April and May Intake in the UK 2027: Universities, Courses and Deadlines
Most guides to UK intakes stop at September and January. There is a third window — the April and May intake, sometimes branded "spring" or "summer" entry — and it is the least understood of the three: real at a handful of universities, non-existent at most, restricted to a narrow band of master's courses, and with a visa timeline that runs through the spring rather than the summer or Christmas rush.
This guide sets out which universities genuinely run an April or May 2027 start, which courses are on the list and which never are, how the application and visa timeline works backwards from a May start, and who the intake actually suits. It is written for international applicants, and the university details come from our own profiles of each institution, checked in 2026.
The short answer
- It exists, but it is small. Of the fifteen universities we profile, six offer an April or May start on some courses; the rest run September and January only.
- It is a master's intake. Business, management, computing, data science and some public health courses. Nursing, pharmacy, OSPAP and almost all undergraduate degrees are September-only.
- Apply by January or early February 2027, have your funds seasoned by early March, and submit the visa by late March for a comfortable May start.
- The visa rules are identical — £558 fee, £776 a year health surcharge, £1,529 or £1,171 a month maintenance held for 28 days — but the processing season is quieter than summer.
- Best for applicants who missed January, need time for an English test or funds, or want to arrive in daylight and mild weather rather than midwinter.
Which universities run an April or May 2027 intake
A university "having a May intake" usually means a shortlist of courses, not the prospectus. The table shows what each actually offers, based on our profiles.
| University | Spring start | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry University | March, May and July, plus November | Many Coventry and CU London courses now run up to six start dates a year; clinical courses such as BSc Adult Nursing are limited to September and January |
| Teesside University | May | A genuine three-intake year: MPH, computing, data science and business master's start in January and May |
| University of Huddersfield | May 2027 | A selection of business, management and computing courses |
| University of Wolverhampton | May, plus November | Smaller starts centred on business, computing and management; not every course runs in every intake |
| Aston University | April | Several popular master's, including International Business and Data Science; undergraduate and OSPAP are September-only |
| University of Bradford | May | A small number of courses and pathway programmes |
| Kingston University | March | A handful of March start dates alongside the main January list |
Beyond these, pathway colleges attached to universities — the on-campus international colleges that run pre-master's and international year one programmes — often add spring start dates of their own, and some London campuses of northern universities open extra starts for business and computing courses. Always confirm the start date on the course page itself: "spring intake" on an agent's list frequently turns out to be a pathway programme or a course that ran once and was withdrawn.
Not on the list, and not expected to be: any NMC-approved nursing degree, MPharm, OSPAP, medicine, dentistry, most engineering degrees with placements, and almost every undergraduate programme. If your course is one of those, your choices are September and, at a few universities, January — see our January vs September comparison.
The timeline, working backwards from May 2027
The spring intake shares every rule with the main intakes; only the calendar moves. The month that catches applicants out is March, when the 28-day funds rule, the CAS and the visa submission all fall together.
| Month | What must happen |
|---|---|
| October–December 2026 | Shortlist courses that genuinely run in April or May; sit IELTS or an accepted alternative; check each university on the sponsor register |
| December 2026–January 2027 | Apply. Spring deadlines are early — many universities close applications in January or early February for a May start |
| February 2027 | Accept the offer, pay the deposit, prepare for the pre-CAS credibility interview, and move the maintenance money into the right account |
| Early March 2027 | Funds must have been in place for 28 consecutive days; request the CAS; book the TB test if your country requires one |
| Mid–late March 2027 | Submit the Student visa application and attend biometrics — standard decisions take 15 working days, so late March lands the decision in mid-April |
| April 2027 | Decision, passport back, book flights and accommodation |
| Late April–May 2027 | Arrive, enrol by the university's published deadline, start |
Two advantages of this calendar. The visa application centres are between their two peaks — the summer rush for September and the December squeeze for January — so appointments and decisions tend to run closer to the published times, as our processing time guide explains. And nothing in the sequence crosses a national holiday shutdown, which is the reason so many January applications fail late.
Money: the same rules, a different season
| Item | 2026/27 figure |
|---|---|
| Student visa application fee | £558 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | £776 per year of visa, paid upfront — about £1,164 for a one-year master's |
| Maintenance — London | £1,529 a month for up to nine months |
| Maintenance — outside London | £1,171 a month for up to nine months |
| Holding period | 28 consecutive days, closing balance within 31 days of applying |
| Tuition to evidence | First year, minus any deposit already paid |
One point on scholarships. University awards are usually tied to the September cycle, so a spring starter should expect fewer named scholarships and more automatic discounts — Coventry's Group Scholarship, for example, applies to any of its 2026/27 intakes, while competitive named awards at most universities are September-only. Our scholarships guide lists what runs outside September. The full document list is in our Student visa requirements checklist.
Who the spring intake suits — and who it does not
It suits you if:
- You missed the January deadlines, or your English result or funds were not ready in November.
- Your target is a business, management, computing, data or public health master's, and one of the universities above runs it in spring.
- You prefer to arrive in spring: longer days, milder weather, and a campus that is fully open rather than emerging from the Christmas closure.
- You want less competition for accommodation and part-time work than the September cohort faces.
It does not suit you if:
- You need a regulated course. Nursing, pharmacy, OSPAP and most health professions start in September only.
- You are relying on a major scholarship.
- You want the classic large-cohort start. Spring cohorts are small, and some modules are taught jointly with the January group.
- Your course length matters for timing: a May start finishes the following spring or summer, so plan the Graduate Route application accordingly — from 1 January 2027 it lasts 18 months whichever intake you started in, as our Graduate Route guide explains.
Three checks before you commit to a spring start
- Is it a university course or a pathway programme? Pathway colleges run more spring dates than universities do. They are legitimate, but they are pre-degree programmes with their own fees and progression conditions — see our guide to foundation years and international year one.
- Does the course run in spring this year? Spring lists change every cycle. A course that ran in May 2026 may be September-only for 2027. Confirm on the course page, then confirm again with admissions in writing.
- Is the university's compliance position sound? Under the current sponsor regime, universities with weak metrics tighten pre-CAS screening and sometimes pause recruitment from specific countries between intakes. Check the sponsor licence and the compliance rating before paying a deposit.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an April or May intake in UK universities?
Yes, at a minority of universities and mainly for business, management, computing and some public health master's. Coventry, Teesside, Huddersfield, Wolverhampton, Aston and Bradford all run a spring start on selected courses; most universities do not.
When should I apply for the May 2027 intake?
By January or early February 2027 at the latest. Funds need to be in place by early March for the 28-day rule, and the visa should be submitted by late March.
Can I study nursing or pharmacy in the May intake?
No. NMC-approved nursing degrees, MPharm and OSPAP are September-only, with a few nursing courses also running in January.
Are scholarships available for the spring intake?
Fewer than in September. Automatic international discounts often apply to any intake, but most competitive named scholarships are tied to the September cycle.
Is the visa different for a May start?
No. The fee, health surcharge, maintenance amounts and 28-day rule are identical. The processing season is quieter than summer, which usually helps.
Does the intake affect the Graduate Route?
No. From 1 January 2027 the Graduate Route is 18 months for bachelor's and master's graduates regardless of which intake you started in.
A spring start works well for the right course at the right university, and badly for an applicant who has been sold a "May intake" that turns out to be a pathway programme or a course that no longer runs. If you want a shortlist of universities and courses that genuinely start in April or May 2027, with the timeline planned backwards from your start date, book a free consultation or browse our university profiles.