Studying in the UK for undergraduate qualifications

www.educationuk.org/burma

Painting your futureEducation UK is managed byThe UK means the

United Kingdom and

consists of England,

Scotland, Wales

(Great Britain) and

Northern Ireland.

British Council

78, Kanna Road, Kyautada Township, Rangoon,

Burma

T + 95 1 254658, 256290, 256291F + 95 1 245345

education.enquiries@mm.britishcouncil.orgwww.educationuk.org/burma

UK undergraduate qualifications are respected and valued all over the world.

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.

Courses from accountancy to zoology are delivered at more than 3,000

educational institutions and there are a variety of routes, allowing you to combine

different types of courses according to your needs and abilities. The sheer variety

of specialist subjects means that you can find a course that best suits your

interests, ambitions and passions. For example, you could specialise in computer

games programming, ocean engineering, satellite positioning technology, sound

engineering, multimedia design, anthropology, cross-cultural psychology, hotel

management or dance.

A UK degree will equip you with the kind of proactive, problem-solving skills sought by today’s top compa-nies.

A degree will be invaluable for a current or future career or equip students for postgraduate study.

The UK’s degree programmes are underpinned by world-class research and links with business and industry.

Why study undergraduate degree courses in the UK?

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What can I study?

BTEC Higher National Certificate

(HNC) or Diploma (HND)

HNDs are two-year, full-time

career-related higher education

qualifications that combine career

preparation with opportunities for

further study. They are available in

many areas including engineering,

sports studies, art and design, media

and communications and music

technology and can be taken at further

education colleges, or higher education

colleges or universities in England,

Northern Ireland and Wales. HNDs are

awarded by the national awarding body

Edexcel, the most popular subject areas

are art, business, engineering and

information technology. HNCs are a

similar qualification, usually taken part

time. HNCs and HNDs are widely

recognised by employers in the UK and

may also enable you to join the second

or third year of some degree

programmes.

Higher National Certificate (HNC) and

Higher National Diploma (HND) in

Scotland

In Scotland, an HNC is awarded at the

end of the first year of a two-year HND

programme. It is a qualification in its

own right. Unlike in the rest of the UK,

however, HNCs in Scotland are full-time,

one-year courses. The HNC is aligned

with the first year of a degree course,

the HND with the second year; in many

cases, there are opportunities for

holders of HNCs progress to the second

year of a degree programme and for

holders of HNDs to the third year.

Foundation Degrees (FdA, FdSc etc)

They are two-year career-related higher

education courses, which combine work

experience with the academic structure

of a degree programme and can lead

on to a full honours degree (following

an additional year of study), or provide

opportunities to enter relevant

employment. They are available in

many areas, including art and design,

media and communications,

engineering and hospitality

management and successful students

are able to cite the letters FdA (for arts

subjects), FdSc (for science subjects) or

FdEng (for engineering) after their

name. Foundation degrees are offered

by several higher education institutions

in England, Northern Ireland and Wales,

with degree-awarding powers and BTEC

foundation degrees are offered through

many further education colleges.

Foundation degrees are not available in

Scotland. See www.fdf.ac.uk for more

information on foundation degrees.

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Diplomas of

Higher Education (Dip HE)

Diplomas of Higher Education are

university–level two-year courses

available in many humanities and social

science subjects, 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. Though aimed at

preparing students for particular

careers, the teaching methods tend to

be more academic than on HNDs or

Foundation Degree programmes.

See www.ucas.com for a list of courses

available.

Degrees

Degrees are the most popular

undergraduate qualifications 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). Degree

courses in professional subjects, such

as architecture, medicine, dentistry and

veterinary sciences, can take between

five and seven years to complete.

Qualifications vary in title from one

institution to another and there are

some exceptions to the general rules.

In Scotland, the first degree in arts in

the four ancient universities – St

Andrews, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling

and also in the University of Dundee is

an MA or Master of Arts. A Master’s

degree in all other faculties, and in the

other universities, is a postgraduate

qualification. For accurate information

on the qualifications offered by a

particular institution you should always

check the relevant prospects.

