January Intake in UK 2022: Everything To Know About

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The United Kingdom has deeply rooted academic ties to world history. There are many milestones in the history of education, especially higher education, that provide confirmation for this fact and showcase the UK as the number one study abroad destination for many. By offering various disciplines such as degrees in undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses, the country has become the home to many top universities that are present on the dream list of almost every international student.

Some of the most sought after subjects that observe the highest number of applicants every academic year in UK universities and colleges are Master in Business Administration (MBA), Computer Science, Business Management, Engineering like Mechanical Engineering and Electronic Engineering, and Economics. However, where there are so many applicants, courses and top universities, several difficulties are faced in processing visa applications for so many students all at once, providing them with accommodation and other resource management challenges. These issues have prompted countries like the UK to yearly welcome students in different intakes. Keep reading this blog post to know more about January intake in UK 2022 and other intakes!

Types of Intakes in the UK

There are two main types of intake in the UK: January intake and September intake. Sometimes, there is also a rather unusual April or May intake that only happens in the case of some special programme. Both these intakes of January and September follow a different application process and have to be taken care of right before beginning the study abroad application in the UK university.

So, let’s take a closer look at these two intakes:

January intake

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January Intake in UK 2022: Everything To Know About
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This intake usually lasts for almost a month, where it welcomes students to the UK for the months of January and February as a part of a major intake. Most students who end up missing the September intake in their course take up the January intake to better prepare themselves for moving abroad. Applications for this intake usually open up around the time from the month of June to September. 

However, please note that since the applications for some universities and courses are open till September, it does not necessarily have to mean that you have time to apply till September. Many universities expect students, especially international students, to send in their complete applications earlier.

September intake

This intake is arguably a major and also the major intake in universities and colleges of the UK at all levels, including undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, certification, and more. Students from other countries usually prefer this intake as many courses are only offered in this intake and not in January or May, maybe due to low demand. 

The appropriate time to apply for this intake is usually between February and May. But, some universities (like Oxford and other top-ranking universities) open up their applications as much as a year in advance. So, some applications depending on the course and institution, have to be filled out earlier.

Choose the Correct UK Intake for 2022

Now that you know well in detail about the two intakes and their differences, which of the intakes in the UK should you opt for? The correct choice of intake depends on many factors as follows:

Check the course availability

The first thing to do is to check if the course you are interested in and the university you have your eyes on even offer the course in both intakes to be able to choose one. For example, popular courses like project management, human resource management, civil engineering, MBA, public health and nutrition, and more are available for all intakes in the UK.

Ensure the deadline has been met

Many times, students who had initially applied to the September intake and were able to be shortlisted end up leaving for the January intake in UK universities. One major reason that has been observed behind this trend is the missing deadlines for September intake and being left with no choice but to defer the admission to January intake.

International finance arrangements

Getting a study abroad student visa has a lot of roadblocks on its way. One major challenge that needs to be overcome is showing proof of finances. Some students who take admission without planning ahead of time cannot do that by the time their visa process starts. So, such students are usually advised to go for the January intake instead of getting their visa maximum by December.

Miscellaneous issues

Sometimes, even the tiniest factors can cause you to opt for the UK intakes of January. For instance, your IELTS score may not be there by the time you apply to the university for September – October intake. In other cases, employment issues/commitments or family and medical concerns could push the studies ahead by a few months to the January intake.

Unexpected Delays

Sometimes, there are unforeseen funding delays, like in the case of scholarships and fellowship announcements that are usually released later in the year, without which students cannot apply for the study permit. So, if you have also applied for a September course and have later filled out a scholarship application that is expected to be announced later in the year, you might have to go for the January intake of the course to be able to have enough time for formalities.

Some noteworthy universities that welcome applications for the January (and sometimes February) intake, as seen in UK intake 2021, include:

  • Coventry University
  • Queen Mary University of London
  • University of Liverpool
  • University of Lincoln
  • Aston University
  • Birmingham City University
  • Brunel University
  • University of Exeter
  • Brunel University
  • Kingston University
  • Bangor University
  • University of Chester
  • University of Greenwich
  • De Montfort University
  • University of Sunderland
  • Birkbeck University of London
  • University of South Wales
  • Edge Hill University
  • Northumbria University
  • Oxford Brookes University
  • Anglia Ruskin University
  • City University of London
  • University of Brighton
  • Keele University
  • University of Essex

Conclusion

UK universities have emerged as a hot choice among many international students for pursuing all disciplines at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.

With the surge in applications for some courses, there are two to three major intakes, and January intake is one of them. For various reasons, students might take up this intake to begin their international learning.

To know more about studying abroad in the United Kingdom, make sure to check out LeapScholar blogs!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the procedures to get admission to UK universities?

Ans. There are certain procedures set in place by every university for UK postgraduate and doctoral admissions. Most of these are through the official websites of the universities themselves, where the applicant has to create an id on the portal and then fill out details by providing supporting documents, including IELTS score, transcripts, etc. However, for bachelor level courses like BA, BSc, Bachelor in Business Studies, etc., most universities go through UCAS.

2. When do January intake classes start in the UK?

Ans. There is no fixed date or time when all January intake in UK classes begins simultaneously. However, most classes begin either in early January (the first week) or by Mid January (Around 15 January). In some cases, classes can also begin in the month of February for a January intake in UK universities and colleges.


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Saket Kohli

An International Higher Ed professional with 7+ years of experience studying, working, and living across three geographies, currently on a mission to share his journey as an International Student.

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