1 : University
2 : Open University
3 : College and Institution of Higher Education
4 : Open College
5 : College of Technology
6 : Teacher Training College
7 : Institute
Pre-Higher Education System
entry:4
exit:16
Primary : England
Length of program:6
Age level from:5
Age level to:11
Primary : Scotland
Length of program:7
Age level from:5
Age level to:12
Primary : Northern Ireland
Length of program:7
Age level from:4
Age level to:11
Primary : Wales
Length of program:6
Age level from:5
Age level to:11
Lower Secondary : England
Length of program:5
Age level from:11
Age level to:16
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
Lower Secondary : Scotland
Length of program:3
Age level from:12
Age level to:15
Lower Secondary : Northern Ireland
Length of program:5
Age level from:11
Age level to:16
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
Lower Secondary : Wales
Length of program:5
Age level from:11
Age level to:16
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
Upper Secondary : England
Length of program:2
Age level from:16
Age level to:18
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:General Certificate of Education (GCE) 'A' Level
Upper Secondary : Wales
Length of program:2
Age level from:16
Age level to:18
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:General Certificate of Education (GCE) 'A' Level
Upper Secondary : Scotland
Length of program:3
Age level from:15
Age level to:18
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:Scottish National / Higher / Advanced Higher
Upper Secondary : Northern Ireland
Length of program:2
Age level from:16
Age level to:18
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:General Certificate of Education (GCE) 'A' Level / 'AS' Level
Vocational : Wales
Length of program:2
Age level from:16
Age level to:19
Vocational : England
Length of program:2
Age level from:16
Age level to:18
Vocational : Scotland
Length of program:2
Age level from:16
Age level to:18
Vocational : Northern Ireland
Length of program:2
Age level from:16
Age level to:18
Pre-higher education system – England
Full-time primary education is compulsory from the school term following a child’s fifth birthday (terms begin in September, January and April) and lasts six years. Primary education is divided into cycles, Key Stage 1 which covers two years, and Key Stage 2 which covers four years. There is a national curriculum test at the end of Stage 2 but this does not influence admission into secondary education.
Lower-secondary is organized into two cycles: Key Stage 3, covering three years, and Key Stage 4, covering two years. Each stage consists of a number of compulsory subjects, with students having choices for other subjects. At the end of Stage 4, students sit the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) for each subject studied. Generally, GCSE passes are required to advance to upper-secondary education.
It is compulsory for 16-18 years olds to be in either full-time or part-time education or training or some kind of work-based learning programme.
Upper-secondary education last two years, with students selecting a number of subjects to study at ‘A’ level. At the end of these two years, students sit for the General Certificate of Education (GCE) 'A' Level in each subject studied. These are the main qualifications need for entering higher education.
Students not continuing into upper-secondary education can go into vocational training, which is carried out at a number of further education colleges that provide professional vocational and professional training and certification.
Pre-higher education system – Scotland
Scotland has put in place a Curriculum for Excellence: the broad general education phase goes from pre-school up to S3; and the senior phase covers S4 to S6.
Children start primary school usually between 4½ and 5½ years of age, and schooling last seven years (grades P1 to P7).
Lower-secondary lasts three years (grades S1 to S3), and upper-secondary also lasts three years (grades S4 to S6). Students must remain in secondary education until at least the end of grade S4 (age 16). In S4 students will study courses which lead to the Scottish National – a series of national exams, from National 1 to National 5, depending on student attainment in each subject, with most students sitting for National 4 and 5 exams. In S5, students can sit more National 5 exams and the Scottish Higher, which allows them to enter university. In S6, students can study for the Advance Higher. Scottish universities may accept students with the Higher, while universities in the rest of the UK may also ask for Advanced Highers in addition.
Students who do not continue into S5 and S6 may go on to vocational training in various colleges.
Pre-higher education system – Northern Ireland
Children start compulsory primary school in September if they reach the age of four by July in the same year. Primary education lasts seven years, split into three cycles: Foundation Stage of two years (P1 and P2), Key Stage 1 of two years (P3 and P4) and Key Stage 2 of three years (P5-P7).
