The controversy of student dependants in the UK
Following the revised United Kingdom immigration rules regarding students dependents, a lot of prospective students with intention to explore this immigration route may have dashed hope completely. But the good news is that; the UK government did not scrape this opportunity completely, instead it was reformed in order to uphold the educational credence, which the country has earned over the century as the world educational traveled destination. However, the new law only affected the taught masters degree programme. Now you may be wondering which one is taught for a masters degree programme. Well, let me walk you through on this. There are two types of masters degree programmes in the UK; taught masters degree programmes and masters by research MScR.
Masters by Research (MScR)
Research-based higher degree' means a postgraduate programme comprising a research component (including a requirement to produce original work) that is larger than any accompanying taught component when measured by student effort. Paragraph 6.2(b) of the Immigration rules UKVI confirms this definition is consistent with that set out in 'HESA’s Qualification Category'.
Masters by Research (MScR) degree serve as strong preparation for PhD study and are sometimes part of doctoral training programs in some universities across the UK. The abbreviation can be different depending on the university. For instance University of Edinburgh has it as MScR, MRes (sciences and technology), or MARes (arts and humanities) elsewhere. These programs emphasize research skills, with about two-thirds of the content dedicated to research projects.
They prepare you for postdoctoral study and offer valuable experience if you’re unsure about pursuing a PhD. Most taught programs also consider PhD progression. MScR programs typically last one year full-time or two years part-time, culminating in a research project or dissertation. Unlike some universities, Edinburgh’s MScR doesn’t always lead directly to a PhD; you can choose to pursue MScR alone. When applying, you’ll likely need to submit a research proposal outlining your project’s aims and outcomes. Identifying a suitable supervisor is essential for discussing your research idea before applying. Therefore, I urge you to explore the course that would align with what I have explained above and follow it up judiciously, while providing all the necessary documentation as appropriate and subsequent admission offer.
Conclusion
At this point, you may wish to start making preparations for bringing in your dependents. In summary, you can bring in your dependants to the UK while you study if your programme of study is a PhD(doctoral qualification) or undertaking a research - based programme like Masters by Research MScR on full time study of at least six months, or rather you are being sponsorship to study masters degree by government. Thus, based on the three criteria stated above, you can comfortably bring in your dependants to the UK while you study.