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Higher Education
in the UK
Higher Education in the UK
Higher Education
Students who wish to enter higher education must
do either Advanced Level in England or Highers in Scotland. Students typically
enter the university at ages seventeen in Scotland and eighteen in England,
respectively.
Most students must use the Universities and
Colleges Admissions Service to apply the universities, however for some subjects
there are different admissions services, such as NMAS for Nursing and Midwifery
Diplomas. Many students in Scotland opt to remain in School for a 6th Year, and
take Advanced Highers (Previously Certificate of Sixth Year Studies (CSYS) as
the Scottish system uses the End of February for determining admission age many
students are 17 when they start University despite staying for the 6th year)
For people who wish to enter
higher education after some time out of education, who do not have the normal
academic qualifications required for entry may study on an Access course, which
is a course designed to prepare students for higher educations, typically
offering a mix of modules at level 2 (equivalent to GCSE) and level 3
(equivalent to A level), normally including maths and English, as well as other
modules related to the degree programme the student wishes to undertake.
In Scotland, Scottish nationals
do not need to pay for university tuition fees, it is paid for on their behalf
by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.
Nowadays, students often take a
gap year after leaving sixth form college. Many students go to work, thus the
universities in the United Kingdom generally welcome this phenomenon, and as a
result, universities would accept a deferred entry.
Education in the four countries
began with church organising schooling.
In England and Wales, between
the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the 19th century most schools were
established by private benefactors and operated as educational charities.
Universal education in Scotland
began in 1561, with state funding from the outset, a tax to fund schools in 1633
and the Education Act 1696 aiming to establish a school and a schoolmaster in
every parish. The state became involved in construction of schools in England
and Wales in 1833, with the Elementary Education Act of 1870 setting the
framework for universal education. Compulsory education was introduced in 1872
in Scotland along with the formation of the Scotch Education Department, and in
1888 in England and Wales. The "Balfour" Education Act of 1902 brought most
schools in England and Wales under Local Education Authority control.
The "Butler" Education Act of 1944 changed the
education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. Initially schools
were separated into primary schools (infant schools age 5 to 7 and junior
schools age 7 to 11), and secondary schools (split into more academic grammar
schools and more vocational secondary modern schools). Under both Labour and
Conservative governments of the 1960s and 1970s most secondary modern and
grammar schools were reorganised as comprehensive schools.
Students normally enter
University from 18 onwards and study for an Academic Degree. Apart from a single
private university, all undergraduate education is largely state financed (with
tuition fees set at a maximum index-linked £3,000 per year, repayable after
graduation contingent on attaining a certain level of income, and with the state
paying all fees for students from the poorest backgrounds), and UK students are
generally entitled to student loans for maintenance. The state does not control
syllabi, but it does influence admission procedures.The typical first degree
offered at British universities is the Bachelor's degree (typically three
years). Many institutions now offer an undergraduate Master's degree as a first
degree, typically lasting four years. During a first degree students are known
as undergraduates. The difference in fees between undergraduate and traditional
postgraduate Master's degrees (and the possibility of securing LEA funding for
the former) makes taking an undergraduate Master's degree as a first degree a
more attractive option, although the novelty of undergraduate Master's degrees
means that the relative educational merit of the two is currently unclear.
Some universities offer a
Foundation degree, typically between one and two years in length for those
students who hope to continue to take a first degree but are not academically
strong enough.
Postgraduate
education
Students who have completed a
first degree are eligible to undertake a postgraduate degree, which includes:
Postgraduate education is not
automatically financed by the State, and so admission is in practice highly
competitive.
Specialist
qualifications
-
Education: Postgraduate
Certificate in Education (PGCE), Certificate in Education (Cert Ed), C&G 7407,
most of which also incorporate Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
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Law: Bachelor of Laws LL.B.
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Medicine: Bachelors of
Medicine and Surgery studied at Medical school (United Kingdom)
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Business: Master of Business
Administration MBA.
Adult education
Adult education, Continuing
education or Lifelong learning is offered to students of all ages. These can
include the vocational qualifications mentioned above and also:
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Access programme one or two
year courses to allow adults access to university.
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Open University a distance
learning program which can result in a Degree.
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Workers' Educational
Association
A large number of
semi-recreational courses, with or without qualifications, are made available by
Local Education Authorities under the guise of Adult Education, such as holiday
languages, crafts and yacht navigation.
Costs
The costs for a normal
education in England and Wales are as follows:
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Primary: no charge
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Secondary: no charge
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Further (Secondary) Education
in either a sixth form or college: no charge if under 19 years of age in that
particular academic year or on a low income.
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Undergraduate Higher
Education for those who started in or prior to October 2005: up to £1175 per
annum (Oct 2005) depending on income, rising £25 every year.
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Undergraduate Higher
Education starting October 2006 or later: up to £3000 per annum (capped) -
this is due to the introduction of controversial top-up fees
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Postgraduate Higher
Education: Typically £3000 per annum; however some institutions charge a
larger amount.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_Kingdom
)
List of
Universities in England
Postgraduate Study
Undergraduate Study
Student Visa
Important contact Addresses
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