studying in the uk

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Studying in the United Kingdom

9 October 2010


Interested in studying in the UK?


There are several things you may need to consider before

making a decision.

Here are some points you may want to look at:

• Getting to know the UK Education System and finding out the entrance

requirements and the application procedures.

• Choosing your level of study.

• Considering the different types of institutions and location.

• Deciding on a subject to undertake.


The UK Education system

School

Education (Prep-School)

IGCSEs

Foundation

Courses

GCE “A” Levels

HNC/HND

D

EGREE

C

OURSE

S

De

gree

Cou

rses

Research Master’s

Taught Master’s

Research Doctrate


The education options available in the UK

• Pre-university and career based courses

• Undergraduate courses

• Postgraduate courses


Pre-university and Career-based Courses


• University International Foundation Year

• Foundation and Access Courses

• BTEC National Award, Certificate or Diploma

• Cache Diplomas

• OCR Nationals

• AS and A levels

• International Baccalaureate

• Cambridge Pre-U Diploma



University International Foundation Year

University International Foundation Year courses help to bridge any gaps between

qualifications you hold already and the ones you need to begin a degree course at a

UK university, whether this is because you need to improve your English language

skills, your academic qualifications or both.

You can find more information about International Foundation Year programmes,

including how to apply on the UCAS website www.ucas.com


http://www.ucas.com/


Foundation and Access Courses

If your current qualifications do not match those of the UK education system, or if

you have relevant work experience but no formal qualifications, you many need to

take a foundation or access course before entering higher education, or a pre-

master’s course before entering postgraduate education.

Entry requirements are flexible but the student must be over 17 and have obtained

high school matriculation. Courses last 1-2 years and can be shorter. Refer to

www.educationuk.org


http://www.educationuk.org/


Choosing subjects for Access and Foundation courses

If you are not sure what subject you would like to study for your degree, you could

choose to do a general access or foundation course that focuses on study skills and

communication.

However, the majority of courses focus on a particular subject and prepare you for a

degree in that area. For example, you can do Access to Business, Access to

Nursing, Access to Teaching, Access to Performing Arts, Access to Computing,

Access to Engineering, Access to Law, or a Foundation in business, Foundation in

Engineering or Foundation in Art and Design.



BTEC National Award, Certificate or Diploma

( Business and Technology Education Council – new part of Edexcel )


BTEC Nationals are one or two-year courses in career- related subjects such as

e-business, engineering, art and design, media, performing arts, agriculture,

applied science, computing and health and social care.

They are ideal for students hoping to progress to a career at supervisory or

technician level, and also provide a foundation for higher education courses in the

same subject area.

For more details see www.edexcel.com

http://www.edexcel.com/


CACHE Diplomas

The Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education administers CACHE

Diplomas. They are specialist career qualifications and are also accepted for

entry to higher education courses in areas such as early years education,

teacher training and child nursing. Delivered through a combination of college-

based learning and work experience.

For more information see www.cache.org.uk



OCR Nationals

Introduced by the awarding body OCR in 2005, OCR Nationals are similar

qualifications to BTECs and are offered at three levels: Certificate, Diploma and

Extended Diploma. These are career-based further education qualification that

helps students develop their personal skills in areas applicable to workplace.

The course lasts one year full time for a Certificate; two years full time for a

Diploma or an Extended Diploma.

For more information, see http://orcnationals.com


http://orcnationals.com/


AS- and A-levels (Highers / Advanced Highers in Scotland)

(Advanced Supplementary level and Advanced Level)

AS- and A-levels are the UK qualifications most widely accepted for entry to

university. They are available in subjects from the humanities, arts, sciences and

social sciences as well as in practical subjects such as engineering and leisure and

tourism. You will study up to four subjects simultaneously over two years, taking

AS-level examinations at the end of your first year and A-level qualifications at the

end of your second.



AS- and A-levels

(Advanced Supplementary level and Advanced Level)

An AS level qualification is the equivalent of 50 per cent of an

A level. In both AS and A level course work accounts for between 20 and 30 per

cent of the marks, with the remainder being assessed by examination.

For further information on these courses see

www.dfes.gov.uk/qualifications


http://www.dfes.gov.uk/qualifications

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/qualifications


International Baccalaureate

Currently more than 100 school and colleges, both state and independent, provide

an

opportunity for pupils to take the international Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma

Programme instead of A-levels.

