Study in the UK

In an ever more globalized world there is no better place to start your higher education journey, and you will find yourself reaping the benefits of your time at a study abroad university for years to come. There are many things to enjoy as a student studying abroad in the UK, and many things you will be unfamiliar with. INTO will help you to adjust to British life and culture in every way. The following section features important information about students studying abroad in the UK, ranging from visas and banking to entertainment, public transport and health services.

It's important to plan your expenses as an international student in advance. Use the following section for advice on budgeting
Practical information

We do not advise carrying large sums of cash with you on arrival. We recommend that you bring enough cash with you to cover your first two weeks in the UK - no more than £250 for your immediate needs. It is safer to bring large sums of money in travellers' cheques which can be cashed in banks, post offices and airports, but be aware that there is often a minimum commission charge. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in the UK, MasterCard (Access) and Visa being the most common. Diners Club and American Express are less commonly accepted. You can withdraw money from a cash machine (also known as an 'ATM' or cash point) if you have a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for that card.

You may want to inform your current bank that you are moving to the UK and ask if you can use your card here.
Currency
Currency across the UK is the pound sterling (£GBP). One pound is divided into one hundred pence (100p). Notes are issued to the value of £50, £20, £10, and £5, and coins to the value of £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p. Please note that £50 notes are very uncommon and should be avoided as they can often be the target of counterfeiters.
Bank accounts
UK banks are open 9am to 4.30pm on weekdays, and some are open on Saturday mornings. If you are going to be here for longer than six months, we strongly recommended you open a UK bank account when you arrive.
For further advice on opening bank accounts in the UK visit the UKCISA site.

Living costs
It is important to plan for the cost of living in the UK in advance. It is estimated that an average student needs approximately £650-£750 a month to cover their basic living expenses. This is just an indication and should be adjusted depending on your lifestyle and spending habits. Click here for an international student cost calculator to help with planning your finances.

Do you need a visa?
A visa is generally needed if you (or your family) are nationals of a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. This visa is called "entry clearance" because it gives you permission to enter the UK.

If you are a national of the EEA or Switzerland, you do not need immigration permission to enter the UK.

You can check your status and whether you need a visa on the UK Border Agency website.
We advise that you check these websites for up to date information on visas:

Personal safety
While you're unlikely to be affected by crime as a student in the UK, it is important to take basic security measures. Health and safety in-centre is everyone's responsibility, and if you do see something that concerns you or your classmates, please report it to our reception staff who will make sure it's dealt with immediately.

At each of our centres we provide students with an emergency contact number which can be used at any time, day or night. You can also report a crime at any time by phoning 0800-555-111. This call is free from anywhere in the country. The police use this system to receive information without asking the identity of the caller.
Uniplan medical and travel insurance

Uniplan Insurance is a comprehensive insurance policy designed for international students in the UK. Full medical and travel insurance is mandatory for all INTO students, and Uniplan insurance will automatically be added to your course fees unless proof of suitable cover is provided.
Students under 18
Under the law of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, any person under the age of 18 is regarded as a child, and is the responsibility of their parents. INTO Student Services look after the welfare of all INTO students, but particularly those under the age of 18 who may need extra help and support. Our Student Services staff have extensive experience in providing pastoral care for international students, and in some cases have been overseas students themselves.
To parents of students under 18
While INTO will do everything possible to care for your child during their studies, we cannot take full parental responsibility for them. We strongly recommend that you appoint a guardian who is a resident in the UK for your child. A guardian is someone who can act in your place if there are any problems or emergencies. They will provide an added level of care for your child and give you extra peace of mind.

Guardianship options:
1. If you have a trusted friend or relative living in the UK who is over 21 years of age, they will be eligible to act as your child's guardian
2. There are a variety of guardianship agencies in the UK. You should look for one that is a member of AEGIS

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery

Study, university & Colleges, programs
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
In countries following British tradition, (the University of Malta is an exception) medical students pursue an undergraduate medical education and receive Bachelors degrees in Medicine and Surgery (MB BChir or BM BCh or MB ChB or MB BS).
This was historically taken at Oxford and Cambridge universities after the initial BA degree, and in Oxford and Cambridge the BA is still awarded for the initial three years of medical study, with the BM BCh or MB BChir being awarded for the subsequent clinical stage of training. Some British universities give a bachelor's degree in science, or medical science, mid-way through the medical course, and most allow students to intercalate a year of more specialised study for a Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSci) or Bachelor of Medical Biology (BMedBiol) degree with honours.
Although notionally MB and BChir are two degrees, they must be taken together, and by convention entitle the bearer to use the title of Doctor. In some Irish universities a third degree, Bachelor of the Art of Obstetrics (BAO), is added.
The non-university (licentiate) qualifications allowing registration as a medical practitioner in the UK, which have not been awarded by the United Examining Board since 1999, also conferred the courtesy title of "doctor

bachelor's degrees (new)

New bachelor's degrees
The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge are perhaps alone in the United Kingdom today in awarding the B.A. for all undergraduate degrees. Almost all American universities award both B.A. and B.S. degrees, though a number of small liberal arts colleges award only the B.A. (e.g. Hamilton College). However, on a global scale, in many universities over the last hundred years the range of bachelor's degrees has expanded enormously, especially in Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. This represents a move towards specialization in tertiary education, in which college or university in these countries is intended to be training for a specific career, and therefore akin to vocational education. It is a departure from the liberal arts approach common in the United States, in which the graduate is versed in a wide variety of subjects in addition to an academic major, with the intent they be well prepared to pursue any number of careers, or a progression of careers