Lower-secondary starts at age eleven and is divided in two cycles: Key Stage 3 of three years (11-14) and Key Stage 4 of two years (14-16), and is compulsory. At the end of Stage 4, students sit the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) for each subject studied. Generally, GCSE passes are required to advance to upper-secondary education.
Upper-secondary education lasts in general two years, with student studying for a number of 'AS' Level courses in Year 13 (age 16-17) and in the final year, for 'A' Level courses in Year 14 (age 17-18).
Students who do not wish to go on to 'A' level study may go for vocational education and training at a number of further education colleges, or onto apprenticeships.
Pre-higher education system – Wales
Full-time primary education is compulsory from the school term following a child’s fifth birthday (terms begin in September, January and April) and lasts six years: the Foundation Stage (age 5-7) and Key Stage 2 (age 7-11).
Lower-secondary education of five years begins at age 11 and is compulsory until the age of 16. It is divided into two stages: Key Stage 3 (age 11 to 14) and Key Stage 4 (age 14 to 16). At the end of Stage 4 students sit for General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in a number of subjects. Young people over the age of 16 are not required by law to be in education.
Upper-secondary education last two years, with students selecting a number of subjects to study at ‘AS’ level in the first year, and ‘A’ level in the second year. These are the main qualifications need for entering higher education.
Students may, at 16, decide to go to a further education college for professional training or a study for a professional qualification, or opt for an apprenticeship.
Higher Education System
Higher education is provided by three main types of institutions: universities, colleges and institutions of higher education and art and music colleges. The Further and Higher Education Act of 1992 took away the separation between universities and polytechnics and polytechnics were awarded university status (the right to award their own degrees) and took university titles. Universities are autonomous self-governing institution and are responsible for the quality of the degrees they award. Before the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the right to award degrees was given by Royal Charter, via the Privy Council, or an Act of Parliament. With the 2017 Act, regulation was passed to the Office for Students, which has the right to give degree-awarding powers and to revoke them.
Institutions that have degree-awarding powers are known as Recognized Bodies; there are also a number of Listed Bodies, which are approved to provide full higher education programmes on behalf of Recognised Bodies but do not themselves have the right to award degrees.
Higher Education and Research Act (2017)
Further Education and Training Act (2007)
Further and Higher Education Act (1992)
English
Non-university level
Description:Non-university level post-secondary technical education is provided by technical colleges, colleges of further and higher education and accredited independent colleges which offer a large number of courses leading to a vocational qualification. The Business and Technology Education Council offers many vocational courses leading to the BTEC First Diploma (one year, full-time) or to the BTEC National Diploma (two to three years, full-time). A Higher National Diploma is conferred after three years' study by the Business and Technology Education Council. As regards professional education, the professions have laid down their own professional qualifications.
University level first stage : Undergraduate stage
Description:This stage lasts for three or four years and leads to the award of a Bachelor's Degree in Arts, Science or other fields (Technology, Law, Engineering, etc.). In some Scottish universities the first degree is a Master's Degree. The Bachelor's Degree is conferred as a Pass Degree or an Honours Degree where studies are more specialized. The Bachelor's Honours Degree is classified as a First Class Honours, a Second Class Honours or a Third Class Honours. In some universities and colleges of higher education, a two-year course leads to a Diploma in Higher Education (DipHE). This is a recognized qualification in its own right. Some universities have adopted the credit-unit or modular system of assessment. Students of foreign languages are sometimes required to study or work for an additional year in the country of the target language. Some institutions have introduced accelerated two-year degrees which require students to study during the normal vacation period. It is now rare for the class of degree to depend entirely on student performance in final examinations. Most institutions base a component of the degree class on examinaions taken during the period of study, especially those taken at the end of the second year, and many also use some form of continuous assessment.
University level second stage : Master's degree, Master of Philosophy
Description:Study at Master's level is at the forefront of an academic or professional discipline. Students must show originality in their application of knowledge and advancement of knowledge. The normal entry requirement for a Master's degree is a good Bachelor's degree. A Master's degree is normally studied over one year. Some Master's programmes are integrated in undergraduate programmes and result in a postgraduate qualification, not an undergraduate one, after four years of study. At a university, after two years of additional study and the successful presentation of a thesis, students obtain the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) degree.
