UK Postgraduate Grade Requirements

Planning to do a Master's, Law conversion, MBA, or PhD? Check what undergraduate degree classification you need to be eligible for top UK postgraduate programmes.

Your Undergraduate Degree

Postgraduate Eligibility Results

With a 2:1, you generally meet the academic baseline for 9 out of 10 postgraduate pathways.

UK Masters (Russell Group)Academic

Standard requirement for most top universities.

Eligible

UK Masters (Post-1992 Unis)Academic

Many excellent non-Russell Group unis accept a 2:2.

Eligible

PhD / DoctoralAcademic

Minimum 2:1 required, but First Class or Distinction at Masters level heavily preferred.

Eligible

Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)Academic

Extremely competitive. First strongly preferred, or a 2:1 + Masters Distinction.

Below Min.

LPC / BPTC (Law)Law

Most law schools require a 2:1 to begin the LPC (Legal Practice Course).

Eligible

SQE Route (Solicitors)Law

Some providers and firms accept a 2:2 for the new SQE pathway.

Eligible

PGCE (Teaching)Education

Government minimum is a 2:2 to train as a teacher.

Eligible

UK MBA (Top Tier)Business

Minimum 2:1 + usually 3+ years of professional work experience.

Eligible

UK MBA (Standard)Business

Many MBA programmes accept a 2:2 if you have strong management experience.

Eligible

Graduate Entry MedicineMedicine

Most require a 2:1 in a science subject. Extremely competitive.

Eligible

Will a 2:2 ruin my chances of doing a Master's?

The short answer is no, but it does limit your options for the most competitive universities (like the Russell Group).

  • Russell Group Universities: Almost exclusively require a minimum of a 2:1 (Upper Second-Class) for taught Master's (MA, MSc). For highly competitive courses (e.g., MSc Finance at LSE), a "High 2:1" (usually 65%+) or a First Class is often required.
  • Post-1992 Universities: Many excellent universities outside the Russell Group accept a 2:2 (Lower Second-Class) for Master's programmes.
  • Professional Experience: If you have a 2:2 but have spent 3-5 years working in a relevant industry, many universities will waive the 2:1 requirement. Experience often trumps raw academic grades for postgraduate study, particularly for an MBA.