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Part-time Study
We recognise that there are many different reasons for wanting to study part-time, whether it’s to fit around your family commitments, boost your career prospects, or enable you to earn while you learn. Around a fifth of undergraduate students in the UK study part-time.
It offers a more flexible approach to learning, allowing you to complete your studies over a longer period. This is typically four and a half to nine years for an undergraduate degree, or two to three years for a postgraduate course. Part-time students follow the same structure as full-time but take fewer modules per year depending on how long they wish to take to complete the course.
Below are some frequently asked questions about studying part-time with us.
As a part-time student at the University of Suffolk you will attend the same classes as full-time students but you chose how much time you devote to your study each year and how many credits you obtain.
This gives you the flexibility to choose how long it takes you to complete your qualification, but as a guide:
- Foundation degrees typically take three years to complete part-time
- Undergraduate degrees typically take between four and a half to nine years to complete part-time
- Postgraduate degrees typically take two to three years to complete part-time
Part-time students follow the same structure and modules as full-time students but only take a proportion of the modules per year. The number of modules studied per year depends on the individual and the time they wish to take to complete the course.
Undergraduate part-time study may lead to the following awards:
- Foundation degree - 240 credits
- Honours degree - 360 credits
Postgraduate part-time study may lead to the following awards:
- Postgraduate Certificate - 80 credits
- Postgraduate Diploma - 120 credits
- Masters degree - 180 credits
There are a large number of undergraduate courses available to study part-time, you can filter by part-time courses on our course search page.
Nearly all of our postgraduate courses can be studied on a part-time basis, you can filter by part-time courses on our course search page
The Student Life team can offer advice about childcare opportunities and the benefits and funding that may be available to students who have dependents. Alternatively, a list of childcare providers can be found on the Suffolk County Council website.
Students studying in the UK do not have to pay their tuition fees in advance and this includes part-time students. Providing you do not already have a degree and you are eligible, part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan if they are studying at least 25% of the full course each year. The fees are covered by a loan supplied by the government and paid direct to the institution for you. There is no age limit on tuition fees.
For more student finance information, see our fees and finance page.
Some students decide to continue in employment while studying part-time, and employers who want to support those students can pay some or all of their course fees. Other employers offer options for flexible working or study leave. Students are still eligible to apply for the Tuition Fee Loan if their employer is unable to fully fund their tuition fees, but employers cannot take out the loan on behalf of their employees.
The Learning Services team offer additional support to students at all levels of study and provide year-round workshops in study skills, academic writing, referencing, maths, statistics, research methods and computer skills. Drop-in’s and one-to-one appointments with Academic Skills Advisors are available and the team also provides a range of online and downloadable resources for students to use.