Whether taken in the UK or abroad, an International Baccalaureate Diploma is

considered an acceptable qualification for entry to degree courses at UK higher

education institutions.

For more information, visit: www.ibo.orgPre-university and Career-based Courses

http://www.ibo.org/


Cambridge Pre-U Diploma

This is a new qualification that is designed to develop students’ independent

thinking

and learning skills. It has proved popular among independent schools and has also

been adopted by some state schools.

Lasting two years, it is made up of three subjects chosen from a total of 26 on offer

plus an Independent Research Report and a Global Perspective Portfolio. Each

subject is the equivalent of an individual A-level subject. Each element can be taken

singly (leading a Pre-U Certificate) or together to achieve the full Diploma.

For more information, visit: www.cie.org.uk/qualifications/academic/uppersec/preuPre-university and Career-based Courses

http://www.cie.org.uk/qualifications/academic/uppersec/preu


Entrance requirements



You’ll find the exact entry requirements for each course explained clearly on the

course profiles on www.educationuk.org. To give you a rough idea, the

sort of qualifications you’ll need are as follows:

BTEC National Diploma/ OCR Nationals

Good general high school education equivalent to four GCSEs grades A–C, plus IELTS 4.5-5.0

AS/A-levels / IB / Cambridge Pre-U

Good general high school education equivalent to five GCSEs grades A–C, plus IELTS 4.5-5.0

International Foundation Year

Twelve years of school education or equivalent in your own country, plus IELTS 4.5-5.0



Undergraduate degree courses


• Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Diploma (HND)

• Foundation Degrees (FdA, FdSc etc)

• Certificate or Diploma of Higher Education (Cert/Dip HE)

• Degrees

Undergraduate Degree Courses


Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Diploma (HND)

Higher National Certificates and Diplomas are one- and two-year career-related

higher education courses, which are equivalent to the first stages of a degree. They

are available in many areas including engineering, sports studies, art and design,

media and communications and music technology.

Successful completion will allow you to enter a career at junior management level

and from many courses you can ‘top-up’ to a degree by transferring into the second

or third year of the degree course.

For more information, visit: www.edexcel.com


http://www.edexcel.com/


Foundation degrees (FdA, FdSc etc)

Foundation Degrees are two-year career-related higher education courses, which

are equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. Successful students are

able to cite the letters FdA or FdSc after their name, depending on whether their

foundation degree is in an arts or science subject.

Foundation degrees are available in many areas, including art and design, media and

communications, engineering and hospitality management, and can be used as a

good foundation for a career or as a basis from which you can progress on to a

degree course.



Difference between Foundation degree & Foundation courses

Foundation degree is a separate qualification and is quite different from an access or

foundation course. It is an employment-related higher education qualification

designed to meet skills shortages at higher technician level.

Courses last two years and are aligned with the first two years of a bachelor’s

degree. You may need to take a foundation course before progressing to a

foundation degree.

For more information on foundation degrees visit www.foundationdegree.org.uk


http://www.foundationdegree.org.uk/


Certificates / Diplomas of Higher Education (Dip HE)

Certificates / Diplomas of Higher Education are university–level two-year courses

available in many humanities and social science subjects, such as education,

theology, communication studies and social work. They are ideal for students hoping

to progress to a career in these areas and also provide a foundation for higher

education courses in the same subject area.

Successful completion of a Dip HE may allow students to transfer directly on to the

third year of a degree course and many institutions also offer specialised ‘top-up

degrees’ – one-year courses developed to convert Dip HEs into bachelor’s degrees.

Though aimed at preparing students for particular careers, the teaching methods

tend to be more academic than on HNDs or Foundation Degree programmes. See

www.ucas.com for a list of courses available.


http://www.ucas.com/


Degrees

Degrees are the most popular undergraduate qualification in the UK. They are

academic courses, usually studied over three years in England, Northern Ireland and

Wales, or four years in Scotland (where the title master's degree may be awarded).

Some degree courses may be extended for a year to enable students to spend a year

in industry (such as on engineering degrees) or overseas (such as on degrees in

modern languages). Degree courses in professional subjects, such as architecture,

medicine, dentistry and veterinary sciences, can take between five and seven years

to complete.



