UK universities feature prominently in the Global University Rankings whether it is the QS World University Rankings or the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The United Kingdom is home to more than 400 universities. Given the diversity of courses, there is a wide range of institutions that are available and suitable for international students pursuing higher education. 

Some of the top universities in the UK, other than University of Cambridge and University of Oxford, that feature consistently in the global rankings are Imperial College London, King’s College London, University College London, London School of Economics, University of Manchester, University of St. Andrews etc., the list is endless. 

Today, the United Kingdom (UK), hosts students from all around the world. Countries such as the United States, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Africa, Netherlands and Italy have seen an increase in students opting to study in the UK for both undergrad and postgrad studies. 

UK universities consistently strive to be counted as some of the best universities globally and improve their university ranking. One of the key reasons for that being the fact that the top UK universities put student satisfaction as their key driving factor.  

Universities in the UK also collaborate with each other on research and by other means of knowledge transfer and innovation. The Russell Group, which is a league of 24 Universities, is one such example. The Russell Group is driven to nurture the best research and learning environment for its students with extensive links in the private and public sectors. Some of the Russell Group Universities include - the University of Birmingham, the University of Bristol, the University of Cambridge and Cardiff University. 

These are some of the key reasons, among others, why students decide to study in the UK.

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Popular Courses in UK

There are close to 500,000 international students studying a diverse range of courses in the UK.  According to the latest compiled data business and administrative studies are the most sought-after courses. The other popular courses include Social Studies, Computer Science, Engineering and subjects allied to medicine. 

Computer Science is a top choice among male students, whereas medicine and other subjects allied to it is a prevalent choice among female students studying in the United Kingdom. 

Business & Administration

Close to 30% of the International students studying in the UK are enrolled in Business and Administrative studies. Universities in the UK offer a wide range of business courses at the undergrad and postgrad level, these programs are recognized globally by companies who are prospective employers as well as other academic institutions. Most of these business courses have a common foundation course with a choice of specialization in the subsequent semester/ year. The specialization options offered by the Top UK universities is very vast, these could include human resources, marketing, finance, operations and even slightly new streams such as digital marketing and data analytics.

Social Sciences

Universities in United Kingdom also offer extensive choice for programs in social sciences. Courses in Social Sciences combined with Business Courses and Engineering & Technology account for more than 50% of enrolments. There are close to 50,000 international students studying social sciences in universities across the United Kingdom, these students specialize in areas such as Sociology, Anthropology, Public Policy among other social and development studies. 

Engineering & Technology

The UK has a high demand for engineers across sectors with different specializations. These specializations include areas such as chemical, civil, electrical, computer, mechanical and other important areas of engineering. UK universities rank among the top global universities in terms of research and innovation. Universities in UK offer some of the best facilities and equipment for engineering students. Currently there are more than 50,000 international students studying engineering & technology course in the UK.

Computer Science

UK universities have played an instrumental role in contributing to the global tech revolution of the 21st century. A lot of universities work on some innovative projects with global companies. This gives an opportunity for international students to get access to a wide network of experts in the field. UK universities, keeping pace with the ever-changing technological landscape had offered computer science programs that provide specializations in areas like game development and app design.

Other Popular Courses

Other popular streams such as Creative arts and design, Law and Biological Sciences, Medicine and allied subjects account for 23% of international student enrolment. Medical sciences have been a popular choice among students because of the opportunities that UK offers in not only cutting-edge specialized programs but also job opportunities post completion of their program.

Skill Shortage in UK

One of the fundamental issues facing the developed world is their skill shortage as a result of regional mismatch, cyclical shifts, inadequate training levels, and labor market restructuring. 

The UK has a range of professions that fall under the Occupation Skill Shortages category as companies fail to find suitable candidates from within the local talent pool to perform certain jobs. This opens up a wide array of opportunities for the international student to work for UK businesses across sectors. 

According to the UK skills bureau, there are more than 30 million people who are currently employed in the UK, but along with sectors like finance, education & healthcare often see there are some other sectors that see some of the fastest growing demand for skilled professionals.

The UK has specific skills shortage in a variety of fields like production managers, Physical scientists such as geologists, Engineers such as Civil, mechanical, electrical and electronic engineers as well as Design and development. Fields of IT, finance and healthcare also see regular shortage but over the last three years innovations in the manufacturing sector, financial technology and IT areas such as augmented and virtual reality have also witnessed a shortage of skilled professionals. 

Emerging Sectors

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and its implications on the United Kingdom, recent economic data suggests that the unemployment rate in the UK is at its lowest today when compared with data for the last 45 years. 

The UK economy is headed for a growth path, but that also means that the increase in demand for skilled professionals, which includes financial managers, healthcare professionals, social workers, engineers, app developers etc. is just going to increase. 

The top universities in the United Kingdom are well prepared in ensuring that these demands are met. Most top universities in UK today ensure that the latest courses and programs offered will be supported by the latest curriculum, research and other facilities to ensure that there is no shortage of skilled professionals in the United Kingdom.

