Study in UK for foreigners

Five main stages of the UK education system

Preschool

An analogy with our kindergartens and nurseries. For children 2-7 years old who are learning the basics of reading, writing, counting and teamwork.

Initial

School for children from 7 to 13 years old. The process ends with the CEE exam, which allows you to enter high school.

Primary schools are divided into free public and prestigious paid boarding schools (in the latter, the number of foreigners is limited - no more than 15% of the total mass of students)

Middle

For students aged 14-16. The main goal of this period is to adequately prepare for the GCSE exam in 7-9 compulsory disciplines. And if you successfully pass the exam, the school program will end. Then the choice is up to the student - go to work or continue his studies.

Pre-high education

There are two university preparation programs - A-level and Foundation.

A-Level is a two-year specialized course. The student chooses the relevant specialized subjects (4-5 for the first year and 3-4 for the second), after completing the studies and passing the exam, he / she gets the right to enter the university.

UFC - university foundation year - a nine-month intensive course for students with a good level of language proficiency. The disadvantage is that it does not give the right to enter the TOP-5 universities of the state, unlike level A.

Higher education

Higher education in the UK has some distinctive features and provides training programs for specialists at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels:

Bachelors degree. A required preparation stage for obtaining a qualified job and often the first and last level "higher" for most students. The term of study is 3-5 years, the main types of diplomas:

• Bachelor of Arts.

• Bachelor of Medicine.

• Bachelor of Business Administration.

• Bachelor of Laws.

• achelor of science.

• Bachelor of Engineering Science.

Master's degree. An optional level, however, it is in demand by future managers or senior professionals who are applying for a higher paying position. Duration - 1-2 years. The final stage of the master's program is the defense of the diploma project, and in case of a successful presentation of the work, the student is awarded a master's degree.

Doctor of Science (Ph. D.). Duration 2-3 years, during which the student conducts research activities, after which he publishes his results and defends his doctoral dissertation. Subsequently, the student receives a Ph.D. degree.

Information for international students

The UK attracts more than 400,000 international students each year, making it one of the most popular study destinations.

18 universities of the UK is in the Top 100 Universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2021).

Most popular Universities in UK

The Complete University Guide ranks UK universities and publishes updated information annually. The rating is very popular in the country and is indicative for universities, applicants and employers. TOP 5 universities, according to the rating:

Cambridge - 1000 points in the ranking. The first place in the complexity of admission and the second place in the percentage of student employment.

Oxford - 998 points, the second most difficult admission.

St Andrews - 962 points - has the highest student satisfaction index.

University of London (LSE) - 952 points.

Imperial College London - 925 points, the highest employment rate of any university.

In terms of studying specific specialties, the following universities can be noted in the following areas:

• technical majors — general and electronic engineering, architecture, and others — are best studied at Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton, Surrey, and Imperial College.

• Arts - Oxford, Guildhall School of Music and Theater, Royal Academy of Music - they are the best in terms of training in this area.

• Business and Economics - Oxford, Warwick, London School of Economics and University College London produce MBA professionals in demand around the world.

• IT - sphere - when it comes to the study of information technology, it is better to choose universities such as Birmingham, Glasgow University and Imperial College.

• Humanities - best taught in Cambridge, Oxford and St Andrews.

• jurisprudence - legal education in the UK is valued above all else, and prestigious universities in this area are: University College, London School of Economics, Cambridge, Oxford and York.

• Medicine - The most sought after medical professionals are from Edinburgh, York and Glasgow.

Admission to British universities is strictly centralized. All applications for admission are submitted to the special service Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS). In one application, each applicant can indicate up to five courses to which they would like to be enrolled. If you are lucky and several universities at once give a positive answer to your candidacy, then the decision on which of them to choose will be made independently. With applications for evening or part-time studies, you must contact the educational institution directly.

Tuition fee

Education in higher educational institutions is paid for all students, including foreigners. The cost of higher education in England varies by university and specialization.

On average in the UK, the cost of an annual study (bachelor's, master's, doctoral or research program), depending on the specialization, is equal to:

Humanities & Social Sciences - £ 10,000 - £ 15,000

Science & Engineering - £ 12,000 - £ 20,000

Scolarship system

In the educational field of the UK, there is an opportunity to get higher education for free. Various scholarship programs with full or partial compensation of the cost can help out here. There are several types of programs:

Chevening Scholarship is a scholarship program designed for gifted students from all over the world who have shown outstanding ability.

Academic merit scholarships are awarded for academic achievement.

Low Income Scholarships You can count on them if your family income is below a certain amount. Depending on the university, this is 22671-85016 USD / year.

Performance-based Scholarships are a type of university scholarship - for achievements in sports and creativity.

Admission to a British university step by step:

1. Choose the university of your dreams, specialty.

2. Register on the university website and study the entire list of requirements for the applicant, his documents and proceed to their preparation. Please note that it is necessary to apply for a bachelor's degree exclusively through UCAS, a single platform for all universities in the state. For studies in the magistracy, the application is filled out on the university website.

3. The collection of applications from candidates ends on 15.01, so by mid-January it is necessary to have time to get a certificate of passing the English exam.

4. Collecting the necessary documents. Typical of them: a motivation letter, recommendations, a resume and a document on education (if it is not yet on hand, then an extract with grades and its translation).

5. Certificate of passing the test in English: when passing IELTS with a score of 6.0 for admission to a bachelor's degree, and in some universities - 6.5.

6. Pass additional tests, if necessary.

7. Payment of the application fee.

8. Sending an application for consideration.

Consideration of the application takes place from a week to a couple of months, depending on the university, direction and competition.

When a response comes from the university with a positive decision and an invitation to study, the next step is to obtain a visa. To study in the country, you need to get level 4. Here is the required list of documents:

• Invitation from British University (CAS).

• Financial guarantees (account statement, for example).

• A document on the previous level of education.

• Certificate of passing the English language exam.

• Receipt of payment of visa fee.

• Medical certificate