The bursaries are available for full and part-time study for courses in each of the University's 10 academic Schools – Arts; Business and Economics; Engineering; Environment and Society; Health Science; Human Sciences; Humanities; Law; Medicine; and Physical Sciences.

Gemma Barratt (pictured), 21, from Gloucestershire, who is studying for an MA in Gender and Culture, studied her first degree in English at Swansea and enjoyed it so much that she decided to explore postgraduate study options within the department.

She said: "The Master's offered was everything that I enjoyed and excelled in, so it seemed like the logical step to take. And the Taught Master’s bursary has helped to reduce the pressure on me financially."

Swansea is one of only three UK Universities to offer an MA in Gender and Culture and Gemma has welcomed the greater flexibility that postgraduate study has offered.

She added: "I love it! It has given me the opportunity to explore areas that most interest me, and introduce me to new authors and texts. The flexibility has been a brilliant.

"What's so great about the Master's is that it vastly increases the number of opportunities open to you."

The closing date for applications for this year is Friday, July 25, and new postgraduate courses at Swansea for 2008 include Aerospace Engineering; Ageing Studies; Ancient Narrative Literature; Developmental and Therapeutic Play; Electronics for Sustainable Energy; Hollywood and the World: Transnational Perspectives on American Film; International Security; Maritime and Imperial History; and Medical Radiation Physics.

A full list of the University's postgraduate courses can be found here and information about funding postgraduate study, including the Taught Master's Bursaries, can be found here. 

And for further information about applying for a postgraduate course, contact the University's Postgraduate Admissions Office on 01792 295358, or email: postgraduate.admissions@swansea.ac.uk.