What Undergraduate Degrees Are There?
These are defined as `first degrees`, which normally lead to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc). They are normally three years long, unless there is an additional year for study abroad or work experience, etc. Some universities offer extended Undergraduate Degrees, completed in four years, which lead to a Masters (MA/MSc), typically in engineering (MEng). Traditional Scottish universities also operate a four year system which leads to a Masters degree.
A number of universities offer two year sub degree courses in vocational subjects leading to a Foundation Degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND), which can either qualify a graduate to go straight into employment or which can be extended with further studies to a full BA/BSc degree.
Some universities offer degree courses with extensive integrated periods of work experience. These are called `sandwich courses`.
Many universities offer both part-time and full-time modes of study. Part-time courses are usually completed in twice the time it takes to complete a full-time course. Part-time students now make up over 40% of those currently attending British universities and over 50% of the student population at some of these institutions. Another, more limited option, is to study for a degree through distance learning. Applications for part-time and distance learning courses are made direct to the institution.
There are also some private university colleges in and around London which follow the American system. Some of their degree programmes are also accredited within the British system. Depending on the course, applications may be made either direct or via UCAS.
Timetable For Applications
Applications for full time undergraduate courses are made up to a year in advance of the time of entry, which is usually only possible in October, at the start of the academic year. You may apply before you have completed the exams which will qualify you for entry, or after obtaining your results. If you wish to take a gap year between leaving school and going to university, you may apply for deferred entry, particularly if you intend to be abroad for much of that year.
All applications for full-time places on undergraduate courses go through a central organisation called UCAS on a single online application form. Depending on what you wish to study, you may enter to up to four or six choices on the same form. Wherever you are applying from, we can access your form with your permission as you complete it and guide you on every step of the process and likewise on what to do after you have submitted the form.
Applications for Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary science must be submitted by 15 October for entry the following October. Applicants for Oxford and Cambridge are also required to complete the university`s own form and are advised to nominate a college (though this last point may change in the case of Oxford as the university is reviewing its application process). Fuller details of the entry procedures for these universities are given on their websites.
Applications for other universities or most other courses should be submitted by 15 January, although earlier applications are recommended if there is likely to be a high level of competition. Separate rules operate for students applying for art courses. Later applications are possible, particularly in the case of students from outside the EU, providing the university is willing to consider them. This does not apply to those courses/institutions with the 15 October deadline.
Some universities routinely interview students as part of the applications procedure. Otherwise, in general terms the applicant will be assessed on whether he or she is likely to meet, or has already met the admissions criteria for the course, their motivation and overall potential, and the comments made by their referee. If universities then wish to accept you, they will either make you an outright offer if you have already fulfilled the entry criteria, or a conditional one if you are still completing your course. Otherwise you will be rejected. These decisions will be made in the spring term, assuming you have met the application deadlines set out above.
Once you have heard from all the universities on your list you will be required to select one of them, if all your offers are unconditional, or nominate a first and second choice if the offers are conditional, or reject all of them. If you later satisfy the conditions set by your first choice you automatically gain a place there, or similarly your second choice if you fail to get into your first choice and meet the requirements for this offer. If you hold no offers by the end of the first round of UCAS at around the end of March, you are entitled to apply again through UCAS Extra for any courses with places available. If you fail to hold a place in August, following your exam results, you may enter the final cycle of UCAS, called Clearing, and try to obtain a place then.
What Qualifications Do I Need?
Applicants must satisfy two sets of admissions criteria in order to be accepted onto their chosen course: the university`s general entry requirements and those for the specific course. These vary in each case. Universities stipulate not only which qualifications they will accept, but also the minimum grades they expect students to achieve in the core exams. See university websites and UCAS`s course search engine. Go to the specific details given for each course. The admissions criteria for those who have followed one of the main British systems of education may be quoted in terms of specific exams and grades or in UCAS tariff points. It is important to realise that all this information is only a guide. Admissions staff can vary the entry requirements from student to student depending on individual circumstances.
Applicants for some vocational courses, typically medicine, will also be expected to have had some work experience and/or possess personal qualities relevant to their chosen field. Special entrance tests have been introduced by some universities for certain highly competitive courses, for example medicine (BMAT, GAMSAT) and law (LNAT) and by Oxford and Cambridge for some of their courses.
