What do you need for a master’s degree in the UK? Entry requirements, grade conversion, visa, ATAS and the Master’s Loan

Who does this apply to?

• This is general information. It does not assess anyone's personal situation. It is for people who graduated from a bachelor's programme in Türkiye and want a taught master's (MA, MSc) in England. It uses the University of Sheffield's Türkiye page and the GOV.UK Student visa, ATAS and Master's Loan pages as sources (October 2026).

University requirements

• For master's applications each university and department sets its own requirements; most applications go straight to the university. The Sheffield example is below; other universities may differ.
• Bachelor's degree: Sheffield says a four-year bachelor's degree from a recognised university in a relevant subject is typically needed.
• Grade: most courses ask for a UK 2:1 or equivalent; some consider a 2:2. Sheffield's Turkish GPA table (out of 4.0): for Bilkent, METU, Sabancı, Koç and ITU first class 3.4, 2:1 2.8, 2:2 2.4; for other institutions 3.5, 3.0 and 2.5.
• English: Sheffield asks for IELTS 6.0 or equivalent; some departments may ask for more.
• For those whose grades or subject fall short, the university's Pre-Masters programmes may be an alternative.

Student visa

• GOV.UK says you must be 16 or over, have been offered a place on a course by a licensed sponsor, have enough money to support yourself and pay for the course, and be able to speak, read, write and understand English.
• Money: the course fee (shown on your CAS) plus living costs: £1,529 a month in London, £1,171 a month outside London, for up to 9 months (£13,761 for London and £10,539 outside). You must have held this money for at least 28 days in a row; the 28-day period must end within 31 days of your application.
• Fee: £558, plus the healthcare surcharge (IHS) depending on the visa length. From outside the UK you can apply up to 6 months before the course; a decision usually takes about 3 weeks.
• The length of stay is usually up to 5 years for degree-level courses for those 18 or over.
• After the course you can apply for a Graduate visa: 2 years for applications on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027; 3 years for a PhD. See the "Graduate visa" post.

ATAS

• GOV.UK says some master's and PhD subjects (the university tells you the course's CAH3 code) need an ATAS certificate. It must be obtained before you apply for the Student visa; it takes at least 30 working days, is free and cannot be fast-tracked.
• Türkiye is not on the exemption list; so on the page's criteria a Turkish national needs a certificate if the course is in an ATAS subject. It is not needed for postgraduate diplomas and PGCEs.

The Master's Loan

• GOV.UK says the maximum Postgraduate Master's Loan is £13,206 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2026.
• Conditions include: being under 60 on the first day of the first academic year; the course being a full, standalone master's worth at least 180 credits; not already holding a master's or higher (a PGCE or postgraduate diploma does not stop you); postgraduate certificates and diplomas are not eligible.
• Nationality and residence: UK nationals and Irish citizens need 3 years in a row in the UK; for other nationals there are tests such as at least 7 years for under-18s, or at least 20 years (or half their life) for those 18 or over, plus 3 years in a row with permission to stay.
• This post does not say whether a person coming on a Student visa meets these conditions; check your own situation against the conditions on the GOV.UK page.

Points to watch

• Official pages, fees and grades change. This post is a general summary.

What can you do?

• Read Student visa and Student visa: money.
• On ATAS, check whether your course needs it.
• Read Postgraduate Master's Loan eligibility.
• For personal immigration questions, find a registered adviser: GOV.UK: Find an immigration adviser. Money paid to an unregulated adviser cannot be recovered.