Study In United Kingdom

Education System

Most international students enroll for the following programs:

Undergraduate

This is the bachelor’s program, which spans over three years. Most degrees are awarded at honors level. It takes three years to complete in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. This may take four years in many Scottish Universities. Many vocational and professional courses may take longer to complete. For instance, dentistry and medicine courses may take six years to complete.

Graduate

In the UK, students can enroll for taught and research master’s degree. The taught master’s degree would take a year to complete and the research master’s degree would take 2 years, as well as the doctoral degree would take 3 years to complete. The Master of Business Administration takes 1 to 2 years to complete. The PhD programs would take 2 to 7 years for completion.

Vocational Diplomas

In the UK, vocational sub-degree diplomas like The Diploma in Higher Education (DipHE), Higher National Certificate (HNC), and Higher National Diploma (HND) take 1-2 years. International students can join 2-year diplomas at state colleges, skipping the first 2 years of a degree. Tutorial colleges provide one-year diplomas equivalent to one year of university education. These diplomas enable students to gain admission to the second year of university.

Types of Educational Institutes in the UK

In the UK, the higher educational institutes are categorized as:

1. Autonomous and diverse institutions: They are public-funded, independent, and autonomous.

2. Universities: There are five types of universities, including ancient universities, civic universities, plate glass universities or 1960s universities, new universities, and Russell Group universities.

3. Publicly funded higher education providers: These are approved by a higher education institution (HEI) and possess degree awarding powers. Pearson is an example of publicly funded higher education provider.

4. Alternative education providers: These institutions provide education to students who couldn’t complete education for some reasons.

5. Groups of Institutions: These include institutions of common interest that have formed groups. The Russell Group, the University Alliance, and the Cathedrals Group are some examples of Groups of Institutions.