PhD at Cardiff University

I applied to Kent, Durham, Nottingham, and Cardiff. Got in all three, just chose Cardiff cause of the expense and tuition fee. Cardiff has a lower cost of living compared to the others. Kent did not give me confirmation because they needed another SOP, a short SOP, and I did not go for it. For Durham, the course was not suitable; I talked about this in the next section. And Nottingham, also, the course was not what I wanted. Mostly, I would say that I chose Cardiff because it was Russell group, and in India, that has value, but I'm not sure if it has any value in the UK. I chose Cardiff because of my modules; the modules were diverse in my course. For Durham, the course was a little too much traditional criminology, which wasn't my goal to begin with. I wanted to study the digital perspective of it, and Cardiff has that, which drew me towards it basically. To answer the second question, I only had to bring two LOR and one SOP from my end, and proof of my English language, where I submitted my IELTS score and Higher Secondary Education Report Card, and that was all I needed for my submission. In terms of IELTS, it depends on the course you choose, generally. For min,d it was 6.5 in writing and 6 in speaking, listening, and reading (the criteria may have changed), fortunately, mine was above the threshold. I was devastated throughout the process. There was so much going on. But now I am here and know the basics, I think all I needed was a little guidance, and it could've been so much easier. 2023-2024. It took only a couple of months. I applied in February after taking my IELTS in January, and the admission process was over in July. Mostly, I was delayed because of visa appointments and my bachelor's results. But other than that, the process was pretty simple. The student connect in Cardiff Uni helped me throughout the process; they were just one email away. So every time I got stuck, I would just email them....Read More

I applied to the following universities: Cardiff University – admitted and joined in September 2023 University of Surrey - Shortlisted. Got an offer letter to proceed with admissions Glasgow University - rejected (due to low CGPA in UG, lack of professional experience) University of Northampton - rejected (due to low CGPA in UG) University of Southampton – rejected (due to low CGPA in UG) Part of Russell Group of Universities and was recommended by a few people, including family, friends, teachers, etc. Wanted to explore a different region of the world and was fascinated by the city of Cardiff. Admission process was smooth, with the only hiccup being retaking IELTS as the previous score became invalid, as it would have been more than 2 years old at the time of admission. IELTS is the base requirement for applying Got a chancellor scholarship worth £5000 due to my academic background. I got admission in the September intake. There are 2 intakes in the university, which are the September and January intakes. I received the acceptance letter in late june while I had applied in late March. Some people applied in june and received an offer by August. Once the acceptance was received, the first step was to pay the confirmation fee. After this the CAS Letter was received, which is required for Visa application....Read More

I had applied to four universities. Aston University, Coventry University, Coventry university, University of Plymouth. I had received an offer letter from all 4 universities. I had received offer letters from all but it was a matter of which one came in first. I did not receive any rejection from any university, probably because my application was processed my IDP and also my marksheets were strong. Cardiff university is a Russell group university and given my budget and the environment I was wanting to go for, it seemed the perfect match. The rest of the universities had taken out their lists a little later; Cardiff's offer letter had come in within 4 weeks of application. My counsellor at IDP, had suggested this university and truth be told, I was not quite aware of the university. After hearing the recommendation, I did my research and I instantly felt an attachment with the place. As for the admission process, I had submitted the documents that were asked from me through my counsellor in IDP. Eligibility criteria mainly for English; my school marks were above 95 hence I did not have to give the IELTS exam, whereas some of my peers had to give the test. The overall experience was really pleasant, as I did not have to do much about it, and I was always informed from the end of the university via mail, and later the Indian representatives had created a group for better access. I had applied for the September intake 2023, and I had started my preparations for the same from December 2022. The reason for choosing the september intake was that it is one of the largest intakes that happens all around the UK and the January intake is a rarity and is mostly available for the students who have deferred or are put on hold. The admission process took about a week if I am able to recall correctly, and the visa and medical took about 4 months, but in all totality the process for funding and mental preparation takes about a year or so. Mine – I did not have to think much, as mostly it was taken care by IDP...Read More

I applied to just one University - Cardiff. I got accepted in seven days and got a scholarship in another 3 days. I didn't even get time to apply to a safety school. But I'd recommend people to apply to safety schools. Also, I would suggest not being afraid of rejections; it is a part of life and you need just one acceptance letter to change your life forever. The college has the best faculty one can want. Professors working with the BBC, Al Jazeera, Nat Geo, the gUardian and the Financial Times lecture you. The alumni network is one to kill for. One after another, journalism award winners from my college came to speak to us. I myself am on the shortlist (top ten stories) for the Amnesty Media Awards 2022. I had to take IELTS as a requirement. Cardiff accepts a sectional score of 6.5 above. The admission experience was smooth. Mostly, I had to focus on IELTS and a great Statement of Purpose. 2020. It was the year I knew I had to take no matter what. I was already in my late 20s and needed to take my career off ASAP. Admission process took 1 week for the acceptance letter to arrive and 3 days for the scholarship to arrive. Post which a couple of forms had to be filled out online. Very easy process. Visa process, however, took a couple of months and was a daunting experience....Read More

Overall experience is good. I like Wales personally because it is calm and relaxed. Cardiff Uni's rankings are good, and it is a Russell group university with a reputed master's programme. It has plenty of courses to choose from so you are left spoilt for choice. I advise consulting professors over email if anyone has queries....Read More

Liked the courses and electives the Uni was offering for my course. Not really sure about the minimum grade requirements My scores: IELTS 8.0 Undergrad CGPA: 8.79...Read More

One of the main reasons for choosing cardiff university was the course that I picked. It allowed me to take modules from AI , Software development & Cyber security. I could choose the modules I wanted to study rather than what they would want me to study. SOP, LOR & good grade in during your engineering. around atleast 75%...Read More

I accepted because Cardiff Uni is one of the russel uni in UK which made cardiff uni my first choice and the city is also wonderful. My experience with uni was fabulous. My IELTS score was 7.0, any student just needs to get IELTS score above or equal to 6.5 it depends on the uni as well, some except on the english marks you get in 10th or 12th....Read More

I chose Cardiff University for a combination of academic excellence, global recognition and enriching student experience. The UK in general is renowned for its high-quality education, cultural diversity and strong academic framework, making it a preferred destination for international students. Cardiff University, being a part of the prestigious Russell group stood out for its strong Academic reputation and research-led teaching. I was particularly impressed by the structure and relevance of my course, which is aligned with current industry needs and future career prospects. Additionally, the University offered me a £5000 scholarship, reaffirming their commitment to supporting In international talent, the city of Cardiff itself played a big role in my decision. It’s a vibrant, student-friendly city with a perfect balance of cultural richness, affordability, modernity and melodies. Its compact nature makes it easy to get around while still offering everything from beautiful green scapes to lively entertainment. The card also offers excellent career opportunities through it, strong industries, links, career services and employability programmes. I’ve had access to career fairs, networking events, and internship guidance, which has helped me build valuable connections for the future. My overall experience at Cardiff has been incredibly fulfilling; the academic staff are supportive and knowledgeable, the campus is modern and well-equipped, and the student community is diverse and welcoming . I also had a chance to participate in various extracurricular activities and club societies, which add greatly to my personal growth and made my university journey more memorable....Read More

The location of the university is the primary factor that is attracting most of the students including myself. The modern facilities that the university provides like the libraries, laboratories and so on make it convenient to deal with day-to-day courses. There is a strong social community that keeps you connected with people of similar interests and helps you maintain a work-life balance....Read More