Reviewed on May 1, 2025(Enrolled 2020)
What Students Say
Likes
- Well organised course structure
- Labs and development kitchen facilities (a huge Food Industry centre)
- Amazing career services for CV and Cover letter help
Dislikes
- Covid batch - online classes in the same fee
- No direct placement opportunities at that time - placement needs to be secured by ourselves.
- Too many students in masters course - should have been limited to 30 or less. It was 60 in my course in that year.
Course Curriculum
10
- Since it is a different course structure as compared to India, it was new and challenging initially, however once you get into it, it’s the most enjoyable process. My course was dissertation based not research based which meant at the end of 1 year, I will have to choose a topic and conduct a theoretical project on it.
- The course was mix of theoretical and practical. Practicals was mostly process and product development lab sessions. Product development project was to make a new food product which again was part of practical sessions.
- Its assignments based degree which means there were no exams, just assignments for each module / subject. A lot of literature reviews , poster presentations etc.
- There were 60 students in my course , of which around 40 were Indian.
Admission Experience
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I applied for the following universities:
- Only one UK university applied – Cardiff Metropolitan University – accepted
- I received rejection from Canadian Universities
- University of British Columbia
- University of Alberta
- Guelph University
- University of Saskatchewan
- I was potentially rejected because I applied too early (during my 3rd year of my UG degree) for research-based courses with no prior experience or education in a relevant field. At that time , Canadian application processes were very tough.
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After a lot of research, I settled on the Food Science course at this university because I read previous students' experiences and watched YouTube videos of the faculty and past students and it impressed me. It was very well structured, which meant that you had the option to choose 3 different pathways for your career:
- 1. Product development (which I did ),
- 2. Chemistry and Biochemistry ,
- 3. Food safety and technical, which meant that students could assess what interests them and pursue a career in anything.
- I applied through an educational consultancy called Education matters in Hyderabad. My application was submitted online without any application fee. It was a hassle-free process and I received acceptance in less than a month.
- I did write the IELTS exam at that time with a score of 7.5; however , if you had studied in English as your first language at your past educational institute, the IELTS was waived. However, I am not aware of new requirements.
- The only challenge I can think of was attending online classes – since it was Covid time, lectures were online and my batch was not able to get the whole international student experience. It was difficult to get used to the foreign degree culture; nevertheless, the university and staff were very supportive.
- September 2020. This is the most common intake for international students, as it’s right after most undergraduate degree completions. I preferred Sept 2020, as I graduated in June 2019.
- I applied and got an offer letter within 1 month. You get your first Certificate of Acceptance and also get CAS as the first step. Which is usually 4-8 weeks. But I got it within a month.
Faculty
10
- Each module had a different teacher and each one of them had a different approach to teaching. There was a good student-to-faculty ratio. Each student had a personal tutor .
- The teaching methodology usually followed was interactive PowerPoint presentations. Lecturers would give module handbooks/PPTs for reference. Any team meetings would be recorded for later access.
- My best teacher, now program director, was Anita S. One of the sweetest and most helpful faculty members.
Campus Life
10
- Unfortunately, I cannot comment on this much, as a lot of things were closed due to Covid. However, I was given the opportunity to become the course representative of my course, which was really nice. Students also have the chance to enroll in different sports clubs or other literary clubspart-time roles are also available.
- There will be a nice freshers and Cardiff Met has got a lot of international student communities based on countries and there is a huge Indian community that celebrates festivals as well.
Part Time Jobs
- Teaching assistant jobs isn’t much of a British thing. Most students work off campus only.
- Other on campus jobs could be joining university campaigns, events as volunteers or assistants, student catering etc.
- Max hours allowed during coursework is 20 hours and when university is shut for holidays it is 40 hours per week.
- Securing on campus jobs is difficult but not impossible. There will be news all over the campus of available roles, alternatively universities release list of available jobs on their website.
- Most Indian students prefer working in restaurants/ warehouses/ food companies etc. It is competitive but students usually end up getting some or the other part time, be it through NI number or cash in hand jobs. Searching for jobs usually depends on what kind of job is being looked for, restaurants usually advertise online or outside the restaurant itself for available roles, students can get in touch with universities as well to see available jobs around the area.
Placement
6
- I personally cannot comment on this, as it differs based on a lot of criteria. It was easier back in 2020; however, with visa changes, etc., things have become more competitive. A large part of our 2020 batch got placed; however, the % has reduced significantly with fewer companies offering sponsorship opportunities.
- Jobs are usually found through University website/ LinkedIn, Total jobs , CV library and Indeed.
Accommodation
Off Campus
8
- University shared a list of available properties for accommodation. I went for a private one because it was cheaper. Students usually house share. OpenRent, SpareRoom, and rightmove are some websites used in the UK. My rent at that time was £300, including all bills. But the cost of living has gone up now. One of the challenges in the UK when renting with a private landlord is the need for a UK guarantor. Luckily I didn’t have to get one, but if you have a relative already living here, they can be your guarantor.
- I suggest opting for private accommodation if you can, as it saves quite a lot of money. If you prefer having a student live experience more important than saving some money, opt for a student hall.
- My accommodation was a 15-minute walk to Cardiff Met university. But students living on campus were a 5-minute walk away.
Exams
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I had submitted
- IELTS
- BTECH CERTIFICATES
- STATEMENT OF INTEREST
- 3 LORs from academic professors/1 from an external internship trainer.
- Proof of relevant internships or certificates
- No, an interview wasn’t a part of the process.
- NOTE – this list was based on 2020 requirements. It must have changed – suggest checking the university website for the latest information.
Fees
- My total fees were 13000; however, i received £3,000 scholarship. So that was taken off from my total fees. When I accepted the offer , I needed to pay £3000 to secure my seat. Remaining fees were meant to be paid in installments.
- Second year was a placement year - this year’s fee was £1800, which I had the option to pay in 2 installments. Living expenses back then were cheap; however, I would say 500£ for rent , 150£ for food, 100£ for travel, etc. An international student can live in the UK on a budget of £1000 monthly, dependent on area living (London is very expensive).
Scholarship
- Yes, I received a scholarship of £3000 after my admission. This is dependent on the strength of your profile, which includes your past academic GPA and English proficiency. This scholarship was offered to other students who met the criteria as well.
- Typical award amount is £1000-£3000. Students receive these based on previous academic performance as mentioned.
