Postgraduate Education in great Britain

1. The British education system offers a wide range of postgraduate qualifications. A taught course normally includes lectures, tutorials and/or seminars, and it is usually examined by a question paper and perhaps also by a long essay on a set project. There are also two-year master’s and three-year PhD programmes. These, by contrast, are usually research courses. They very largely involve project work only or the pursuit of an individual research topic, and will usually be examined by a final dissertation setting out the research findings.

2. PhD (doctorate) is awarded for in-depth original research that makes a real contribution to knowledge. Students on taught courses may have many teachers, but research students normally have only one or two supervisors whom they meet on a regular basis to discuss their progress. If you choose to do a research degree, you must also choose a project or topic for your work. This can be very specific and will certainly involve deciding initially upon a field of studies.

3. Some universities pride themselves on their international mix of students. Sheffield University, for example; has a target mix of one-third UK, one-third European and one-third overseas students, and boasts 1,800 students from more than 90 countries.

4. If you are not a native speaker, you must also prove your ability to study in English. International English language tests, like IELTS or TOEFL, are widely recognised in the UK. Other tests are also sometimes acceptable. A score of around 550 in TOEFL or 6.0 in IELTS is what most universities look for.

5. Colleges and universities provide you with an account of the fees you will he charged for your studies. These vary from institution to institution, but most rise annually with inflation. Do remember that some courses may involve laboratory costs as well as tuition costs.

6. In addition, you must budget for living costs, which will vary across the different regions of the UK. Most institutions can provide you with guidance on local living costs, though your actual expenses will depend on your personal lifestyle. If you are undertaking research, remember that not every student is able to complete the work within the minimum period of study prescribed. You should set aside extra funds to cover your expenses during any extra time you may require. When applying to an institution, you will be asked to show that you have enough funding to cover both your fees and your living costs. This is an important requirement: if you cannot meet it, you will not be given permission to enter the UK as a student.

1.11 Read the text Postgraduate Education In Great Britain again and do the following exercises.

1. Look at the first paragraph and

a) say which words have the same meaning as:

an examination question; a short piece of writing; a planned piece of work.

b) explain the words:

pursuit; dissertation; set out.

2. Look at paragraph 2 and say whether these statements true or false:

● PhD is a research degree;

● Progress means process of developing or improving;

● Students are taught by many teachers and supervisors.

3. Look at paragraphs 3 and 4 and find the synonyms to the words:

aim; international; original.

4. Look at paragraphs 4 and 5 and say whether these statements true or false.

● Entry qualification needs IELTS score of 5 or a TOEFL score of 500.

● Scholarships are offered for all international students.

5. Look at paragraph 6 and answer the following questions:

● What is the difference between ‘ fee’, ‘charge’ and ‘ cost ’?

● Are ‘ tuition ’ and ‘ teaching ’ synonyms?

● Could you continue: to do research, to undertake research, to….?

● Which part of speech is ‘ budget ’?

● Is ‘ look for’ the synonym to ‘ find ’ or ‘ search ’?

6. Look at paragraph 6 and explain the following phrases:

● “… your actual expenses will depend on your personal lifestyle.”

● “…extra funds to cover your expenses…”

7. Agree or disagree with the following. Prove your point of view.

1) Britain is a popular postgraduate destination.

2) Postgraduate courses are offered within all universities of Great Britain.

3) Studying away from home is a challenging experience.

4) If you are planning to study in the UK, it is important to have realistic expectations.

5) Before you come to the UK, you need to be aware of British cultural expectations and standards.

6) The UK educational system is based on the notion that students will develop independence and individuality.

7) If you planning on a research degree, the supervision of research is undertaken by people who are recognised experts in their subjects.

8) PhD study gives the well-qualified student the opportunity to work in depth on a major individual research project, and to present a thesis on competition.

9) Many academics in the UK claim that a number of science areas are crying out for research.

10) Research covers a wide spectrum of science areas from the very pure (1) to rather more applied (2). Divide the following:

biotechnology geography geology

physics archeology soil science

computer sciences biochemical engineering

information technology security management

molecular parasitology microeconomic theory

hydrolics and hydrology groundwater engineering

computer-aided manufacture environmental law and management

1.12. Study the information below and do the exercise after it.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14