Employer funding for postgraduate study
Your employer may be willing to partially or fully fund your postgraduate study tuition fees. This is particularly common for part-time and online programmes, where you can continue to work alongside your studies.
Employer sponsorship policy
Many larger organisations have formal processes for funding employee development. Check with your line manager or HR department to find out more before making a request. If no policy exists, that does not necessarily mean funding isn't available. It may simply not have been requested previously.
Asking your employer for sponsorship
Whether you make a request informally or through a defined process, focus on the benefit to the employer of funding your studies. Your request may include:
- How the course is relevant to your current role
- The specific skills and knowledge you will gain
- How those skills will benefit the organisation
- The course structure, duration, and cost
You may find that requesting support for an online degree or course strengthens your case due to the ability to study alongside full-time employment. Our online Masters degrees are designed to be studied flexibly alongside your existing commitments.
What if they say no?
If financial support is not possible, you may want to consider asking for non-financial backing instead. Support through study leave and flexible working arrangements can make a significant difference to your experience as a student.
For other ways to find your studies, visit our funding your Masters page.