduate Taught Programmes) or April (Postgraduate Research Programme Students).

For more information on how to pay your tuition fees, see the Finance pages.

For more information about deposit payments please see the Deposit Deadline FAQs

After you've booked flights to the UK, you will need to plan how to get to your accommodation in Swansea.

If possible, plan your journey so that you arrive during the day rather than late at night. Remember to allow time for any delays and queues at immigration control when making your travel plans.

Further information about travelling to Swansea can be found in our International Students' Guide: UK Travel and Accommodation.

Details of enrolment are sent out to new students from mid-August onwards. 

Here is the link for joining your course: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/enrolment/ 

The University welcomes applications and enquiries from all people regardless of age, race, ethnic or national origin, religious or political beliefs, gender, sexual preference, marital status, family responsibility, and physical or sensory disability, unless these activities are unlawful or contrary to University policy.

The University treats all applicants on their individual merits and welcomes applications from candidates with a range of qualifications