MBA in UK has become extremely popular in recent years with a number of prestigious UK universities offering various graduate and postgraduate programs. University of Sheffield is undoubtedly one of the top ranked UK universities offering MBA courses in UK. The program offered by the university is detailed below:

Full Time Sheffield MBA program:

The University of Sheffield offers a one year full time MBA program starting in September every year. The MBA program follows the semester system. The first 2 semesters include classroom lectures, industrial visits, workshops etc. The last or the 3rd semester involves thesis or project work. The university offers multiple options of subjects to the candidates suiting their area of interest.

Sheffield Executive MBA program:

Among the various courses offered by the University, the Executive MBA program is the most popular among all the candidates pursuing MBA in UK. It extends through a period of two and a half years starting in January every year. This course gives an opportunity to the professionals to learn while continuing with their job. The first two years equip the students with the knowledge of a varied range of subjects from management. In the last 6 months the candidates have to undertake a project.

University of Sheffield also offers the international applicants an opportunity to improve their English competency by signing up for a pre-MBA program.

The annual tuition fee is around £11,690 (for UK/EU students) and £17,430 (for international students) as per the university’s official website.

Eligibility Criteria:

• An IELTS score of 7 (with a minimum score of 6 in all components) is required to clear the English competency requirements for the students who do not have English as their first language. An alternate option would be having the prescribed TOEFL or GMAT score.
• A minimum work experience of 3 years is mandatory for the candidates to be eligible for MBA program.
• A first class or an equivalent first degree in the undergraduate course is also required.

Scholarship Schemes:

The University of Sheffield offers multiple scholarships depending on the applicant’s academic competence as well their performance in the MBA program. For the candidates who wish to study abroad these scholarships serve as a boon. The students having an overall first grade i.e. 60% would be eligible for the scholarships of up to £1000. Along with these, there is University of Sheffield Santander Postgraduate Scholarship worth £5,000 every year for international applicants. Applicants from different countries are eligible for certain scholarships every year for the different courses being run by the university.

Placement Initiatives:

The University of Sheffield offers career counselling services through its Career Advisory Council. They also have career guides assisting the students who help them achieve their employment objectives. The University also has a wide alumni network which helps existing students get real life exposure. They also have online job portal to help students land their dream jobs. The university’s international reputation attracts various companies looking for top management candidates. The Sheffield’s Enterprise Club is also an initiative taken by the University for promoting new business ideas among its students and helping the budding entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.

Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is based in two campuses ‘City Campus’ and ‘Collegiate Crescent’ in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is a leading research university ranked 68 among all UK universities in 2010. In National Students Survey (NSS), SHU was ranked 1st in Architecture and Geography and 2nd in Planning and Housing.

Courses Offered:

SHU has 4 faculties:

• Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Sciences offering art and design; business systems and IT; communication and media; computers and computing; engineering and technology; mathematics and statistics; and multimedia and internet
• Faculty of Development and Society offering courses in areas like environment; planning, regeneration and housing; social sciences; psychology; law; criminology and community justice; forensics; film, theatre and performance; English, history, geography.
• Faculty of Health and Wellbeing offering biosciences; diagnostic radiography; nursing and midwifery; occupational therapy; operating department practitioners; paramedic studies; physiotherapy; radiotherapy and oncology; social work and sport and active lifestyles.
• Sheffield Business School offering business and management; facilities management; finance; food and nutrition; tourism, hospitality and leisure; languages.

Some of the top rated courses in SHU are planning and housing, tourism, nursing, radiotherapy, engineering, architecture and law.

Research Centres:

SHU has 16 research centres, many specialized research groups, two ‘Forward Centres of Industrial Collaboration’ for study in areas like materials science, sports science, bio- medicine and economic and social sciences.

Admission Requirement:

For undergraduate courses UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Services) tariff point system is used. For both undergraduate and post graduate courses entry requirements vary for each course; however SHU encourages applicants with diverse background and those with a rich working experience.

English Requirement- for those applicants whose first language is not English, TOEFL or IELTS score specification needs to be met.

Applications for undergraduate courses have to be made through UCAS; for post graduate programmes the application form may be downloaded or requested from the university.

Scholarships, Bursaries and Funding:

Some of the funding schemes are-

• 10% discount to all applying for postgraduate programmes who are SHU graduates.
• SHU postgraduate bursary of minimum £100
• Parents Learning fund
• Disabled Student’s Allowance
• Professional and career development loans

Jobs and Placement Assistance:

SHU has dedicated Careers and Employment Service –

• providing professional career counselling
• organising recruitment fairs
• ‘network employment service’ advertising job opportunities for part- time, full- time and vacation jobs
• students job club

Accommodation:

SHU has accommodation provisions for all students with varying needs and budgets in both on campus residences and through tie- ups with privately owned accommodation. Undergraduate applicants are sent a brochure ‘finding the right place to live’ containing a SA1 application form for accommodation.

