A UK undergraduate education gives you an amazing opportunity to immerse
yourself in a subject that fascinates you. Whether you choose to study for a
degree, Foundation Degree or HND, you'll learn to think for yourself and work
independently, learning research skills and presentation methods you'll continue
to use long after you leave university. Your experience will set you up for the
rest of your life.
Courses can last for up to three years (four with a placement in industry or
overseas; though most Scottish institutions run 4-year courses as standard, with
or without placement), and you can choose from thousands of opportunities in
science and technology, computing and business, art and design, social sciences,
the humanities and many others. The broad range and flexible approach of the UK
education system means that you're free to choose exactly what you want to
study.
What qualifications will I need?
The qualifications you need depend on the course you want to study. You'll be
expected to have completed at least 13 years of education in your own country or
the UK, and to have taken pre-university qualifications equivalent to UK
A-levels, Scottish Highers or National Diplomas.
If your qualifications don't match this, you can still study in the UK, you
just to start at an earlier level. Search for career-based and pre-university
courses.
You'll find the exact entry requirements for each course on the course
profiles on this website. The following will however give you an idea of the
sort of qualifications you will need:
HND
Qualifications equivalent to one or two UK A-levels, two
Scottish Highers or a Higher National Certificate or BTEC National
Diploma; or an international foundation year. Plus IELTS 5.5-6.0
Foundation Degree
Qualifications equivalent to one or two UK A-levels, one
or two Scottish Highers or a National Diploma; or an international
foundation year. Plus IELTS 5.5-6.0
Diploma of Higher Education
Qualifications equivalent to one or two UK A-levels, two
or three Scottish Highers or a National Diploma; or an international
foundation year. Plus IELTS 5.5-6.0
Degree
Qualifications equivalent to two or three UK A-levels,
three or four Scottish Highers, a Higher National Certificate or
Diploma, or BTEC National Diploma; or an international foundation year.
Plus IELTS 6.0-6.5
What sorts of courses are available?
Higher National Certificate (HNC)
or Diploma (HND)
Higher National Certificates and Diplomas are one- and two- year career-related
higher education courses, which are equivalent to the first stages of a degree.
They are available in many areas including engineering, sports studies, art and
design, media and communications and music technology. On successful completion
you can enter a career at junior management level or can choose to 'top-up' to a
degree by transferring to the second or third year of the degree course.
Foundation Degrees (FdA, FdSc
etc)
Foundation Degrees are two-year career-related higher education courses, which
are equivalent to the first stages of a degree. They are available in many
areas, including art and design, media and communications, engineering and
hospitality management, and can be used as a good foundation for a career or as
a basis from which you can progress on to a degree course.
Diplomas of Higher Education
Diplomas of Higher Education are two-year courses in subject areas usually
related to the social sciences, such as education, theology, communication
studies and social work. They are ideal for students hoping to progress to a
career in these areas and also provide a foundation for higher education courses
in the same subject area.
Degrees
Degrees are the most popular undergraduate qualification in the UK. They are
academic courses, usually studied over three years in England, Northern Ireland
and Wales, or four years in Scotland (where the title master's degree may be
awarded). Some degree courses may be extended for a year to enable students to
spend a year in industry (such as on engineering degrees) or overseas (such as
on degrees in modern languages).
University International
Foundation Year
University International Foundation Year courses help to bridge any gaps between
qualifications you hold already and the ones you need to begin a degree course
at a UK university, whether this is because you need to develop your English
language skills, improve on your academic qualifications, or both.
How much will it cost?
You'll get great value for money from a UK undergraduate education no matter
where you choose to study. The figures below show approximately what you'll need
to pay, but it's worth bearing in mind that course fees can vary considerably
between institutions. Costs for individual courses are given in the course
profiles on this website.
Foundation courses
£4,000 to £12,000 per year
Arts courses
£7,000 to £9,000 per year
Science courses
£7,500 to £12,000 per year
Clinical courses
£10,000 to £21,000 per year
How will I know if I've chosen a good course?
Part of the reason that UK undergraduate qualifications are so highly valued
across the world is the strict measures of quality imposed on them. Many of the
checks and reports are available online, so you'll never be left in any doubt
about the validity and quality of the course you choose.
The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) ensures that UK higher education is of a
standard that's respected and admired across the world.
Every few years, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) takes place to judge
the quality of research being carried out in UK colleges and universities.
You can also find information on
undergraduate courses on the Teaching Quality Information (TQI) website, which
provides information on many different areas of undergraduate education,
including results of the national student survey and destination information of
recent undergraduates.
