So...where do you start?

I am a US citizen, 22 years old, recently graduated from an American college with a BA in psychology.

I'm interested in pursuing a master's degree at a British school and I've got NO CLUE where to begin 

So basically..what are my steps? Lol. Obviously i know researching - then do you apply directly to the school, or do you need to go through an organization? How do you pay for it? Can you get loans if you're going to a school overseas? Do you get a visa after you're accepted or before? Etc..

I'm also not sure how to convert all these requirements for postgraduate study. I have no idea what a 2.1 is in British schools. I have around a 3.4 GPA and that's all I know!

If anybody could tell me ANYTHING about studying in the UK as an American (not through study abroad) I would soo appreciate it!

So basically..what are my steps? Lol. Obviously i know researching - then do you apply directly to the school, or do you need to go through an organization?

For postgraduate degrees, you can just apply to the university department directly. First, I would probably start looking into the specific schools and courses you are interested in, and then contact the departments to find out more about the course, entry requirements and the application process (that way you can also make your name known before you apply) .

How do you pay for it? Can you get loans if you're going to a school overseas

You have to be able to fund yourself and most overseas students either take out loans or use their own personal savings. As an international student, you won't qualify for any UK grants or loans, so you would have to get funding through a US student or private loan. To be granted the visa you need to show that a minimum amount of money is available to you, either in your bank account or from an approved loan - this minimum amount is 1 year of tuition (usually between £10,000 and £15,000 for international students), plus living costs of either £7,200 (for studying in London) or £5,400 (for studying outside London)... so in total, you will need to have access to between about $25,000 to $30,000 before you come to the UK. Basically, you have to show that you have enough money for one year of study without having to work in the UK to support yourself.

Do you get a visa after you're accepted or before? Etc..

After you're accepted, but before you travel to the UK to begin your studies .

The process basically goes:
- apply to universities
- get accepted
- get a Tier 4 Certificate of Sponsorship from the university
- sort out your funding and gather all your visa application documents
- apply for your visa (the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you want to travel... and you can enter the UK a maximum of 30 days before the course begins - so most students apply around June/July... I would apply early if you can because the summer is really busy for student visa applications)
- when you have the visa, you can come to the UK to study

I'm also not sure how to convert all these requirements for postgraduate study. I have no idea what a 2.1 is in British schools. I have around a 3.4 GPA and that's all I know!

University degrees are divided into different 'classes' (grades, essentially) based on the overall percentage that students achieve in their degree:
First class honours: 70%+
2:1 (Upper Second class honours): 60-69%
2:2 (Lower Second class honours): 50-59%
Third class honours: 40-49% (40% is a pass)
Ordinary degree: a pass degree without honours
(A 2:1 or above is usually the minimum required to go into a postgraduate degree or to get a good job.)

In terms of converting US degrees to UK degrees, a 3.4 GPA would be about equivalent to a 2:1 degree (2:1 is approximately equivalent to a 3.3-3.79 GPA).

You can read more about the UK grading system here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_undergraduate_degree_classification

Hope this helps .

Wow! Thanks so much for the helpful reply, I really appreciate it!

The only thing that scares me is this money business - there is no way I'd ever have enough in my savings for school  $25,000 is way more money than I've ever seen at one time in my life! My savings account usually hovers around $1000 (life of a student, sadly..)

SO I suppose I would need a loan. Do you know of any that provide loans to international students? I read something on here about a Stafford or a T..something? This is all foreign to me!

Wow! Thanks so much for the helpful reply, I really appreciate it!

The only thing that scares me is this money business - there is no way I'd ever have enough in my savings for school  $25,000 is way more money than I've ever seen at one time in my life! My savings account usually hovers around $1000 (life of a student, sadly..)

SO I suppose I would need a loan. Do you know of any that provide loans to international students? I read something on here about a Stafford or a T..something? This is all foreign to me!

It's the normal US sources where you get the student loans.  You fill out a FAFSA form, where they assess how much you are eligible for and then you apply for loans.  Sallie Mae did mine, but I know things have changed recently in regards to student loans so it may be that you get them directly from the government now.  Not sure really, but it's best to start here: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

Normally, you'll be able to get up to a maximum of $20,500 in subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans, and then you can fill in the rest with a GradPLUS loan.

