British universities have a great reputation around the world. In 2007 more than half a million people applied for university courses, 80,347 of whom were from outside the UK. Figures are up another 8% for 2008.

Going to university (often abbreviated to ‘uni’) not only gives you the chance of having a more rewarding career, at the same time you can learn more about a subject you like while having the social time of your life!

Necessary Qualifications

In the UK, the majority of people go to university after doing A-levels at school or college. But you don’t necessarily need A-levels, and you don’t have to be an 18-year-old to apply. British universities welcome mature students so expect to meet at least 2 or 3 older people on your chosen course.

You can often get into university with NVQs or BTECs, or you can do a University Access Course. You can also apply if you have international academic qualifications equivalent to A-level, which includes the International (IB) and European (EB) Baccalaureate.

University Courses

What qualifications you will need to get into a university depends on the course you want to do (the more popular ones will have higher entry requirements) and where you want to do it. For example, if you wanted to study at one of the great British universities like Cambridge, you’ll need top grades in everything.

The best way to go about this is to find a course at a university you want to go to, and then check what the entry requirements are. It is up to the university you apply to whether they will accept your qualifications or not.

Once you have found some courses that suit you, you can browse information online, or obtain university prospectuses from the institutions that interest you – these will tell you all you need to know about the different courses, facilities, clubs and social events, admissions procedures, and anything else relevant that you need to know.

If you have qualifications from outside of the UK, other than the IB or EB, you will have to prove that they are of equal value to the A-levels. You need to find out if they are recognised in the UK and are of a suitable standard for entry to degree level. You can find out more about agencies that advise overseas students by visiting our “Find a…” section here.

English Tests

If English is not your first language, you will have to prove to the university that you are proficient enough in English to be able to cope with your studies. This may be through an examination certificate or you could take a proficiency test. Contact the admissions centre of the university that you want to apply to and find out what they require.

What can you study?

The course that most people study when they first go to university is called a ‘degree’ and lasts at least three years.

But you can also choose to do a foundation degree, HNCs (Higher National Certificates) or HNDs (Higher National Diplomas) instead.

If you want to do a degree, you may want to study a traditional academic subject like English Literature or History. But you will also find that there are specialised courses such as forensic pathology as-well as many ‘vocational’ subjects which qualify you for specific careers, such as accountancy.

Some of the most popular subjects are very competitive. The top five subjects chosen are law, medicine, psychology, English studies and management. Law is very popular; approximately 77,500 people have already applied for law for the academic year 2008/2009.

What does it cost?

Different courses at different universities cost different amounts of money. And your cost of living will depend on where you live in the UK. London is much more expensive than other parts of the country, but at the same time finding work is much easier. Alternatively the cost of living in Aberystwyth in Wales is very cheap, but finding a part-time student job will be harder. These are good examples of the things that you will need to consider as you decide where you want to study in the UK.

However, if you study at university in the UK, loans are available to pay for your course and help cover the cost of living expenses while you learn.

You can find out about student loans in our “Find a…” section here.

Applying for university

For some part-time courses, or if you are a mature student, you can apply directly – check with the universities you want to go to first. But for most full-time courses, you will need to apply through UCAS (Universities and colleges Admissions System).

Through UCAS, you can apply for five different courses at the same or different universities. However, there is a limit on some courses – you can only make four choices for medicine, for example, and you can only apply to one of the great universities, Oxford or Cambridge.

You must submit your application to university September and January 15th so it can be considered for the following academic year (unless applying for medicine, dentistry, veterinary courses, or for Oxbridge ( Oxford and Cambridge) in which case your application must be made by October 15th). The application will cost £19.

Any more information you need to know about applying to university is available from the UCAS website, which has its own section for non-UK students.


By Matt Taylor

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USEFUL WORDS

go to university
pass examinations
get a place at university
tuition fees
grant = the money some students receive if they get a place at university
a loan = money that is borrowed and must be paid back
cover the cost of = provide enough money for something
undergraduate = a student who has yet not completed their first degree
graduate = a student who has completed their first degree
post-graduate = a student studying for a second, higher degree
(do) a degree = the qualification you get at the end of a university course
do research on/into = the study of one subject in great depth and detail, often to get new information

he’s got a/an:

BA = Bachelor of Arts
BSc = Bachelor of Science
BEng = Bachelor of Engineering
BEd = Bachelor of Education
LLB = Law degree
Hons = with Honours
MA = Master of Arts
MSc = Master of Science
PhD = Doctor of Philosophy (in any subject, not just philosophy)

lecturer = a person who teaches at a university
lecture = a talk/lesson that students go to while they are at university
professor = a teacher at university (higher level than a lecturer)
department
faculty = a group of related departments in a college or university

GRAMMAR SPOT

what if / supposing / suppose

Use what if/supposing/suppose to ask someone about an imaginary situation:

What if you don’t pass your exams?
Supposing/suppose you’d got a place at Oxford?
what if/supposing/suppose can also be used to make a suggestion:
What if we do some research into it?
Supposing/suppose I cover the cost of your fees?