University level third stage : Doctor of Philosophy, Higher Doctorate
Description:After usually three years' further study beyond the Master's degree, the candidate may present a thesis for the Doctorate of Philosophy (D.Phil. or PhD). A further stage leads to Higher Doctorates which may be awarded by a university in Law, Humanities, Science, Medical Sciences, Music and Theology after a candidate, usually a senior university teacher, has submitted a number of learned, usually published, works.
Higher education teachers normally hold a higher degree.
The Open University is the biggest provider of online and distance education, while many institutions now also offer a number of online courses.
Bodies
Role:Responsible for children’s services and education, including early years, schools, higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills in England.
Street:20 Great Smith Street
City:London
PostCode:SW1P 3BT
www:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
Contacts:Gillian Keegan (Head), Job title : Secretary of State for Education
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - BEIS
Role:Responsible for business, industrial strategy, science, research and innovation, energy and clean growth, and climate change
Street:1 Victoria Street
City:London
PostCode:SW1H 0ET
www:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy
Contacts:Grant Shapps (Head), Job title : Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education - QAA
Role:An independent body responsible for monitoring and advising on standards and quality in UK higher education. Its main areas of work are: Providing advice and support on quality and standards to universities and colleges, higher education sector organisations and governments; Advising governments on applications for degree awarding powers and the right to be called a university across the UK; Reviewing UK higher education wherever it is delivered in the world; Investigation of complaints and concerns about academic standards and quality in higher education.
Street:Southgate House Southgate Street
City:Gloucester
PostCode:GL1 1UB
Contacts:- Simon Gaskell (Head), Job title : Chair
- Vicki Stott (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Chief Executive
Role:Created in 2018 following a merger between the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Office for Fair Access as a regulatory body of English higher education providers on behalf of all students.
Street:Nicholson House Lime Kiln Close Stoke Gifford
City:Bristol
PostCode:BS34 8SR
www:https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk
Contacts:- James Wharton (Head), Job title : Chair
- Nicola Dandridge (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Chief Executive
Role:Educational policy design and scientific advice.
Street:Woburn House, 20 Tavistock Square
City:London
Province:England
PostCode:WC1H 9HB
Contacts:Gordon McKenzie (Head), Job title : Chief Executive Officer
Role:Created in 2018 following the merger between the Higher Education Academy and the Leadership Foundation and the Equality Challenge Unit, focusing on supporting transformative leadership and management, teaching and learning, equality, diversity and inclusion and effective governance.
Street:Innovation Way, York Science Park Heslington
City:York
PostCode:YO10 5BR
www:https://www.advance-he.ac.uk
Contacts:- Alison Johns (Head), Job title : Chief Executive
- Stephen Marston (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Chair
Higher Education Policy Institute - HEPI
Role:Set up 2002 to shape the higher education policy debate through evidence, and to promote research into and understanding of all aspects of higher education and to disseminate the results of such research for the education and benefit of policy makers and the general public in the United Kingdom.
Street:99 Banbury Road
City:Oxford
PostCode:OX2 6JX
Contacts:- Bahram Bekhradnia (Head), Job title : President
- Nick Hillman (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Director
National Centre for Universities and Business - NCUB
Role:Created in 2013 from the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) as an independent and not-for-profit membership organisation promoting, developing and supporting university-business collaboration across the UK.
Street:DC. 115, The Clarence Centre 6 St George’s Circus
City:London
PostCode:SE1 6FE
Contacts:- Sam Laidlaw (Head), Job title : Chair
- Joe Marshall (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Chief Executive
Scottish Funding Council - SFC
Role:Body that distributes funding for teaching and learning, research and other activities in Scotland’s colleges and universities.
Street:Apex 2, 97 Haymarket Terrace
City:Edinburgh
PostCode:EH12 5HD
Contacts:- Karen Watt (Head), Job title : Chief Executive
- Mike Cantlay (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Chair
Society for Research into Higher Education - SRHE
Street:Society Building, Regents Wharf 8 All Saints Street
City:London
PostCode:N1 9RL
Contacts:- Pauline Kneale (Head), Job title : Chair
- Helen Perkins (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Director
Association of University Administrators - AUA
Role:The AUA exists to advance and promote the professional recognition and development of all who work in professional services roles in higher education, and to be an authoritative advocate for the sector.
