On a one-year master's: is the year enough?
Glasgow in autumn, from the air over the University of Glasgow. Photograph: Ian Dick from Glasgow, UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped
It can be, if the first term is your hiring season. Most schemes open as you arrive, and the Graduate visa adds time after the course.
Autumn: the hiring season starts the week you arrive
On a one-year master’s, the hiring season starts the week you arrive. This page, part of Start here, is for students already on the course: what the year allows, season by season, and how much time the Graduate visa adds.
The big graduate schemes recruit up to a year ahead, starting early in the autumn term. The scheme you would join is taking applications while you are still finding the library.
Prepare early: most schemes open as early as August and close in October or November (your course begins in early September).
| Who | When applications usually close |
|---|---|
| Most banking schemes | October or November |
| Many other employers | November and December |
| Big Four schemes | December or January |
| Employers with no deadline | Most applications in by Christmas |
A strong application in October beats a perfect one in December.
The Season
- Graduate scheme applications From August 2026 to January 2027 Most open September or October, banks from August; many deadlines fall in November and December.
- Spring weeks and insight programmes September 2026 to January 2027 For first-years, and second-years on four-year courses; most applications fall in autumn, programmes run around Easter.
- Summer internship applications (summer 2027) From August 2026 to January 2027 For penultimate-year students; many review applications as they arrive and close early.
- Assessment centre season November 2026 to April 2027 First rounds follow deadlines; final assessment days run from November into spring.
- Graduate visa lengths A Graduate visa applied for on or before 31 December 2026 usually lasts 2 years. For applications made on or after 1 January 2027, it is scheduled to last 18 months.
So the first term carries two loads: the course and the applications. Give applications a fixed slot each week, the way you would a seminar; the graduate job hunt in twelve steps sets out the order.
More on the first termLess on the first term
Choose three sectors, not ten, so each application gets the time it needs. Start with the CV: two A4 pages in reverse chronological order, the style Manchester’s careers service calls the most common in the UK. If your first degree or schooling was outside the UK, say what your grades are equivalent to here, and add a line on your visa status near the top. The deadlines in the table come from LSE’s Department of Finance, targetjobs and York’s careers service.
Winter: tests, video rounds and internship deadlines
Winter is when autumn’s applications turn into tests. York’s careers service expects December to February to be the months of online tests and video or phone interviews.
Many first rounds are recorded, and video interviews and HireVue covers how to prepare for one.
Instead of having an interviewer, your answers will be recorded and reviewed afterwards by one of our assessors.
Winter is also a second chance. Internship deadlines run later than scheme deadlines, and for a master’s student an internship can be the route into the scheme itself.
They are paid positions, and in many cases can lead to an offer of a full-time position by the employer.
Read each programme’s eligibility before you apply. The summer internships calendar gives each programme’s eligibility in its own words.
More on internship eligibilityLess on internship eligibility
The same LSE page says most investment banks, strategy consulting firms and other financial and tech institutions offer these internships, with deadlines usually later in the autumn or in January. Goldman Sachs opens its Summer Analyst programme to bachelor’s and master’s students in their penultimate or final year; others ask for a penultimate year only. In term time, a degree-level Student visa limits paid work to 20 hours a week, which matters if an employer offers part-time work alongside the course.
Spring: assessment days while the dissertation starts
Spring is when offers are made, and on a one-year course it is also when the dissertation begins.
| Round | When, for deadlines in November and December |
|---|---|
| Assessment centres | March and April |
| Offers | April to June |
| Some schemes reopen | May to June, with unfilled places |
That is the pattern targetjobs and York’s careers service describe. Inside a UK assessment centre has the timetable for the day itself.
140 applications per graduate vacancy at ISE employer members, 2024 to 2025
It is an average at ISE’s members, not the whole market, but it explains why one offer takes many applications. Keep applying through spring.
More on the assessment dayLess on the assessment day
An assessment centre, Prospects says, can last from an afternoon to two days, with group exercises, case studies, presentations and interviews. At Deloitte the graduate final stage is in person, at the office linked to your application. Book the day around your dissertation deadlines, not the other way round: an employer will rarely move an assessment centre, and a supervisor usually can.
When an offer comes, test it against the salary rules before you accept. Students at degree level, Graduate visa holders and people under 26 count as new entrants for the salary rules, which lowers the salary floor that applies to you. Graduate pay, against the visa bar sets the figures beside each sector.
More on the switchLess on the switch
You may switch from a Student visa to a Skilled Worker visa inside the UK once you have completed your course, or earlier if the job starts after your course has finished. If the season ends without an offer, the year is not over: the direct-entry market never closed at all, and the summer of your year is built around it, with the Graduate visa behind it.
