Why Study MBBS in Abroad?
TOP SIX THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO STUDY IN THE UK
- The quality of education and the job prospects are the two important reasons to study abroad.
- The desire to work and live in another country is the next reason.
- Difficulty in getting admission to a reputed college in India or the course of your choice despite scoring well in the exams.
- Though there are several Engineering colleges in India, most of the colleges offer only traditional courses.
- So, a student decides to study in a foreign university when the course he/she wishes to pursue was not introduced yet in India at the undergraduate/postgraduate level.
- The research opportunities available in foreign universities are much better than the research opportunities available in India.
- Foreign universities offer many course specializations that are still not available in India.
Why study in the U.K?
We all know that the United Kingdom is the country that invented the English language.
The world-famous Oxford University and Cambridge University are in the U.K. In addition to this, several
reasons like infrastructure, unique teaching methodology, quality research, rich heritage, and diverse
culture of the U.K makes it the best destination for you to study.
The United Kingdom is the association of four countries namely England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern
Ireland. Being the second-leading study destination in the world, it hosts more than 442,000 students.
Famous personalities like Albert Einstein, Oscar Wilde, Bill Clinton, and Stephen Hawking also graduated
from the universities located in the U.K.
National leaders like Indira Gandhi, Gandhi Ji also studied in the U.K.
Notable Indian personalities like Arnab Goswami, Amartya Sen, Kumar Mangalam Birla also graduated in
respective fields from the famous universities of the United Kingdom.
According to OECD’s latest report, after Norway and New Zealand, U.K is the third country that spends the
largest share of its Gross Domestic Product (G.D.P) on education.
The Global Employability rate is also high in the universities of the United Kingdom. All these factors make
the United Kingdom one of the best study destinations.
Why study in the U.K?
Benefits Indian students will reap when they choose to study in the UK:
compared to other countries.
UK Master’s degrees are only One-year and globally recognized and its most affordable when compared to
other countries
It helps to cut off the tuition fee and living costs in this country.
Many countries follow the U.K based education system known as the British system as its a pioneer in the
educational field.
The Quality Assurance Agency assesses the quality of education provided by the universities, compares
them, and gives them feedback in the areas of improvement that makes education in the united kingdom
stand apart from the rest of the countries.
full-time course in the United Kingdom.
Each educational institution in the United Kingdom offers support to students who have health issues or
issues of mental wellbeing.
To avail of the benefits of National Health Support, you have to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge(IHS)
when you apply for the student visa.
The universities in the United Kingdom are given global recognition for their dedication to research.
You can pursue your research in some of the most sophisticated labs and the latest equipment in their
universities.
One of the main advantages of studying in the United Kingdom is the availability of a wide range of
courses.
It offers courses in engineering, science, art and design, business and management, law, and finance.
You have the flexibility of choosing a course module and the subjects you would like to study.
As the courses can be tailored according to your needs, You will take less time to complete your degree in
the United Kingdom
when compared to other nations.
One-year master’s degree programs are available in the United Kingdom.
Generally, the undergraduate courses take up to two or three years which is lesser when compared to other
countries.
It helps to cut down the charges of Education in the United Kingdom.
Studying in the United Kingdom will make you more ambitious and competitive in the workplace.
You will have greater employability as you have international experience, more open-minded than before
when you choose o study in the United Kingdom.
Pursuing a course in the United Kingdom will be a great boost to your resume.
According to the International Graduate Outcome report 2019 conducted by i-graduate, 69% of respondents
to the survey say they progress more quickly in their careers than others who have studied
elsewhere.
The United Kingdom is the most popular destination for international students after the United States.
As it attracts students from all over the world, the U.K is very open to new traditions and cultures.
It will be a great opportunity for the students to learn from the cross-cultural experience.
You will benefit by learning the skills you must possess to be a part of the global workforce.
providing scholarships to them.
Good academic performance is a must for students to be eligible for the scholarship.
Marshall Scholarships, Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships, Scotland Saltire scholarships are
scholarships offered in the UK for international students.