Street:Sackville Street Building, The University of Manchester, Sackville Street
City:Manchester
PostCode:M1 3WE
Contacts:Amanda Oliver (Head), Job title : Chair
Role:To promote UK education internationally, to facilitate collaboration and regular exchange of information between members, to develop expertise and to influence the future of international education.
Contacts:Rohan McCarthy-Gill (Head), Job title : Chair
Role:Represents 24 leading UK universities which are committed to maintaining the very best research, an outstanding teaching and learning experience and unrivalled links with business and the public sector.
City:London
www:http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk
Contacts:- Tim Bradshaw (Head), Job title : Chief Executive
- Dame Nancy Rothwell (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Chair
- Sam Eversden (International Relations Officer), Job title : Head of Communications
Role:Representative body for higher education institutions in Scotland.
Street:Holyrood Park House 106 Holyrood Road
City:Edinburgh
PostCode:EH8 8AS
www:http://www.universities-scotland.ac.uk
Contacts:- Gerry McCormac (Head), Job title : Convener
- Alastair Sim (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Director
Role:Represents the interests of UK universities in relation to the government, Parliament, local and national institutions.
Street:Woburn House 20 Tavistock Square
City:London
PostCode:WC1H 9HQ
www:http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk
Contacts:- Steve West (Head), Job title : President
- Alistair Jarvis (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Chief Executive
Universities Wales - Prifysgolion Cymru
Role:Body responsible for distributing public money for higher education in Wales. Was previously known as Higher Education Wales - HEW (Addysg Uwch Cymru).
Street:Regus House Falcon Drive
City:Cardiff
PostCode:CF10 4RU
www:http://www.uniswales.ac.uk
Contacts:- Elizabeth Treasure (Head), Job title : Chair
- Amanda Wilkinson (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Director
Street:Carlow Street
City:London
PostCode:NW1 7lH
Contacts:Jo Grady (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : General Secretary
Association of Commonwealth Universities - ACU
Street:Woburn House 20-24 Tavistock Square
City:London
PostCode:WC1H 9HF
Contacts:- Cheryl de la Rey (Head), Job title : Chair
- Colin Riordan (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Interim Secretary General and Chief Executive
UK Research and Innovation - UKRI
Role:Created in 2018 as a body working in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to promote research and innovation. It brings together seven existing research councils to direct research funding.
Street:Polaris House
City:Swindon
PostCode:SN2 1FL
Contacts:- Ottoline Leyser (Head), Job title : Chief Executive
- Andrew Mackenzie (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Chief Operating Officer
Role:A global network of research-intensive universities, working together to foster global citizenship and institutional innovation through research-inspired teaching and learning, student mobility, connecting our students and staff, and wider advocacy for internationalisation.
Street:Strathcona 109 c/o University of Birmingham Edgbaston
City:Birmingham
PostCode:B15 2TT
www:http://www.universitas21.com
Contacts:- Jenny Dixon (Head), Job title : Provost
- Jade Bressington (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Director of Operations
National Education Opportunities Network - NEON
Role:founded in early 2012 as a professional organisation to support those involved in widening access to higher education and social mobility. At the heart of NEON is a cross-sector approach bringing together HE institutions, schools, colleges, the voluntary sector, professional bodies and employers. NEON grew from the need for a strong, coherent community of professionals that could support learners from under-represented backgrounds to both enter and succeed within HE.
Street:University of West London St Mary’s Road Ealing
City:London
PostCode:W5 5RF
www:https://www.educationopportunities.co.uk
Contacts:- Graeme Atherton (Head), Job title : Director
- Maria-Anna Petrou (International Relations Officer), Job title : Training and Events Officer
Education Sub Saharan Africa - ESS
Role:Founded in 2016, its mission is to: identify the biggest issues in tertiary education, driven by the needs of young people, educators, and employers; build influential partnerships with organisations that want to improve education in Africa and beyond; understand what data and evidence is needed for change; turn data and evidence into action: finding practical solutions, maximising resources, and attracting investment; harness the power of Africa’s universities, colleges, and businesses to advocate solutions at scale; improve education and increase work for young people in sub-Saharan Africa. ESSA's work is aligned to Sustainable Development Goals: Quality Education and Decent Work, and the Africa Union Agenda 2063.
