51³Ô¹ÏÍø

The university works with partners in Africa across a broad range of contexts.

In May 2016, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø launched (ICCARE) to bring together much of the work taking place across the university

. 

Africa also provides a source of inspiration for our students and our researchers. For example, in 2017, an 51³Ô¹ÏÍø researcher filmed his daring descent into one of the world's most spectacular active volcanoes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Find out more about our work with Africa at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Global, including 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Global Ghana, a regional hub for collaboration that supports research, education and innovation opportunities.

Each year, we welcome students from over 130 countries. African nations currently represented at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø include: Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda

An undergraduate degree at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø normally lasts three years for a Bachelor’s level qualification or four years for an integrated Master’s.

Some departments offer a year abroad or a year in industry which can add to the overall length of your degree.

Applying via UCAS

To apply for a full-time undergraduate programme at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, you must make an online application via the . The UCAS code for 51³Ô¹ÏÍø is I50.

UCAS allows you to apply to a maximum of five courses in one cycle. Find step-by-step instructions on how to apply; you can also visit the  for more in-depth advice.

If we want to offer you a place, but you have not yet taken your final school exams, then we would usually make you a 'conditional offer'. This means we will guarantee you a place at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø subject to you satisfying the conditions of your offer, such as achieving certain scores in your final qualifications and gaining an  for certain courses.

You can submit your results after you have applied; this is usual practice in the UK and is the reason why you must let us know which qualifications you are taking on your UCAS application.

Academic entry requirements

Exact entry requirements vary by course - see the entry requirements section on our  course pages for details of the international qualifications we accept. 

If your school qualification is not on the list of accepted qualifications, you may be considered by taking an accepted Foundation programme, or an accepted qualification at an external provider - see our course pages for details. 

English language requirements

All applicants should also achieve the required level of English language and provide evidence of a valid English language qualification to qualify for a place.

There are two levels of English language requirement at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø:

• Standard
• Higher

See the English language requirement on the relevant course page to see whether your chosen course requires the standard or higher level. Find out more about the English language requirements for each level.

You do not need to have reached the required level before you apply. We can assess your academic profile without your English language qualification. Should we decide to make an offer, we would give you a target grade to meet as part of your offer.

If you have studied one of our recognised English language exams as part of your High School studies (e.g. IGCSE English, IB English etc.), you may be exempt from the need to provide additional evidence of your English language ability. Check our English language requirement page for full details.

English language proficiency tests should have been obtained within two years of the start date of your chosen course.

Important: Changes to UK Student visas for some nationalities

The UK Government has introduced a new “visa emergency brake” affecting Student visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan from 26 March 2026.

Read more

A Master's degree at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø normally lasts one year, though we do offer some degrees which you can take part-time over two years and PG Certificate and PG Diploma qualifications which vary in length.

A PhD with us will usually take 3–4 years of full-time study to complete. 

How to apply

To apply for a Master's or Doctoral course, you need to submit an application via our online application system.

Find out more about how to apply for postgraduate taught or postgraduate doctoral study.

Academic entry requirements

Exact entry requirements vary per course, but to be considered for admission to a Master's e.g. MSc, MRes, MBA etc, you should hold a Bachelor's degree. 

To check if your international qualification meets 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's minimum requirement, please see our accepted qualifications.

Departments may also often  set higher level requirements, due to the demanding and competitive nature of our courses. 

For the vast majority of our degrees, we do not require additional testing such as the GRE or GMAT. If we do require any additional testing it will be clearly stated on the course page.

If you're applying for a Doctoral degree, you should hold a Master's degree – the grades you require will be specified by the Department you're applying to. In addition, you'll need to hold a Bachelor's degree passed at the prescribed level.

If we want to make you an offer, but you have not yet graduated, then we would usually make you a conditional offer subject to you achieving a certain grade or score. This means your place at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø is guaranteed providing you meet the conditions of your offer.

You can submit your overall average after you have made your application, which is normal practice in the UK.

English language requirements

Successful applicants will need to achieve a certain level of English to qualify for a place on their chosen course.

Each course specifies either a Standard or Higher language requirement, which is the level of English required for entry on to that particular course, even if English is your first language. 

Full details can be found on the relevant course page and English language requirement page.

Re-applying

If you have previously applied to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and were unsuccessful, you will need to submit a new application.

If you have successfully requested deferred entry, you do not need to complete a new application.

Important: Changes to UK Student visas for some nationalities

The UK Government has introduced a new “visa emergency brake” affecting Student visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan from 26 March 2026.

Read more

You can search our scholarships in one place.

Examples of scholarships for students from Africa include:

Undergraduate students

•  (residents of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda or Zambia)

Master's students

• 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Commonwealth Scholarships
• Jack Hirst Scholarship (Nigerian nationals currently studying/researching in the field of Chemistry)
• (residents of Nigeria)

Research students

• (residents of Nigeria)
• President's PhD Scholarships
• The Shawki Saad PhD Scholarship (residents of Sub-Saharan Africa)

If life at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø was all labs and lectures, we wouldn’t have around 350 clubs and societies to get involved with, and state-of-the-art sports facilities right on campus.

All of our clubs, societies and projects are open to all students, though you may find the following of particular interest:

As well as other cultural societies, there are also clubs and societies covering arts and entertainment, charitable endeavours, departmental and academic-related societies, societies related to faith, media societies (two student newspapers, student radio and TV stations and a photography society) and over 100 sports clubs, including martial arts and indoor and outdoor sports.

Virtual tour

To get a feel for life on our South Kensington Campus, .

Your relationship with 51³Ô¹ÏÍø does not end when you graduate.

There are various options to remain in the UK and seek work after you have completed your studies. We can provide specific advice, guidance and assistance with the Graduate visa, which enables graduates to work in the UK for two years after completing an undergraduate or Master's degree, or three years after completing a PhD. We can also provide limited advice and guidance on the Skilled Worker, Global Talent, Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange) and Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) work visas.

Other graduates move abroad again, and as an 51³Ô¹ÏÍø alumnus you will join a community of over 250,000 alumni in over 200 countries.

We have alumni groups worldwide and you can join our online platform 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Plexus to help you build links with other former students. In Africa these include:

• Alumni Association of Nigeria