Summer: results, the visa window and direct entry
Summer brings the end of the course, and with it the Graduate visa window. For a Graduate visa, you apply from inside the UK before your Student visa ends, once your university has told the Home Office you have finished your course.
4 months on a Student visa after a course of 12 months or longer
You need not wait for graduation: put the window’s first and last months in your diary now.
More on results and shorter coursesLess on results and shorter courses
At Warwick, for example, postgraduate taught awards were published on 26 June 2026; your own university publishes its dates, usually on its exams or results pages. For a shorter course, check the end date on your visa. You may apply as soon as your university reports that you have finished, and the window is short.
Direct-entry roles matter most now. Unlike schemes, they are advertised throughout the year, so a summer search finds real vacancies with near start dates.
The Graduate visa hunt sets out a weekly rhythm for the search after the course.
More on an offer before you finishLess on an offer before you finish
If an offer comes before you finish, note that a degree-level student with a valid Skilled Worker application may start that job before the course ends. Direct-entry recruitment often happens closer to the start date, so an employer may want an answer, and a start, sooner than a scheme would.
How long the Graduate visa leaves you
The Graduate visa is why one year can be enough: it adds time after the course, and its length depends on when you apply.
A Graduate visa applied for on or before 31 December 2026 usually lasts 2 years. For applications made on or after 1 January 2027, it is scheduled to last 18 months.
How long a Graduate visa leaves you depends on the date you apply; this end-date calculator (opens visavi.uk) works it out from your date.
91% of Graduate visa holders in 2023 had completed a postgraduate taught course
So most Graduate visa holders came through a course like yours.
More on what the MAC foundLess on what the MAC found
The MAC’s review also tracked what happened next, as far as payroll records show. In 2023, 114,000 Graduate visas were granted to main applicants. The MAC found that around 70% of people on the Graduate route had a pay record in the first 12 months of their visa. It could not tell what the rest were doing: some may have left the UK, worked for themselves or been between jobs. Of the July to December 2021 cohort, the rest had not moved to a work route when the MAC looked.
46% of the July to December 2021 cohort went on to work routes
Work routes, in the MAC’s term, include the Skilled Worker visa.
That is the candid answer to the headline. For many people, one year plus the Graduate visa is enough; it is not enough for everyone, and the first term decides a great deal.
Rules change, so date everything you read
The rules for graduates move, so any figure you read needs a date beside it. The lengths on this page carry theirs, checked against gov.uk.
£41,700, the general Skilled Worker threshold, up from £38,700
That change took effect on 22 July 2025.
More on other recent changesLess on other recent changes
Since 8 January 2026, a Skilled Worker application has also needed English at level B2, up from B1. The figures on this page change by themselves on the day a new rule takes effect, so what you read here is the rule for today’s date. Forum threads and older guides often quote a length or a threshold that has since changed.
Rules for graduates changed several times in 2025 and 2026; ukvisasponsorguide.com keeps every rule change, dated (opens ukvisasponsorguide.com).
Check the date on any page, and your own case on gov.uk’s Graduate visa pages (opens gov.uk); your UK job-hunt plan keeps the dates in one place.
This week
- Write down the month your course ends and the end date on your visa
- Send one graduate scheme application before the end of this month
- Check two summer internship deadlines you could still meet
- Make your dated plan for the year
Sources
- GOV.UK: Term-time work limit for degree-level students 20 hours per week during term-time (full- time employment permitted outside of term-time) Checked
- GOV.UK: Who counts as a new entrant you’re currently in the UK on a Graduate visa (or you have been in the last 2 years, and a Graduate or visit visa was your most recent visa) Checked
- GOV.UK: Switching from a Student visa to Skilled Worker inside the UK If you’re currently in the UK on a Student visa, you must also meet one of the following requirements: Checked
- GOV.UK: When to apply for a Graduate visa You must apply before your Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa expires. Checked
- GOV.UK: Extra time on a Student visa after a course of 12 months or longer A course of 12 months or longer 1 Month 4 Months Checked
- GOV.UK: Starting a sponsored job before the course ends ST 26.6. A Student who makes a valid application for permission to stay under the Skilled Worker, or Graduate route, may start employment in a full-time permanent vacancy either up to 3 months prior to the course completion date (for the Skilled Worker route) or once they have successfully completed their course of study (for the Graduate route), provided all of the following apply: Checked
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker general salary threshold You’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £41,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher. Checked
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker general salary threshold before 22 July 2025 APP SW2. In row A of the table following SW 4.4, for “£38,700”, substitute “£41,700”. Checked
- GOV.UK: English level for a Skilled Worker visa You must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. Checked
