The UK has a unique, world-wide reputation for its undergraduate education. Its main strengths are quality, honesty and diversity. UK higher education institutions offer internationally recognised qualifications acknowledged to be of the highest academic standard.
There are more than ninety universities to choose from in the UK, along with a smaller number of higher education colleges.
Most courses for a first degree last for three or four years. Some vocational courses are longer, for example, medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and architecture.
Most titles for a first degree contain the term ‘Bachelor’ and the broad subject name, for example, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) and Bachelor of Science (BSc). If you choose to study in Scotland, its framework of higher education qualifications means that you will be likely to graduate after four years with a Master’s level qualification. When you are awarded your degree, you become a graduate.
To find out more about the degree courses available in the UK visit www.educationuk.org.
This site will give you access to information on the range of courses available in the UK and vital information from advice on student welfare through to application processes.
The minimum academic requirements for entry to a UK degree course may vary from institution to institution and from one course to the next. Generally, institutions will quote their requirements for entry on to a specific course in terms of A-level and Scottish Higher grades but a Bulgarian school-leaving qualification should satisfy general entrance requirements.
When you apply as an international student you will be asked to demonstrate how good your English is. This could be in the form of an accepted test score result such as an IELTS or TOEFL score, and your institution will tell you what score you need for acceptance on to a particular degree course.
To apply to be an undergraduate in the UK you need to fill in the UCAS application form. UCAS - the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service deals with all applications for places on full-time undergraduate courses.
At present, 333 institutions offering over 55,000 programmes of study are in membership of the scheme. Each year, over 450,000 people apply through UCAS. More than 60,000 applicants are from outside the UK.
All UK universities (except the Open University), and most colleges offering higher education, are members of UCAS. The majority of students, both home and international, interested in studying for a full-time undergraduate qualification in the UK, will apply through UCAS.
UCAS’ website gives you a lot of information about universities, colleges, courses and how to apply. There is a section specially designed for international students. The site has links to the websites of universities and colleges that offer full-time undergraduate courses in the UK.
There are more than 20,000 postgraduate courses available in the UK, covering a variety of subjects. Some are taught courses while others consist of a period of supervised research.
Postgraduate study in the UK is intensive, so the courses are relatively short – usually nine months to two years in duration.
A postgraduate degree is awarded after the successful completion of either a taught course or a period of research.
Taught courses are available at Master’s, diploma and certificate level.
Research courses could be at Master’s or Doctoral level.
To find out more about the postgraduate courses in the UK visit www.educationuk.org. This site will give you access to information on the range of courses available in the UK. You can search by institution name or by course type to find out who offers the course you are looking for.
It is usual to apply directly to the institution or department offering the course or research opportunity as there is no centralised application system for postgraduate study in the UK. As well as the application form, usually available from the web site of an individual institution, you will be asked to approach referees – and if you are applying for a research degree, provide a research proposal. It is also wise to include a letter and/or personal statement to support your application.
Entrance requirements vary from place to place, so you should check the position of the institution concerned.
When you apply as an international student you will be asked to demonstrate how good your English is. This could be in the form of an accepted test score result such as an IELTS or TOEFL score, and your institution will tell you what score you need for acceptance on to a particular postgraduate course.
Publicly funded educational institutions in the UK charge two levels of fee: the lower ‘home’ fee and the higher ‘overseas’ fee.
Overseas fees range from £3,500 to £17,000 per year depending on the institution, the level and the type of course. The fee will probably increase each year by the level of inflation in the UK. You should contact the institutions you have applied to in order to find out how much you will have to pay.
The majority of international students who study in the UK pay for their courses privately, but study can be costly and many students need to apply for scholarships or grants. The British government and other UK organisations provide a number of scholarships and awards to help international students to study in the UK.
You should not travel to the UK or begin a course of study without making sure that you have enough money to cover all your academic fees and living expenses. It is virtually impossible to make arrangements for financial support once you have left your own country. Also, the immigration authorities will not normally allow you into the UK unless you have evidence that you can cover the costs of your proposed study.
The main scholarship schemes relevant to Bulgarian citizens are:
British Chevening Scholarships Overseas
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