Thank you both for the help I'm going to look on the FAFSA website and see what's what.

Another very stupid question  - a master's degree from the UK is just as good/the same as a Master's in the US right? I'm only asking because I know my mother is going to require a *LOT* of convincing and she's probably not going to be okay with me going to a UK university I know she's going to ask about the degrees and how they transfer internationally so I'd like to have a good answer prepared!

I think she worries because it's not definite that I'll live in the UK yet, and she wants to make sure if I have a future in the US my degree will be recognized.

Anyone? Sorry for being an idiot!

It depends on the degree and what you plan to do with it.

Another very stupid question  - a master's degree from the UK is just as good/the same as a Master's in the US right?

Yes, UK and UK bachelors, masters and PhD degrees are all considered to be essentially the same standard. The only differences might be in specific subjects/fields of study... for example, a UK law degree wouldn't be very helpful in the US, and vice versa, because the legal systems are different.

I'm only asking because I know my mother is going to require a *LOT* of convincing and she's probably not going to be okay with me going to a UK university I know she's going to ask about the degrees and how they transfer internationally so I'd like to have a good answer prepared!

I think she worries because it's not definite that I'll live in the UK yet, and she wants to make sure if I have a future in the US my degree will be recognized.

As mentioned, it does depend on the degree subject and what career you want to get into, but in general, a UK degree should be recognised in the US (in fact, sometimes UK degrees are considered to be of a slightly higher standard than US degrees).

What is it about a UK degree that you think your mom won't be okay with? Is it the degree itself, or the fact that you want to go abroad to study?

I've been a student in the UK and the US - I'm British, but spent a year studying in New Mexico in 2003/04 and then went back for grad school (PhD) in 2008... I was potentially going to be out of the country for 4-6 years, but I was pretty unhappy in the US the second time and actually moved back after 8 months. Although she didn't mention it to me at the time, I'm pretty sure my mum didn't really want me to move so far away for such a long time (her sister has lived in the US for over 30 years and I think having her daughter over there too might have been tough). She actually encouraged me to go... her view of the situation was that I was an adult and if I wanted to study in the US, then she didn't want to influence that decision at all (she didn't tell me that she hadn't really wanted me to go until I'd made the decision to move back) - I was 24 at the time (20 the first time I lived in the US). In fact, I think right now she's probably extra glad that I moved back to the UK, because both my younger brothers are now living abroad too... one is in Norway (he just moved today) and the other is in Abu Dhabi!

I was thinking degrees that are more training. So social work, teaching that sort of thing.  I suppose jobs that need to be recognised by a professional body in the US.

Ideally I'd be going for psychology, maybe clinical psychology MA. No idea how that works though as far as being licensed in the US/UK..maybe that comes after the degree anyway so it doesn't matter?

I'm not sure why my mom feels the way she does. She's never been outside the US so I don't think she has an understanding of the way education systems work elsewhere, and she's probably thinking US degrees are superior somehow (I know they aren't!). Or, if I ended up staying in the US, that my UK degree would be void I suppose?

That and I'm sure she also won't want me going abroad anyway for various reasons. This is going to take a lot of work....

From Wikipedia. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training_and_licensing_of_clinical_psychologists

I think your problem might be that the programme is sponsored here.
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/chpccp/BasicInternationalFunding.html

According to the website the NHS funds almost all the courses:

Funding and Working

By applying for a clinical psychology training course you are applying for a job with the NHS (see Funding). It is therefore important to know whether you have the right to work in the UK without restriction. A student visa is not enough because if you are accepted you will be classed as an employee.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, the NHS would apply for a certificate of sponsorship for you when you are offered a place. However, there is no guarantee that this certificate would be granted. Non-EEA (European Economic Area) applicants are therefore not usually considered because the NHS is unlikely to employ anyone as a Trainee Clinical Psychologist who does not have the right to work in the UK. Their main aim is to train clinical psychologists to work in the UK on a long term basis.

You would need to make sure that that the university is accredited by the APA.

Also, if you're just trying to find out what schools to apply to, go to wikipedia and type in "list of universities in the UK". It can be time-consuming, but depending on how specialized what you want to go into is (or how much you enjoy perusing uni sites like I do ) you should be able to narrow it down.

