Supporting documents
When you apply for postgraduate study, please include the supporting documents relevant for your application. Typically we will require the following:
Proof of your undergraduate degree qualification
This would usually be in the form of an academic transcript or certificate. If these documents are not written in English, please include an official translation. If you have not yet graduated please send your most recent transcript, showing your results to date.
Academic references
The University of Sheffield requires two references to support your application. These should be supplied by academic staff at institutions where you have studied previously. If you have been out of education for the last two years, you can send one academic reference plus one from your current employer if you wish.
In their references, your referees should provide their personal opinion of your ability and suitability to undertake postgraduate study, in particular your previous academic achievements, especially in comparison to those of your peers, and any distinct strengths and weaknesses (eg motivation, commitment, independence, ability to work under sustained pressure). If your first language is not English, your referees should also include their opinion of your proficiency in written and spoken English.
For most courses you can upload your references directly to your online application. Alternatively you may be required to ask your referees to upload your references themselves via our Referee Portal.
There is no official reference form, but please make sure that your name (and application number and choice number if you have them) are included on any documents that we are sent.
English language certificates (EU and International applicants)
This will usually be your IELTS or TOEFL certificate. For further information about acceptable English language qualifications, please see our English Language requirements webpage.
A supporting statement
You should supply a statement of at least 300 words giving your reasons for applying and any other information you want to include in support of your application. Among the issues you may wish to cover are how your previous education and experience relates to the course, and how the course fits into your long-term academic or career plans.
For postgraduate research applicants, the statement should also include details of the area of research you wish to pursue. For subject areas such as science, engineering and medicine, where the programme of research may link into an ongoing research project, include a brief outline of the area(s) of interest along with the name of preferred supervisor(s), if known. Applicants for research within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the Faculty of Social Sciences are required to provide an outline research proposal. This proposal should be about 500–1000 words in length and should incorporate the following information:
- Title of proposed thesis
- The main aims of your research (eg why you think it is worth doing)
- Identification of links to any previous work or hypothesis
- Any resources available and any required
- The methods of research proposed (eg survey, case studies) and a plan and timetable of work
Please check departmental webpages for further details.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Resume
This is particularly useful if you have professional experience that is relevant to the area you wish to study.
Supplying your supporting documents
You can attach supporting documents to your online application, either when you apply or by logging back into the form using your email address and password. You can log into your application at any time and add additional documents, even after it has been submitted.
If you are not able to attach particular documents to your online application, you can send them to us by post:
Admissions Service
The University of Sheffield
Level 2, Arts Tower
Western Bank
Sheffield S10 2TN
UNITED KINGDOM
Alternatively you can email your documents to us at shefapply@sheffield.ac.uk. Please do not post or email supporting documents which you have also uploaded to your online application. Doing this will create confusion and slow down the application process.
If your application is successful and you have supplied electronic or photocopied copies of your documents, you will need to supply the original documents before you are allowed to register.
Please remember to write your name and application number (if you have it) on all correspondence that you upload, post or email in support of your application.
What if my documents aren't ready?
If you have not yet finished a course, or simply haven't managed to scan your documents yet, you can tell us via your online application that you want to provide your documents later.
You can also tell us that you do not intend to send a supporting document for a specific category, although you must bear in mind that it is unlikely a decision can be made on your application without all of the supporting documentation.
Uploading documents at a later date
You can upload documents after you have submitted your application simply by logging back in to your online application.