Postgraduate Study in UK

To achieve world-class education through your higher studies, Postgraduate Study in UK is the best option for under graduates. UK is one of the most desired and popular education hubs in the world for the international students.

The PG degrees obtained from the universities in UK are well recognized and respected all over the world, irrespective of your place of employment. The education in UK provides a solid foundation for your career growth and opens various doors to get those jobs which guarantee a higher compensation package. All the UK universities are equipped with the best resources that help their students in dealing challenging and complex environments with great success. All the higher education standards around the world have been built based on the pattern of higher education system in the universities of UK.

Numerous options are available for Postgraduate Study in UK,

Masters Degrees

Masters Degrees for various subjects are available in UK for the students after completing their graduation. It takes approximately a year to complete any Master Degree, unless research is also opted for. A master’s degree allows the students to continue the education that was opted for in his or her bachelor’s program. Many people desire to obtain their higher education certificates from UK universities, for their expertise and availability of vast resources.

Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Degrees

Courses that are available to a student planning to pursue an MBA from any UK university include business policy, business strategy, marketing, international business, market research, finance, informational technologies, accounting, international trade, human resources, leadership courses etc. The course that one wants to opt for in the MBA degree largely depends upon the university that one has chosen to attend.

Doctorate Degrees (Doctorate, DPhil, EdD)

A doctorate degree is the highest level of PG academic level of study that one can achieve. The doctorate degree holders end up working in the research and/or academic fields. The study period to obtain a doctorate degree varies from one country to another. In UK universities, the doctorate can be obtained in a period of three years, whereas in US it takes up to seven years. Most people go for it to achieve a complete specialization in the chosen subject.

Professional Courses

The professional courses are opted for to increase certain skills and knowledge that are needed to work in a specific industry or job. The professional bodies are specially established to provide the student with all the required on-the-job-experience and vocational training.

Some professional bodies offering recognized postgraduate courses include,

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM)
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
• Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH)
• Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)
• Institute of Sales & Marketing Management (ISMM)
• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

Other PG Studies

Apart from these options of Postgraduate Study in UK, there are some other options as well, including Conversion Courses, Law Qualifications and Teachers training. The conversion courses are available for those who want to opt out of the subject of study they were in, till under graduation, and wish to take a different subject as their primary course for post-graduation.

Why study for a Masters degree in the UK?

The UK offers students the opportunity to gain an internationally recognised and respected academic qualification, whilst at the same time experiencing life in a culturally rich and diverse environment.

UK Higher Education is renowned for the quality of its teaching and research. Many of the leading UK universities boast world-class research facilities and produce research of the highest standard, enabling both taught and research students to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of some of the world’s most acclaimed specialists. To find out more about the UK higher education system, click here.

British universities encourage students to think creatively and independently in a stimulating learning environment, providing them with the confidence, knowledge and ability to excel in their chosen career. Employers across the world recognise and value the quality of a UK university education.

Studying and living in the UK also provides international students with an excellent opportunity to improve their English language skills, further enhancing their future employability.

Quality Assurance

The quality of teaching in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is rigorously assessed by the British Government’s Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Subject areas and departments at each university are assessed on criteria such as curriculum design, assessment, student support, learning resources etc. Subjects are then given a rating of “Excellent”, “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory”, and departments are given a score out of 24 (with anything over 22 considered as excellent).

The strength of research activity in UK university departments is assessed on a regular basis. Until 2008, the system used was the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). This has now been replaced with the Research Excellence Framework (REF) which ran for the first time in 2014. The results for the first REF will be published in late 2014, but data from the 2008 RAE is available online

.Under the RAE and the REF, research is rated on a scale of “unclassified” – “4*”, with definitions of each category as follows:

4* Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
3* Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless falls short of the highest standards of excellence.
2* Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
1* Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
Unclassified Quality that falls below the standard of nationally recognised work. Or work which does not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of this assessment.

In order to calculate an overall report, the REF assesses Higher Education Institutions according to three sub-profiles, each of which has a different weighting in the calculation of the overall score. These REF sub-profiles areOutputs (65%), Impact (20%) and Environment (15%).

  • Outputs are productions of published research. They can take various forms, according to the eligibility criteria defined for different subject-areas. Published books and articles, conference proceedings and intellectual property are examples of outputs.
  • Impact measures the effect of research outside the academy, including public engagement and education, improvements to public health and welfare, economic benefits and changes to social policy. Impact is usually assessed using submitted case-studies.
  • Environment assesses the quality of research structures and organisational units within higher education instutions. It can cover areas such as staff development, departmental cooperation and research strategy as well as the effective supervision and training of research students. Environment can therefore be an important criteria from the point of view of prospective Masters and PhD students.

The scale used to assess these sub-profiles is similar to that used in the overall report, running from ‘unclassified’ to 4*. Criteria and definitions for each level of the scale are altered as appropriate to each sub-profile. You can visit the official REF2014 website for more information on these processes.

Entry requirements for UK Masters degrees

Entry requirements differ at each university. Typically, those universities with higher rankings will have higher entry requirements. For entry onto taught Masters programmes, most universities would require a good first degree and evidence of English language ability (see below).

English requirements

Students who have not been educated in English would usually be required have an internationally recognised English language qualification such as IELTS or TOEFL before joining the university. The exact English requirements will depend on the university and course, but typically range from IELTS 5.5 to IELTS 7.5 (TOEFL 525-625).

Students who have been educated in English are often able to submit high school English qualifications (eg. IGCSE or O-level) instead of IELTS or TOEFL. Most universities would require the equivalent to a grade C at GCSE level to satisfy these conditions.

English Language preparation programmes

Students who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option of taking an English Language preparation programme. Many universities offer intensive English Language summer schools, specifically designed to help students reach the required English level for their chosen academic programme. These courses usually range from 4-16 weeks.  Alternatively, there are several private English Language schools across the country which can offer English preparation courses. Students taking these courses should check that this will be accepted by their chosen university.

Pre-Masters programmes

Students who do not meet the minimum academic entry requirements for their chosen course may have the option of taking a pre-Masters programme. These programmes are designed to prepare students for postgraduate study in the UK. Some universities run their own pre-Masters programmes, while others may work in partnership with specialist colleges.