In the UK, many universities now offer

integrated masters programmes which

are four year undergraduate Master’s

awards and are increasingly becoming

the standard for those who want

careers as professional engineers or

scientists. In the first year students

follow a Bachelor degree syllabus but if

they attain high grades they may get

the opportunity to follow an integrated

Bachelor/Masters level syllabus in their

third and fourth year. On completion of

the course, students are awarded MEng

(engineering), MSci (science), MPhys

(Physics) and MMath (Mathematics).

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University International Foundation

Year (IFY)

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. Many

universities run their own International

Foundation Year programmes. If you

choose one of these you may not

receive a formal qualifications but it

could lead to a particular degree course

at that institution. The IFY programme

might have different entry points

throughout the year, enabling you to

complete one, two or three academic

terms depending on your existing

academic qualifications and language

skills.

At both further education colleges and

universities, International Foundation

Year programmes often consist of

‘pathways’. These allow a student on a

particular pathway to choose one of a

number of several end results. For

example, if you area on a business

pathway, you might be able to progress

to a degree in economics, business

studies, accounting, IT or mathematics.

Other pathways include humanities, arts

and social sciences, science,

technology and medical.

You can find more information about

International Foundation Year

programmes, including how to apply on

the UCAS website www.ucas.com

Foundation year programmes

These programmes allow you to gain

skills in specific subjects such as

engineering, nursing, medicine, art and

business, and usually lead directly to

specific degree programmes.

They are aimed at students who have

never studied the subject before or

whose grades aren’t high enough for a

degree course.

For example, entry requirements for a

foundation year in engineering can be

up to 100 UCAS points lower than the

entry into the first year of a degree

programme in the same subject at the

same institution.

If you successfully complete your

course, it might allow you to enter the

degree programme linked to it in a

four-year programme of continuous

study. Application to join these courses

is generally through UCAS

www.ucas.com

Types of degree courses Typical content Usual length

The table below will give you types of degree courses you can study in the UK.

Honours degree One subject studied in depth Usually three years but can be four,

especially in Scotland. Architecture,

medicine, dentistry and veterinary

sciences degrees are five to seven

years.

Joint Honours degree Two subjects studied in Three to four years

less depth (more often four in Scotland)

Combined Honours degree Two or more subjects studied Three to four years

in less depth (more often four in Scotland)

Ordinary/General degree One or more subjects studied Three years

at less advanced level

5 6

You'll find the exact entry requirements for each course on the course profiles on

www.educationuk.org/burma The following will give you an idea of the sort of

qualifications you will need:

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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

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 have to

start at an earlier level. Many international students take an access, foundation or

bridging course, which are designed to bridge the gap between the qualifications

you already have and those required by the college or university of your choice.

These courses last one year and can be taken at the same university or college as

you intend to take the degree, or one close by. It’s important for you to choose

your access or foundation course carefully.

It is important for you to choose your access or foundation course carefully. Be clear about whether your choice offers an established route into a particular degree course. And if you need English language tuition, make sure yourcourse includes this.

What qualifications will I need?

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© Education UK

How will I know if I've chosen a good course?

UK higher education is quality assured

by government-supported agencies and

stringent assessment mechanisms,

which means UK degree programmes

are of a very high standard and are

respected as such internationally. Many

of the checks and reports are available

online, so you will never be left in any

doubt about the validity and quality of

the course you choose.

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) is

responsible for regulating standards

and quality for UK higher education. It

produces a Code of Practice which

provides the institutions with guidelines

on how they manage academic

standards and quality. As well as setting

standard guidelines the QAA also carries

out inspections of institutions to see if

they are reaching these targets. These

QAA inspections are called ‘Institutional

Audits’ and the reports are published on

their website at www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/

The higher education funding councils

also assess the quality of research

through the Research Assessment

Exercise (RAE). Every few years, the

RAE takes place to judge the quality of

research being carried out in UK

colleges and universities. The most

recent assessment took place in 2001

and the results can be downloaded

from www.hero.ac.uk/rae.index.htm

You can also find information about the

quality of higher education in the UK

universities and colleges at

www.unistats.ac.uk. Unistats brings

together key sources of official

information about the provision of

higher education in the UK, including

the results of the National Student

Survey (NSS). This survey is the result

of final year students rating the

institution at which they are studying on

a number of different criteria, such as

the level of academic support they

received and the learning resources

available to them.

