Higher education: the basics
Monday 18 April 2005
Getting a higher education qualification can give you a head start when applying for a position in your chosen career.
But taking part in higher education can also provide you with some life changing experiences.
Higher education courses are generally above the level of A Levels or National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3. They include Higher National Diplomas, Foundation Degrees, degree courses and postgraduate courses. Higher education courses are available in universities and higher education colleges, and in some further education colleges.
Choosing a course
The courses open to you clearly depend on your existing qualifications or previous work experience, but you might also think about the following:
- What are your interests, ambitions or which subjects are you most passionate about?
- What courses are out there?
- Where are they based? For example, can you study from home, in the workplace or will you need to move to another town or city?
- How do you apply?
- How long with the course last?
The length of higher education courses can vary. For example a Batchelor of Arts degree in English takes three years full time, and if you wish to go on further, a Master of Arts (MA) could take another two. However, a Foundation Degree can be achieved in two years if studied full-time. Given that you could be studying a specialist subject over a long period of time, you should make sure that your chosen course will hold your interest.
It's obviously important to consider your career aims too. When searching for a course, try to find out which one will give you the best chance of gaining a foothold in your chosen career. If you're not sure which course best suits your chosen career, then why not use the web to find out?
As well as visiting job web sites and looking at what qualifications each job in your chosen field requires, you can also visit Connexions Direct's Jobs4U web site, which lets users search for a career role and then provides them with details of the qualifications and skills usually required.
Another factor to consider when choosing a course is location. You will need to decide if you are willing to travel or even relocate to a university town that offers the best course.
There is no straightforward answer when it comes to making the decision to relocate. Some people decide to stay in their home town and remain within reach of family and friends, while others relish the prospect of embracing a new type of independence.
If relocation is not an option at all, the web can help you find a distance-learning course. Many universities now offer convenient distance-learning courses, but perhaps the most well known is the Open University. Or if you are already in the workplace or have other commitments a Foundation Degree could be a good option.
Applying for courses
The Universities Central Admissions Service (or UCAS) enables UK students to apply for full-time courses around the country. UCAS processes your applications and informs you of the response of each institution.
If you don't get the required grades for your conditional offer, there's always hope as UCAS also provides a 'clearing' procedure that helps you find the next best course at the next best university.
To find out more about the application process to universities, visit the official UCAS web site in our list of recommended links.
It is worth investigating how you will cover the costs of tuition fees and other potential expenses such as student accommodation and course materials. For information on money matters for student, take a look at need2know's own section on Money and Students.
UCAS does not handle admissions for all higher education courses. For part-time courses you would need to contact the higher or further education college or university directly to make your application.
To find the ideal course for you, it might be an idea to take a look at the Connexions Direct Course database, which has details of over 500,000 courses in the UK.
For information and advice on higher education, take a look at our list of recommended web sites.
