Study in U.K.

Education System in the UK :
The British education system offers a wide range of educational opportunities to the international student. Courses range from English as a Foreign Language to General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), A-levels, academic and vocational courses and post-graduate qualifications, including master's degrees and doctorates. Students can study at a very wide range of institutions. Students can also choose from a wide range of courses.

Over the years, Britain has developed an age-old tradition of welcoming Indian students making them feel at home. British qualifications are well known throughout the world, because they are backed by systems which ensure that quality is constantly monitored and that standards are reviewed and maintained.
Students are attracted to British Universities by their excellent reputation in research and teaching. All university departments are audited by the relevant Higher Education Funding Council and Research Councils. They are also obliged to meet stringent standards by professional bodies. Standards are high, not just in teaching but in other facilities as well:
 
* Libraries
* Computers
* Research equipment
* Living accomodation

Students have not only an academic tutor but also a personal tutor, a career adviser and other members of staff to help and guide them.
At the higher education level, UK offers more than 90 universities and 52 university sector colleges. There are over 600 Further Education (FE) and Sixth Form colleges and more than 600 independent boarding schools for pupils aged 7 to 18. 
  

Types of study programmes include :
 
*  (GCSE) General Certificate of Secondary Education . This is a two-year course 
*  A-level courses. Usually a two-year course, though one-year intensive courses are
 also available 
*  English as a Foreign Language programmes 
*  Pre-degree programmes of one- or two-year duration 
*  Further education courses, which can be completed in two years 
*  Under-graduate courses usually take three years, but some courses such as
 engineering take four years. Courses in medicine, architecture and dentistry last five
 years or more 
*  Taught master's courses are usually one-year, intensive programmes 
*  Ph.D.s take three years or more to complete 


Undergraduate study in the UK :
Britain has long been a popular destination for under-graduate study by Indian students. With more than 80 universities to choose from, all equipped with extensive libraries, research and computer facilities and over 2000 colleges and schools, it is able to offer a broad spectrum of subjects from the highly academic to the purely practical in anything, be it architecture or zoology. 

British universities place great emphasis on their students' ability to undertake independent study. For this reason, many final year courses for first degrees include a research project or dissertation which forms an important part of the degree.

General requirements usually consist of the following :
A specified number of subject passes at both (GCE ‘A’ Levels and GCSE at grade C minimum) 
Equivalent British qualifications (for example, BTEC/SCOTVEG, as levels, etc.) 
Equivalent overseas qualifications 
Course requirement details can be obtained from prospectuses of institutions which are available at the Education Counselling Service located in the British Council Division library.
 

Post-graduate Education in the UK :
If you go to the UK for post-graduate studies, you will not be alone. Each year 17,000 students go to the UK.

Students are attracted to British universities because of their excellent reputation in research and teaching. All university departments are audited by the relevant higher education funding councils and by the UK research councils. They are also obliged to meet stringent standards by professional bodies. Standards are high, not just in teaching but in other facilities as well, like libraries, computers, research equipment and living accommodation. Students not only have an academic tutor, but also a personal tutor, a careers advisor and other members of staff to help and guide them.

Special Features of British master’s degree :
Academic : The courses give a detailed and professional understanding of the subject
Duration : British masters degrees are intensive and can generally be completed in a year, whereas it take two years elsewhere
Career progression : A high proportion of master's degrees are vocational, leading towards specific careers. Some even provide qualifications recognised by professional bodies
  
Studying for an MBA in the UK :
In recent years, it has become increasingly important for managers to have a professional qualification in business management, rather than just relying on informally acquired skills. This has led to an increase in management training in Britain. The British MBA is a unique, intensive, one-year programme, whose fundamental aim is to teach functional specialists general management skills that will improve their effectiveness on the job. 
 
Most MBA schools offer the following core subjects with some degree of variation : Accounting, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, Organisational Behaviour and Quantitative Analysis. In addition, there will be courses involving computer literacy and software packages. 

Some schools offer a refresher course in basic mathematics. Besides these subjects, there are others that are usually exclusive to MBA programmes. These include: Strategic Planning, Operations Management, Business Methods, Business Law, Business Ethics, Total Quality Management and Environmental issues.

Most schools offer additional optional courses or electives, which usually reflect a core area such as finance or marketing. Students can choose these courses to suit their own interests or future career plans. 

MBA programmes frequently include a compulsory company project and sometimes more than one. Many business schools have, in recent years, become firm supporters of projects. 

Projects also help to get across some of the so-called softer business skills such as leadership, team working and interpersonal skills that companies and business schools are increasingly eager to instill in students.

The ability to meet and discuss issues with practising senior executives is also important. Hearing how companies have confronted major problems or pushed through significant strategy changes provides a valuable counterpoint to academic training. Students are given the opportunity to cross-examine the key players and reach their own judgements. Needless to say, the more prestigious the school, the higher the quality of visiting executives is likely to be.
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