Bachelor's degrees

Bachelor's degrees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

The degrees awarded carry a designation related to the broad subject area such as BA, BSc, BEng etc. The majority of Bachelor's degrees are now honours degrees. Prior to the mid 20th century all candidates would take an Ordinary degree, and then be selected to go on for a final year for the Honours degree. Now this may be reduced to two either by direct second year entry (for people who have done foundation degrees or changed subject or similar) or by doing compressed courses (which are being piloted by several newer universities). For funding reasons (funding for undergraduate programs is automatic, funding for postgraduate programs is not) it is becoming increasingly common to skip the Bachelor's stage entirely and go straight to Masters level on a four year (five year if with industrial experience) course (which often shares the first two years with the equivalent Bachelor's course).
Honours degrees are of a superior academic standard. However the practice of writing 'Hons' as part of the degree designation is untraditional and some consider it to be an affectation. An Honours degree is always awarded in one of four classes depending upon the marks gained in the final assessments and examinations. The top students are awarded a first class degree, the next best, an upper second class degree (usually referred to as a 2:1), the next a lower second class degree (usually referred to as a 2:2), and those with the lowest marks gain a third class degree. An Ordinary or unclassified degree (which does not give the graduate the right to add '(Hons)') may be awarded if a student has completed the full honours degree course but hasn't obtained the total required passes sufficient to merit a third-class honours degree. Alternatively a degree may be denied honours if the student has had to retake courses. An ordinary degree usually requires 300 CATS points whereas an honours degree requires 360 CATS points. It is possible to be awarded an ordinary degree with distinction if the average of the 300 CATS points is 70%+.
Ordinary degrees are unclassified degrees awarded to all students who have completed the course and obtained sufficient marks to pass the final assessments and examinations. Ordinary degree courses usually have lower entry requirements than Honours degree courses. Although Ordinary degree courses are often considered to be easier than Honours degree courses, this is not always the case, and much depends on the university attended and the subject being studied. Some modern universities offer the opportunity for Ordinary degree students to transfer to an Honours degree course in the same subject if an acceptable standard is reached after the first or second year of study.

Today, the most common undergraduate degrees given are the Bachelor of Arts (Artium Baccalaureus) (BA, AB) and the Bachelor of Science (Scientiæ Baccalaureus) (BS, BSc, SB, ScB). Originally, in the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Trinity College Dublin, all undergraduate degrees were in the Faculty of Arts, hence the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Since the late 19th century, most universities in the English-speaking world have followed the practice of the University of London in dividing undergraduate degree subjects into the two broad categories of arts and sciences, awarding the degree of Bachelor of Science to students of the latter category of subjects.

Master of Science

Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences and occasionally in the social sciences.
The MSc is typically a "taught" postgraduate degree, involving lectures, examination, and a short project. Taught masters programmes involve 1 or 2 years of full-time study. Some universities also offer research MSc programmes, where a longer project or set of projects is undertaken full-time.
The Master of Science degree should not be confused with the more recent MSci, or Master in Science degree, now offered by U.K. institutions. This is an extended undergraduate degree, with honours awarded, and is intended to better prepare students for postgraduate study. Many research universities are now demanding MSci degrees for entry to PhD research programmes.
This education pattern in United Kingdom is followed in many Commonwealth Nations such as India, Pakistan, Canada.

Master of Public Health

Medical Schools and Schools of Public Health

Master of Public Health (MPH or M.P.H.) is a professional master's degree awarded for studies in areas related to public health. The MPH degree focuses on public health practice, as opposed to research or teaching.
MPH is usually a one or two year program. Some students may already possess an advanced degree. In some countries the MPH program is only available for medical graduates (MBBS or equivalent), those without the medical degree can join the Master of Medical Science in Public Health program.
Medical Schools and Schools of Public Health in the United Kingdom
Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King's College London, London
Mooreland College London(provides several different Master degrees in different streams of Public Health)

Master of Physics

University-Collage

Master of Physics in the United Kingdom, the MPhys is an undergraduate award, available after pursuing a four year course of study at a university. These are taught courses, with a research element in the final year, this can vary from a small component to an entire year working with a research group -- and are not available as postgraduate qualifications in most cases, although depending on institution the final year can be considered as approximately equivalent to an MSc. Most British universities offer both the traditional three year or four courses in physics, leading to a BSc, or MPhys respectively.
Structure
In terms of course structure, MPhys degrees usually follow the pattern familiar from bachelor's degrees with lectures, laboratory work, coursework and exams each year. Usually one, or more commonly two, substantial projects are to be completed in the fourth-year which may well have research elements. At the end of the second or third years, there is usually a threshold of academic performance in examinations to be reached to allow progression into the final year. Final results are, in most cases, awarded on the standard British undergraduate degree classification scale, although some universities award something structurally similar to 'Distinction', 'Merit', 'Pass' or 'Fail' as this is often the way that taught postgraduate master's degrees are classified.

Pharmacy programs

University-Collage study program of Pharmacy

Bachelor of Pharmacy (abbreviated BPharm) is an undergraduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy.
In the United Kingdom, the BPharm degree was awarded following a three-year undergraduate pharmacy program. It was superseded in 1997 by the Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree, awarded following a four year program, as a result of European Union harmonisation.

Master of Pharmacy (abbreviated MPharm or MPharm(Hons)) is an undergraduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. In many countries, it has superseded a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) as the prerequisite for registration to practise as a pharmacist. It may also refer to a postgraduate coursework or research degree in the field of pharmacy.