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 A-levels or BTEC National Diplomas.

If your qualifications don't match this, you can still study in the UK, you’ll just need to start at an earlier level. To find out more, check out the career-based and pre-university section of this website.

You'll find the exact entry requirements for each course on the course profiles on this website. The following will however give you an idea of the sort of qualifications you will need:

Full-time undergraduate courses in the UK vary from one year to four years depending on the type of course you choose. You have the choice of studying a single honours degree where you'll focus entirely on one subject, or you can study two subjects in what’s called a joint honours or combined honours degree. Many courses now offer the option of studying overseas or spending a year working in industry, so that you can apply what you are learning directly to the workplace.  Whatever, wherever and however you choose to study the choice is up to you!

Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Diploma (HND)

Higher National Certificates and Diplomas are one and two year career-related higher education courses, which are equivalent to the first stages of a degree. They are available in many areas including engineering, sports studies, art and design, media and communications and music technology. On successful completion you can enter a career at junior management level or can choose to 'top-up' to a degree by transferring to the second or third year of the degree course. Sometimes there is the option to include an additional year studying overseas or working in industry.

Foundation Degrees (FdA, FdSc etc)

Foundation Degrees are two year career-related higher education courses, which are equivalent to the first stages of a degree. They are available in many areas, including art and design, media and communications, engineering and hospitality management, and can be used as a good foundation for a career or as a basis from which you can progress on to a degree course.

Diplomas of Higher Education

Diplomas of Higher Education are two-year courses in subject areas usually related to the social sciences, 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.

Degrees

Degrees are the most popular undergraduate qualification 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).

University International Foundation Year

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.

You'll get great value for money from a UK undergraduate education no matter where you choose to study. The figures below show approximately what you can expect to pay, but it's worth bearing in mind that course fees can vary considerably between institutions. You can find more details on individual education institutions’ fees on our site by checking out their profiles.

Of course, you’re not just paying for the lectures and practicals you’ll attend: you’ll also have access to college libraries, extensive research resources, ultramodern computer facilities, science and practical laboratories, as well as workshops equipped with state-of-the-art equipment; fantastic sports facilities, music rooms and drama studios, all of which add value to your course.  And that’s before you even start to take into account the value of the experience you’ll gain from studying in the modern, progressive and multicultural environment the UK has to offer. It's a unique experience that you couldn't put a price on.

Part of the reason that UK undergraduate qualifications are so highly valued across the world is the strict measures of quality imposed on them. Many of the checks and reports are available online, so you'll never be left in any doubt about the validity and quality of the course you choose.

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) ensures that UK higher education is of a standard that's respected and admired across the world. Further details can be found on their website at www.qaa.ac.uk

Every few years, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) takes place to judge the quality of research being carried out in UK colleges and universities. The results of the most recent assessment can be downloaded from www.hero.ac.uk/rae

You can also find information on undergraduate courses on the Teaching Quality Information (TQI) website, which provides information on many different areas of undergraduate education, including results of the national student survey and destination information of recent undergraduates. See www.tqi.ac.uk

To apply for full-time undergraduate degree courses and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), you simply make a single approach through the centralised application process. This service is provided by UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) and can be accessed online via our website.

To apply online all you need to do is follow these simple steps:

   1. Search for and click on the course you're interested in

   2. Under interactive options (right hand box), click 'Apply online for this course'

   3. You will be asked to click through to the UCAS Apply website.

The UCAS system allows you to apply for a maximum of six courses and you can only submit one application form. If you wish to apply for your maximum number of courses you will need to make sure you have the details for all six courses. However, if you do not know which other courses you wish to apply for don't panic, the UCAS system allows you to save your progress so you can come back at a later date to complete the form.

Applications for part-time degree study are not made through UCAS and you should contact the institution in which you are interested. Increasingly, universities and colleges are making their application forms for part-time study available on their website, either to complete online or to download.