Entrance requirements

The qualifications you need depend on the course you want to study. You'll be

expected to have completed at least 13 years of education in your own country or

the

UK, and to have taken pre-university qualifications equivalent to UK A-levels,

Scottish Higher or National Diplomas.

If your qualifications don't match this, you can still study in the UK, you just to start

at an earlier level.



You’ll find the exact entry requirements for each course explained clearly on the

course profiles on www.educationuk.org. The following will give you an idea

of the sort of qualifications you will need:

HND Qualifications equivalent to one or two UK A-levels, tow Scottish Highers or a Higher National Certificate or BTEC National Diploma or an international foundation year, plus IELTS 5.5-6.0

Foundation Degree

Qualifications equivalent to one or two UK A-levels, one or two Scottish Highers or a National Diploma; or an international foundation year. Plus IELTS 5.5-6.0

Diploma of Higher Education

Qualifications equivalent to one or two UK A-levels, two or three Scottish Highers or a National Diploma; or an international foundation year. Plus IELTS 5.5-6.0

Degree Qualifications equivalent to two or three UK A-levels, three or four Scottish Highers or a National Diploma; or an international foundation year. Plus IELTS 6.0-6.5



Postgraduate degree courses


• Pre-master's courses

• Postgraduate certificate or diploma (PG Cert/Dip)

• Taught master's (MA, MSc, LLM, MEd etc)

• Research master's (MRes, MPhil)

• Master of Business Administration (MBA)

• PhD by research

• New Route PhDs

• Professional Doctorate

Postgraduate Courses


Pre-master’s courses

You may need to take a pre-master's course if your qualifications or English

language skills don't quite match the standard required to begin a master's degree.

Pre-master's courses can last from one term to a complete academic year and cover

academic subject, study skills, cultural instruction and language training. Many

Courses will guarantee progression onto a master's course at a particular university.

Pre-MBA courses can also give you the opportunity to develop workplace

experience. These can enable you to gain a good score in the Graduate Management

Admission Test (GMAT)



Postgraduate certificate or diploma (PG Cert/Dip)

Postgraduate certificates and diplomas are ‘bridging’ courses at postgraduate level

and are designed to give access to students who do not qualify for direct entry to

Master’s courses. They last one academic year and are offered in a huge variety of

subjects, from education to management to network engineering. These are often

accepted as professional qualifications in their field. You’ll find that some

postgraduate diplomas are similar to a master’s degree, although you will not be

required to write a dissertation.



Taught master's (MA, MSc, LLM, MEd etc)

Taught master's courses generally last for one year and consist of two elements:

you'll complete a number of modules (which will include attending lectures and

seminars, writing essays and taking examinations) and produce a dissertation from

original research under the guidance of a supervisor, normally a specialist in the

field.

Once you’ve passed, you’ll be entitled to have letters after your name depending on

the subject – MA for arts courses, MSc for science courses, MEng for Engineering

courses and so on.



Research master's (MRes, MPhil)

The MRes and MPhil are one to three years full time postgraduate courses and

they consist of research into a single topic and the submission of a longer

dissertation or thesis than for a taught Master’s.

These are especially suitable for students with a specific interest in a narrow area of

academic study and a high level of prior academic achievement. The MRes is

specifically designed to give students training in research, as a preparation for a

PhD

or for a research-related career in industry.



Master of Business Administration (MBA)

An MBA is a specialist business taught master's course that will give you a real step

up the managerial ladder. It's the best-known and most popular postgraduate

qualification.

The association of MBAs provides a list of accredited providers in England, Northern

Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Some of these are based in universities that offer a

wide range of academic programmes, while others are specialist business colleges.

Visit the Association of MBAs’ website at www.mbaworld.com for more details.


http://www.mbaworld.com/


New Route PhDs

A PhD, also know as a doctorate, will take you three to four years to complete, during

which you'll be working on a single research project. In you final year, you'll be

asked to present a thesis of approximately 100,000 words, which is based on an

original idea and explains the methods, results and conclusion of your original

research.

PhD by research

New Route PhDs include taught elements as well as advanced research project and

give you the opportunity to undertake interdisciplinary study.



Professional doctorates

Professional doctorate programmes take four years and usually lead to the award of

a doctorate that has a named subject area within the title of the award (e.g. Doctor of

Education, EdD; Doctor of Clinical Psychology, ClinPsyD; Doctor of Business

Administration, DBA).

