Acceptance deposits
Learn more about the pre-payment you may be asked to make before starting your master’s course or postgraduate research programme.
As part of accepting your offer for a place on one of our master’s courses or postgraduate research programmes in the Alliance Manchester Business School, we may ask you to pay an acceptance deposit. We’ll let you know in your offer letter if this applies to your course and any deposit you pay will be deducted from your tuition fees.
An acceptance deposit is a pre-payment of a portion of your tuition fee, which helps to secure your place on a course and confirm you intend to join us. The deposit is then deducted from your total tuition fee.
To ensure we can provide the best possible experience to all our students, we can only accept limited numbers on each course.
Places on our courses are competitive and, each year, we receive more applications than there are places available. The acceptance deposit allows you to demonstrate your commitment to attending your chosen programme of study and helps us plan the resources required to support our students.
We’ll confirm in your offer letter whether you need to pay an acceptance deposit. You can also download a full list of our programmes requiring an acceptance deposit (PDF, 358KB).
If you are an international student and need a visa to study a full time, taught master’s course at Manchester, you should also refer to our guidance on tuition fee deposits. If you are required to pay an acceptance deposit, any requirement for a CAS deposit will be waived.
Your offer letter will include details on how you can make a payment and the deadline (typically four to six weeks from the date of your offer). This ensures that the payment is credited to your application and your offer is accepted. For more information on setting up your account to make the payment visit the after you apply page.
You have a legal right to cancel your place by notifying us within 14 days of The University of Manchester’s acceptance of your application. You must notify us in writing with a clear statement communicating your decision – you may send an email with the subject line ‘Cancellation’ and providing your University student number and your full name to the named contact for your course.
If we receive your cancellation request within these 14 days, any acceptance deposit that has been paid will be refunded. Outside these 14 days, please refer to 'Will my acceptance deposit be refunded if I cannot come to The University of Manchester' information on this page for further guidance.
We understand things can change and that you may be unable to join us as planned. We are able to refund an acceptance deposit under certain circumstances – details of these are listed below.
If you would like to request a refund, please email the Admissions team in your School or Department by 31 July 2023.
- If you are holding a conditional offer and don’t meet the academic entry requirements required for your course.
(You will need to provide the official transcript/document showing that you have not met the conditions of your offer as evidence for a refund to be approved).
- If you are holding a conditional offer and don’t meet the English Language requirements for your course.
(You will need to provide the official certificate of an English Language test taken after the date of our offer for a refund to be approved. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any English Language certificate below our minimum requirement that was provided with your initial application, as this certificate will predate the offer).
- If you are unable to travel to Manchester to begin your studies due to government restrictions on travel.
- If you are unable to take up your place due to the ill health of yourself, a dependant or due to a family bereavement.
- The University is unable to admit you due to the programme of study or specific mode of attendance previously agreed ceasing to be available.
- Exceptional circumstances.*
In your email, please attach appropriate documentary evidence, for example, an official transcript, medical note or a letter from your school or university.
If you are unable to provide evidence that you have not met the conditions of your offer by the deadline set by your Department, we will not be able to refund your deposit.
*We are currently updating the definition for exceptional circumstances and will add it to this webpage in due course. In the meantime, please contact the Admissions team in your School or Department if you have any questions.
If you don’t pay your acceptance deposit by the deadline included in your offer letter, then your offer of a place will be withdrawn. If you are having difficulty paying your acceptance deposit by the deadline, please contact the Admissions team in your School or Department for advice.
If the Admissions team in your School or Department agrees to you deferring entry to the following academic session, any payment you have made will be held on account and form part of your tuition fees, once registered. If we are not able to defer your place and you choose to withdraw, there is no automatic right to a refund of your acceptance deposit.
If you have any questions about the acceptance deposit or making a payment, contact the Admissions team in your School or Department.