Study in United Kingdom
Studying in United Kingdom is a good idea as qualifications from UK are recognized and respected throughout the world. Your UK qualification can provide you with a solid foundation for your career and can also enhance your growth prospects. The quality of education provided in the institutes of UK is amongst the best in the world. UK has always been popular with Indian students as a destination for higher education and you can choose from about 150 institutes which offer a multitude of courses in a variety of subjects. Here we will discuss the advantages of study in UK, the choice of courses available for higher education and the procedure to apply to them.

An important advantage of the UK education system is that it offers a one year Master Degree for almost all courses which helps you save a lot of time and money. Another advantage especially for the Indian students is that it recognizes the three year graduation degree provided under the Indian education system.

IELTs or TOEFL is required to be taken by international students if they wish to study in UK, however some Universities may waive IELTS / TOEFL if you have been studying in English medium throughout and they are convinced that you are proficient in English. For further details on TOEFL you can visit the section dedicated to this exam.

Courses offered by UK Colleges and Universities

• First Degree Courses in Arts and Sciences or Bachelor’s Degree: These are generally of three to four year duration and may sometimes include a short written thesis as part of the course.
• Sandwich Courses: These courses combine coursework and practical work. You have the choice of completing two years of college and then you may take up a year of commercial training before going back to college for the final year of study; alternatively you could complete four years of course and complete a 3 to 6 months training each year. These types of courses combine practical knowledge with what is taught in the class.
• Higher National Diploma (HND): These courses are offered by Vocational and Technical Education Councils and are of two year durations. These are for vocational subjects and emphasis is placed on work experience.
• Vocational Courses: These courses provide an opportunity to enter the university system gradually. Some of bodies which offer these courses are Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC), General Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ), General Scottish Vocational Qualifications (GSVQ).
• Postgraduate Courses: These courses may be in the form of any independent research under a supervisor or a taught course. The taught courses are generally for one year and sometimes may extend up to two years. For a doctorate program the duration is a minimum of three years. You also have choice of taking up a post experience course which may result in a degree or may be taken up by students as a refresher course.

Applying to an Undergraduate Course or a Bachelor’s Degree in UK

Application to colleges in England and Scotland is made through a computerized national system known as Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS). You are required to complete a single UCAS form; you are allowed a choice of six universities and courses which helps you save time and money (which you might have spent in buying multiple forms). These forms can be bought from the British Council offices for self funded students. The forms must be submitted ideally by the 15^th of December of the preceding year; though applications are accepted till the 30^th June of the same year after going through a clearing process. In case you want to apply to the Oxford or the Cambridge then you must complete the application procedure by the 15^th of October of the previous year.

British students undergo thirteen years of pre-university education whereas we in India have twelve years pre-university education system. Exceptionally good marks from either the CBSE Board or the ICSE Board along with one year of the graduate program are accepted for direct entry to an undergraduate program in UK. In case you do not have the above then there are a host of foundation courses available which range from a duration of four months to a year.

You are required to submit an official transcript from each college or university that you have attended after secondary school with complete details of the subjects, credits involved and other details like correspondence courses, diplomas etc. Most universities ask for the transcript to be sealed in an envelope and signed and attested across the seal by the registrar. This is a mandatory requirement from each college that you have attended.

Another important requirement for admission is the letters of reference or recommendation letters. These are a written testimonial from a person who knows you well in a professional capacity or has taught you. The writer of the letter must indicate for how long he has known you, list your strengths and weaknesses and also indicate the usefulness of the course you wish to undertake. It is a good idea for the writer to mention concrete examples that illustrate your qualities. These letters may often be in the form of a prescribed format by the university.

You are also required to write essays and/or statement of purpose as part of your application. These form an important component of the evaluation procedure that is involved in choosing the right candidates. The essays help the faculty in assessing the personality of the applicant which is not revealed through the academic records and scores. It also gives you an opportunity to make an impression on the faculty and stand out in the crowd. A statement of purpose states your reasons of choosing a particular course and college and how you are suitable for it.

Applying to a Post Graduate Program or Master’s Degree in UK.

You can request for the application forms from the universities website. Most universities have the facility to request for a form through the website. The enquiries should be sent 12 to 18 months before the course is scheduled to begin. Most of the colleges and universities accept the three year graduation system and you can directly get an entry to the post graduation course as long as you fulfill the requirements. However there may be a few universities which may require 16 years of formal education which means an additional year of study after graduation or a four year course like B.E. or B. Tech. For management courses, international students are required to take GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), however most of the universities in Britain do not require the GRE for admission to postgraduate courses. Rest of the requirements are similar to those of an undergraduate application.