Education :

Higher Education



Higher Education (HE) - is it for you?

More than a third of young people go into some form of higher education (HE). If this is the best route for you it is important that you research carefully before you select the course, college or university to which you want to apply.

Information about alternatives to full-time study can be found on www.hero.ac.uk

Courses offered by UK universities and colleges can often be studied in a number of different ways - as a full-time student, a part-time student or by distance learning.

Why choose Higher Education?

Want to know about HE? UCAS has more information.

Choosing an HE course

There are hundreds of different courses to choose from but there is lots of information available to help you make your choices. Try Connx4u for useful websites.

E-Clips has leaflets containing helpful information on choosing an HE course such as

  • Routes into higher education
  • Choosing your higher education
  • Ideas for higher education courses
  • Opportunities with a degree in any subject

Before you decide which course to take, bear in mind that, although more than half of graduate jobs are open to graduates in any subject, certain careers require you to take specific vocational courses e.g. architecture, medicine, and veterinary science. Some degrees can offer exemptions from, or shorten the length of, future professional training e.g. business studies and law.

www.ucas.com contains lots of helpful information and links to websites of individual institutions which give the grades or points required for particular courses.

If you have specific Higher Education courses in mind check out:

  • whether your chosen universities or colleges ask for particular subjects at A Level.
  • what the grades or points requirements are for your chosen courses.

Unistats is the official website to help you compare subjects at universities and colleges in the UK.

Foundation degrees

If you are looking for an intermediate, work-related Higher Education qualification you might consider foundation degrees. They are designed in conjunction with employers to meet skills shortages at the higher technician and associate professional levels.

Part-time study

UCAS does not recruit for part-time courses. If you want to consider part-time study look on www.hotcourses.com. This site also includes short courses and distance learning opportunities as well as useful links to other websites. Connx4u also has links to institutions which offer distance learning options.

If you're thinking about studying overseas there are useful websites on Connx4u and E-Clips has leaflets about Higher Education in Europe and outside Europe