I ended up getting down to 4 schools that I applied to. I was just accepted to a MSc program at Durham, and I'm really excited. I haven't gone through the visa or FAFSA yet, but if you need any help applying or picking schools or anything, feel free to shoot me a PM. I don't post on here a lot, but I lurk ever day or so.

Also, I'm 21, and my parents took some adjustment, too, so I can at least understand on that point! Even if a masters is only a year, it's many miles away. I've learned how to play up the positives of a UK degree, so I can help with that as well. It's only a year, it's less time, but costs the same, no GRE, etc,etc.

edit- I keep thinking of more. XD No GRE fees, no application fees, worldly experience of living in another country without having to learn another language...

Ideally I'd be going for psychology, maybe clinical psychology MA. No idea how that works though as far as being licensed in the US/UK..maybe that comes after the degree anyway so it doesn't matter?

Unfortunately there are no Masters-level courses in pure clinical psychology in the UK. After obtaining their undergraduate degree and acquiring several years of experience, people who wish to pursue clinical psychology apply for training by way of NHS-funded doctorate courses. There's a list of these courses at:

http://www.bps.org.uk/careers/accredited-courses/accredited-courses_home.cfm?frmAction=results&Course_IDs_Selected=&CourseType=PG&Search_Type=NC&OrderBy=NAME&OrderDir=ASC&INSTITUTION_NUMBER=&TRAINING_COMMITTEE=CTCP

If you're interested in another form of psychology (e.g. health, sport, etc), you can use that page to search for relevant courses via the 'Professional Category' box, some of which will be Masters-level.

Do bear in mind though that the American Psychological Association and the British Psychological Society are different entities, with different requirements for accreditation. My partner is a DClinPsy trainee, and has found that even once she's fully qualified in the UK it would take a 1-year conversion course to receive accreditation by the APA, and even then it could be a struggle to find employment that recognized the extent of her qualifications.

Hopefully this isn't too discouraging - psychology is taught and practiced somewhat differently between the US and the UK, so translating qualifications between the two countries is a bit of a nightmare. We'll almost certainly never live in the US, just because of the difficulties she would face in being able to practice there, despite her (eventual) clinical doctorate.

ETA: Just to clarify, I'm only talking about clinical psychology here. I'm not sure what the situation is with the other branches of the field.

Hi everyone.  

I've been lurking on this site for a few weeks and really love it.  I'll spare you all the boring details of how I stumbled upon this site, and how much I love Britain.  I'll just say it's always been a dream of mine to live here.  Emigrate here really.  But I never thought it was ever probable or even feasible outside of marrying a Brit.  That was until I discovered this place.  

I'm currently getting my Bachelor's in Psychology and will be finished in a year or two.  

I just have a few questions about virtually everything pertaining to UK Universities and University Life in the UK as compared to the States, much like the original poster.  

I've poked around on some of the other threads in this forum and learned a bit about Visas.  Like I said, I'm looking to possibly emigrate here.  So I'm looking at degree programs that will allow me to do that in the long run more so than others.  For instance, I know Social Work in Children and Family Services (a field my mother's worked in the US for over 20 years in fact so I know a little bit about it), Math and Science Secondary Education Teachers, Operating room Nurses and Neonatal Nurses are all on the Shortage Occupation List and are all fields in which I'd really enjoy forging a career in any country.

Funding and Working

By applying for a clinical psychology training course you are applying for a job with the NHS (see Funding). It is therefore important to know whether you have the right to work in the UK without restriction. A student visa is not enough because if you are accepted you will be classed as an employee.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, the NHS would apply for a certificate of sponsorship for you when you are offered a place. However, there is no guarantee that this certificate would be granted. Non-EEA (European Economic Area) applicants are therefore not usually considered because the NHS is unlikely to employ anyone as a Trainee Clinical Psychologist who does not have the right to work in the UK. Their main aim is to train clinical psychologists to work in the UK on a long term basis.

The above doesn't paint the most heartening picture.  I think I read some where this applies to nursing programs as well as most of them are NHS funded.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but does this mean that international students are in a way somewhat wholly discouraged from pursing degrees in these specific areas in the UK due to them being primarily NHS funded?  Is there any possible way to legally get around this for international nursing and/or psych students?  And by that I only mean by self funding or US State funding (loans) through Fafsa?  I also think I read on the UKBA website that the Overseas Nursing Program is now defunct.  Is that accurate?  