- GOV.UK: English level for a Skilled Worker visa before 8 January 2026 APP SW3. In the table in SW4.1, for “level B1”, substitute “level B2 or, where the applicant’s most recent permission was as a Skilled Worker and which was granted subject to a requirement at level B1, level B1”. Checked
- GOV.UK: Graduate visa length (applications on or before 31 December 2026) 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 Checked
- GOV.UK: Graduate visa length (applications on or after 1 January 2027) 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027 Checked
- GOV.UK: Graduate visa length after a PhD or other doctorate If you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, it will last for 3 years. Checked
- LSE Careers, London School of Economics: The graduate job market (LSE Careers) Graduate schemes are competitive, and employers typically recruit up to one-year ahead, starting early in Autumn Term, and sometimes over the summer, so it's important to check their deadlines and processes.You will also find there is more flexibility on when to apply for graduate jobs; opportunities will tend to be advertised throughout the year, recruitment will often take place closer to the time of hire so you might find the overall process less pressured and appreciate more time to prepare. Read
- Institute of Student Employers: Apprenticeships rise as graduate vacancies drop 8% (Student Recruitment Survey 2025 launch, 15 October 2025) Go back two decades to 2002/3, and employers received an average of 38 applications per graduate vacancy. By 2022/3 that figure had more than doubled to 86 per vacancy and for the last two years has been at 140 per vacancy. Competition for roles in retail, FMCG and tourism were the highest at 290 applications for every graduate role. Read
- Migration Advisory Committee: Rapid Review of the Graduate Route (Migration Advisory Committee, May 2024) 91% of Graduate visa holders in 2023 had completed a postgraduate taught course.In 2023, 114,000 Graduate visas were granted for main applicants with a further 30,000 being granted for dependants.As highlighted above, around 70% of those on the Graduate route have a pay record in the first 12 months of their visa.Based on the experience of the Graduate route cohort who started in July 2021 to December 2021 46% of those on the Graduate route continued on to work routes. Read
- LSE Department of Finance: Careers advice (MSc Finance and Economics offer holders) Prepare early: most schemes open as early as August and close in October or November (your course begins in early September).They are paid positions, and in many cases can lead to an offer of a full-time position by the employer. These are offered by most investment banks, strategy consulting firms, and other financial and tech institutions. The application process is similar to that for full time positions, although deadlines are usually later in the autumn or January Read
- LSE Careers: Graduate job market Graduate schemes are competitive, and employers typically recruit up to one-year ahead, starting early in Autumn Term, and sometimes over the summer, so it’s important to check their deadlines and processes.You will also find there is more flexibility on when to apply for graduate jobs; opportunities will tend to be advertised throughout the year, recruitment will often take place closer to the time of hire Read
- targetjobs: When to apply for graduate jobs Many employers set application deadlines in November and December. ... Some employers do not set a deadline and keep their graduate programmes ‘open’ all year or have ‘ongoing recruitment’, but they still expect to receive most of their applications by Christmas.Those recruiters who set deadlines in November and December typically hold first-round interviews and assessments in January and February. Assessment centres are usually held in March and April and job offers made in April, May and June. Read
- University of York Careers and Placements: Recruitment time frames September to December: The peak time to apply for graduate schemes. ... December to February: Initial sifting of applications by online tests, video or phone interviews. Some schemes are still open. Some operate a rolling recruitment process, assessing applications in batches. It is best to apply as soon as possible as they may close when they have enough good applicantsMay to June: Some schemes may re-open if they have unfilled vacancies. ... Schemes with the "Big Four" professional services companies are likely to close by December/January Read
- University of Warwick: Results information Postgraduate Taught Students (awards only), Friday 26th June 2026 ... Undergraduate Finalist students, Thursday 9th July 2026 Read
- LSE Careers: Looking ahead: careers and professional development (offer holder presentation, 4 June 2025) Recruitment Timeframes August to January Graduate schemes open, some fixed date, some rolling Formal internship schemes open including parliamentary internships October to April Assessments & offers Traineeship applications June to September Internships, grad schemes begin Smaller organisations in public and private sector hire throughout the year Read
- University of Manchester Careers Service: Step 1: Creating your CV The 2 page reverse chronological CV is the most common style of CV for the UK and is suitable for most situations. Read
- University of Manchester Careers Service: CVs for international students You will need to explain your education and grades if you did not do your pre-university education in the UK. What is it equvalent to in the UK educational system? Read
- University of Manchester Careers Service: Talking to employers about your visa Include your visa status on your CV. You can typically add this information to the heading or your contact details section. Mention the type of visa you hold (or are eligible to apply for), its expiration date, and any relevant work restrictions if applicable. Read
