Students from other countries are particularly welcome at MATTS, and our qualification is recognised throughout the world.

The MATTS Qualification​ is recognised worldwide

MATTS is a STAT-approved teacher training course. STAT is the main governing body for the Alexander Technique in the UK and a STAT qualification is recognised by all Affiliated Societies internationally, and together these represent the overwhelming majority of teachers in the world. Since STAT was the first representative body for the Alexander Technique and is still the most influential, where countries do not have a sufficient number of teachers to support their own professional Society, most teachers choose to become a Non-Affiliate World Teaching Member of STAT.

 

Obtaining a Visa to Study in the United Kingdom

Students who are well-educated generally, or in certain fields, including in the arts, or who are outstanding for other reasons, can often succeed in obtaining either a UK High Potential Individual Visa or a UK Global Talent Visa. These visas permit you to remain in the UK for several years and also to work while you are here.

 

If you do not qualify for the types of visa listed above, then it is normally very easy to obtain a 6 month visa, and this can be renewed at least once, and usually twice or more. Because each 6 month visit can be organised and timed to cover the equivalent of two terms of training, and because some aspects of training can take place outside the formal training course, you should be able to complete most or even all of your training with us over a period of about 4½ years, with some breaks in study to renew your visa. Alternatively, in order to complete your training more quickly, you can divide your training between us and another training course outside the UK. There are several training courses outside the UK with which we have a strong relationship, and whose training methods and standards are very similar to our own, including (but not limited to) the courses in Amsterdam, Holland and in Graz, Austria.

 

The STAT Assessment Procedure leading to qualification is open to students from anywhere in the world who have trained either on one training course in the conventional manner, or who have trained on more than one course. See the Teacher Training page for more information on Assessment and Qualification,

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Visiting MATTS

A good way to choose a place to train is to visit several possible courses. We encourage you to visit us as many times as you would like, for as long as you like, before making your decision. We are completely flexible about the timing of visits, so you are always welcome during term time. Days spent visiting training courses count towards the minimum hours of formal training required to apply for assessment for Teaching Membership of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique.

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We have teachers and students who speak French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Mandarin, Urdu, Arabic and more, and we can usually arrange for one of these to support you during your first visit(s).

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There is more information for visitors on our Classes for the Public webpage.

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Why study in the UK?​
For international students, the UK regularly comes first in international rankings of the best countries to study abroad (see, for example, here, here and here). Current exchange rates also favour studying in the UK over most other developed countries.

Why study in Manchester?
Manchester is one of the most important student cities in the world, and has many advantages over London and other major urban centres for both British and international students. Greater Manchester is the most populous urban area in the UK after London, with 2.8 million people, about one-third the population of Greater London. It is also, by a number of other metrics, England’s (and the UK’s) second city after London, with many important learning, cultural and media centres. Manchester is a much less expensive place to live than London and is well-known for its friendly and welcoming atmosphere. In 2021 'Time Out' listed Manchester in 3rd place after only San Francisco and Amsterdam in its list of the 37 Best Cities in the World, and was voted top for ‘nightlife’, ‘creativity’, ‘community spirit’, ‘friendliness’ and ‘getting to know your neighbours’.