UK Postgraduate Study

KUL Study Abroad Day

8 November 2006

About UK Postgraduate study

• What sort of courses are available?

• What qualifications will I need?

• How will I know if the course I choose is a good one?

• How much will it cost?

• Funding?

Choosing the right course

EducationUK: www.educationuk.org

About UK Postgraduate study

What sort of courses are available?

(Pre-Masters courses)

Postgraduate Certificate/ Diploma (PG Cert/Dip)

Taught Masters (MA, MSc, LLM, MEd etc)Research Masters (MRes, MPhil)Master of Business Administration (MBA)Doctorate (PhD)New Route PhD's

Entry Requirements

Pre-master's: undergraduate degree plus IELTS 5.0- 5.5

PG Cert/PG Dip: undergraduate degree plus IELTS 6.5-7.0 or a pre-master's course

Master's degree: first or upper second class undergraduate degree plus IELTS 7.0, or a pre-master's course

MBA: first class degree, 2-3 year's business experience, IELTS 6.5-7.0

PhD: master's degree, IELTS 6.5-7.0

English Language preparation:

IELTS preparation courses and/or self-study

pre-masters courses

Is it a good course?

• UK Higher Education quality

Quality Assurance Agency www.qaa.ac.uk

• Quality of Research

Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) http://www.hero.ac.uk/rae/

• Postgraduate courses:

Teaching Quality Information (TQI) website www.tqi.ac.uk

Is it a good university?

“Unofficial” rankings:

- The THES world rankings www.thes.co.uk

- The Times Good University Guide

www.timesonline.co.uk

- The Push Guide to Which University

www.push.co.uk

How much does it cost?

EU citizens pay the same as UK students/home fee when: • you are an EU national• you have lived in the EU for the past three years prior

to the starting date of the course

Tuition fees start from £3000/year

Living costs including accommodation, heating, electricity, food, daily travel, books and entertainment :

- London € 1180 / month

- Elsewhere in the UK € 800 / month

Funding

British Council scholarship

Royal Belgian Benevolent Society (RBBS)

- Postgraduate award for Belgians

- Priority is given to shorter periods of research

- Closing date for 2007 : March 31

Funding for EU nationals

The Research Councilsa.The Biotechnology Sciences Research Councilb.The Economic and Social Research Councilc.The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Councild.The Medical Research Councile.Natural Environment Research Councilf. Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council

The Arts and Humanities Research BoardThe Student Awards Agency for Scotland (www.saas.gov.uk

Other sources of Funding

Part-time work 20h/week & full-time during vacations

Research and Teaching Assistantships

Funding

Useful websites:

UK scholarships database - www.educationuk.org/scholarships

Studentmoney - www.studentmoney.org

Hobsons- www.postgrad.hobsons.com

Hotcourses - www.hcstuff.com

How to apply?

• Start 1 year before the course starts

• Contact Postgraduate Admissions Office of each university to request application form & online

• Apply to as many programmes as you want

• Check deadlines for applications!

Living in the UK

Studying and Living in the UK guide 2006-07

www.educationuk.org

UKCOSA Guidance Notes for international students

http://www.ukcosa.org.uk

Why study a UK postgraduate degree

• Recognised and respected qualifications• Fantastic value• Make the best use of your time• Improve your English• Choose to study the way that suits you • Gain the skills and qualifications employers want

Contact details

British Council Brussels

Information service

Troonstraat 108

1050 Brussels

Tel: 02/ 227 08 40

Fax: 02/ 227 8 49

E-mail: enquiries@britishcouncil.be

Website: www.britishcouncil.be