There are many institution-specific scholarships like Felix Scholarship, British Council Great scholarship
for Indian students.
There are many university-specific scholarships like the Gates1qa Cambridge scholarship, Rodes
scholarship at the University of Oxford.
An international student needs to understand the United Kingdom Education system before deciding what
they’re going to study and where they’re going to study.
You can get a glance at the complete list of scholarships to study in the United Kingdom at
https://getdirectionglobal.com/scholarship/
EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE UK:
The Education System in the United Kingdom is known for its standard and quality all over the world. The United Kingdom has one of the most spectacular education systems in the world. Many countries including India follow the UK education system.
The education system in the United Kingdom is divided into five parts: Early years, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Further Education, and Higher Education.
Education for children under the age group of 3 to 5 years falls under Early years education.
The education system in the U.K is also split into four key stages:
Key Stage 1: Age group of 5 to 7 years
Key Stage 2: Age group of 7 to 11 years
Key Stage 3: Age group of 11 to 14 years
Key Stage 4: Age group of 14 to 16 years
Key stages 1 and 2 come under primary education. Key stages 3 and 4 come under secondary education.
Primary education and secondary education (i.e, from 5 years to 16 years) are declared compulsory for all students in the United Kingdom.
The education system followed in Scotland is entirely different from the system followed in the other three parts of the United Kingdom.
You can get an overview of the Scottish education system by clicking on the below link: https://education.gov.scot/education-scotland/scottish-education-system/
At the end of secondary education, all students have to clear the General Certificate of Secondary Education to receive the GCSE certificate.
Further Education, is any education after secondary education that doesn’t fall under higher education (undergraduate and postgraduate courses).
A further education program is to help students to gain academic qualifications to get into a university to gain higher education or any vocational qualification to get the required skill set to join the workforce directly.
Further Education courses are not offered at Universities but colleges. Students who are over 16 years take courses in Further Education colleges.
Diplomas, awards, certificates, and National Vocational Qualifications are forms of further education.
Three types of institutions provide academic further education in the United Kingdom. They are:
- School sixth form
- sixth form colleges
- Further Education Colleges
Further Education colleges provide both academic qualifications and vocational qualifications in the United Kingdom whereas, School sixth form and Sixth form colleges provide only academic qualifications.
A-level qualifications are used as entry-level qualifications for the students to enter into universities for Higher Education.
Similar to GCSEs, A-levels also follow a two-year program. Students specialize in 3 to 4 subjects based on their interests, according to the degree, they would like to pursue in the future.
A-levels are state-level examinations. All the universities in the UK recognize A-level certificates. In addition, the A levels have worldwide recognition too.
To provide an internationally accepted education, many independent schools offer an International Baccalaureate program.
It is a two-year program offered for students who are between 16 years to 19 years and helps them enter into Higher Education. This program has worldwide recognition.
In an International Baccalaureate Diploma program, students would study more than 3 to 4 subjects.
A Business Technology Education Council is a vocational qualification that tends to be work-related. This program is ideal for students who prefer practical-based learning.
You can either study at a university or enter the workforce with a BTEC qualification. The level-3 equivalent of BTEC is equal to A-level.
Students can study subjects like travel and tourism, Information Technology, Business studies, engineering at the BTEC level.
Subjects like history or English can’t be studied at the BTEC level. Coursework and practical projects are used to assess the students in BTEC.
It entirely depends on the university if it accepts BTEC alone as an entry into higher education or a combination of BTEC and A-levels are needed to get into higher education in a university.
An International student may opt for a foundation course if he/she needs additional English language preparation and academic preparation before entering a university to study for an undergraduate degree.
It is an undergraduate pathway program for those students who don’t meet the direct entry requirements for a university in the united kingdom.
A foundation degree helps to reduce the academic gap, to improve the English language, and to adapt to the life and culture in the United Kingdom before entering into a university
The undergraduate, postgraduate, and Doctorate programs come under the higher education in the U.K education system.