Street:3rd Floor Chancery House St Nicholas Way
City:Sutton
PostCode:SM1 1JB
Contacts:- Lucy Heady (Head), Job title : CEO
- Pauline Essah (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Director of Research and Insight
Services provided and types of students dealt with:UK ENIC is the designated United Kingdom national agency for the recognition and comparison of international qualifications and skills.
Recognition for institution:yes
Recognition for profession:yes
Street:Suffolk House 68-70 Suffolk Road
City:Cheltenham
PostCode:GL50 2ED
Contacts:Paul Norris (Head), Job title : Head of UK ENIC
Association of Commonwealth Universities - ACU
Street:Woburn House 20-24 Tavistock Square
City:London
PostCode:WC1H 9HF
Street:Bridgewater House 58 Whitworth Street
City:Manchester
PostCode:M1 6BB
www:http://www.britishcouncil.org
Contacts:Scott McDonald (Senior Administrative Officer), Job title : Chief Executive
UK Council for International Students Affairs - UKCISA
Role:The UK’s national advisory body supporting international students and those who work with them, providing advice, guidance and information about all aspects of the international student experience, from immigration and fees to mental health, culture shock and orientation.
Street:9-17 St Albans Place
City:London
PostCode:N1 0NX
Tel:+44(207) 288 9214
Role:Provides loans and grants to students in universities and colleges in the UK.
Grants:yes
Loans:yes
Street:100 Bothwell Street
City:Glasgow
PostCode:G2 7JD
Contacts:Peter Lauener (Head), Job title : Chair
Admission to Higher Education
General Certificate of Secondary Education
General Certificate of Education Advanced Level
Scotttish Higher
General Certificate of Education Advanced Level
Minimum mark:2/3 passes at A-level
Scotttish Higher
School report and interview. Universities may also impose their conditions, such as a certain combination of passes or a particular standard achieved in subjects taken at A level.
Definition:A foreign student is a person who is enrolled at an institution of higher education in UK but is not a permanent resident.
Admission Requirements:Foreign students must hold qualifications equivalent to the United Kingdom General Certificate of Education with five or six passes including two at Advanced level.
Health:Students who come from countries outside the European Union need a medical certificate.
Language Proficiency:Students must have a good knowledge of English. English courses and English-as-a-Foreign-Language courses are available in the private/state sector.Entry Regulations:Passport, a visa and Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies certificate.Application to Individual Institution:YesApplication to Central Body:Yes Recognition of Studies
The UK ENIC office is responsible for issuing recognition and equivalence statements for overseas credentials.
Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region - CETS 165 (2003)
Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education. Paris, 25 November 2019. (2022)
Student Life
Is there social security:Yes
Is there social security:Yes
Details:Tier 4 visa applicants will have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge which will give students access to NHS services without further charge.
Available to Foreign Students:Yes
Study UK
Year of publication:0
Credentials
General Certificate of Secondary Education
Description:This credential (GCSE) has replaced the general certificate of education at ordinary level. It is normally taken at the age of 15 or 16 after five years of secondary education.
Acronym:GCSE
General Certificate of Education Advanced Level
Description:The GCE Advanced level is conferred at the end of upper-secondary education in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Acronym:GCE 'A' Level
Scotttish Higher
Description:Awarded in Scottish schools at the end of upper-secondary and provides access to higher education
National Diploma
Description:The national diploma is conferred by the Business and Technology Education Council for studies lasting two to three years in technical fields.
Higher National Certificate
Description:This qualification is awarded by the Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) at the end of three or more years of part time study in a technological subject. In order to study for this qualification, candidates must hold at least the general certificate of secondary education (GCSE) in a number of specified subjects.
Acronym:HNC
Higher National Diploma
Description:This qualification is awarded by the Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) at the end of three or more years of full-time study by colleges of technology in a technical subject. In order to study for this qualification, candidates must hold at least the general certificate of secondary education (GCSE) in a number of specified subjects.
Acronym:HND
Entrance exam test at National level:yes
Entrance exam test at Institution level:no
Credential required for entry:General Certificate of Secondary Education
Type of institution where credential is offered:College of Technology
Certificate
Description:Undergraduate qualification attesting that the student has pursued at least one year of undergraduates studies in a particular domain or programme.
Diploma
Description:Undergraduate qualification awarded by some institutions after studies lasting at least two years.
Diploma of Higher Education
Description:Undergraduate diploma conferred by some universities and colleges of higher education for studies lasting two years.
Acronym:DipHE
Foundation Degree
Description:Foundation degree programmes were finalized in autumn 2000 for the first students to begin the courses in 2001. Foundation degrees are employment-related higher education qualifications designed to equip students with work-related skills.The sectors include construction, creative industries, e-business, e-commerce, finance, information technology and law. Foundation degrees have been designed with employers to provide an employment base at associate professional and higher technician level. They are awarded by universities and higher education colleges. A Foundation Degree can be used as a starting point for further study, either a related Honours Degree or further professional development in the workplace. There are no specific entry requirements and it is up to the college or university providing the degree to decide if a candidate is eligible.
Bachelor's Degree
Description:Bachelor's degrees may be awarded as pass degrees or with honours. Studies last between three and five years. Certain institutions award a pass degree to those candidates who have studied for an honours degree but whose results do not justify the award of honours. Bachelor's honours degrees are divided into three categories: first class honours; second class honours and third class honours.
Acronym:BA, BSc
Credential required for entry:General Certificate of Education Advanced Level
Type of institution where credential is offered:University
College of Technology
Bachelor's Honours Degree
Description:Bachelor's degrees may be awarded as pass degrees or with honours. Studies last between three and five years. Certain institutions award a pass degree to those candidates who have studied for an honours degree but whose results do not justify the award of honours. Bachelor's honours degrees are divided into three categories: first class honours; second class honours and third class honours.
Master's Degree (taught)
Description:Postgraduate degree which, in some cases, is awarded solely after a written examination (although the candidate may be orally examined as well).
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Description:The postgraduate certificate in education is usually conferred after one year's study beyond the bachelor's degree and allows holders to teach in England, Northern Ireland and Wales
Acronym:PGCE
Credential required for entry:Bachelor's Degree
Postgraduate Diploma
Description:Postgraduate qualification awarded at least one year after the first degree.
Professional Graduate Diploma in Education
Description:A one-year postgraduate course in education offered in Scotland and enables holders to teach either in primary or secondary education.
Master of Research
Description:A research-based postgraduate Masters degree offered by several universities and which places emphasis on research, and takes 1-2 years.
Acronym:MRes
Master's Degree
Description:Postgraduate degree usually conferred after one or two years' study (taught degree) beyond the bachelor's degree. Study is in a specialized field. In some cases, the degree is awarded solely after a written examination but candidates must usually submit a memoir. At Oxford and Cambridge, the master of arts is conferred automatically after a certain period of time on all holders of a bachelor's degree. In other fields, it is awarded under the same conditions as in other universities. Some master's degrees (eg. MEng and MSci at Imperial College, London) are awarded as undergraduate degrees after four to five years of study. The bachelor's programme is then included in the programme.
Acronym:MA, MSc, MBA
Credential required for entry:Bachelor's Degree
Type of institution where credential is offered:University
College and Institution of Higher Education
College of Technology
Master of Philosophy
Description:The MPhil is conferred after two years' study beyond the master's degree. Candidates must submit a thesis. The level of this degree is between that of the master’s degree proper and the doctorate.
Acronym:MPhil
Doctorate
Description:A doctor of philosophy degree is usually conferred after three years' study beyond the master's degree and submission of a thesis.
Acronym:DPhil or PhD
Credential required for entry:Master's Degree
Type of institution where credential is offered:University
Open University
College and Institution of Higher Education
Higher Doctorate
Description:A higher doctorate is conferred in such fields as humanities (DLitt), science (DSc) , music (DMus), law (LLD), divinity (DD) and medicine (MMedSci). Candidates, usually senior university teachers, must submit a number of learned, usually published works.
Credential required for entry:Doctorate
Type of institution where credential is offered:University
Open College
College of Technology
Data Provided by
From:2019
To:2020
IAU from Eurydice country education, and the website of The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education UK, September 2020. Bodies updated Sept 2022.
Updated on 14-09-2020