Higher Education in UK
Information in this section relates to individuals thinking of coming to U.K for Higher
Education. It gives details of the procedure involved and routes to obtain
further information. One of the objectives of Education Aid is to provide information
& guidance to Pakistani students to enable them to select a recognised
course at a reputable institution.
The Higher Education system in U.K is
probably the best in the world. There are more than 80,000 courses ( yes courses, not places ) of higher Education on offer every year in U.K. This includes about 20,000 degree
courses at 250 universities and colleges across the country. Admissions to all
recognised degree courses are conducted through a central co-ordinating body
called UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). UCAS publish a student
entry handbook each year detailing the procedures. This is generally available
from June for entry in September of the following year. This 500+ page book
and a CD contains all the procedures, application method, and course listings
of various institutions along with contact details. Entry requirements for each
course are given in the universities prospectus and in an 'Official Guide' available
from the British Council. Applications are received between 1st Sep and
15th Dec for the academic year beginning in the following September.
Bachelors Degree
In U.K a bachelor's degree is considered as a major qualification and is of 3 years
duration. Degrees in Business, Management and Accountancy are usually designated
as B.A and rarely as B.Com. Similarly an engineering degree is called a B.Sc
like any science degree. There are literally thousands of degree courses starting
every year in September. Entrance requirements are usually 3 good A Levels
but sometimes only 2 are acceptable. Maths and English are pre requisites in
most admissions. Maths is required for Law, Accountancy, Science and Engineering
degrees. Contrary to popular belief , Biology is not necessary for Medicine but
Chemistry is.
From Pakistan you should have a first degree in 1st
/ 2nd division. An F.A/F.Sc is not accepted, but in some institutions you can
do a foundation course for one year before applying for a degree course. There
is a severe competition for admissions to Law, Medicine, Accountancy, Finance,
Business and Economics, whereas admissions to Science and Engineering courses are
less competitive.
Masters Degree
An M.A / M.Sc degree is of one year duration usually starting in October, although
there are few courses which start in January also. Admission requirements are
normally a British Bachelors Degree or an equivalent from overseas. There is no
set last date for admission. Applications are generally accepted until July for
the course starting in October of the same year. However for overseas students
it is advisable to start the process from the previous September. Applications
should be made direct to the universities of interest. For course and university
selection, reference should be made to the CRAC Guide to Graduate Studies, Available at the British Council. Once you know what subject(s) you are interested
in you should write to the course tutor(s) of the university giving full details
of your qualifications and asking them to advise on eligibility. If they
like the look of your record they will send you an application form. In addition
to the prospectus you should read the specific course leaflets which give details
of the syllabus.
Chartered Accountancy ( C.A )
At the end of your second year of British degree course, you can apply to approved
accountancy firms for a 'Training Contract' lasting 2-3 years. Relevant degrees
are Accountancy and Finance and other courses with major Accountancy content.
If your academic record is very good and if your degree is non relevant, say,
Engineering or Chemistry you may be accepted for a foundation course. C.A is very
popular and hence very competitive field. The whole programme is also very
demanding because you are studying and working Full Time. The good thing is that
you get paid during the training period. Due to recent years recession many firms
have cut down the number of trainee places. Also as an overseas student you
may have to make extra efforts to compete with the local students.
MBA
This sought after qualification is useful for a career both in industry and business.
We receive many enquiries from Pakistani students who wrongly believe that
they can start an MBA as soon as they complete their B.A or B.Com in Pakistan.
The normal and correct way in U.K is for students to obtain their first degree,
work for 2/3 years and really establish what their strengths and interests are
and what career opportunities are available to them. They then embark upon an
MBA programme in the relevant subject. Therefore on similar levels Pakistani students
are required to offer an M.A/M.Sc plus 2 Years work experience. All good
universities have these requirements. Some universities i.e. Leeds and Wales
do not insist on having work experience. Then there are degree mills that offer
accelerated programmes for overseas students. We neither recommend nor assist
students to go for such sub standard courses. In U.K out of the 92 M.B.A courses,
only 30 are approved by the Association of MBA's. If you want to go for a foreign
qualification, go for a solid and internationally recognised and respected
MBA. Don't waste your or rather your parent's money.
M.Phil or Ph.D
If you have a good masters degree from Pakistan and a good academic record, you may
be able to enrol for a research degree without having to do a British Masters
Degree first. The CRAC guide lists research degrees currently at various universities.
Write direct to universities giving your academic details, evidence of
any previous research work and letters from your present/past university teachers.
A Ph.D programme lasts for 3 years and a M.Phil can be completed in 1/2 year.
It is also possible (and specially if your funds are limited ) to initially
register for a M.Phil and on its completion subject to your circumstances carry
on to complete your Ph.D. It is not sufficient to state that "I wish to do a
Ph.D say in Physics". Your future Research Supervisor is handling some specific
topics within Physics and he is looking for assistants with interest or ability
in those topics within Physics. It is your job to convince the supervisor that
you are the right person for the job. So you should first find out the topics
under research at that university and then prepare your application. Establish
a repertoire through correspondence. |
