Higher Education in Great Britain. (Высшее образование в Великобритании).

After finishing secondary school or college you can apply to a university, polytechnic, college of education or you can continue to study in a college of further education.

The academic year in Britain's universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of education is divided into 3 terms, which usually run from the beginning of October to the middle of December, the middle of January to the end of March, from the middle of April to the end of June or the beginning of July.

There are 46 universities in Britain. The oldest and best-known universities are located in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Southampton, Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham.

Good A-level results in at least 2 subjects are necessary to get a place at a university. However, good exam passes alone are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews. For all British citizens a place at a university brings with it a grant from their local education authority.

English universities greatly differ from each other. They differ in date of foundation, size, history, tradition, general organization, methods of instruction and way of student life.

After three years of study a university graduate will leave with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine, etc. Some courses, such as languages and medicine, may be one or two years longer. The degrees are awarded at public degree ceremonies. Later he/she may continue to take Master's Degree and then a Doctor's Degree.

The 2 intellectual eyes of Britain – Oxford & Cambridge Universities – date from the 12 & 13 centuries. They are known for all over the world and are the oldest and most prestigious universities in Britain. They are often called collectively Oxbridge, but both of them are completely independent. Only education elite go to Oxford and Cambridge.

The Scottish universities of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen & Edinburgh date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

In the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth centuries the so-called Redbrick universities were founded. These include London, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, and Birmingham. During the late sixties and early seventies some 20 'new' universities were set up. Sometimes they are called 'concrete and glass' universities. Among them are the universities of Sussex, York, East Anglia and some others.

During these years the government set up 30 Polytechnics. The Polytechnics, like the universities, offer first and higher degrees. Some of them offer full-time and sandwich courses [sandwich course курс обучения, чередующий теорию с практикой; сочетание общеобразовательного и профессионального обучения с работой на производстве] (for working students). Colleges of Education provide two-year courses in teacher education or sometimes three years if the graduate specializes in some Particular subjects.

Some of them who decide to leave school at the age of 16 may go to a further education college where they can follow a course in typing, engineering, town planning, cooking, or hairdressing, full-time or part-time. Further education colleges have strong ties with commerce and industry.

There's an interesting form of studies which is called the Open University. It's intended for people who study in their own free time and who 'attend' lectures by watching TV and listening to the radio. They keep in touch by phone and letter with their tutors and attend summer schools. The Open University students have no formal qualifications and would be unable to enter ordinary universities.

Some 80,000 overseas students study at British universities or further education colleges or train in nursing, law, banking or in industry.

http://schools.keldysh.ru/school1413/eng/egorova_ks/str5.html

The UK has a vast variety of higher education opportunities to offer students with over 100 universities offering various degree programs for students from the UK and around the world. In the UK about one-third of all students go on to some form of higher education and this number is well over 50% for students from Scotland. This makes competition for places very fierce and so it is advised to apply early for courses.

In the UK most undergraduate degree programs take three years to finish; however, the “sandwich course” is increasing in popularity, which is four years and involves one year in the work place (normally in your third year). In Scotland the courses are four years in length for undergraduate programs.

For graduate or masters programs they are generally shorter in length and undertaken after graduation of your undergraduate program. Some professional degrees like medicine, veterinary, law etc. have longer programs that can be as much as five years.

From 2007, universities in the UK are allowed to charge students from the UK up to £3,070 per year (depending on the school and location). For students from the EU, you will also only have the pay the same fees as students from the UK, but international students from the rest of the world will have to pay the full school fees which will vary depending on the school. These fees for international students can range anywhere from £4,000 per year right up to £18,000 per year or more.

Choosing the right school is dependent on a large number of factors such as:

Location of the school?

How much does it cost?

Size of the school?

Access to home comforts? Place of worship, home foods?

Courses available?

http://uk.internationalstudent.com/study_uk/education_system/higher_education.shtml

Higher Education in the UK

Bachelor’s Degree (England, Wales, Northern Ireland)

Students apply to UK universities, through the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS), a central government agency that coordinates applications for every university. Students may make 5 choices on their UCAS form. Wide ranges of degree courses are available, which provide skills for a variety of jobs or further study.

A Bachelor’s degree is usually a 3 year programme at a university or higher education college.

Universities evaluate students’ predicted A-level scores (or equivalent), among other criteria, during the admissions process

Students must choose course as part of the university application

Types of degrees include: Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Some degree programmes are for 4 years and include a ‘sandwich’ year when students gain relevant work experience for 1 year.

In countries where students have fewer than 13 years education, it is likely that students will need to study a year-long Foundation Certificate program before starting a Bachelors degree.

Prepare for your UK Bachelor’s Degree with our International Foundation Certificate, Pre-Sessional and A-Level programs.

Bachelor’s Degree (Scotland)

Wide ranges of degree courses are available at Scottish universities, which tend to emphasise breadth across subjects and students typically do not specialise subjects until the third year.

A Bachelor’s degree is a 4 year program at university.

During the admissions process universities evaluate the students’ Highers results among other criteria.

Students may take a sandwich course, a year of study abroad or work before courses are completed

Traditionally, Scottish universities award a Master of Arts (MA) degree, which is equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree

The Honours degree is awarded after an additional year of research at the university.

Masters Degree

A Masters degree in the UK may be research based, a taught course or a combination of the two and will prepare students for a particular career or for a doctorate qualification, and are offered in a variety of fields.

Requires the successful completion of an undergraduate degree.

Typically a 12 month program

Taught masters qualifications include: Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc) and Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Research masters qualifications include: Master of Research (MRes), Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

The key to successful study at this level is good preparation for your course through our Pre-MBA and Pre-Masters programs.

Doctorate

Doctorate programs require students to undertake an original piece of research.

Generally requires a Bachelor’s or Masters degree

Minimum length of three years at a university

Typically students work on a single research project or dissertation

Types of degrees: Doctor of Philosophy (Phd or Dphil)

International students

To study in the UK, international students whose English is not their first language must provide evidence of English language proficiency. Most universities in the UK prefer the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) certificate. IELTS 6.0+ is the usual level required for undergraduate study and IELTS 6.5+ for postgraduate.

In addition to proving English proficiency, international students must also check that their qualifications meet the school’s entry requirements, and UK NARIC provides information and advice on international qualifications. International Foundation Certificate courses are available for students that have not met required qualifications.

International students may be required to take a Pre-master’s program if their English language and study skills and qualifications do not meet the requirements to begin a Master’s degree.

If it is your aim to get a degree from a UK university, the Kaplan International Colleges University Placement Service (UPS) will help you gain entry. Student using this service will benefit from our extensive network of partner institutions and our long experience of guiding students through the admission process.

http://www.kaplaninternational.com/resources/education-system/uk-guide.aspx