Wether if you choose England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland: the higher education area of the UK offers numerous possibilities to study and cares especially for the quality of the very flexible teachings. International students appreciate the practice oriented, intensive coached education and the short duration of study. Additionally you improve your English, what is, as English is the international language of business, a must for almost any career. At the same time, you'll socialise whith interesting people of a global community. Certainly you'll have also a lot of fun. Large cities like London and Edinburgh, the music scenes, football or the Scottish highlands makes the leisure possibilities in the land of the lords as multisided as the learning opportunities are. For this strong combination, the United Kingdom is a very popular destination for international students.
How many universities do exist and how are they organised?
The tradition of higher education in the United Kingdom has a long history. The world-famous universities Oxford and Cambridge were founded in the early 13th century and therefore they belong to the ten eldest universities in Europe. Today, over 2 Million students in the United Kingdom have the choice between about 180 universities:
All of them are largely self-governing and independent, vary in size, subject mix and course structure. To keep the quality of the teaching and the international acceptance of the degrees, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) continuous performs checks. International prospective students can use the QAA results for their orientation. Research quality is evaluated every few years, at last in 2001, through the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).
How are the studies organised?
Because of the independence of the universities, the organisation and the study can be very different at the single institutions. For a long time the study was regularly structured in terms. Now they have mostly introduced the semester structure. The study starts in 1. October. Within the opportunities visiting study, full-time and part-time undergraduate or postgraduate study there are currently different programmes available:
Undergraduate study
Undergraduate qualifications can afford to enter a career or to 'top-up' to a higher degree.
The Higher National Certificate/Diploma (HNC/HND) is one- and two-year vocational qualifications, which are equivalent to the first stages of a degree and usually take one or two years to complete. Foundation degrees were launched in 2001. Similar to HNC/HND they take two years to complete and offers the opportunity to progress on to a degree course. First degrees are bachelor's degrees which take three to four years to complete.
For your undergraduate study you have the choice between different types of degree courses. In the single subject course you study one subject in depth. The combination of two subjects studied in less depth is offered by the joint subject course. If you like to study three or more subjects, the combined subject course is the right choice for you.
Postgraduate study
The bachelor's degree ist the most important qualification for a postgraduate degree.
In the UK - in opposite to most of the European countries - you need just one year to complete the Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma (PG Cert/PG Dip), the Master and the Master of Business Administration (MBA), two years in special subjects.
Doctorates
With a master's degree you can 'top-up' to a doctorate. It takes three to four years to complete and take the title Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). In a medical subject you take the title Doctor of Medicine (MD).
With the assimilation of the system of study in Europe the degrees will be reduced to bachelor's degree, master's degree and PhD until the year 2010.
Do they have tuition fees in the UK?
All universities in the UK have tuition fees. Dependent of the region, institution and subject they can vary immense. Foundation courses range from £4.000 to £12.000 per year. For bachelor's and master's degrees the fees depend on the subject you like to study. Arts courses range from £7.000 to £9.000 per year, for Science courses you need to pay £7.500 to £12.000 per year and Clinical courses top the fees with £10.000 to £21.000 per year. The tuition fees for MBA courses have the widest range: institutions charge you from £4.000 to £30.000 per year.
How can I apply?
The universities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland have general requirements to apply to the institution as well as course requirements, which depend on the singe subjects. The universities establish their requirements by themselves, so you have to apply directly at the institution of your choice. For undergraduate courses, apply via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
Specifics?
Because of the miscellaneous, self-governing types of universities and the multitude of types of courses and the differences between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the rules to study and the accentuation of the courses can differ immensely.
You get help for your orientation from the institutions in our link list beyond. But the best way to get the most detailed information is to require directly at the institution concerned.
Important links
Aggregation of the universities in the UK
http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk
British Council
http://www.britishcouncil.de/d/education
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)
http://www.qaa.ac.uk
English language courses
http://www.englishinbritain.co.uk
Website for international students
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/international-students
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
http://www.ucas.com