All applicants, whether British or overseas, are required to achieve a minimum level of English. This a pass at grade C or above in GCSE English Language or a recognised equivalent. The preferred qualification for those who have not studied in the British system and whose native language is not English is the British Council`s IELTS.
The UCAS website provides general information on the status of overseas qualifications with regard to British university entry. A number of overseas national high school leaving diplomas meet the minimum entry requirements for British universities, but applicants should still check with the universities whether their grades will be sufficient for their chosen course. There are various types of bridging courses for overseas students whose qualifications are unlikely to meet the university entry requirements, but care should be taken about choosing the right one.
Choosing Your Degree Course
There are many issues you should consider before choosing your course:
Will you meet the entry criteria?
Should your course be related to your ultimate career?
For some professions like pharmacy and engineering you are obliged to study a related degree course. Sometimes that decision can be delayed: for example, you can study a general undergraduate degree and then transfer to law or medicine if you are unclear at 18 whether you want to enter these professions. You will gain a broader education, but it will be a longer and more expensive training.
It is important to research into the preferences of employers in your chosen profession, as these can vary enormously.
If your exam grades are unlikely to be very good or if you would prefer not to spend three years at university, consider the shorter foundation degrees and HNDs if they are available in your subject.
Check out the campus
Never, if you can avoid it, accept the offer of a university place without first visiting the campus. The feel you get about a university from their website or prospectus, teachers or friends may differ quite radically from the reality you discover on an open day or any other visit, or indeed if and when you join. Do not become one of the many students who leave university within their first year because they chose the wrong place. And, when you do visit, we recommend you also tour the surrounding area so that you can see what facilities the local town or city offers and also where you might be living when you move off campus in your second year.
Proximity of the campus to home, friends, airports, etc., can be extremely important.
Some universities have totally integrated campuses on the edge of towns or in the countryside with all the facilities and accommodation together. You may find this very appealing and it can certainly help you to make friends quickly. Other universities occupy sites in the centre of large towns and cities. This may mean that student accommodation and sports facilities lie some distance away. You will have to consider the costs of urban transport and how safe it is to travel around certain areas after dark. On the other hand, large cities offer a whole range of social and cultural facilities that smaller areas do not. It may also be useful to find out what percentage of the students is of your age group, study full-time and live locally. This can have an important impact on the social scene.
Where is the degree course being offered? Many universities are based on a split site and a number franchise out their degree courses to other colleges. In such cases be very clear where your course is being offered. The actual site could be some distance from the parent campus.
Size
British universities vary enormously. Some are divided up into small individual colleges which operate as the student`s social unit as well as where some of the teaching is done. The size of individual teaching units can also vary hugely from university to university and within departments. This can have an important impact on how well a student learns and settles in.
Accommodation
Students who require university accommodation are usually able to live in college halls of residence during their first year and often their last year, but are required to find their own accommodation in between. Not all college accommodation is on or near the main university campus. It is important to do your research before applying. Fees vary according to the catering arrangements and the quality and size of the rooms.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Some universities, and likewise individual colleges or halls of residence, have a particularly strong tradition in the performing arts, student media, specific sports or in various other pursuits.
Special Needs
You may have special requirements relating to specific learning difficulties or physical disabilities. Facilities and levels of support vary from campus to campus. A good starting point for your research is www.skill.org.uk, which offers national coverage. Otherwise never hesitate to take your matter up directly with any university you are considering.
Student Finance
University applicants are classified as either `home` or `overseas` students depending on their nationality, residential status and other relevant criteria. Your status determines the level of tuition fees you pay.
Different fee regulations also apply depending on which part of the UK you live and study in.
Home Student or Overseas Student?
Most British universities and colleges of higher or further education in the state sector have two levels of tuition fees depending on the student`s residential status. The higher fees are generally referred to as `overseas fees` as distinct from `home fees`.
Entitlement to home fees status is determined by
The length and nature of residence in the UK/EU
Nationality
In a small number of cases, by immigrant status
The student`s fee status for the duration of the course is fixed at the time of admission. The rules regarding what scale of `home fees` are charged at undergraduate level depends on where the university is located within the United Kingdom and, in the case of British residents, where they are living. The Education Departments for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set the regulations for their own territories.
