The academic year in the UK runs from mid to late September until early July. Some postgraduate courses may start in early September or August.
Students normally begin enquiring and applying for courses about a year beforehand.
The earlier you apply the better although many students sort out their places later in the summer. You must ensure that when you apply, you leave enough time to sort out not only your place on your course, but also any student visa or funding applications you may also require. UCAS in particular operates under a series of deadlines for decisions and replies. Once you have applied to the University, it may take 4-6 weeks to process a reply to your application. Relevant UCAS codes for courses are given in the Staffordshire University undergraduate prospectus.