- Goldman Sachs: 2027 Summer Analyst Programme (EMEA) The Summer Analyst role is for candidates currently pursuing a Bachelors or Masters university degree and in their penultimate or final year of study. We review applications on a rolling basis and encourage you to apply as soon as you are ready. Read
- PwC UK: Assessment and selection process (Early Careers) The next stage of our assessment and selection process is an on-demand video interview which will be conducted virtually via the SHL platform. You’ll be presented with a series of questions on the screen and asked to describe your experience. Instead of having an interviewer, your answers will be recorded and reviewed afterwards by one of our assessors. Read
- Prospects (Jisc): Assessment centres Hosted over anything from an afternoon to two days, assessment centres are often the final stage of the selection process for large graduate recruiters. ... You will work both individually and as part of a group on a variety of exercises, including: case studies, group discussions, in-tray exercises, presentations, psychometric tests, role play, social events, written tests. Read
- Deloitte UK: Early Careers Assessment If you're applying for a Graduate, Entry Level Apprentice, Industrial Placement or BrightStart Apprentice role, your final stage assessment will take place in person at the Deloitte office linked to your application. ... The Final Stage Assessment is split into two exercises*: A discussion about your topic preparation with one of our assessors. ... A skills and motivation interview where we’ll ask some questions to learn more about your alignment with the capabilities we look for at Deloitte. Read
- targetjobs: Graduate scheme applications Most employers offering formal graduate programmes open for applications in September/October, with a view to graduates starting work the following September/October. ... Applications for graduate schemes in investment banking often open in August and close as early as October. Read
- Lancaster University Management School Careers: Spring weeks and insight programmes They generally take place during the Easter break in your first spring term. They, therefore, require applications in September and October in your first year at university! Note: Only first-year students can apply unless you are on a four-year course, where second-year students can also apply. ... Some schemes will open in July and August! Read
- Piper Sandler: Spring weeks and insight programmes For those that are successful on the Spring Week programme, you may receive an offer to be fast-tracked for a 2028 summer internship. Applicants should be either in the first year of a three-year degree or the second year of a four-year degree, graduating in 2029. ... Applications open from midday on Tuesday 1 December 2026. ... The confirmed dates for Spring Week are April 2027. Read
- Barclays: Summer internship applications (summer 2027) The closing date for applications is 31 October 2026. Please note that this vacancy may close ahead of the advertised date due to application volumes, and we therefore recommend submitting your application as early as possible. ... To be considered for this opportunity, you must be in your penultimate year of university. You must be graduating in 2028. ... Please also note that, during your summer internship, you will be considered for a place on our 2028 graduate programme. Read
- KPMG UK: Assessment centre season The dates of our Launch Pad events can be found below: Tuesday 17th November 2026: London Oval ... Wednesday 5th May 2027: Leeds New Dock Hall ... If successful you will have your job offer within 2 working days! Read
- University of Kent: Degree results Exam results for finalists and Year In students will be published throughout the day on KentVision, Monday 20 July. Read
- White & Case: Law vacation scheme applications We recruit the majority of our London trainees (on average 80 percent) from our vacation schemes, with up to 25 participants in each intake. ... Spring vacation scheme 5 to 16 April 2027 Who can apply? penultimate-year and final-year law students, final-year non-law students, and graduates from any discipline. When can I apply 24 September 2026 to 6 December 2026 Summer vacation scheme 28 June to 9 July 2027 Read
- Linklaters: Law vacation scheme applications Our Spring and Summer Vacation Schemes are the best route to securing a Training Contract with us. ... Final Training Contract interview: At the end of the scheme, you’ll have a guaranteed interview for a Training Contract with a Partner and Managing Associate. ... Closing Date 03/12/2026 Read
- Greenberg Traurig: Training contract applications (direct) Apply: September to November 2026 ... Applications for our 2029 training contract are now open. To apply, please click here. Applications will close on Monday 30th November 2026 at 23:59. ... We do not run vacation schemes. Applications for our training contracts are direct only. Read
This page is about the UK job hunt and is not immigration advice. For your own situation, speak to a regulated immigration adviser or an immigration solicitor, and check the current rules on gov.uk.
Change log
- First published.
Read next
- Summer internships for international studentsSummer internships for international students Summer places that often lead to graduate offers, with their dates
- Your UK job-hunt plan, dated Your job hunt, dated month by month from your course end
- Job hunting on a Graduate visa Direct entry, a weekly rhythm and the switch
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Pictures on this page
- The Cloisters, University of Glasgow Photograph: Atreides83, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
- Canary Wharf from the Rotherhithe foreshore at low tide Photograph: Bex Walton, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped
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