Student Visa United Kingdom

REASONS TO CHOOSE THE UK

Universities Recognized Everywhere in the World :

You will find the universities in the UK associated with a quality of education rarely preceded by any other country. Earning a degree from one of the many top ranking universities here will strongly help your career in more than a few ways. With an impressive international reputation, home to some of the best academicians across the globe, world-renowned visiting faculty, excellent infrastructure, and so on make these institutions highly reputable to be studying in.

30,000+ Courses to Choose From:

Home to some of the world’s most prestigious universities like the London Business School, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics and Political Science, amongst others, you can study subjects as varied as Archaeology and Zoology, Medicine and Law, Engineering and Acting! There are more than 30000 courses being taught in the various universities across the country; you will find absolutely no dearth of subjects to choose from. The universities here also offer top-class management courses, giving students decent exposure into the industry.

A Welcoming Environment for International Students:

If you choose to study in the UK, rest assured, you will be in a good company. The people, especially everyone at their institutions, including the faculty and fellow students in this country have a rather long history of welcoming the international students. The universities and colleges themselves are also regularly inspected to make sure they maintain the highest degree of standard that they are expected to uphold in the varied fields of pedagogy, research, infrastructure, and so on, by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education.

A Shorter Study Duration :

A unique feature about studying in the UK is that it takes less time to complete most of the courses here when compared to taking the same courses in any other country. That means, your average undergraduate degree would last 3 years in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales; if you’re pursuing a full-time master’s degree course (a postgraduate course), you will be done in a year. A shorter duration also means spending a lesser amount of money in comparison to institutions in a lot of other countries. In addition, post-graduate courses are known to be quite intensive and challenging here; but, with the help of an environment that is highly conducive to help students learn in the best way, from the absolute best, you will do nothing but flourish.

Learning, but with a Flexibility of Choice :

You will find the UK education system to be flexible. It means, you shall be able to study in a way you find more suited to your career aspirations as well as lifestyle. This flexibility of choice is how you can blend academic and vocational courses, as per your wish. It is the kind of pedagogical method that gives you the freedom to develop the skills that you want and be creative. Studying here also gives you the opportunity to meet people from various nationalities, whereby you can discover new perspectives. This gaining of perspectives and the honing of inner creativity becomes a source of confidence in those who choose to study here; so good is the learning system here!

Better English Means Better Job Prospects :

The UK is home to the universal world language that we know as English. It’s a default language of communication for a lot of people across the globe. Not only does it have a rich literature, interesting grammar, but it is also growing in its vocabulary and other aspects with every passing year. Knowing English, especially getting a qualification in the language, is highly valued by academics as well as employers everywhere. With the UK having one of the most prestigious education systems in the world, a degree from a university or college here would only enhance your employment prospects.

Here’s an overview of the UK’s education system

Undergraduate Courses

The undergraduate courses in the UK universities have been designed to ensure that students get the right exposure, not only to their subject of interest, but the world around them too. They have all sorts of courses in science and technology, business, social science, humanities, art and design, and more to offer!

 

Let’s take an outline of the different undergraduate courses that are offered in UK universities:

Program	Duration
Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Diploma (HND)	1 to 2 Years
Certificates or Diplomas of Higher Education (Cert HE/Dip HE)	1 to 2 Years
Foundation degrees (Fd A/Fd Sc)	6 Months to 2 Years
Degrees (such as BA, B.Sc, BEng)	3 Years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 4 years in Scotland
Sandwich degrees	4 Years with a year in industry
Integrated courses (where masters is awarded as the first degree such as MEng)	4 Years

Postgraduate Studies

Unlike undergraduate courses, you will find the postgraduate ones to be more specific which generally involve an in-depth study of the materials. Most of the master’s degree courses have a duration of 1 year, which is less than a lot of other countries. So, getting a masters from the UK means that you can get back in the workforce before your counterparts who chose to pursue their masters in other countries! Again, there are a plethora of courses that you can choose from, including some niche courses which are highly valued in their respective industries.

 

Let’s take an overview of the various postgraduate courses that are offered in UK universities:

Program	Duration
Postgraduate certificates and diploma (PG Cert/PG Dip)	9 to 12 Months
Taught Masters (such as MA, M.Sc., LLM, MBA, MRes)	1 Year
Research Masters (such as MPhil, PhD, DPhil)	2-3 Years

QUALITY  EDUCATION ASSURANCE

Qualifications Framework: 

 

To maintain the academic standards in the area of higher education in a country, there is a principal national reference point, which goes by the title – Qualifications Framework

 

Now, there are 2 parallel frameworks which run for the higher education qualifications of the degree-awarding bodies in the UK. They are:

 

FHEQ, which is The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications of Degree Awarding Bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and

 

FQHEIS, which is The Framework for Qualifications of Higher Education Institutions in Scotland.

Quality Assurance System:

 

The one unique thing about the education system in the UK is QAA – its Quality Assurance Agency. QAA is an independent body which first assesses and then compares all colleges and universities in the country by way of periodic audits and reviews. It is also the task of this agency to identify the best education practices and to provide regular feedback for areas in need of improvement. The primary responsibility of QAA is to make sure that the students have access to top-class education.

