A GUIDE TO HIGHER EDUCATION IN BRITAIN

Entrance Procedures

A bachelor degree (BA, BSc, etc) can be obtained by a minimum of three year’s study at one of the more than 200 universities or institutions of higher education in the UK offering degree courses. Some degree courses last four years, the extra year being spent in practical training, as in many ‘sandwich’ degrees such as engineering, or as a year abroad if studying a modern language. Only about the top 7% of the age cohort in the UK studies for a degree; consequently entry to universities or similar institutions is highly competitive. Typical entry requirements would be at least 3 C grades at A Level for university courses and perhaps 3 grade Ds for entry to other institutions of higher education.

In the third term of Year 12 students prepare their applications to university. Applications are then made in the first term of the Year 13 through one centralised organisation known as UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

The applications are made on a UCAS form, electronically through the EAS (Electronic Applications Systems). Students can apply to a maximum of six universities/institutions. As well as the student’s personal details and a paragraph on their extra-curricular interests, the UCAS form will carry details of their (I)GCSE grades and AS grades so far and an academic/character reference from the school which will include a prediction of the grades that the applicant is likely to obtain at A Level. It is therefore vital that students impress upon their teachers the quality of their work throughout the entire sixth form course and that they do not think of Year 12 as an ‘easy’ year. If a university or institution is impressed by the student’s UCAS form they will send an offer of a place conditional upon obtaining certain stated A Level grades. Applicants are allowed to provisionally accept and hold a maximum of two offers. The final decision on which institution the student will actually attend will be taken when the A Level results are published in mid-August. Degree courses start in late September or early October.

There are special procedures for application for art courses or teacher training.

Financial Considerations

A student who is a European Citizen (or if one of their parents is a EU citizen) AND if they have been fully resident in the Union for the last three years will have to pay up to approximately £1,000 per academic year towards their tuition fees. The remainder of the tuition costs should be covered by the competent authority. If the student is not eligible for the Home Student status they will be charged as an Overseas Student and these range from about £6,000 per year for non-science courses up to about £10,000 per year for medicine and related courses. The universities estimate that living and travelling expenses are about £5-6,000 per year for a student in the UK depending on the individual’s life-style and most importantly, whether or not he/she lives in London.

Very few sponsorships or scholarships are available to help students to finance their stay at a British university. Most are only available to British citizens and those that are open to a wider range of students are highly sought after. It is unrealistic for students to assume that they will be able to find financial help or to think that they can work their way through university by doing part-time jobs.

There are some web sites which give information about the possibilities of obtaining grants or scholarships. Students should consider asking the universities which they are interested in about financial support.

Studies

It should be noted that a degree from any one British university or institution of higher education is considered to be academically equivalent to a degree from any other British university or institution of higher education. However, certain British universities carry, for historical reasons, extra prestige. Oxford and Cambridge are obvious examples, and competition for entry to these universities is so great that applicants typically require three A grades at A Level to earn a place. In the case of Cambridge applicants may be asked to obtain a good mark in an extra exam (called the STEP), which they can sit just after the A Level exams. Applications through UCAS to Oxford and Cambridge also have to be sent by a special early deadline accompanied by a special extra form.

Many students and their parents ask the question, "what is the difference between a university and an institution of higher education and, above all which is best?" The answer is that the ‘best’ institution is the one that most clearly matches the individual student’s aspirations and abilities. So there is no set answer to this questions. Nevertheless certain remarks are worth making although these are generalisations, not ‘truths’.

1. The universities concentrate on bachelor degree courses or higher degrees (masters, doctorates) whereas other institutions offer bachelor degrees and lower level courses (2 year HND, Dip Ed etc).
2. The universities tend to enjoy higher prestige in the mind of the general (uninformed?) public, but this is very subjective and may be totally unjustified in the case of certain courses. (See next point).
3. Other institutions of higher education offer courses which are more directly orientated towards preparing students for the world of work than is the case for universities. These institutions often have closer links than universities with industry and commerce. For both these reasons the degree courses involving engineering, business studies, and modern languages for use in the work place may well be superior to the corresponding university course.

The above statements about the differences between universities and other institutions are generalisations but they will help students in the decision making.

Some British degrees are one-subject in style, eg BSc in Chemistry, but many dual-subject degrees and, increasingly, special combinations such as sciences or business administration with a modern language are offered. An increasing number of degrees involving study in Britain and another EU country are now available particularly, but not exclusively, in the area of business studies. Many are sponsored by the European Union’s ‘Socrates-Erasmus’ programme. Some degree courses with links to non-EU countries, eg USA, also exist.

Class sizes at British universities and other similar institutions are typically small and a mixture of lectures and tutorials are commonly given, plus practical work where relevant. Many language, engineering and certain other degree courses also involve practical experience outside the university itself which may extend the length of the course from the normal three years to four. Take note that courses in medicine and certain other subjects will be even longer.

Assessment is mainly by examinations held either at the end of the three year course (the dreaded ‘Finals’) or perhaps two years through the course (‘Part I examinations’) and at the end of the course (‘Part II’ examinations’). Some courses at some universities have a certain amount of continuous assessment. Bachelor degrees are usually classified or graded as follows:

First Class Honours (a ‘First’)

Second Class Honours Division One (a ‘2-1’)

Second Class Honours Division Two (a ‘2-2’)

Third Class Honours (a ‘Third’)

Pass Degree

Repeating a year of study or transferring from one institution to another are both comparatively rare. Some universities are changing their attitudes about these possibilities but generally if students are working badly they simply lose their place.

A special mention should be made of Scottish universities. In Scotland, pupils leave school after the equivalent of Year 12 and so they spend four years at university (equivalent to Year 13 plus the three years, which is normal at other universities) in order to obtain a degree. As a result of this Scottish universities may require relatively lower grades at A Level for students who have completed two years of sixth form study and who are willing to spend four years getting their degree. Students obtaining very good grades at A Level go into the second year of certain courses at some Scottish universities. Furthermore, Scottish university curricula usually offer more opportunities for combining the study of several subjects than commonly exist when taking a typical single-subject English university course.

Most British universities have their own optional ‘Halls’ or student residences. For a student coming from overseas to have a room in a hall is probably an ideal way to meet people and make new friends in the first year. Students may then prefer to make their own living arrangements for their other years of study. Whether students live in a university residence or outside, they will find life at a British university very rich in terms of social, sporting, cultural events and political clubs and societies.

Special Note

All the above comments apply to British universities and institutions which are financed by the Government. Relatively recently, Britain’s first private university (Buckingham) was opened. Application for entry is made through UCAS and entry may be in January instead of the Autumn. Courses are usually more intensive and normally only two years are required to obtain a bachelor degree. Everyone has to pay tuition fees of about £7,000 per year.

This information has been supplied by King’s College, Madrid, a member of COBIS.