King's offers an extensive range of postgraduate-level qualifications. Our courses encompass pioneering research and world-class teaching and takes traditional subjects forward through interdisciplinary approaches such as business and cultural links, and the use of digital tools in the humanities.

Whatever your reasons, King's offers an extensive range of postgraduate taught qualifications. 

Certificates and diplomas

King's offers a small number of certificate courses in different subject areas generally suitable for students who have studied to degree level but do not have the specific area of expertise to undertake a specialist master’s course.

Postgraduate diplomas include taught elements that make up an accompanying master’s course but do not have the dissertation element and normally take nine months to complete.

For information on the nature of individual certificate and diploma courses, and how they may relate to master's courses, please browse our postgraduate courses to see the individual course descriptions.

Taught master’s

King’s offers around 300 taught courses across our nine Schools of study and global institutes, providing qualifications including MA, MSc, LLM, MMus, MPH and MClinDent.

Taught courses normally take one year to complete full-time (two years part-time) although some courses may be longer. Most courses begin in September of each year and a few may begin in January.

For further information on taught master's degrees developed by the four UK Higher Education Funding Bodies, visit the Office for Student's Steps to Postgraduate Study website.

Taught Master’s by Research (MRes)

MRes courses, normally 12 months in length, contain substantial research training in the relevant discipline which may be useful if you are planning to progress to a PhD, but need to complete a master’s course.

If you are considering a career in research, either in academia or the commercial world or if you are not certain whether a PhD is right for you, it can provide you with some idea of what a research-based degree is like.

Our postgraduate courses are as flexible as possible and, where appropriate, are timetabled on a particular day or days so you can plan attendance to fit in with other commitments.

Start dates

Most of our taught courses start in late September with the remainder in January. It is possible to start a PhD at different points throughout the year although most students start in the autumn.

Full-time courses

Taught courses are normally 12 months in length although a small number are longer than this. Full-time PhD degrees generally extend for three years, with some disciplines offering four-year courses.

Part-time courses

Part-time courses generally last twice as long as the full-time equivalent. Some postgraduate courses run in the early evening. Please browse our postgraduate courses to find out if a course is available part-time, and/or by distance learning.

Distance and online courses

King's also runs a number of distance and online courses in: 

• Dentistry
• Law
• War Studies

Many courses at postgraduate-level include an element of blended learning to aid study. Please browse our postgraduate courses for more information on study mode, and the format and assessment of each course.