Actually, I'm leaning more towards a degee in Nursing.  And will most likely pursue it in the States even if I never get to move over here.  As such, what is the best way to further my chances for getting a Tier 2 Visa?  Because isn't the HSMP/Tier 1 Visa is being phased out this year along with the Post Study Work Visa?  So would my best chances be to aim for a Tier 4 Student Visa and while I'm there look for work in a hospital that would sponsor me to then qualify for the Tier 2 Visa?  Or would it be best if I were to earn a graduate nursing degree in the States and then after I've finished schooling look for work in a UK hospital from over here?  

In another thread I heard talk of Associates nursing degrees not being recognized in the UK.  Are Bachelor's nursing degrees recognized?  Does anyone know what the general nationwide  minimum requirements for Bachelor and/or Graduate Nursing degree programs are in the UK?  

Or maybe I should just bugger it all and go for Social Work or Secondary Ed instead of Nursing altogether?  As I'm assuming neither of those are State Department funded, right?  So student funding is more feasible and acceptance into those programs more welcome for international students?  

I'm just really excited to find out that it's even possible to use US Government loans for funding requirements for schools overseas.  I nearly started crying with hope at that alone.  


Now about the schooling.  I'm a little nervous about that respect.  My mother is natively from a country that has an education system modeled after that of the UK's.  She's filled my head with tales of how hard it is, and nearly impossible it is for American students not used to that system to do well in.  How different are the two education systems?  Would it be better for me to earn a Bachelor's degree over in the UK as opposed to the US so I'll be better prepared for the Graduate degree programs there in the UK?  Where do I even begin to look for which universities to start applying?  How do I know which are accredited and which aren't?  Where do I begin discerning which program, university, and/or even city is right for me and which isn't?  Same thing goes for hospitals too, if I decide to finish schooling in the States.  Of course, however to a lesser extent as hospitals are less inclined to hire and then sponsor me, so it's as much as them choosing me, as my choosing them.  

Ugh!  I'm confusing myself.  Any information proffered at all will be highly appreciated.  Thank you for your time.

Hi everyone.  

I've been lurking on this site for a few weeks and really love it.  I'll spare you all the boring details of how I stumbled upon this site, and how much I love Britain.  I'll just say it's always been a dream of mine to live here.  Emigrate here really.  But I never thought it was ever probable or even feasible outside of marrying a Brit.  That was until I discovered this place.  

Hi there, and welcome to the forum - there is tons of useful information here to help you with your plans .

I've poked around on some of the other threads in this forum and learned a bit about Visas.  Like I said, I'm looking to possibly emigrate here.  So I'm looking at degree programs that will allow me to do that in the long run more so than others.  For instance, I know Social Work in Children and Family Services (a field my mother's worked in the US for over 20 years in fact so I know a little bit about it), Math and Science Secondary Education Teachers, Operating room Nurses and Neonatal Nurses are all on the Shortage Occupation List and are all fields in which I'd really enjoy forging a career in any country.

It's worth being aware that the Tier 2 shortage occupation list is subject to change at any time - the professions listed on there now, may not be on there anymore by the time you want to move. You may also find that certain medical/nursing positions are only available to people who are on the higher pay bands within the NHS system (i.e. consultants, managers or specialists)... and will probably require that you have several years of experience of working in the field before you can reach that level.

The above doesn't paint the most heartening picture.  I think I read some where this applies to nursing programs as well as most of them are NHS funded.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but does this mean that international students are in a way somewhat wholly discouraged from pursing degrees in these specific areas in the UK due to them being primarily NHS funded?  Is there any possible way to legally get around this for international nursing and/or psych students?  And by that I only mean by self funding or US State funding (loans) through Fafsa?  I also think I read on the UKBA website that the Overseas Nursing Program is now defunct.  Is that accurate?  

To be honest, I'm not too sure what you can do about courses that are NHS-funded. Maybe it's worth trying to contact the universities that offer the courses and see if they have any information about whether international students have had any success?

