Education in the UK

The UK Education System provides value for money by offering shorter, more intensive courses than are available in many other countries, thereby reducing course fees and living expenses. British Universities and Colleges provide high quality education to all students as well as a culturally stimulating environment in which to study and progress one's career. As a result the pass rates are high and drop-out rates for International students are very low. Britain has traditionally been a popular destination for Indian students as there is a wide range of academic and career-based courses on offer at universities and colleges in the UK.

Foundation Courses

In addition to the main types of qualifications stated below, some colleges and universities run special foundation courses, commonly known as Year 0 or Zero programmes, targeted at students who wish to enter specific subject areas; for example science and engineering, but who do not possess the relevant entry qualifications.

Diplomas and HNDs

Two-year Higher National Diploma or Diploma of Higher Education courses are both popular qualifications in their own right; however, some students choose to 'top up' these qualifications with a degree, often by staying on for an extra year to do so.

Bachelor/Undergraduate Degrees

These are three-year degree courses - leading to awards such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc). These are more often than not undergraduate (or 'first degree') courses.

Masters / Postgraduate Degrees

Masters degrees are four-year degree courses, often sandwich courses involving one year in industry, courses with a year abroad, etc. You can also get a Masters degree by doing a one-year course after completing an undergraduate degree. These are classed as postgraduate degrees.

The MBA (Master of Business Administration) is the world's most popular postgraduate degree, and the UK, with over 10,000 graduates annually, produces the highest number of MBAs outside North America.

Doctorates

Another type of Masters degree is the MRes, (Masters in Research) which is designed to prepare students for doctoral research. A Doctorate is the next (and highest) qualification you can reach in the UK, usually taking three to four years to complete. Intake for these courses is normally from those with a very good first degree or more commonly from those with a Masters degree.