What you need to know before you apply

United Kingdom higher education
Studying in the UK
What to think about before you fill in your application form
Answers to questions we are often asked

United Kingdom (UK) further and higher education

The UK is well known for the quality and variety of its further and higher education programmes. Most courses for a first degree last three or four years. Some vocational courses are longer, for example medicine, dentistry and architecture. DipHE, Foundation degrees and HND courses normally last for two years and Certificate of HE programmes for one year.

There are higher education colleges and universities throughout the UK, ranging from large universities with 30,000 or more students, to small colleges of higher education with fewer than 1,000 students.

The UCAS scheme now covers study opportunities on over 50,000 different programmes of study at 325 member institutions; these institutions include in excess of 170 Further Education Colleges who provide higher education study opportunities at Higher National Diploma/Certificate (HND/C) or first degree level alongside a wide range of other provision, either academic or vocational in nature, below this level of award.

All programmes of study within the UCAS scheme offered by Further Education Colleges are subject to the same quality assurance arrangements as those offered by colleges of higher education or universities; much of this provision is delivered collaboratively through academic partnership agreements with institutions with degree-awarding powers.

A short guide to higher education in the UK is available on the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) website, and the British Council also produces some useful information for international students on its website.

More general information about the full range of further education opportunities available in the UK may be obtained from the British Council and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) or the Association of Colleges (AoC).

Studying in the UK

The UK has a long history of welcoming international students to study in its universities and colleges. In the UK there are 1.8 million full-time and part-time students in higher education, which include over 300,000 international students from 180 different countries. Useful general information, including contact details for universities and colleges, is available from here.

There are people at each university and college who are ready to answer your questions, help you through the application process and support you while you are in the UK. Many universities and colleges organise a programme of events before you start your course to welcome you and to help you make new friends and get used to your new surroundings. Social and cultural activities are often run for international students throughout the year. Universities and colleges also provide a variety of clubs and societies. Visit the British Council's website if you would like to get useful information about studying in Britain.

Further information about the subject provision offered by all universities and colleges within the UCAS scheme is available on the course search.

What if your first language is not English and you would like some idea of what to expect when you attend lectures?
EASE (Essential Academic Skills in English) provide a CD-ROM that aims to improve your listening skills in English.

What to think about before you fill in your application form

Am I qualified to enrol on the courses that I am considering?
There are entry requirements for each course. Entry requirements are there to help universities and colleges choose students who will be successful. You can find them in each university and college prospectus and also in course search and the Entry Profiles on this site for some institutions.

The entry requirements that you need for the course will almost certainly be described in terms of UK exams either as grades or increasingly as a Tariff point score. There is no official list of how UK grades or tariff points compare with other countries' qualifications. Each university or college will decide whether or not your qualifications meet the entrance requirements for its courses. You should check your qualifications with the universities and colleges you want to apply to.

Further advice and information about qualifications for entry to UK higher education institutions can be obtained from UCAS tel: qualifications hotline +44 (0)1242 544900 email: quals@ucas.ac.uk or the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC).

The admissions tutor for each course will look at your UCAS application form to make sure that you can meet the entry requirements by the time you start your course. The requirements may include academic and professional qualifications, such as exam passes in stated subjects and particular grades. They may also include specified work experience. Some universities and colleges may add other requirements, for example, financial or medical conditions, which you have to meet before you can start the course.

You may already be qualified by the time you fill in your application form or you may be in the process of gaining the qualifications and experience you need. Universities and colleges may give you a conditional offer if you have not already qualified when you apply. You will then need to meet the entry requirements by 31 August 2007 for courses that start in September or October 2007.

You can apply for entry with credit (to start a course at year two, three or four). You should get the college or university's agreement that it will consider you for this before you complete your UCAS application.

Is the standard of my English high enough for me to succeed in my course?
The universities and colleges will tell you what standard of written and spoken English you need to understand in order to take part in lectures, seminars, tutorials and exams. If English is not your first language, most universities and colleges will want you to have a qualification in English, or to take a specified test in English. This will show them that you can cope with your studies and be successful. More information about English language proficiency is provided here.

You need to check which English Language Testing Certificate qualifications are acceptable before you apply. The admissions office or international office for each university or college will be able to tell you this.

Is this course right for my career and for me?
UK qualifications are accepted and highly regarded throughout the world. However, it is important that you check that employers and professional organisations in your country (or the country where you want to work) will accept the course and qualification you have chosen. You also need to check that the course content covers the areas of the subject that you want to study and that you need in order to follow your chosen career.

Will I be happy at this university or college?
A number of things (apart from your course and academic work) will affect how happy and settled you feel. Different things are important to different people but you may want to know if

• other students from your country are studying in the same place

• what sort of cultural and social clubs are available at the university or college

• what sort of accommodation is available

• what sort of sports facilities are available

• whether the university or college offers support for people with disabilities

Other people ask about the climate (which varies considerably from day to day and place to place in the UK) and about health and welfare issues.

Make sure that you have answers to all the questions that are important to you before you choose where to live and the college or university at which you want to study.

Answers to questions we are often asked

How do I prepare for my studies before I come to the UK?
You can help yourself to feel more prepared and confident by finding out as much as you can about your course. You will need to do a lot of research when you are deciding which courses to apply for. You will probably want to find out even more before you accept an offer of a place.

When you have accepted a place, you should make sure that the course admissions tutors have answered all your questions. You can ask them if there is anything you can do to prepare yourself before the course starts. They may suggest that you look at some of the books on a reading list or that you improve your computer skills.

If possible, you should contact a student from your country who is already taking the course. The admissions tutor or the International Office may be able to put you in touch with someone.

You may want to buy books and equipment before you start the course. You should check with your admissions tutor before you do this because some items may be provided by or be available for you to borrow at your UK university or college. It may also be cheaper and easier to buy what you need after you arrive in the UK.

Before you register at your university or college in the UK, you will be asked for certificates showing that you have passed all the exams that you need for entry to your course. You may also be asked for the certificates of your qualifications in English; you will need either the originals or certified photocopies, so you should have them ready.

What documents do I need to enter the UK?
Everyone who comes to study in the UK needs a valid passport. If you do not have one, you should apply for one as soon as possible.

People from certain countries need to get visas before they come to the UK. They are known as 'visa nationals'. You should contact the British Embassy or the High Commission in the country where you live to find out whether you are a visa national. If you are a visa national, you will have to fill in an application form at the British Embassy or High Commission in the country where you live and show that you meet the student requirements for receiving a visa.

If you are not a visa national, you do not need a visa before you come to the UK. However, you may want the British Embassy or High Commission in the country where you live to confirm that you will be able to come to the UK as a student. When you arrive in the UK, whether or not you are a visa national, you will have to show certain documents. You will need

• a valid passport

• a letter from the institution that confirms you have been accepted unconditionally for a full-time course

• evidence that you have enough money to pay for your course

It may take you some time to get the right documents. You should start as early as possible by asking your local British Embassy or High Commission what documents you will need, and how and where you can get them. The local British Council and your UK university or college will be able to give you advice and help. You will also find the guidance information for international students from UKCOSA: The Council for International Education very helpful.