After you apply – what happens next?
After submitting your online application, you will receive an acknowledgement email within two working days, giving you your application and choice numbers. Please make sure that your email account knows to trust messages coming from @shef.ac.uk and @sheffield.ac.uk addresses.
We will then send your application to the academic department for consideration.
If you applied using the new online application form, you can check the progress of your application simply by logging back into your form.
Waiting for a decision
It normally takes academic departments around four weeks to make decisions on applications. Sometimes decisions can be delayed if the academic department requires further information from you. If this is the case, they will contact you to request it. You can then either send the information to them directly, or to the Admissions Service. Please respond quickly if you are asked for further information.
If you have not received a decision on your application after six weeks we recommend that you contact the academic department directly.
Contact details for academic departments can be found in our courses available page under the information for each course.
When a decision has been made
When a decision has been made, we will send you an email confirming what this is.
If you have been made an offer of a study place, we will also send you an official letter. Please allow time for your offer letter to reach you in the post. It is not uncommon for offer letters sent to overseas addresses to take four or more weeks to reach their destination.
If you are an EU/Overseas applicant then the Admissions Service will send you the letter.
If you are a Home applicant then the offer letter will be sent to you by the academic department.
The offer letter will include any conditions of entry and the amount payable for the tuition fees. Please note that we will not be able to include details of offer conditions or tuition fees in the email.
If you have not been successful and you require feedback on this decision, you should contact the academic department directly in writing. Contact details for academic departments can be found in our courses available page under the information for each course.
Offer types
If you are made an offer, it will be either conditional or unconditional.
A conditional offer means that there are requirements that you will need to meet before you can start the course. You are required to send us proof that you have met the conditions of your offer, so that we can upgrade it to unconditional.
If you are made an unconditional offer this means that there are no further requirements that you need to meet.
Conditional offers
If you have been made a conditional offer, the conditions will be stated on your offer letter. Once you have met these conditions (eg achieving a certain IELTS English Language score or a minimum grade in your current studies) you should upload documents proving this to your application. When you have met all the conditions of your offer, we will send you a new, unconditional offer letter.
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
Please ensure that you write the application and choice number on all documents that you send to us.
For proof of your undergraduate degree result, we normally require an official/certified copy of your final transcript. However please do not send your original degree certificate through the post. Wherever possible send a certified copy. This is a photocopy stamped by the issuing university to prove its authenticity.
Please be aware that if you have provided your documents electronically, you will need to show us the originals before you are allowed to register. Admissions staff will be available at registration to verify your qualifications.
Unconditional offers
An unconditional offer has no conditions. You just need to let us know whether or not you wish to accept or decline the offer of a study place.
Replying to your offer
After you have received your offer letter, please let us know whether you would like to accept or decline the offer of a study place. You can do this by emailing us at shefapply@sheffield.ac.uk. Alternatively you can complete the Reply Slip enclosed with the offer letter and return it to us, either scanned and emailed to shefapply@sheffield.ac.uk or by post.
Please note that you may only accept one unconditional offer of a place. If you have been made more than one unconditional offer on different course choices, you will need to choose which course to accept. You should then decline the other course choices.
If you choose to accept an unconditional offer, you must bring your official unconditional offer letter with you when you come to Sheffield, as you will need to show this to us when you register.
Withdrawing your application
If you wish to withdraw from the application process you should email the Admissions Service at shefapply@sheffield.ac.uk. We will then update your application record.
Deferrals
If you have been made an offer of a study place, and for unforeseen circumstances you cannot attend at the start of your course, you may request to defer your place to the next admission point.
Please note that most postgraduate taught courses have one admission per year, at the start of the autumn semester. Also note that a change of start date is at the discretion of the course selector. It is not automatically given and you may be asked to apply again for the following academic year.
To request a deferral you should contact the academic department. Contact details for the academic departments can be found in our courses available page under the information for each course.
Further information sent by the University of Sheffield
Accommodation
Once you have accepted your conditional or unconditional offer you will be able to apply for accommodation. You will be notified by email how to apply online for accommodation from April onwards.
You can view the full range of accommodation on offer for postgraduates by viewing our accommodation webpages.
Please note that you can only apply for accommodation once you have accepted an offer. If you are unsure about your current status, please log back in to your application.
Induction and Registration – Welcome to Sheffield Pack
If you have accepted an unconditional offer you will be sent a Welcome to Sheffield pack around six weeks before your course start-date. It contains general information about living and studying in Sheffield, together with information about Registration. You should complete the Financial Guarantee, Fee Payment, UCard (University ID card) and Medical forms enclosed before you arrive. Please send them to us in the envelopes provided. Note that the different forms are returned to different departments in the University of Sheffield, so please ensure you return each form in the correct envelope.
If you have not received any of the above booklets/letters/packs by the stated dates then please email us at commsenquiries@sheffield.ac.uk.
If you think you may have not received any of the above booklets/letters/packs because you have changed addresses, then email us at commsenquiries@sheffield.ac.uk.
Frequently asked questions
You can find answers to hundreds of frequently asked questions via our Ask Sheffield service.