Do you know the reasons why students love to pursue their PhD somewhere in UK? The reason is quite simple. The UK offers students an opportunity to gain an internationally recognised and respected academic qualification. Simultaneously, it helps in experiencing life in a culturally rich and diverse environment.
UK higher education is known for the quality of its teaching and research. There are several leading UK universities which boast world-class research facilities and produce research of the highest standard. This enables that they benefit from the knowledge and expertise of some of the world’s most acclaimed specialists. Here are the basic requirements to pursue PhD in the United Kingdom:
Entry Requirements
There are different entry requirements at different universities. The universities with higher rankings will definitely have higher entry requirements. For a PhD, you require a Masters degree in addition to your undergraduate one. In addition, you should have a good command of English.
English requirements:
All those registering for PhD should have completed their Masters programmes in the UK. And for Masters, good knowledge of English is mandatory. Students without English knowledge would usually be required to have an internationally recognised English language qualification such as IELTS or TOEFL. This should be pursued before joining the university. The exact English requirements depend on the university, but typically range from IELTS 5.5 to IELTS 7.5 (TOEFL 525-625).
Students educated in English are often able to submit high school English qualifications (e.g. GCSE or O-level) instead of IELTS or TOEFL. Most universities require equivalent to a grade C at GCSE level to satisfy these conditions.
How subject areas are assessed
Subject areas and departments at each university are assessed on different criteria. These include curriculum design, assessment, student support, learning resources etc. Subjects are rated as ‘Excellent’, ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’, and departments are given a score out of 24, anything over 22 is considered as excellent. The strength of research activity in UK university departments is basically assessed in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). The latest assessment results were published by panels of independent experts from universities, industry and commerce in December 2008.
