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Posted Oct. 22, 2025

Should I start a masters degree in January?

Should I start a masters degree in January?

In today’s competitive job market, a good undergraduate degree – maybe even a first or a high 2.1 – is not necessarily enough to secure that dream graduate job, as there will be many former students fighting for the same role and many of these will be better qualified than you.

But now you’ve had a bit of breathing space since the final frenzy of undergrad finals, and with your graduation half a year ago and the rest of your life ahead of you, for many people, January is the ideal time to start a masters degree.

There are many reasons why a January start date should be considered, and in this blog, we’re going to take a look at some of the main ones. But first, a word from a postgraduate student who made this important decision and discusses how it has worked for him.

Aswin Poornachandran, an MSc International Marketing and Management student at the University of Dundee, chose to start his course in January rather than the traditional September start date, explaining, “I chose to start my masters in January at the University of Dundee because it gave me the flexibility I needed to properly plan this major step. The January intake brought a smaller class size, which made it easier to build connections, and the year-round schedule gave me valuable time for both personal and professional breakthroughs. It’s been a year of growth and discovery — if you’re ready to take a leap, January is where it’s at!”

Reasons to start your masters degree in January

Here are some of the key reasons to start a masters degree in January 2026.

Get ahead in the job market – the traditional end date for masters students that start their course in September is the summer, which means at this time there is a flurry of well qualified graduates looking for work. By starting your masters program in January you will be finishing your course at the end of the calendar year and be launched into the workplace in a less competitive job market.

Better timing for international postgrads – international postgraduate students often find starting in January much easier, in terms of getting their documentation and travel arrangements in order. January is a few months away from September – so international students can avoid the bottleneck of student visa processing and the scramble of finding student accommodation. Instead, they can avoid the September rush and start their course after a festive season spent at home with family and friends.

Great selection of postgraduate courses – as January start dates become more popular, the postgraduate offerings have improved, and now most UK universities offer a great selection of masters degrees with January start dates. For example, the University of Dundee has over 120 postgraduate courses with January start dates from an MSc in Accounting or MSc in Human Anatomy to an MSc in Sustainability.

Smaller class sizes – fewer students opt to study their masters degree in January, this means you are likely be learning in a smaller class size which will be very beneficial for your postgraduate studies. As the University of Essex explains, “You’ll be part of smaller classes for a more personal experience. The number of January students we have is always less than October, so you’ll find your classes are smaller, giving you more contact with your tutors and peers.”

New year, new start – it may sound cheesy, but it’s true that January is a great time to start something new. You will start the new year feeling invigorated and ready to take on a new challenge, and as you welcome in 2026, what could be better than starting a brand new postgraduate program?

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