If you choose to follow a course of study in the UK, you become part of a tradition dedicated to excellence and innovation that has produced over 40 Nobel Prize winners within the last 50 years in the field of science alone. A tradition that:

• Invented the principle of the worldwide web
• Developed the world’s first programmable computer
• Produces 9% of the world’s scientific papers and 13% of the most highly-cited (not bad for a country with only 1% of the world’s population)
• Produces 16 research papers for every £1million invested, compared with 10 in the US and 4 in Japan

There are many reasons why you should study in the UK and an even greater number of subjects to choose from: Courses from accountancy to zoology are delivered at hundreds of universities and colleges of higher education, and a UK degree will allow you to specialize in the subject that interests you, in a country renowned globally for the quality of its research and the reputation of its academics.

UK undergraduate qualifications are respected and valued all over the world, which is why students from more than 180 different countries are currently studying at this level in the UK. A bachelor’s degree, Higher National Diploma (HND) or Foundation Degree from a UK college or university will give you an edge when you’re competing for a job or a place in a postgraduate course. It will show employers that you’re capable and used to conducting and analyzing your own research. If you intend to continue in academia, the research skills you gain provide the perfect introduction to future postgraduate study.

UK postgraduate qualifications – Master’s degree, PhD or MBA – are also respected and valued internationally. Most Master’s degrees and MBAs at UK universities last one year, compared with two in many other countries. Choosing the UK means that you only have to pay tuition fees for one year and you’ll be back in the workplace before you know it

While you’re here, you’ll be part of a truly international community – a high percentage of postgraduate students in the UK are international and you may find as many as 50 different nationalities on a single campus. With such fantastic experience behind you, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running by the time you finish your course. UK qualifications let employers know at a glance that you’ve got the skills they’re looking for, putting you on the right track for a great job and a great salary.

One year after graduating, more than 95% of UK undergraduates are employed. If you want to be a doctor or lawyer, you obviously have to have the appropriate qualifications, but a degree is just as necessary for many other careers, such as government service, publishing, public relations and marketing. A degree will let employers know that you’re capable of independent thought, able to undertake research and analysis and that you’re prepared to work hard.

Part of the reason that UK qualifications are so highly valued across the world is the strict measures of quality imposed on them. The UK is world renowned for operating a unique quality-assurance system that ensures accountability in all areas. From student support services to their teaching staff, every school, further education and higher education establishment is subject to rigorous scrutiny in respect of their quality standards.

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) ensures that UK higher education is of a standard that’s respected and admired across the world. Every few years, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) takes place to judge the quality of research being carried out in UK colleges and universities. It is through quality-assurance systems such as this that the UK maintains its reputation as a world leader with respect to the quality of its education, and continues to provide a valued educational experience to an increasing number of international students.

The wide range of courses on offer gives you a huge amount of flexibility. You can enrol in a Bachelor’s degree from the beginning, or you can start by taking a two-year HND or Foundation Degree and then top up to a degree afterwards if you want. You can study a single honours degree where you’ll focus entirely on one subject, or study two subjects in a joint honours or combined honours degree. At the postgraduate level, you can start by enrolling in a postgraduate diploma course (PG Dip), then transfer to a Master’s degree, or start by taking an MRes - master of research - which could lead on to a PhD. It’s entirely up to you!

At a UK university you’ll be mixing with people from all over the world, whose different backgrounds and new perspectives will add to your experience. International students form 14% of the full-time student population in the UK and 43% at research postgraduate level. No matter where you study, you’ll meet students from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia. University cultural societies will give you social experiences that will shape your view of the international community in which you’ll soon be looking to make your career.

To find out more about studying in the UK, please visit the British Council’s Education UK website at
www.educationuk.org

Contributed by:

Liane Fraser
Information Manager, Montréal
British Council Canada
www.britishcouncil.org/canada
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Your GoStudy Team
www.gostudy.ca