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UK Education System | Types of Courses | Application Procedure |GCSEs, A-levels and Others |

UK schools, colleges and universities pride themselves on helping international students find the most appropriate course.

British Council offices globally offer assistance to students seeking to study in the UK. Some offices advise students, help them fill in application forms and send the forms off for them. Some can help you apply over the internet. All offices have a wide range of information materials and resources, as well as university and college prospectus, which you can consult for reference. A good prospectus provides answers to all the questions you want to ask about an institution or a course.

The best time to begin preparing your application for degree courses is June to August a year before the September/October when you would like to start.

Career-based Courses

For all other career-based programmes, you should apply directly to the institution which offers the course. Contact the institution and ask for a prospectus and an application form. Alternatively, all British Council offices have standard application forms that you can use

There is no standard closing date for applications to career-based courses but you will need to leave yourself enough time to apply for a visa, make travel arrangements and arrange accommodation.

In making a decision, the college will consider your background, interests and abilities and will treat your application on its individual merits. Once you have accepted a place, the college will send you a letter confirming this.

Degree Courses

To apply for full-time undergraduate degree courses, you simply make a single approach through the centralised application process. This service is provided by UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). All UK universities and most colleges of higher education are members of UCAS. Your route through the UCAS application process is described in this section.

Applications for part-time degree study are not made through UCAS and you should contact directly the institution in which you are interested. Increasingly, universities and colleges are making their application forms for part-time study available on their website, either to complete online or to download.

Bachelor's Degree:-

This stage lasts for three or four years and leads to the award of a Bachelor's Degree in Arts, Science or other fields (Technology, Law, Engineering, etc.). In some Scottish universities the first degree is a Master's Degree. The Bachelor's Degree is conferred as a Pass Degree or an Honours Degree where studies are more specialized. The Bachelor's Honours Degree is classified as a First Class Honours, a Second Class Honours or a Third Class Honours.

Studying for your first degree can take three years for an honor degree. Some degree courses take four years to complete and some even longer than that. A course that includes study overseas (e.g. a language course) is likely to take more than three years. A course that includes a significant amount of work experience is likely to take more than three years.

The following are examples of Bachelor degrees: -

Degrees are classified in the following ways:-

Post Graduate Admissions

 

Incase of postgraduate programmes, applications can be made directly to the respective universities and colleges. There is no cut-off date to receive applications, but students are advised to apply in advance as some of the popular courses will get filled up fast.

Master's Degree:-

A Master's Degree is conferred after one or two years' study following the Bachelor's Degree. Study is in a specialized field. In some cases, the degree is awarded solely after a written examination but candidates must usually submit a dissertation. At Oxford and Cambridge, the Master of Arts is conferred automatically after a certain period of time on all holders of Bachelor's Degrees. In other fields, it is awarded under the same conditions as in other universities.

Master of Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy:-

The third stage is that of pure research. At a university, it leads, after two years of additional study and the successful presentation of a thesis, to the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) Degree. After usually three years' further study beyond the Master's Degree, the candidate may present a thesis for the Doctorate of Philosophy (D.Phil. or Ph.D.).

Higher Doctorate:-

A further stage leads to Higher Doctorates which may be awarded by a university in Law, Humanities, Science, Medical Sciences, Music and Theology after a candidate, usually a senior university teacher, has submitted a number of learned, usually published, works.

The UCAS application process

Before applying, check the minimum entry qualifications in the prospectus of your chosen university or college. Be aware, though, that the institution may ask for more than these requirements. Any entry requirement will be shown clearly if the institution offers you a place.

You may apply to up to six institutions on a single UCAS application form. The current fee for applying through this system is £5 for a single choice and £15
Students wishing to apply for an undergraduate programme should apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Its functions are to organize and regulate the process of entry to full-time and sandwich bachelor's degree courses in all the UK universities (except the Open University) and most other colleges.

The UCAS application allows the students to indicate a maximum of 6 institutions of their choice. The deadline to receive applications at UCAS is 15th January for the following academic year. However, late applications received between 15 January and 30th June will also be considered. If Cambridge or Oxford University is included, the deadline will be 15th October of the previous year and they should apply simultaneously to these universities.

 

Application Procedure

The basic steps for applying are: -