International students: applying to study in the UK
If studying at home just doesn’t cook your crumpet, there’s always the option of studying in the UK.
Whether you’re perspiring about dreaming spires in Oxford or want to lose yourself in urban grittiness in London or Manchester, the first thing you’ll need to sort out is your application.
The process can vary at different institutions and for different courses, but it’s usually done through a centralised team such as the Universities and Colleges Application System. UCAS, as they’re known, processes most of the entries to higher ed’ in Britain.
There’s a bulging bagload of reasons to study here, not least the fact that an internationally respected degree will - fingers crossed - be the reward for all that study. There’s also the chance to widen your horizons and learn something about yourself – plus of course it tends to earn quite a few resume points with employers, too. Failing that, at least you’ll be educated about warm beer, how to queue, and the merits of talking endlessly about the weather.
Undergraduate degree courses tend to last three years, though if bonnie Scotland appeals, four is the norm. Medicine and some science degrees will probably last you more like six, while postgraduate degrees can trump the lot.
For EU students, all this crazy fun costs the same as for UK students, though applicants from more exotic climes can be floored by fees of over £20,000. This shouldn’t necessarily put students off though, as many universities offer financial help especially for needy internationals – check out Push’s university profiles for all the vital stats. For general information on how much a great, British education will set you back, and whether you’ll need to sell your grandmother’s pancreas to get one, clue-up on our money section.
Studying in the UK can be a damned fine thing and British universities are as ravenous for international students as Pavarotti is for pasta. If a jolly educational jaunt and a nice cup of tea appeal, you might also want to surf over to the British Council’s website for other useful hints: http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning.htm.
Last updated on: 26 November 2008