For a student to be eligible for home fee status, he or she must have been ordinarily resident in the UK or elsewhere in the European Union, EEA (= EU + Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) or Switzerland for the last three years preceding 1st September, 1st January or 1st April closest to the beginning of the first term of their course before the start of the course. Ordinary residence in the UK is defined as settled here without being subject under the immigration laws to any restriction on the period of stay. It specifically excludes residence wholly or mainly for the purposes of education, for example attendance at boarding school. Certain categories of immigrants to the UK, typically refugees, are excluded from this residential rule. In the case of those students who have been ordinarily resident in EU/EEA countries other than the UK, or Switzerland, for at least the last three years, they must be nationals of an EU country. There is no nationality restriction in the case of those who have satisfied the residential requirements within Britain.
British and other EU citizens may still be able to claim home fee status if they, or their parents, etc., can prove that their residence outside the EU during this three year period is temporary. To do this they will need to show that this absence is due to temporary employment abroad, that the employment itself is temporary and that but for that employment the person would be ordinarily resident in the UK/EU. A person may be resident in two or more countries at any one time. Property in the UK/EU may help to establish residence in the area in doubtful cases, but this will only be one factor among many taken into consideration.
Approximate Undergraduate Tuition Fees For Overseas Students
Most Arts and Social Sciences: 9,000 L - 11,000 L
Science (and some Arts courses): 10,500 L - 14,000 L
Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science: 19,000 L - 24,500 L
All students are liable for additional annual college fees at Oxford and Cambridge of around L3000 - L4000, though in the case of home students, these are usually covered by the local education authority. These fees vary from college to college.
These figures are guidelines only, as there is considerable variation in the fees being charged by individual institutions for overseas students. These fees apply to full-time students only and exclude private institutions.
Other Costs For All Students
You should also allow for living costs, including accommodation and transport, which will vary according to area and general lifestyle. If you are living away from home you can expect to incur expenses of up to 7,000 L during the academic year, up to 8,000 L in London. If you are an overseas student needing accommodation during the summer vacation, you should budget at least 9000 L.
Alternatives To University Study
Today`s school leavers are under increasing pressure to go to university from the Government, employers, universities and often schools and parents. But university is not right for everyone. It is worth noting that a significant number of students become unhappy at university and either drop out each year without completing their course, or complete, but often with poor results. There are various alternatives if you would prefer something different.
Combining degree courses with employment
If you are happy about the idea of studying for a degree, but are put off by the thought of spending three years on campus, with no income and perhaps considerable expenditure on your social life, then why not consider studying for a degree part-time? Many universities now offer part-time study options. Alternatively, consider degree courses by distance learning. These are privately taught. If you are a British based student you may not get financial support from the government for them. However, many students find this a cheaper way to study than being on campus. Check the accreditation/recognition of the degree awarding institution.
Short Vocational Courses
For many jobs it is essential to get some practical experience beforehand. If you are interested in working in an office in a general administrative capacity or if you want to move into the broad areas of marketing or PR without a degree (and even with one), you should do a short office skills course during which you will learn the necessary practical computer and keyboard skills and also the essentials of office management. Longer courses incorporate other features, such as marketing and languages, etc. After that, many people temp until they find a suitable environment where they can work their way up the ladder. There are many other practical courses available on the market on a part-time or full time basis in both the public and private sectors. Also, consider the merits of the two year Foundation degrees and HNDs.
In House Training
There are still a number of companies and other organisations which take on young people with A levels or the equivalent and which offer them part-time academic training leading to relevant professional qualifications, some of which are regarded as the equivalent of a first degree. Examples include the Armed Forces and emergency services, the Merchant Navy, retail, hotel and catering, IT, accountancy, estate agencies, and certain branches of the Law. Another option is the modern style of apprenticeships.
Delayed Entry Into University
If you are unsure about what to study at university, or even about the merits of going to university at all, consider taking a break from formal academic study once you leave school. This can take the form of a Gap Year, or it could be a longer period of employment and/or vocational training. This gives you a good opportunity to find out how you might fit into the world of work, whether you will really need a degree to get ahead in your chosen field and, if so, the added motivation to succeed on your course. It is also a chance to add to your practical qualifications and perhaps do some travelling. There are plenty of opportunities to enter university these days later on as a mature student.
' STUDYING IN UNITED KINGDOM ' GUIDE
