Do you want to pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree but are struggling to decide what you want to study?
The United Kingdom鈥檚 educational institutions are globally recognized for academic excellence and contribute to the for international students. Today we鈥檙e exploring some of the major factors it’s smart to consider when you’re choosing a bachelor鈥檚 degree.
If you鈥檙e searching for a master鈥檚 degree in the UK instead, check out our other blog in this series for tailored advice!
Work Opportunities
When choosing a bachelor鈥檚 degree, it鈥檚 essential to consider what work opportunities will be available to you. These opportunities allow students to gain invaluable industry experience in their field of study. As a result, many students opt for a bachelor’s degree with the option of a sandwich year or work placement.听
A sandwich year allows you to gain one year of work experience in between your study terms. These are beneficial as they help develop your soft skills, ability to solve complex problems, and equip you with a year of industry experience. If you鈥檙e interested in a Business Management and Leadership bachelor鈥檚 degree, you might consider applying to CU Coventry. In this program, students can take an optional sandwich year, where they鈥檒l gain paid, hands-on experience in the world of leadership and business management.
Many academic institutions in the UK offer students the opportunity to take advantage of short-term work placements. These are usually completed during term time and are typically between one year and three months. However, some placements require students to work one day per week over a longer duration. Students aren鈥檛 typically paid for short-term work placements, but they will receive valuable work experience. The offers students a work placement through its Graphic Communication bachelor鈥檚 degree.听
Whether through a sandwich year or a work placement, pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in the UK will provide you with the practical experience required to excel in your studies and future career.听
Area of Interest
Since most academic institutions in the UK require its students to pick a major at the start of their studies, it鈥檚 key that incoming students do some reflection beforehand so they can make a good choice. Selecting a bachelor鈥檚 degree requires you to understand where your interests lie.
When working through this decision, it can be helpful to consider:
- Your passions
- What alumni say about the course, and more broadly, the degree
- Your strengths, weaknesses, and goals
- What classes you鈥檝e excelled at in the past
- Future employability for people in this field
If you鈥檙e passionate about fashion and have strong visual communication skills, consider a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Fashion Communication and Promotion like the course Nottingham Trent University offers. This is an excellent example of how your choice of bachelor鈥檚 degree can reflect your interests and skill set.
However, remember that some institutions have specific academic requirements. For example, if a student is applying for an engineering bachelor鈥檚 degree, they will typically need to have completed specific mathematics courses before applying.
If you鈥檙e concerned that your area of interest may change throughout your undergrad, don鈥檛 be. Many students change their majors. What鈥檚 imperative is that you choose a bachelor鈥檚 degree that reflects your interests.
Course Duration
When selecting a bachelor鈥檚 degree it鈥檚 crucial to take the course duration into account. In the UK, bachelor鈥檚 degrees are typically awarded after three years of full-time study. It鈥檒l take four years if you add a year of work experience in between your study terms, or if you’re an international student and need to take a foundation year before starting your degree. Meanwhile, professional degrees, such as medicine, veterinary science, and architecture degrees require five years of study.
If you plan to study in Scotland, remember that Scottish bachelor鈥檚 degrees, like the University of Strathclyde鈥檚 Biomedical Engineering degree, are four years in length. This differs from other parts of the UK, where undergrad degrees are generally three years long, like London South Bank University鈥檚 Tourism and Hospitality Management bachelor鈥檚 degree. (But in Scotland, international students generally won’t have to take a pathway program like a foundation year.)
After graduation, eligible international students can apply to the UK鈥檚 for a work visa. If approved, graduates will be able to remain in the UK for a couple of years while earning valuable work experience.
Explore more exciting bachelor鈥檚 degrees in the UK on the 老九品茶 platform!
