Study in the UK Colleges and Universities
The brand of "British Education" is the symbol of quality education. The UK has been an education hub for centuries. Today studying in the UK continues to offer good value for money for international students - the quality of teaching is high, as is the international status of UK qualifications.
The Country
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. Geographically the country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four constituent countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.The UK is a developed country and has the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP and eighth-largest economy by purchasing power parity with a per capita GDP of $38,591.
The United Kingdom has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round.[100] The temperature varies with the seasons seldom dropping below −11 °C (12 °F) or rising above 35 °C (95 °F).
The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946. It has been a member of the European Union and its predecessor the European Economic Community since 1973.
What to study
You can choose from thousands of UK courses in science and technology, computing and business, art and design, social sciences, the humanities and many others. The broad range and flexible approach of the UK education system means that you're free to choose exactly what you want to study. Full-time courses in the UK vary from one year to four years depending on the type of course you choose:
HNC: one year
HND, foundation degree, Dip HE: two years; three with a year in industry/overseas
Bachelor's degree: three years (four in Scotland)
Master's degree: one to two years
The duration of professional courses like ACCA, CIMA etc. and English language courses depends upon the course itself. You can enter the certificate diploma/foundation level course after qualification equal to O'Levels whereas for a direct entry at bachelor level, you need to have a recognized A'Levels equivalent course. A recognized 3-4 bachelor degree can get you admitted at postgraduate level.
Where to study
The education system is divided into nursery (ages 3–4), primary education (ages 4–11), secondary education (ages 11–18) and tertiary education (ages 18+). Students may then continue their secondary studies for a further two years (sixth form), leading most typically to A-level qualifications, although other qualifications and courses exist, including Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications, the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Cambridge Pre-U. Higher education often begins with a three-year bachelor's degree. Postgraduate degrees include master's degrees, either taught or by research, and the doctorate, a research degree that usually takes at least three years.
For different of courses and for different levels of education, there are corresponding types of education institutions where you can study. The United Kingdom (UK) has a well-deserved reputation world-wide for providing high quality and reputable higher education.
Admission Requirements
There are many different entry requirements depending on your chosen type of UK study. The great thing about studying in the UK is that even if you don’t meet the requirements for one course, you can choose another at a different level and work your way up. The UK offers a range of study options to suit international students at all levels.
Entry requirements for UK undergraduate study
The qualifications you need depend on the course you want to study. You should have completed at least 13 years of education in your own country or in the UK, and have taken pre-university qualifications equivalent to UK A-levels, Scottish Highers or National Diplomas.
• HND - qualifications equivalent to one or two UK A-levels, 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, 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, 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, a Higher National Certificate or Diploma, or BTEC National Diploma; or an international foundation year. Plus IELTS 6.0-6.5
Entry requirements for postgraduate or MBA study
To start a postgraduate course in the UK, you'll need to hold an undergraduate degree from the UK or overseas. You'll be expected to have obtained a first or good 2:1 (or international equivalent) in a directly related subject and you'll need to speak English to at least IELTS 6.5 level for most courses.
• 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 years’ business experience, plus IELTS 6.5-7.0
• PhD - master's degree, plus IELTS 6.5-7.
Visa
Before you begin your UK education, you may need to apply for a visa. There are different types of visa, depending on your age, and on the length and level of the course that you want to study, like Child student, Child visitor, Adult student, Student visitor, and Prospective student.
The main types are "Adult & Child Students". For adult and child student visas, the UK has a points-based visa system which is designed to be objective and transparent. To apply, you need to gain 40 points. This includes 30 points for a “confirmation of acceptance for studies” from the university, college or school where you want to study. The remaining 10 points comes from demonstrating that you can afford to cover all or part of your fees and living costs to study in the UK.
This the introduction of "Point Based System" under Tier 4, UK students visa has gone through many big and minor changes. Despite all these changes, it is still much easier than the student visa systems of many other developed countries like Canada & Australia. Click here to read more.
There are 160 institutions (mostly universities) in the UK that are permitted to award a wide variety of degrees to suit most educational aspirations. All these institutions have degree awarding powers recognised by the UK authorities (UK and Scottish Parliament, Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies). Apart from that, there are around 2000 private/public funded schools/language schools/colleges and sixth form/community colleges where international students can study. The point to be noted is that only those British education institutions are authorised to invite international students to study in the UK which are on the "REGISTER OF SPONSORS (of Tier 4)" of the UKBA.
The Cost
Per year Tuition fees vary considerably from institution to institution and from course to course. In private colleges (undergraduate career based courses, like certificates, diplomas,BTECs, HNC/HNDs, it can be from £3000 to £5000 whereas for Postgraduate courses it can be from £6500 to £7500. In public funded colleges it is from £5500 to £6500 whereas in the institutions of higher education (like universities) the fee schedule is something like:
Average undergraduate UK course fees per year:
• Foundation courses: £4,000 to £12,000
• Arts courses: £7,000 to £9,000
• Science courses: £7,500 to £12,000
• Clinical courses: £10,000 to £21,000
Average postgraduate UK course fees per year:
• Arts and humanities courses: £7,000 to £9,000
• Science courses: £7,500 to £12,000
• Clinical courses: £10,000 to £21,000
• MBA: £4,000 to more than £30,000
For English language courses, the variation in the fees is much more prominent. This fee is normally charged on per week basis. For a week’s English language course you could pay anything from under £150 to over £1,000, depending upon the Language school.
UKBA advises the per month living cost to be £1000 inside London and £800 outside London (anywhere in the UK). However, the expereince tells us that, keeping in mind the particular "thrifty" life style of the students from South-East Asia and Africa, the cost can be as low as half of the amounts mentioned above. Most students in the UK need about £500 a month to live on. This will cover your accommodation, your food, clothes and basic needs. Accommodation in the middle of any UK city will also cost more.
When to apply
In universities, most of the courses start in September each year. If you are applying through UCAS, you need to apply about 10 months in advance. If you are applying directly, you need at least 6 months. For some courses, there is a January/February intake in the Universities. There are two intakes in public funded colleges and you can apply four months in advance of your course start date. For private colleges, there are ususally 4 intakes in a year in Jan. April, July and Sep. You can apply two months in advance of your course start date. General English language courses in language schools and private colleges start every Monday. Please remember to save at least one month for visa processing.
Golden Breed
Int. Edu. Consultants