Postgraduate applicant journey
Information for international postgraduate students applying to study at Kingston University for 2025/26 entry.
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Next steps
If you're an international student applying for a postgraduate degree at Kingston University, this page can help you on your journey.
Below you will find information on what to do before you apply and the steps to take after you've secured an offer. There are also helpful details on applying for your student visa, and how to get ready for Enrolment and Induction.
Before you apply
We are delighted that you are considering applying to study with us at Kingston University! Here are a few things you can do before you start your application:
Discover what our international students say about studying at Kingston
Read real experiences from our international students about studying, living and thriving at Kingston University.
What our international students say
Meet us in your country
We visit countries around the world, attend educational fairs and arrange offer holder sessions throughout the year. You may be able to meet our staff if they are travelling to your home country or you can book to see us at a virtual event.
Attend an Open day
The very best way to meet us and get a feel for the place is to attend one of our virtual or on campus Open Days. We have action packed days where you will get to meet the course team and attend specialist talks on subjects such as finance, the application process and accommodation.
Join a webinar
Alternatively, if a smaller virtual event is better suited to your needs, you could attend one of our virtual webinars. These are exclusively for international students who are thinking about applying for a place to study with us.
Ready to join us?
Awesome! It's time to submit your application.
You can apply for our courses online via the relevant postgraduate course page.
If you're using an international advisor or agent, they can assist you with your application.
Find out more about how to apply for postgraduate study
We'll be in touch
Once you have submitted your application, we will get in touch with you if:
- we need further information to assess your application
- your course requires an interview
- you need to submit a portfolio
You can find information about how to prepare your portfolio or interview on the individual course pages.
Receiving an offer
When we have assessed your application, you'll receive an email from us confirming the outcome of your application relatively quickly. However, if you are required to submit a portfolio or attend an interview this will take longer – it is vital that you check your email regularly as this is how we will communicate with you.
Once you've received an offer
Congratulations!
Once you have received an offer to study a postgraduate degree with us, there are a few things you will need to do:
If your application is successful we will issue a conditional or unconditional offer letter.
- Conditional – A conditional offer means that we have offered you a place dependent on you achieving certain grades in your exams or English language test. Your offer can only turn from conditional to unconditional when you prove that you have achieved the exam results we asked you to achieve and send us proof of passing those exams. You should send us your results as soon as they become available so that we can update your offer status to unconditional.
- Unconditional – An unconditional offer means that we hold a place for you to study at Kingston. To secure your place, you need to accept the offer by making it Firm on our Online Student Information System (OSIS). You will also need to pay a deposit of £5,000 within 21 working days to secure your place. Once you have paid your deposit, you can apply for your Student Route Visa.
We regularly hold webinars and web chats on a range of topics throughout the year so please sign up for as many as you like so we can continue to provide guidance and support.
You can only turn a conditional offer to unconditional by proving you have achieved the exam results we asked you to achieve and sending us proof of passing those exams. Only then can you start applying for a student visa – so it is vital you send us your results as quickly as possible.
We need proof of your exam results and your English language test results.
After receiving and accepting your offer as Firm on OSIS, you must pay a £5,000 non-refundable deposit (if you require a Student Route visa), which is treated as part of the first instalment of your tuition fee.
You should pay the deposit within 21 working days of receiving your unconditional offer and by the CAS request deadline at the latest. This helps us process your CAS smoothly. The deposit is fully refundable up to the point you have been issued a CAS.
We understand that circumstances vary, so if you need more time, don’t worry – your offer remains secure. Just keep us informed and we’ll support you every step of the way.
Meet other applicants and ask questions by joining our official Facebook group for new September and January starters. We'll send you an invitation by email with details of how you can sign up.
This is the time when you need to start planning and budgeting for your student life in London, so that your experience will be an enjoyable one.
Check our helpful guide to the cost of living in London to find out more about the average cost of university life and get top tips to cut costs or find extra funds.
As soon as you have an offer of a place, you're eligible to apply for one of our International scholarships.
Each year we receive thousands of scholarship applications so please be aware that it is a very competitive process. You can read more about the application process on our website. Good luck!
Once you've accepted your offer, you can reserve a room in our accommodation. With an impressive range of high-quality options to suit different needs, lifestyles and budgets, you can be certain we'll be able to help you find the best accommodation in one of the safest and happiest London boroughs.
Remember: our accommodation costs include heating, electricity, and water and represent the best value and peace of mind that bills will not rise.
If you need a Student Route visa, you should request a CAS which is not automatically issued. Remember, you can start the CAS request process even if all your supporting documents are not ready via OSIS.
Our CAS team will tell you when your draft CAS is ready to view on OSIS, so please check your student record regularly for updates so you can review and confirm the information is correct.
Follow the guidelines on how to apply for a Student Route visa on our webpages.
We will send you an invitation to complete the first stage of enrolment, the process to becoming an official Kingston student from late August (for September starters) and later November (for January starters). The first part is online, and the second part happens when you get to the University and takes place in person.
For most courses, you need to aim to be on campus to attend Welcome and Induction Week activities from mid-September (for September starters) or mid-January (for January starters).
Applying for your CAS and visa
If you are an international student, it's likely that you'll need a Student Route Visa to study a full-time degree-level course in the UK. It is important for you to start preparing for this as early as possible.
Before you can apply for your visa, you must have a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), and before you can request your CAS, you must hold an unconditional firm place to study at Kingston and have met all the conditions of your offer. Then and only then can you request your CAS.
We can issue a CAS up to six months before your course starts. So if you are unconditional firm in March, for example, you could apply for your CAS then.
The CAS and visa application process can take several weeks to complete, so please do apply as early as possible to enable you to arrive in Kingston on time.
Get ready for Enrolment
Keep an eye out for an email to guide you through the things you need to do before you can enrol – you will need to log in to our Online Student Information System (OSIS) in order to complete these steps.
Items to upload to OSIS will include a photograph of yourself for your student ID card and various documents including exam results and passport pages.
You will only be asked to complete online enrolment once those tasks have been completed – so please do them as quickly as possible.
Before you are able to complete the first part of Enrolment (online) you will need to have met two requirements:
- A minimum of 50% of tuition fee must have been paid.
- You will also need to have signed up to a payment plan if you wish to defer payment of the remaining 50% of your fee.
You can of course also pay your complete fees up front if you are able to do this – this will give peace of mind that no further money will be requested by the University to distract you part-way through the year.
We'll send out your invitation to complete the first part of the Enrolment process (online Enrolment) from August – the process you must complete to become an official Kingston student. It should take around 30 minutes to complete – so find a good time and a quiet place to complete it carefully!
The second part of Enrolment happens when you get to the University and is in person – you book an enrolment slot just before you arrive at the University.
We've got an action-packed programme of activities during Welcome Week to help you settle into your new university life.
It is vital you attend Welcome Week – students are much more likely to go on to do well in their course if they attend everything on offer during this fun and friendly week. Many students make lasting friendships at this time and there are many activities and societies to sign up for.
We'll send you details of how to book activities over the summer.
Attend Welcome and Induction
Before formal teaching begins, a whole week is dedicated to your Welcome and Induction.
The week is designed to help you settle into Kingston, make connections and start your course feeling confident and ready to succeed.
Welcome to Kingston University!
Congratulations!
You've made it to the end of your applicant journey - and the start of your life as a new postgraduate student.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about studying with us, or need guidance on what to do next, we're here to help.
Call us on +44 (0)203 510 0106 or send us an email.