Only a few institutions in the UK have the power to award degrees. They are called recognized bodies. The Universities and colleges are the recognized bodies.
Listed bodies are those institutions that do not have the power to award degrees but can provide coaching to get into a University in the United Kingdom.
There are more than 100 universities and 2000 courses to choose from in the UK.
The institutions offer many undergraduate qualifications such as a Bachelors’s degree, foundation degree, Diploma of Higher Education, Circular of Higher Education, and Higher National Diploma.
As mentioned on the British Council website, a bachelor’s degree is a common first-year degree in which you get a thorough understanding of a subject.
Bachelor’s of Science, Bachelor’s of Arts, Bachelor’s of Education, and Bachelor’s of Engineering are different titles of a Bachelor’s degree.
You’ll get a ‘honors’ degree upon the successful completion of a Bachelor’s degree.
A full-time Bachelor’s degree usually takes three years to complete in the United Kingdom.
But in Scotland, an undergraduate degree takes four years to complete, a title of Scottish Master of Arts will be awarded at the end of the Fourth Year.
Many shorter courses are provided in the UK that is equivalent to the first two years of a full three-year or four-year undergraduate program. They are:
- AFoundation Degree – It is studied over two years. It’s equivalent to the first two years of a Bachelor’s degree. It involves both academic and professionals skills.
- Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)- It is a two-year program that can be a degree in itself or can be used as an entry into the university in the third year of an undergraduate program. It also involves both academic and professional skills related to specific study areas like nursing or social work.
- Higher National Degree- It is a two-year program similar to the Diploma of Higher Education, but the areas of study are generally broader than DipHE.
Certificate of Higher Education- It is the most basic qualification offered at an undergraduate level as an entry to the university, Foundation Degree, DipHE, or HND.
A pre-masters course is a pathway course to do a master’s in the UK similar to foundation courses for the undergraduate program. It helps you to improve your English. It also serves to hone your research,
presentation, and study skills required to make an entry into a master’s degree. The period of this course usually ranges from 3 to 6 months depending on the requirements of the students.
Upon the successful completion of an undergraduate program, a student may study postgraduation in the UK.
Typically, a student takes one year to finish a Master’s program in the UK unlike two years in other countries.
Types of postgraduate courses offered in the UK are:
- Taught Master’s Degree– There are various types of Master’s courses available in the UK. A few of them are Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Engineering, Master of Architecture.
- Research Master’s Degree and Doctorates– MRes (Masters in Research) is another type of Master’s degree offered in the UK. It prepares students for doctoral research. Doctorates are the highest qualification. It can be completed in three to four years in the UK.
- Postgraduate certifications and Diploma – Apart from these two programs, a student may choose between several Postgraduate Diplomas (PGDip) and Postgraduate Certificates (PGCert) when he/she does not want to take a dissertation. A PGDip takes 9 months to complete and equivalent to 2/3rd of a Master’s degree. PGCert takes 6 months to complete and equivalent to 1/3rd of a Master’s degree.
- Conversion Courses– These courses are designed to make a shift in your career when you don’t have an undergraduate degree for the career you want to pursue.
Now we have an overview of the Education System followed in the United Kingdom. Now let us have a look at the categorization of universities in the United Kingdom, to choose your course or university confidently as you plan to study in the UK.
TYPES OF UNIVERSITIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
It is a humongous task to make a perfect choice when you are left with numerous options to select from. The UK has 130 universities that offer a huge number of courses. All these universities are categorized into five types. Let us have a snapshot of the different types of universities in the UK:
- Ancient universities
- Redbrick Universities or Civic Universities
- Plate-glass Universities
- New universities or Modern universities or post-1992 universities.
- Russell Group universities
Ancient Universities:
The University of Oxford, the oldest university in the UK dates back to 1096. The universities that were founded during the period ranging from 1096 to 1582 are Ancient Universities.
These universities are governed in a different method when compared to the recent ones. The names of the universities that fall under the category of ancient universities are:
