The UK offers wide-ranging higher education opportunities for all sorts of applicants all over the world. After the United States, the UK is the second most preferred study destination for Indian students. UK education consultants, like us at Kampus Group, often find students opting to study in London, the ultimate financial capital of the country, thus making it a quite a famous destination for international students. In this article we will discuss five reasons Indian, Pakistani and Malaysian students love to study in the UK.
With three out of the world’s top ten universities offering unique programs and majors, the UK is without a doubt one of the top choices for Indian students. If you are planning on whether you should consider higher education in the UK, the following five reasons Bangladesh, Indian, Pakistani and Malaysian students love to study in the UK will be discussed below…
Globally Recognised Universities & Quality Education
Your degree from a UK university will be recognized all over the world by not just other universities, but also global employers when going further into your career. The QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education) is a body to assure academic quality by conducting scheduled quality assessment reviews at universities across the UK. This determines how UK universities and colleges maintain the high standards of higher education.
Why does the QAA exist?
The Higher education policy and regulation is applicable across the four nations of the UK. The statutory responsibility for the regulation of higher education providers lies with the national funders and regulators such as the Office for Students in England, the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, the Scottish Funding Council in Scotland, and the Higher Education Funding Council in Wales. The UK Quality Code applies across all of the jurisdictions.
As the high standard of the UK education system is already well established, if you intend to pursue an undergraduate course, you would be pleased to know that according to a QAA survey, 91 % of international undergraduates were reported to be happy with their overall educational experience in the UK. In terms of future career opportunities, the UK provides excellent opportunities and placements.
Education Policies in the UK
Now that we know that securing admission in the UK will be globally appreciated, you must also understand what policies led to such a high status.
To be exact, what are some of the standards of education that the QAA upholds?
Curriculum: Verified educational institutions have the authority to design their own programs of study. The QAA provides benchmark statements explaining the core competencies required, this comes at a level of an honors degree in various disciplines. The QAA also provides guidance on program design and approval for higher education institutions, so that the institutions can design their program appropriately.
Teaching Methods: Ways of teaching are essentially chosen by the individual teacher, department, or the institution altogether. The majority of courses involve formal lectures as well as less formal seminars, in which students are encouraged to not just participate but also lead discussions in class. Science courses require intensive practical laboratory sessions.
The Higher Education Academy (also known as HEA) provides academic staff with professional recognition, networking, development opportunities, and advice. This includes working directly with Higher Education Institutions to understand their individual priorities.
Student-Specific Progression Monitoring: The QAA provides guidance via its UK Quality Code for Higher Education. The Code highly recommends that each institution must publicize and implement clear-cut rules and regulations for students progressing from one stage to another of a program and for qualifying their certificates and degrees.
These are one of the five reasons Bangladesh, Indian, Pakistani and Malaysian students love to study in the UK Overall. Previous Indian students have mentioned that they love the UK education system due to its emphasis on close interaction between students & lecturers and the freedom to combine a diverse range of subjects into a single course of study.
Scope for Research
If you’re planning to be a research student in the UK, you would definitely like to consider the benefits of studying in the UK. Even though it constitutes 0.9% of the world’s total population, the country puts across 6.4% of global journal articles made, and 15.9% of the world’s most cited articles. The UK is ranked second in the world for science and research together, with 54% of output considered world-leading which is more than the US, Canada, and Germany!
Behind the excellent research put out there, the UK offers a place of brilliant thinkers, and some of the best minds in their fields. Studying as a research student will give you a chance to be surrounded by world-class faculty and research guides. The impact is evident… in fact, 93% of international postgraduates rate the quality of UK teaching highly.
The latest Research Excellence Framework (also known as REF), regulates the quality of research in more than 154 leading UK universities and colleges. They claimed that 30% of the research was ‘world-leading’ and 46% as ‘internationally excellent’.
So if you’re a research aspirant, you can be very well assured that the research you conduct will have a global reach. The fields of health & medical sciences in the UK including clinical sciences, social sciences, business, and humanities have a great research scope.
In the UK, most Ph.D. programs consist of three years of studying. However, it is understood that research takes more time than you anticipated, therefore, an increasing number of programs incorporate a number of taught modules into the program which increases its length to four years. These programs include; New Route Ph.D. scheme and the Wellcome Trust Four-year Ph.D. scheme.
Cultural Experiences
A third of the five Reasons Bangladesh, Indian, Pakistani and Malaysian students love to study in the UK is because they have a long history of welcoming international students. If you have made up your mind to study in the UK then get prepared to get acquainted with some of the brightest minds from all over. Well connected to European countries like France, Netherlands, and Belgium, at close distances means that international students can pack their bags and go off on an adventure during the holidays. Indian students get the opportunity to develop the outlook of Europe and connections that can help to drive forward their careers.
With cosmopolitan cities and countryside villages, the UK offers numerous historical landmarks, famous music festivals, and worldwide cuisines to keep international students entertained throughout the duration of their studies.
In addition, international students who study full-time at a recognized university are also allowed to work part-time during the term for up to 20 hours a week and full-time during the holidays. This will definitely help the adventure-seekers and hard earners to earn money to scratch their itch while balancing academics!
Duration of Courses & Scholarships
Courses in the UK education system are famous for being shorter and more intensive than the majority of other countries. This means that you graduate a bit sooner, without compromising on the quality of education.
An undergraduate program can be completed within three years. However, if you aim to pursue a Master’s course in the UK, you may find the one-year duration for all Master’s programs to be a big advantage. A master’s that is typically 1 year is considered as good as the usual two-year degree at an international level. You would also have an option to opt for a Master’s program in combination with your Ph.D., which will save you the extra year.
Shorter duration of courses in the UK means a reduced tuition cost and accommodation. This not only saves your time but also fees in tuition and living expenses.
One of the key reasons that have made the UK a popular study destination for Indian students is because of the county’s excellent scholarship system for popular undergraduate, postgraduate (Masters, MBA), and doctoral or Ph.D. programs.
Below we have listed a few scholarships that are exclusively offered to Indian students:
- University of Oxford’s Rhodes Scholarship 2017 for Indian Students
- Oxford and Cambridge Society of India Scholarships 2017
- Oxford-Indira Gandhi Graduate Scholarship
- Dr. Manmohan Singh Scholarships
- Imperial College India Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships 2017
- Goa Education Trust Scholarships 2017 (GET)
- University of Sheffield’s Scholarships 2017 for Indian Students
- Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland Scholarships for Indian Subcontinent Students
- Charles Wallace India Trust (CWIT) Scholarships
- Cambridge India Ramanujan Scholarship
- Lady Meherbai Tata Scholarships for Women
With this information at hand, who would not want to try their chance at studying in the UK?
Speak with a specialized UK education advisor at Kampus Group to know which university suits your interests, and start applying!
Amongst the five Reasons Indian, Pakistani and Malaysian students love to study in the UK are some frequently asked questions at Kampus Group about courses in the UK.
1. What are some of the best courses to study in the UK?
There are plenty of courses that you can pursue while studying in the UK but courses like Law, Medicine, Architecture, Psychology, Modern language and Linguistic languages are some of the most preferred courses to date.
2. Is it common for students to work part-time while they study?
Yes. The majority of university students in the UK work part-time, usually in hospitality, retail, academic tutoring, or for their student union.
3. What are the minimum IELTS/TOEFL scores acceptable by UK colleges and universities?
If you’re applying for an undergraduate degree, you’ll need an IELTS score of at least 6.0. To be considered for a master’s placement, you must have a minimum GPA of 6.5. You won’t be accepted if it is less than 6. Also, keep in mind that the top universities will typically have more stringent requirements. We advise that you check the websites of the universities that you’ve applied for, for more information.
We hope that this article on five reasons Indian, Pakistani and Malaysian students love to study in the UK have been helpful. Our trained education consultants are always on hand to provide further advice on studying in the UK.