 

 

All the review reports can be accessed by the public on their website. However, one thing to note is that private institutions are not subject to any assessment by the QAA.

BENEFITS OF STUDYING IN  THE UK

Unparalleled in Global Scientific Research:

 

The UK is a world leader in many areas of education including engineering, science, art and design, business and management, law and finance. The UK has successfully maintained its legacy and reputation as a centre for global scientific research. The UK makes no more than probably one per cent of the global population; still, it is responsible for no less than eight per cent of the world’s scientific publications. Undertaking five per cent of the global research, the UK produces about fifteen per cent of the most cited scientific papers in the world.

Incomparable Pedagogy: 

 

Brilliant research without brilliant thinkers would be impossible. And it is great teachers after all that inspire us to think brilliantly. You find the universities in the UK with professors who are experts in their fields. It is because of this strong academic support that more than 90 per cent of the international postgraduates in the UK have only rave reviews for the quality of teaching in the country.

Post-study Work Visa: Another Gate towards Opportunities:

 

You will find that the post-study work Visa in the UK allows students from abroad to stay in the country after graduation so as to find employment, for up to two years. These visa rules not only help international students get an exposure to the real-world market, but also provide an opportunity to cover their study costs.

Part-time Work Opportunities Aplenty on a Student Visa:

 

For those who look to work part-time in the UK while being on a student visa, you are allowed a maximum of 20 hours per week with decided minimum wages by the government. This applies to those who study at degree level or more. For language center students, a maximum of 10 hours per week is allowed during course term. Students are allowed full-time work only during their vacations, and not until one has received their work permit (Tier 2). In any case, self-employment, such as doing any consultancy work or freelance work, is not allowed. Also, a part-time working student has the same rights as their full-time working counterparts. The country has a National Minimum Wage (NMW) which every employer has to abide by. For a student between age 18 and 20, the NMW is £5.30 per hour; for students aged 21 or more, the NMW can’t be less than £6.70 per hour.

Let Your Travel Bug Out!:

 

You will find one great benefit of studying in the UK right from your world map. See how it’s connected to a few awesome European countries, such as Belgium, France, and Netherlands? These countries are just 300 to 1,000 miles away from the UK! And that means, especially if you have the good old travel bug, you can go on to explore a lot of other wonderful places if you decide to study here!

Access to Medical Benefits:

 

As a student in the UK from another country, you will be given access to free medical treatment through the NHS (National Health Service). You will be required to pay a small surcharge, called the International Health Surcharge or IHS, in order to avail this benefit.

The Land of Scientists and Discoverers:

 

The UK is at the forefront of global discoveries, ranking second in the world for its scientific research. The world rightly regards this country as the powerhouse of science and technology. Research is usually considered the number one priority of most universities. Students not only graduate with unbelievable insights into their subjects, but also get to stand at the helm of global scientific publications and discoveries.

ADMISSION INTAKES

BASIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Requirements for Entry into an Undergraduate Study Program in the UK:

 

What qualifications you need would depend upon the course that you want to study. You should have completed no less than thirteen years of education, either in the UK or in your own country. You will be expected to have taken pre-university qualifications that are equivalent to UK A-levels, Scottish Highers or National Diplomas.

 

Even in the case that you don’t have these qualifications, you don’t need to worry; there are still ways you can study in the UK.

Level of Studies	Eligibility and English Language Requirements
HND (Higher National Diploma)	Qualifications equivalent to 1 or 2 UK A-levels, 2 Scottish Highers or a BTEC National Diploma or Higher National Certificate; or an international foundation year. An IELTS band score of 5.5-6.0
Foundation Degree	Equivalent to 1 or 2 UK A-levels, 1 or 2 Scottish Highers or a National Diploma; or an international foundation year. An IELTS band score of 5.5-6.0
Diploma of Higher Education	Qualifications equivalent to 1 or 2 UK A-levels, 2 or 3 Scottish Highers or a National Diploma; or an international foundation year. An IELTS band score of 5.5-6.0
Degree	Qualifications that are equivalent to 2 or 3 UK A-levels, 3 or 4 Scottish Highers, a BTEC National Diploma or a Higher National Certificate or Diploma; or an international foundation year. An IELTS band score of 6.0-6.5

Requirements for Entry into a Postgraduate or MBA Study Program :

 

If you plan to study a postgraduate course in the UK, you will first need to have an undergraduate degree, either from your own country, or from the UK. You will be expected to have achieved a first or a good 2:1 (or its international equivalent) in a subject that’s directly related to the one you’ve chosen now. You will also need to speak English upto the level of an IELTS band score of at least 6.5 for most courses.

Level of Studies	Eligibility and English Language Requirements
Pre-master’s	An Undergraduate degree with good academic records. An IELTS band score of 5.0-5.5
PG Cert/PG Dip	An Undergraduate degree with good academic records. An IELTS band score of 6.0-7.0
Master’s degree	First or upper second class undergraduate degree. An IELTS band score of 6.5. Or a pre-master’s course from UK Universities.
MBA	First degree from recognised university with good academic records. 2-3 years of business experience. An IELTS band score of 6.5-7.0.
PHD	Master’s degree from recognised university with good academic records. Work experience will be preferable. An IELTS band score of 6.5-7.0.