Choosing your course

 

There are many different types of course you can follow, and they can last anything from 2 years to 7 years.  Some may involve the study of just one or two subjects, others allow you to study a range of subjects in the first year with specialisation later in the course.  Some are assessed by end of year exams, some by twice yearly module exams and some by continuous assessment.  Some may involve study abroad or a year of paid employment.  

 

You must not expect courses with the same name to be identical; a course in English, say, at Cardiff may be totally different from a course in English at Bristol.

 

How can you find out about the course content?

Once you have decided on your choice of subject or subjects, you must begin to search for the ideal course.  To do this you need to compare the content of the courses, as they vary from university to university.  Reading the relevant sections of the prospectus of the university will help, but the best source of information will probably be the departmental brochure.  Ring or email the department for this or find the department website.

 

What types of degree course are there?

• Single Honours: Students study one subject, though there may be the option to study a ‘minor’ subject as well, which will take up about 30% of your time.  In the UCAS website, a course described as, for example, History with Politics, would be History as the ‘major’ subject, taking up about 70% of the time, and Politics that ‘minor’ subject.
• Joint Honours: The study of two separate but equal subjects which may or may not be related.  In the UCAS listings, History and Politics would be such a course.
• Combined Honours: These courses usually involve the study of several subjects in the first year with students choosing to specialise in one or two subjects as the course progresses.  Course titles are usually "Combined Arts" or "Combined Science."
• Interdisciplinary Courses: this is the study of a number of subjects, all related to a particular theme.  For example: European Studies or Business Studies
• Sandwich Courses: These courses allow students to take paid employment, usually for one year or for two six months periods, as part of the course.  These are usually only available in vocational subjects such as Business Studies or Engineering and are one year longer than other courses.  They offer the student the opportunity to get experience as part of the course and graduates, on average, find employment more quickly.
• Modular Courses: The course will be broken down into a number of units or modules, and students can, to greater or lesser extent, select their own programme.  Credits build up to a single, joint or combined honours degree.  Many degrees are now modular.  In many of them, modular exams are sat at the end of each semester, that is, twice a year, though some have a single exam at the year end.
• Masters Courses:  These are courses, usually in science and engineering, that last 4 years and include a Masters degree in the fourth year.  Degrees at Scottish universities are usually Masters degrees, whatever the subject.

• Ll. B.  This is a law degree that offers substantial or complete exemption from part 1 of the Law Society and Bar Council exams.
• B. A. or B. Sc. with QTS.  QTS means Qualified Teacher Status.  Those who wish to teach often do not want to do a B. Ed, thinking that employers outside education will value it less highly, a risk if they decide not to teach.  This is the same course but with a different name.

HND courses – Higher National Diplomas.

A two year (or three if sandwich) sub degree level course, available in vocational areas, usually with a very practical approach.  These can be very good for students whose A level grades may be modest, and, as they are more practical and in vocational areas, they have a reasonable employment record.  Some universities allow good students to up-grade to a degree if one is available.

Foundation degrees

A new qualification, basically half a degree.  These are perhaps too new to see how employers react.

Foundation art courses 

A one year course that is a necessary pre-condition for entry onto many higher education courses in art and design.  They are free for those under 19 at the start of the course, but no funding is available, so most from here do it at Falmouth College or Truro College.  Look at the Choosing your subject – Art and Design page for more information.

 

How long are the courses?

Degree courses are generally three years, however:

• Medicine, Veterinary Science, Dentistry and Architecture will extend for more than three years, some up to seven, some including periods of paid employment.
• Courses at Scottish universities are usually 4 years Masters courses.
• Sandwich courses and many language courses are usually for 4 or more years.
• Many courses in languages, science, engineering and business studies (and others) offer up to a year of study in the E.U. under the SOCRATES-ERASMUS scheme – www.erasmus.ac.uk.  Students might be eligible for an additional grant.  There is at least one ERASMUS programme at every UK university.  There is a guide to the programme in the careers centre.

Where can I get information?

The UCAS Big Guide contains brief details of all the courses at every institution.

Many courses now offer "Entry Profiles" on the UCAS website.  These include not only the entry requirements, but also a good description of the course, what it contains, what you can expect to get out of it and what you should bring to it. It is invaluable in that it is a means of matching you, the applicant, to the course.

You should read the university prospectus carefully – but remember that university prospectuses fulfil a joint role, that of providing essential information and that of sales brochure.  If you look carefully at the photographs you will find something rather strange – that the sun always shines at British universities, that the leaves are always green, that the buildings are always architecturally distinguished and that the students are always attractive!

Send off for the departmental or course brochure – or read it on the university website.