Following is a Snapshot of companies that hire in these sectors in the UK are

• In IT/Technology: Phoenix IT, Telicity group, Microfocus
• In Construction: Balfour Beatty Carillion, Kier Group
• In Fintech: Revolut FreeAgent, Funding Circle Monzo
• In Manufacturing: Unilever, Rio Tinto, GlaxoSmithKline, Anglo American, AstraZeneca
• In Data Protection: BT, PWC, Clearswift, SentryBay, Becrypt, AstraZeneca
• In Healthcare: Skin Analytics, Babylon Health, Cambridge Cognition
• In Engineering: Hilti GB, Renishaw, Babcock International, Jaguar Land Rover.

Working while studying

The UK government allows international students studying in the UK to work part-time, they can work up to 20 hours per week during sessions and 40 hours per week during vacations.

Most international students take up part-time work in restaurants, retail outlets, café’s, etc., there are part-time job opportunities available during major events; these could be sporting events, concerts, fairs etc. There are student jobs that are also available at the university itself, these job listings can usually be found on the university notice board. A lot of international students who are studying in the UK manage their daily expenses by working part-time. But it is important to note that they key aspect is to be able to successfully manage both studying full-time and part-time work. 

Students need to understand the terms of the job before they start working; in the UK the minimum wage that all employers need to pay is £5.30 per hour if you are aged between 18 – 20 and £6.70 if you are 21 years or more. 

The employer will make a direct deposit to the student’s bank account, the frequency of the payment could be weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending on the terms of the employment. 

Voluntary Work

A lot of students undertake voluntary work or unpaid internships; these can be found on university notice boards, newspapers, classifieds or websites. When studying abroad, one of the most important things is to gain experience not just within the university but also outside it. A lot of international students undertake part-time work that is not paid for many reasons; it could be for gaining work experience, build networks, understanding the job market and even meeting people who can offer future career advice. 

Other Important Information

The ideal time to work part-time is during vacations such as Christmas or Easter and even right after the final exams of the term. 

It is also important to note that despite the fact that the Tier 4 visa grants a student permission to work 20 hours a week during active study, some universities also have further restrictions that only allow students to work for 10 hours. It is advisable for international students to check the same with the university.

If the duration of the study is less than 6 months, then the student will not get permission to work part-time.

The eligibility requirement for international students studying in the UK varies from course to course and university to university. 

Depending on the level of study, i.e. undergrad or postgrad, the UK University could ask for more than one qualifying exam as part of the entry requirements. 

Language Proficiency

UK universities ask international students to give evidence of their international English language ability by asking them to take language proficiency exams. These tests are the first step in pushing your application for higher education study in the UK. The students need to take these exams so that the university can ascertain if the student is suitable to attend classes at university since the medium of teaching is going to be English. 

The language proficiency exams that students could be asked to take would be one of the following:

• IELTS: International English Language Testing System
• TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language
• PTE: Pearson Test English
• UCLES: University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
• GRE & GMAT

For students opting for graduate business programs, the Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT in other words would be a requirement.  It is important to note that for PG courses, GRE is required only by a couple of institutes in the UK like LSE/ LBS. Others do not require GRE. Also, GMAT is required only for certain courses depending on the University. The major difference between GRE and GMAT is that GMAT is for graduate business courses where GRE would be required for not just business courses but also other graduate programs in different disciplines.

Other Entrance Exams

For international students planning to study in the United Kingdom, there are other qualifying exams that universities might ask to take. Oxford and Cambridge University jointly administer the Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT), which is a requirement for the undergrad degree in courses in Computer Science or Mathematics.

Medical schools in the UK require students to undertake some tests, these typically include:

• BMAT: Biomedical Admissions Test, for applicants towards courses in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Dentistry
• GAMSAT: Graduate Medical School Admissions Test, for applicants undertaking medical graduate programs in Australia, UK or Ireland.
• UKCAT: UK Clinical Aptitude Test, for students wanting to enroll in dental or medical degree programs. 
• Please note that every university might have different requirements, to know more about the undergraduate and postgraduate entry requirements kindly contact us.

UK Visas for students for study, usually take 3 weeks after submission. Sometimes in case of an urgent requirement, a fast-track option is available. Fast-track takes 5 working days with an additional charge. 

When the student gets an offer to study from a UK university, he/she needs to accept the offer. The university then issues CAS i.e. the Confirmation of Acceptance. Once that is done, the applicant needs to register on the UK visa website and book an appointment for submitting the application along with other documents. After this the visa fees are paid.  

The final submission is done at VFS and is followed by a visa interview. On the day of the appointment the applicant shall submit the Visa application form along with all other required documents. Typically this would include the completed application form, the ‘confirmation of acceptance’ (CAS), proof of funds, indicating that the student has enough funds to manage the living expenses in UK, visa fee payment confirmation, educational qualification documents and score sheet of the qualifying exams. Along with the visa interview, the applicants photograph, and fingerprints are taken. 

Our Visa team is fully equipped and experienced to guide you through the process and even arrange for a mock visa interview. Please connect with our Relationships team and our Visa team, should you need any assistance with your student Visa.