How does the application at a UK university work and what are the requirements? At the beginning of an application for a degree at the university of your choice in Great Britain, there are these essential questions. Every study program and every university has different entry requirements, for which evidence must be provided in the course of the application.
The application process for a first degree in the UK should be done at least six to twelve months before the start of your studies to avoid unnecessary surprises and stress. Applicants should also allow for long waiting times at public institutions in the summer months. All documents that are already available should therefore ideally be authenticated by applicants at an early stage.
An exemplary application process for studying in Great Britain provides an initial overview. In terms of admission requirements, however, the criteria differ from university to university and depending on the study program.
Application process checklist
When applying, there are a number of elements that are required for successful admission to a UK university. Basically, there are important steps that must be taken when applying to study in the UK. Sorting these steps by priority results in the following checklist for the application process for studying in the UK:
- Check the admission requirements for the study program at the university of your choice
- Ensure funding: apply for BAföG abroad and / or submit scholarship applications
- One or more English: Depending on the study program Letters of Request
- Proof of language proficiency (or at least confirmation of registration for taking the test)
- Write a letter of motivation
- Notarized proof in English: Schoolchildren: Abitur certificate (or the last interim certificate) Students: Transcript of Records or Bachelor certificate (or a preliminary Transcript of Records)
- Admission Offer accept
- Timely transfer of the tuition fees (also possible shortly before enrollment)
At the latest upon arrival and registration at the university of your choice, the original evidence must also be submitted: the Abitur certificate, the latest transcript of records and the original language certificate.
As long as Great Britain has not officially left the EU, there are no restrictions on entry and exit for students from other EU member states. To learn more about United Kingdom and Europe, please visit petsinclude. For the residence permit and the health insurance is therefore no additional time and expense required.
Components of the application according to study programs
Depending on the study program and university, different application components are necessary in order to successfully apply for a study abroad in Great Britain.
Proof of language proficiency
In terms of time, the language certificate is part of the application, which can also be submitted at an advanced stage of the application. If a language certificate is already available at the time of application, applicants should make sure that it is up-to-date. As a rule, proof of language proficiency such as the DAAD language test should not be older than two years.
It is important to plan a little more time for standardized language tests such as the TOEFL or IELTS in the summer months, as experience has shown that all courses are occupied quickly at this time. Proof of language proficiency must always take the form of a standardized language test or good English grades in the Abitur (DAAD language test). Proof of a high school year is not an alternative.
Application process for a semester or academic gap year in the UK
In the UK, each semester university has individual application deadlines. If you are planning a semester abroad in Great Britain in the winter semester, you can roughly orientate yourself on the German semester periods when planning. Similar to Germany, the academic year in Great Britain begins with the Autumn Term at the end of September. In contrast, the spring semester in Great Britain begins around the beginning of February.
As a rule, British universities plan the coming academic year in February, but no later than March. Only at this point does it become clear which courses will be offered in the following semesters. The student secretariats of the British universities process applications for the semester after next only after the beginning of the respective semester. For this reason, an application for the spring semester is only possible from October.
A significant feature of the British study system is that the entire range of courses can also be viewed digitally. After a course selection has been made, changes are only possible under certain circumstances, depending on the university, and involve a lot of unnecessary effort.
The course selection for the stay abroad should therefore be made at the earliest when the course catalog of the desired university has been determined. The respective departments or faculties decide on final admission to certain courses.
Short-term application
A short-term application for a semester abroad in the coming autumn is usually possible until the end of June. If you apply through an agency, you can even apply for a semester abroad in Great Britain a few weeks before the start of the semester. Nevertheless, we advise all applicants to apply for a semester abroad at an early stage, as fewer and fewer places are available as the time progresses.
