StepEx

Funding a computer science conversion master’s

Conversion MScs for non-computing graduates qualify for the Master’s Loan. Fees of £13,550 to £19,200 for 2027 entry, and what the loan leaves.

  • £14,250 full-time

    University of Bath, 2027/28

Find courses you could afford

A computer science conversion MSc is a full master’s, so the £13,206 Master’s Loan applies, full-time or part-time over two years. For 2027 entry the fees we checked are £13,550 full-time at Queen Mary University of London (£7,000 a year part-time), £14,250 at the University of Bath and £19,200 at the University of Bristol. The loan leaves £344 at Queen Mary, £1,044 at Bath and £5,994 at Bristol, before living costs.

ItemFigure
Master’s LoanUp to £13,206, paid to you
Queen Mary University of London, 2027£13,550 full-time; £7,000 a year part-time (2 years)
University of Bath, 2027/28£14,250 full-time
University of Bristol, 2027£19,200 full-time
Part-timeLoan available over 2 years if the course is no more than twice the full-time length

Courses for this guide

Computer science conversion courses in the finder

Enter your details once to see the loan position and the ways to pay for each.

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Our ranking is impartial: whether a course has a StepEx loan is not a factor. All courses are ranked by affordability, then graduate pay at 5 years. Courses with a StepEx loan are also shown in a separate section above.

More about how we rank

Top 5 of 7 courses

6 likely affordable · affordable first, then highest graduate pay at 5 years

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Bath

MSc Computer Science (conversion)

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£14,250

Fee for 2027-2028

£1,044 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 90%

Queen Mary University of London

Computer Science (Conversion) MSc

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£13,550

Fee for 2027 entry

£344 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 90%

Surrey

Data Science (Conversion) MSc

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£13,400

Fee for 2027/28

£194 more than the SLC master's loan covers
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: 89%

Newman

MSc Computer Science (Conversion)

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£10,650

Fee for 2027/28

The SLC master's loan covers the fee
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

Newman

MSc Data Science (Conversion)

MSc · Full time · 1 year

Fee
£10,650

Fee for 2027/28

The SLC master's loan covers the fee
Affordability
Outcomes
University employment rate: not available

Open Affordability or Outcomes on any course for the detail. Courses with a StepEx loan are marked and get no preference in the order. How we work it out

Paying the university directly assumes three instalments: at the start, after 4 months and after 7 months. Estimates based on the figures shown, not advice. A StepEx loan is subject to identity, affordability and credit checks; approval is not guaranteed.

Who these courses are for

Conversion MScs take graduates from any subject and teach programming, systems and software from the start in one year full-time or two years part-time. They are standard taught master’s degrees, so every Student Finance England rule for a master’s applies: full standalone course, no previous master’s, under 60 at the start.

The loan against the fee

The Postgraduate Master’s Loan from Student Finance England is £13,206 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2026. It is paid to you, not the university, in three instalments a year (33%, 33% and 34%), and the amount does not depend on your income or your family’s. You repay 6% of what you earn over £21,000 a year (£1,750 a month); interest is currently 6% a year. The 2027/28 amount has not been published.

Part-time at Queen Mary, the £7,000 a year is spread over two years and so is the loan, about £6,603 a year, so the loan covers the fee each year with a small shortfall.

Ways to pay

  • Student loan. Where the course qualifies, the Master’s Loan of £13,206 (England; other UK nations differ, see the nations guide).
  • Pay the university. Ask about paying in instalments across the year; the university’s own page sets the dates.
  • Employer. Some employers pay all or part of a fee, usually with a condition that you stay for a period afterwards.
  • Scholarships and discounts. University scholarships and alumni discounts, see the scholarships guide.
  • StepEx loan. On the courses listed on the finance availability page, credit from StepEx Lender Ltd lets you pay the fee in monthly repayments after a deposit. Approval is not guaranteed. The representative example for each course is on the provider’s page.

A StepEx loan is credit from StepEx Lender Ltd, available on the courses listed on the finance availability page. Approval is not guaranteed. The representative example for each course is on the provider’s page.

Ways to pay

  • SLC

    The government SLC master's loan. The amount depends on where you live.

    How the SLC master's loan works

  • Pay the university directly

    Usually in three instalments: at the start, after 4 months and after 7 months.

Check finance availability

Questions people ask

No. GOV.UK excludes anyone who already holds a master’s degree or an equivalent such as an integrated master’s, whatever the subject. See funding a second master’s.

Yes, and shorter, but it is not a degree and has no student loan. See the bootcamps guide.

Related guides

  • University career accelerators

    Six-month online programmes from King’s, Cambridge and LSE with FourthRev. No student loan, a university certificate, and the ways to pay.

    Read the guide: University career accelerators

  • University bootcamps

    Imperial and Manchester bootcamps with HyperionDev run 12 to 36 weeks and give a certificate of completion. No student loan; the ways to pay.

    Read the guide: University bootcamps

  • Data science and AI master’s

    Fees from £9,630 to £41,900 for 2027/28 among the courses we checked, most within or close to the Master’s Loan. The loan, the gap, and the alternatives.

    Read the guide: Data science and AI master’s

Sources and dates

Checked 7 November 2026. Figures are for UK students and change each year; check the university's page before you apply. Not advice.

Estimates, not advice.

Questions about these guides? Contact us.