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322,120 full-time students, 86,690 part-time students and 7,840 apprentices entered postgraduate education in England in 2021-22. Full-time postgraduate entrants have been increasing in number each year since 2018-19 (OfS, 2023). Postgraduate study can be vastly different to undergraduate experience both socially and academically, it can also present unique difficulties, such as: Postgraduate study can be vastly different to undergraduate experience both socially and academically, it can also present unique difficulties, such as:
322,120 full-time students, 86,690 part-time students and 7,840 apprentices entered postgraduate education in England in 2021-22. Full-time postgraduate entrants have been increasing in number each year since 2018-19 (OfS, 2023).
- Mental health: 30% of Master’s Students and 40-50% of PhD students experience mental health problems. Rates of depression and anxiety are up to six times higher among postgraduate students than the general population.
- Financing and financial support: Postgraduate taught courses saw a 10% increase in Masters fees when postgraduate loans were introduced, meaning the maximum loan available to domiciled students leaves little to nothing to live on after fees. For example, there is a complete lack of government funding equivalent to the fee/maintenance undergraduate bundle for postgraduate research students. https://russellgroup.ac.uk/media/5059/20rg-submission-to-he-commission-final-2-april.pdf
- Maximum loans for students starting master’s degree and doctoral degree courses from 1 August 2025 onwards will be increased by 3.1% in 2025/26. And the same increase will apply to the maximum disabled students’ allowance for postgraduate students with disabilities in 2025/26. (UK Parliament, 2025)
- Mode of study: just over half of UK-domiciled postgraduate starters were studying full time (53%) in 2020, meaning 47% were studying part-time, likely to balance other responsibilities such as work to fund studies or caring responsibilities for dependents (HEPI).
- Students domiciled outside of the UK comprised 16.4 per cent of full-time undergraduate entrants and 65.1 per cent of full-time postgraduate entrants in 2021-22. (OfS, 2023). There is also a decreased diversity within the UK’s international postgraduate cohort following the 2008 financial crash, Brexit and the abolition of post-study work visas. (HEPI)
- International students and diversity: only 60% of postgraduate students are from the UK, with international students making up the majority of Masters studies (53%). (HEPI) There is also a decreased diversity within the UK’s international postgraduate cohort following the 2008 financial crash, Brexit and the abolition of post-study work visas. (HEPI)
Free, independent, non-judgemental advice on a range of topics including academic issues, wellbeing, accommodation, and university life:
PGR specific resources from Advice including appeals, plagiarism, dishonest use of data and PGR progress: https://www.liverpoolguild.org/advice/pgr
University of Liverpool PGR Toolbox:
Tools for research students to maintain records of their professional development during their research degree including
- Records of Supervisory Meetings
- A PGR Portfolio of Activity
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/pgr-development/toolbox/
University of Liverpool PGR Wellbeing Page:
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences have put together information and links to internal and external resources to support the wellbeing of PGR students at Liverpool – most of this information is relevant to all students in any faculty. https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/humanities-and-social-sciences/postgraduate-research/pgrwellbeing/
UCU Postgraduate Employment:
UCU resources on postgraduate employment in teaching roles including the Postgraduate Employment Charter, a project between the UCU and the National Union of Students (NUS) calling for universities to recognise PG’s roles as employers and what this invokes: https://www.ucu.org.uk/postgradcharter