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How much will it cost?

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 and when do I apply?

Once you have shortlisted your

preferred courses and colleges, you

should get the college prospectuses –

these are also available on the Internet

and can be accessed at

www.educationuk.org/burma.

Apply for a full-time undergraduate

course through UCAS

1. Check the minimum entry

requirements for each course you want

to apply for. There is no point making

an application if you do not have them.

(Bear in mind that the institution could

ask for more than these minimum

requirements if there is competition to

join the course).

2. Apply in one of two ways:

• Online using ‘Apply online’, a

web-based application system for

international and UK applicants

www.ucas.com/students/apply

• By post, using the printed application

form available from UCAS or from

your local British Council office. (Only

if the online version is not possible)

There is a charge for all applications

through UCAS – see

http://www.ucas.com/ or contact your

local British Council office for details of

current charges and how to pay.

Points to remember:

• You may apply for up to five courses

on one application form. If you are

applying for medicine, dentistry or

veterinary sciences/ medicine you

may only apply for four courses.

• You can only make one application

per academic year through the UCAS

system.

• Start thinking about this early – over a

year before you want to start your

course

Key dates:

• 1 September (the year before the

course starts) – all applications open

• 15 October – closing date for

applications to courses in medicine,

dentistry or veterinary

sciences/medicine and to Oxford and

Cambridge Universities

• 15 January – closing date for UK & EU

students

• 15 January – closing date for route A

art and design applications

• 1 September – 5 March – application

period for route B art and design

applications

• 30 June – closing date for

international students (unless you are

applying to Oxford or Cambridge or

for medicine, dentistry, veterinary

science/medicine or route B art and

design courses). Please note:

popular courses will have been filled

by this date so UCAS advise you to

apply earlier if you can.

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How do I choose the right course and institution?

There are so many undergraduate

courses and so many places to study

that choosing a course and institution

can be difficult. You may have a

personal preference, for your own

reasons, but if you are starting with only

a vague idea, the following checklists

will help you come up with your

decision-making factors.

Checklist: Choosing the right course

* Is the subject right for you? What

type of qualification is it? What are the

options with the subject?

* Does it improve your chances of

following your chosen career?

* Will it be recognised by employers or

educational organisations in your

own country?

* What are the teaching methods? Are

you happy with them?

* How did the department fare in the

most recent QAA where education

institutions define academic standards

and quality for external review?

* How is the programme assessed?

Would you prefer continuous

assessment or a more exam-based

programme?

Checklist: Choosing the right

institution

* Is the higher education institute large

enough (or small enough) to have the

facilities you would like? What does it

do about student support?

* Is it in a city or the countryside?

Where in the UK is it? Does this

matter to you?

* Is it on a campus or not? Does that

matter to you?

* Is it close to any relatives or friends

you have in the UK?

* Is it close to an airport that you could

use to get home?

* Do you like the way it assesses

work – by coursework, written exams

or both?

* Is its most recent review by the

Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)

generally satisfactory?

* Can you afford the course fees?

* How much university accommodation

is on offer, and what is its range? Are

you given any guarantees about

accommodation in the first and final

years as an overseas students?

* Can you afford to live in this town or

city?

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Universities UK

Universities UK's mission is to be the essential voice of UK

universities by promoting and supporting their work.

www.universitiesuk.ac.uk

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)

UCAS is the central organisation that processes applications

for full-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses at UK

universities and colleges. www.ucas.com

HERO

HERO (Higher Education and Research Opportunities in the

United Kingdom) contains information on all aspects of higher

education. www.hero.ac.uk

Unistats

Unistats is the official website for information about the quality

of higher education in UK universities and colleges. For further

information go online to www.unistats.com

International Foundation Programme – Scotland

www.ifps.ac

Access Course Database

Database of Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) recognised

Access courses

www.ucas.com/students/beforeyouapply/access_programmes/

Foundation degrees

www.foundationdegree.org.uk

Access to higher education (HE) programmes

www.accesstohe.ac.uk

Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)

www.qaa.ac.uk

Where can I find more information?