Higher education
18 Nov 2010
On this page
- Short description of the higher education system
- Types of degrees
- Quality assurance and accreditation
- Recent reforms
Short description of the higher education system
UK higher education institutions include universities, university colleges, former polytechnics, and specialist higher education institutions. There are also further education colleges that enrol higher education students.
Types of degrees
Bachelor’s degree programmes take three years to complete (although some take four or five years). A bachelor’s degree can be awarded as an honours degree or an ordinary degree (also called a pass degree). An honours degree indicates completion of an honours programme, that is a three or four-year bachelor’s degree with a higher study load and more examinations. Student performance is indicated on the degree using a class indication: first class, upper second class, lower second class and third class.
In Scotland, the four old universities (Aberdeen, St Andrews, Edinburgh and Glasgow) do not award bachelor’s degrees in the field of arts, but Master of Arts degrees only. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, this degree is considered equal to a bachelor’s degree.
Most master’s degree programmes last one year. However, there are also initial master’s programmes that take four years to complete following GCE A-levels (a secondary school degree). Scottish institutions also offer initial master’s degree programmes as the first university degree.
The UK offers two types of master’s programmes: the normal master’s and the Master of Philosophy (MPhil). The normal master’s is subdivided into two categories that are considered equivalent in level: master’s programmes based on coursework (master’s by instruction) and programmes consisting mainly of research and a dissertation (master’s by research). Like bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees also indicate the specialization taken, such as Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc) or Master of Engineering (MEng).
The MPhil is a two-year research programme involving little or no coursework and usually represents a higher level than a regular master’s degree (although lower than a PhD degree).
There are two types of doctoral degrees. The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, or DPhil in the case of Oxford and Cambridge universities) is a three-year research degree. In the area of education, universities also offer a professional doctorate, leading to a Doctorate of Education (EdD) degree, where the doctoral research undertaken is closely related to the student’s regular job or to professional practice.
The former polytechnics offer bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes, as well as non-degree programmes.
Quality assurance and accreditation
Quality assurance is the responsibility of the Quality Assurance Agency of Higher Education (QAA), an independent body that coordinates regular inspections of education and research programmes. There are accreditation bodies in the UK, but they do not act on behalf of the government and focus on private institutions or distance education.
Recent reforms
Current UK higher education policy focuses on expanding higher education opportunities for underprivileged groups, developing closer links between higher education and the business sector, enhancing student employability, attracting more international students and improving the international standing of UK higher education. When taking office in spring 2010, the new government announced large spending cuts in higher education.
