Study abroad: U.K degrees and courses

Updated on: Tuesday, August 11, 2009

You should have a fairly good idea of the style and structure of higher education in the U.K. before you decide on the programme and university you intend to join.
Level of qualifications

There is a usual framework for higher education qualifications in the U.K. You may come across different terminologies and classifications of qualifications. The basic division is however as follows:

•Certificate: certificates of higher education

•Intermediate: foundation degrees, ordinary (bachelor’s) degrees, diplomas of higher education, higher national diplomas

•Honours: bachelor’s degrees with honours, graduate certificates and graduate diplomas

•Masters: masters degrees, postgraduate certificates, postgraduate diplomas

•Doctoral: doctorates

Qualifications are awarded on the basis of achievement of outcomes and attainment rather than years of study.

•Certificate: Sound knowledge of the basic concepts of a subject; accurate communication

•Intermediate: Sound understanding of the principles in their field of study and ability to apply those principles widely. Can take up jobs involving decision-making

•Honours: Understanding of a complex body of knowledge, some of it at the current boundaries of an academic discipline. Skills in analytical techniques and problem-solving skills that can be applied in many types of jobs involving decision-making in complex/ unpredictable circumstances. These form the largest group of higher education qualifications

•Masters: Originality in the application of knowledge, ability to understand how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research. Qualities needed for employment in circumstances requiring sound judgement, personal responsibility and initiative, in complex/unpredictable professional environments. Masters degrees are awarded after completion of taught courses, programmes of research, or a mixture of both. Longer, research-based programmes often lead to the degree of M.Phil.

•Doctoral: Awarded for the creation and interpretation of knowledge, which extends the forefront of a discipline, usually through original research. Holders of doctorates will be able to conceptualise, design and implement projects for the generation of significant new knowledge and understanding.

Qualities needed for employment requiring the ability to make informed judgments on complex issues in specialist fields, and innovation in tackling and solving problems.
Quality assurance

The various degrees obtained in the U.K. enjoy international reputation. The ratings are usually high. There is a Quality Assurance Agency for higher education. It scrutinises how universities and colleges maintain their academic standards and quality.

This is a collaborative audit. The QAA makes regular reviews and reports, and offers guidance for improvement wherever necessary. It reports to the public on how higher education providers maintain the quality of the learning opportunities they offer and the academic standards of awards they make. The institutions have their own internal quality assurance procedures. The responsibility of maintaining standards rests primarily with the universities/colleges, which are autonomous. However, most of them receive funds from the government.

Fees: Students from the U.K. and the European Union pay lesser fees compared to those from other countries. The universities have the freedom to fix their fees. The range of annual tuition fees for Indian students is as follows.

Undergraduate: £ 7000 to £ 12000

Postgraduate: £ 9000 to £ 14000; for MBA programmes it may be higher.

(One U.K. Pound is approximately equal to Indian Rs 80. This depends on the currency exchange rate any time.)

The fee for laboratory or workshop based courses may be 15-20 per cent more than those for classroom-based courses. The fees depend to large extent on the reputation of the universities. It should be remembered that the tuition fee forms only part of your total expenses.

The living costs in the U.K. are generally high compared to many other countries. The annual budget for living costs may be anything from £5,500 to £ 8,000.

London and the southeast regions in general may be more expensive. Students who undergo programmes of more than six-month duration can take up part-time work not exceeding 20 hours a week to meet part of their expenses.

Some universities may impose their own restrictions with regard to the maximum number of hours you can work; they may give permission to work for only 15-16 hours.

You can work fulltime during vacation. A sticker or stamp permitting you to work during your stay as a student in the U.K. will be given in your passport at the immigration counter.

If you have permission to stay in the U.K. for twelve months or more for studies, your dependent spouse can work fulltime.

However, you would not get entry to the UK for studies if you indicate that the funding for your studies is to be from the salary of your spouse joining you and working in that country.

There are various rankings of universities made by different organisations. They are not unanimous.
Top institutions

However, the following list shows some of the good universities/institutions you can think of joining for your higher studies: Oxford University, Cambridge University, Imperial College, London, London School of Economics, University of St. Andrews, Warwick University, University College London, Durham University, University of York, Bristol University, King’s College London, Edinburgh University, Lancaster University, University of Newcastle, Glasgow University, Sheffield University.

Details of entry qualifications for each programme may be gathered from the web sites.

For information on higher education in the U.K. or for clarification of any further point, you may contact the following addresses.

British High Commission, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021; Phone: 011-26872161: e-mail: [email protected]

British Deputy High Commission, 20 Anderson Road, Chennai 600 006, Phone: 044-42192151; e-mail: [email protected]

British Council Division, 737 Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002; Phone: 044-4205 0600; e-mail: [email protected]

Study abroad: U.K degrees and courses

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