International Student Issues

This section discusses the various issues faced by international students applying to the U.K. for education. We discuss here eligibility criteria for UK colleges, accommodation, health insurance and rules for taking up employment while studying.
Undergraduate (Bachelor Level)

British students undergo thirteen years of pre-university education as compared to twelve years in India. Outstanding marks from one of the two Central Boards (CBSE or ICSE) or their equivalent, or the first year of an Indian degree programme are therefore usually required for direct entry into an undergraduate programme in UK.

For those who do not, as yet, have these qualifications, there is a range of access or foundation courses available. Foundation courses range from four months to a year.

Applicants must satisfy both general and course requirements for admissions :

General Requirements
A specified number of subject passes at both GCE "A" Levels and GCSE at grade C minimum is required for admissions in UK educational system. An equivalent Indian qualification such as a good score in the CBSE and ICSE etc.

Course Requirements
Course requirement details can be obtained from prospectuses of institutions which are available at the Education Counselling Service located in the British Council offices or Libraries.

Important

For Entry into Oxford, Cambridge and London University, ‘A’ level results are required. This in Indian context would mean one year in a college after 12 years of education.



Post Graduate (Master's & Doctorate level)

Most UK universities accept the Indian graduation system of three years for entry into most postgraduate courses. An Indian bachelor degree like B.A., B.Com. or B.Sc. is equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) Degree.

However, some courses and universities may require a qualification equivalent to British Bachelor (Honours) Degree, which requires 16 years of formal education, which would mean another year after graduation or a four year degree course like B.E., B.Tech or other such courses.

For most Universities, a good first degree from a leading university in India or its equivalent is essential.

For more details on British Degrees and their Indian equivalent, check out the table below:

British Degree


Indian Equivalent Degree

British Bachelor (Ordinary) Degree
A three-year Indian Graduation Degree like B.A. or B.Sc. and other such courses.

British Bachelor (Honours) Degree
A four-year Indian graduation course like B.E. or B.Tech. or other such courses.
OR
A post graduate degree, from Indian university, like M.A., M.Sc. or other such courses.

British Master’s Degree
A post graduate degree like M.Tech. or M.E. from I.I.T. or I.I.Sc. and other such colleges