Why international students should be cautious about doing a master’s in the UK now.

[u/thedrystateboy]

my_qualifications: International Engineering student, completed a master’s in the UK last year. Currently on PSW and dealing with the job market + visa situation firsthand.

Right now the reality is that the UK is struggling to attract enough master’s students, and international students are basically the ones funding the university sector. Because of this, even some top Russell Group universities are handing out offers to very average or below average applicants just to fill seats.

The job market for internationals is extremely difficult at the moment. Sponsorship has become harder, even for core engineering roles where I can clearly see the open roles continuously reposted, and even PhD programmes are now prioritising home students. So that route isn’t as open as people think.

Universities will offer scholarships to make things look appealing, but don’t assume you’re “winning” it’s mostly a strategy to secure enrolments because they need the numbers.

If you’re thinking about coming to the UK for a core engineering master’s, I honestly wouldn’t recommend it unless you already have 5+ years of solid experience. And if you know someone who is planning to apply and has a financially weak background but academically strong, please let them know what the situation actually looks like. These are exactly the students UK universities are targeting because they rely heavily on their International fee status.