These are essentially vocational doctorates that focus on professional subject areas

and are often a blend of coursework and research; the research component may

even be part of your professional work. These doctorates are relatively new

qualifications, but are increasing in popularity and availability.



Entrance Requirements

To begin a postgraduate course in the UK, you'll need to hold an undergraduate

degree from the UK or overseas. This is the foundation from which you'll be able to

go on to a postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma or a master's degree and

then, afterwards, to a PhD.

You'll be expected to have obtained a first class Honours degree or good Upper

second Honours degree (2:1) or international equivalent in a directly related subject

and you'll also need to speak English to at least IELTS 6.5 level.



You'll find the exact entry requirements for each course explained clearly on the

course profiles on www.educationuk.org. To give you a rough idea, the sort

of qualifications you'll need are as follows:

Pre-master's undergraduate degree plus IELTS 5.0-5.5

PG Cert/PG Dip undergraduate degree plus IELTS 6.5-7.0 or a pre-master's course

Master's degree first or upper second class undergraduate degree plus IELTS 7.0, or a pre-master's course

MBA first degree, 2-3 year's business experience, IELTS 6.5-7.0

PhD master's degree, IELTS 6.5-7.0



Course fees


Career-based and pre-university courses

Career-based and pre-university study offers you great value for money. Course

fees can vary considerably between institutions, but the figures below show

approximately what you’ll need to pay. Costs for individual courses are given in the

course profiles on their institutions’ website.

AS- and A-levels: £4,000 - £17,000 per year

BTECs and other vocational: £4,000 - £6,000 per year

International Foundation Courses:

£4,000 - £17,000 per year

Course fees


Course fees for undergraduate degree courses

The figures below show approximately what you'll need to pay, but it's worth bearing

in mind that course fees can vary considerably between institutions. Costs for

individual courses are given in the course profiles on their institutions’ website.

Foundation courses £4,000 to £17,000 per year

Arts courses £7,000 to £9,000 per year

Science courses £7,500 to £22,000 per year

Clinical courses £10,000 to £25,000 per year

Course fees


Course fees for postgraduate courses

Course fees can vary considerably between institutions, but the figures below show

approximately what you'll need to pay. Costs for individual courses are given in the

course profiles on their institutions’ website.

Arts and humanities courses : £7,000 - £12,000 per year

Science courses : £7,500 - £25,000 per year

Clinical courses : £10,000 - £33,000 per year

MBA : £4,000 to more than £30,000+ per year

Course fees


Entry Clearance


Entry Clearance

Starting 31 March 2009, international students from non-European countries,

applying for General student visas must pass a points-based assessment and score

40 points before they are able to travel to the United Kingdom. These 40 points

include:

• 30 points for a visa letter from a licensed sponsor, and

• ten points for maintenance (you will need to show you have enough money to

cover course fees and monthly living costs for up to 9 months; your bank

statements must confirm you have held the money for at least 28 days).

For further information go to: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Please check the Tier 4 register of sponsors on the following website to confirm if

Your chosen course is run by a UK Border Agency licensed education institution at:

www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors

/pointsbasedsystem/registerofsponsorseducation

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/


How many hours can you work in the UK?

If you make your Tier 4 immigration application you can work up to:

• 20 hours a week if you are studying at degree level or foundation

degree and

• up to 10 hours a week if you are studying any other type of course or have immigration permission as a Tier 4 (Child) student during term-time.

• You can work full-time during your holidays and on work placements.

For further information about working while studying, please visit:

www.ukcisa.org.uk for more details.


ATAS Certificate

On 1 November 2007 the UK government introduced the Academic Technology

Approval Scheme (ATAS). Having an ATAS clearance certificate is a mandatory

requirement for some postgraduate students who need entry clearance to study in

the UK. It will affect students who:

• plan to undertake postgraduate research in science, engineering or technology

disciplines

• plan to apply for a postgraduate taught master’s in materials science, materials

technology, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering or physics (including nuclear physics).

If you need an ATAS certificate and you don’t have one your entry clearance

application will be refused. Current students already in the UK wishing to extend

their visa also need to apply for an ATAS clearance if they are extending their visa in

the subject areas listed.

For further information and a more detailed list please visit www.fco.gov.uk/atas

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