Higher education in Glasgow 2024

Higher education in Scotland, in particular, in Glasgow is chosen by many foreign students due to the excellent value for money. It is a country with a rich culture and traditions and, according to many rankings, the most beautiful country in the world — the students will forever remember its green mountains, clean lakes and picturesque views. The state includes about 800 islands, half of which are not suitable for life, because the local nature is one of the most unique and untouched by human hand.

Every year, up to 100 thousand young people from countries around the world come here for this purpose, Glasgow is recognized as one of the most comfortable for studying in the whole United Kingdom.

TOP universities in Glasgow cooperate with commercial enterprises and the industrial sector and strive to take into account trends in the labor market and the needs of companies. The universities have special departments of assistance and support for graduates, whose main task is to help students with a scientific degree find a job. Students' progress is assessed through written exams at the end of the academic year. Upon completion of the program, students receive prestigious university diplomas.

Below the advantages of studying in universities in Glasgow are provided:

• High-quality educational programs
• Good conditions for study and recreation
• Rich culture
• High quality academic programs
• A wide range of programs for long and short term
• Programs of preparation for university admission and language exams
• More affordable education: prices are lower than English or American by 10-20%
• The foreign students who have graduated from university programs leave positive feedback about Glasgow as one of the most comfortable English-speaking places for studying: the local population is friendly to foreign students.

Higher education in Glasgow is represented by public and private universities. Students receive their first scientific degree in Bachelor's degree programs, which include a wide range of disciplines, and students study for 4 years in order to master the specialization. The number of subjects, the time that students spend on lectures, practical and laboratory depends on the chosen course.

The first stage of higher education, which is Bachelor program, where students gain knowledge in their chosen field – more than 100 specialties are available in Glasgow institutions. Universities have a variety of faculties, among which are:

• Arts
• Sciences
• Rights
• Medicine
• Social sciences, etc.

Universities in Glasgow invite the foreign students to get a bachelor's degree in numerous directions of studying:

• Accounting
• Forest science
• Agricultural industry
• Archaeology
• Architecture
• Art History
• Humanities and Design
• Biology
• Construction
• Business and Management
• Chemistry
• Classical civilization
• Information systems
• Marketing
• Dentistry
• Religion and theology
• Drama
• Media
• Economy
• Education and pedagogy
• Engineering
• English
• Environmental science
• Health protection
• Geography and geology
• History
• Hotel management
• Linguistics
• Jurisprudence
• Music
• Pharmaceuticals
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political science and international relations
• Psychology
• Social Sciences
• Social anthropology
• Social work
• Sports Sciences
• Statistics
• Veterinary medicine.

Master's Degree programs are a variety of courses available to students at top universities in Glasgow. The duration of the master's degree will usually be one year in full-time study and 2-3 years in correspondence.

The main educational formats of higher education system in Glasgow are the following:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Laboratory
• Project work
• Master classes.

Kevin McDonnell

Specialist in International Students of the University of Sussex

What advice do you have for those aspiring to attend top UK universities?

Thoroughly research your chosen university, including tuition fees, as these can vary widely. Prepare well for English proficiency tests like IELTS, which are essential for admission to any UK university. Focus on your preferred courses, checking their specific academic requirements, and ensure you are well-prepared in those areas.

For admission to the bachelor's degree, the applicant must provide the admissions committee with a certificate of completion of the Foundation Year (annual educational program). Only a graduate of the school who has an average score of at least 4 in the certificate can pass it. An alternative to completing this annual program is to study at an university of native country for at least a year. In this case, it is necessary to provide the members of the admissions committee with an extract of the grades.

An applicant wishing to study at the universities in Glasgow for a master's degree must show a notarized copy of the diploma in English. At the same time, the average score should be at least 4.

A prerequisite for admission of foreign applicants is the passing of the IELTS (English language exam).For future masters, the result should be at least 6.5 points, and for those entering art history or medical fields – from 7. Applicants of the educational program also need to pass this exam, while it is enough to get 5.5 points.

International students need to apply for admission before January. At the same time, applicants are allowed to provide an incomplete set of documents. This is possible in cases when the graduate has not yet managed to get a diploma. But such a preliminary enrollment will be only conditional and you can officially become a student only after providing all the papers.

Higher education institutions are autonomous and determine the start of the academic year themselves. Many universities follow the traditional curriculum and start teaching in September or October, and finish their studies in May or June. The holidays are Christmas and Easter, and exams are held in the final semester. Other universities work according to their semester systems, which divide the year into separate modules with small time intervals for vacations and examination sessions twice a year. Students can start their studies several times a year, for example, in September and January.