Actually, I'm leaning more towards a degee in Nursing.  And will most likely pursue it in the States even if I never get to move over here.  As such, what is the best way to further my chances for getting a Tier 2 Visa?  Because isn't the HSMP/Tier 1 Visa is being phased out this year along with the Post Study Work Visa?  So would my best chances be to aim for a Tier 4 Student Visa and while I'm there look for work in a hospital that would sponsor me to then qualify for the Tier 2 Visa?  Or would it be best if I were to earn a graduate nursing degree in the States and then after I've finished schooling look for work in a UK hospital from over here?  

It's difficult to know the best course of action at the moment, because the government are making various changes to the immigration system this year (such as Tier 1 General being phased out, the Tier 2 requirements being tightened etc.). So far, I don't think they've said whether or not the Post Study Work visa will be phased out too... I think it's just the Tier 1 General at the moment.

In terms of ease of getting a visa, the Tier 4 Student visa is probably much easier to get than a Tier 2 visa - as long as you have acceptance of a place (certificate of sponsorship) and can meet the funding requirements, you shouldn't have too much of a problem (unless there are issues with getting a position that would normally be NHS-funded). If the PSW visa is still around after your studies, you could go that route... otherwise you would have to try to find a Tier 2 sponsor.

You'd probably be best looking at the pros and cons of getting the degree in the US and the UK - you don't want to get a degree in the UK, not be able to get a job afterwards and then find that you can't get a job in the US either because you don't have the required qualifications to work in the US.

Or maybe I should just bugger it all and go for Social Work or Secondary Ed instead of Nursing altogether?  As I'm assuming neither of those are State Department funded, right?  So student funding is more feasible and acceptance into those programs more welcome for international students?  

My personal feeling is that you should study a subject that you're really interested in instead of what you think might get you a job in the UK afterwards... for example, you don't want to go into social work/secondary education/nursing, only to find that it's been taken off the shortage list by the time you are qualified... then you might have a degree which you maybe weren't all that interested in doing in the first place, and no UK job to show for it.

One thing to note regarding doing Secondary Education is that the only jobs on the shortage list currently are Maths and Science teachers... and to become a Maths or Science teacher in the UK, you usually need a bachelor's degree in Maths or Science (usually in the science subject you wish to specialise in... Biology, Chemistry or Physics). After you have that degree, you then do a 1-year PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate of General Education) in either Maths or Science to become a teacher. As an example, I have an undergraduate degree in Physics... so I could train to become a Maths or Science teacher (specialising in teaching only Physics at the higher levels in schools (likely ages 14-18)), but it's unlikely I would be able to train to teach any other subject (such as English).
 

Would it be better for me to earn a Bachelor's degree over in the UK as opposed to the US so I'll be better prepared for the Graduate degree programs there in the UK?

Not necessarily - it depends on your previous academic experience, what postgraduate subject/course you want to study in the UK and what the pre-requisites are for the courses.

Where do I even begin to look for which universities to start applying?How do I know which are accredited and which aren't? Where do I begin discerning which program, university, and/or even city is right for me and which isn't?

You could have a look at the league tables for 2011 and see where different universities are ranked for the subject(s) you are interested in: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/universityguide and http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=7281

You can find a list of accredited universities (recognised bodies) here: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/recognisedukdegrees/index.cfm?fuseaction=institutes.list&InstituteCategoryID=1 and the league tables can help you to find which ones have the best reputations for your subject.

In terms of cities, that part is harder if you aren't familiar with the different UK cities/areas. The best thing to do is probably to do some internet research on the cities where the courses/universities you are interested in are.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your plans .

Hey Sarah,

Just to add a personal experience I had with NHS funded courses. I applied for a couple at two different universities and was told that I'm not allowed to be on those courses because I'm an international student. I suggest you ask relevant people at the universities before applying as I ended up wasting a lot of time and effort applying to courses I was not even eligible to take in the first place.

As far as university being hard here, while that is true, it's certainly manageble. Plus you get a lot of guidance from personal tutors who will always respond to your emails and you can meet them to show them your work and get feedback. After lectures, I usually have a seminar in which we get practice with what we learned during the lectures. I very much enjoy university here. I'm doing a psychology BSc by the way.

If you have any questions you can send me a pm. I've been through quite a bit in my time here so I can tell you about the good and the bad (accommodation, finances, US loans, etc...).