Facilities and Sports:

• SHU has two learning centres with a library, IT facilities
• over 2000 computer work stations
• advice centre for students facing any problems
• a nursery
• Fitness suites, gym, dance studio and a range of sports facilities
• Facilities for students with disabilities like car parking, counselling and information providing

International Students:

For aspirants from around the world who wish to study in UK, SHU has a support team to give guidance and advice on any issue including immigration and visa information, international alumni network, career related services, child care centre and all other support systems available for home students. SHU also has a ‘University English Scheme’ to help improve written and spoken skills which is free of cost.

UK universities have been attracting more and more students every year for pursuing higher studies. With the increasing number of mind boggling options available today to study abroad, it becomes necessary to be armed with complete information to make an informed decision. For MBA in UK, University of Northampton is among one of the preferred destinations as it is a highly reputed UK university. It offers a wide range of graduate, postgraduate and doctorate courses.

The University of Northampton offers MBA courses starting in February and September every year. The deadline for receiving the applications for September entry is 15th August every year and for February entry is 10th Dec every year. The application form for the MBA program can be easily downloaded from the university’s website.

Types of MBA Courses:

• Full time MBA program
• Part time/Distance learning MBA program

The full time MBA program is spread across 3 semesters, in which there are 2 semesters of 14 weeks each involving class lectures, case studies, workshops etc. and the 3rd semester includes a thesis of 15,000-20,000 words to be undertaken by the candidate. This thesis would involve a topic of study selected from the course.

Part time MBA program is usually for the candidates who already have a Diploma in Management. The annual tuition fee is around £7,000-£8,000.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Certified proof of previous qualifications and experience if any, along with documents.
• TOEFL or IELTS score, which stands as a proof of English language competence.
• For MBA in UK, the candidate must have a UK Tier 4 visa commonly known as UK student visa.

The above criteria are a must for pursuing MBA in UK.

Scholarship Schemes:

With a view to cater to the increasing number of students, the University of Northampton has initiated various scholarship schemes for students on the basis of their academic and professional merit. Under these schemes the students may receive up to 25% waiver of tuition fee under certain conditions. However, the scholarship is granted only to overseas students i.e. it does not include students from UK or EU. There is also an Abbey-Santander Masters Scholarship of £20,000 being offered to students from countries like Spain and Portugal.

Placement Initiatives:

University of Northampton has Career and Employability Service cell that provides assistance to the students in selecting the right employment opportunity. This cell has members from the faculty, students and the alumni who make continuous efforts to help the students achieve their goals. The MBA program is so designed that it provides both practical as well as theoretical knowledge to students. The university also offers flexibility to work along with the graduation program that gives students a competitive edge among other UK universities. The work experience gives an exposure to the corporate world. The university offers ‘Jobshop’ and ‘Student Service’ websites for those looking for jobs along with studies.
The university administration provides facility of online assistance in resolving queries of students looking to join Northampton University to fulfil their dream of pursuing MBA in UK.

Recent years have seen the trend to study abroad become quite popular with students. With universities all over the world opening up to international students, MBA in UK is a preferred course option. Amongst the various UK universities, University of Leeds stands out as one of the most reputed universities offering multiple graduate and post graduate courses.

University of Leeds offers two types of MBA programs:

• Full term MBA program: It comprises of three semesters of 4 months each. The first two taught semesters involve classroom training, workshops etc and the 3rd semester involves project work which is the most important part of the MBA program. The program offers varied options to students in terms of choice of subject like finance, marketing, international business etc. This program begins in September every year. The closing date for receiving the applications is 31st May for international applicants and 31st July for UK/EU applicants.
• Executive MBA program: The entire program is spread across a term of 2-3 years. The course structure is almost similar to that in the case of full term MBA program. The program starts in October every year and the deadline for receiving the applications is 31st August.

Tuition fee for the full term MBA program is around £ 17,000 and for the Executive MBA program its £ 20,000.

Eligibility Criteria:

• The applicant must possess a first degree with honours or an equivalent qualification.
• Applicant must have minimum work experience of 3 years for full term MBA and for Executive MBA the minimum work experience required is 5 years.
• The applicants who do not have English as their first language should have the prescribed GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) score or GRE (Graduate Record Examinations). Apart from these other approved English tests are TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing Service).
• Apart from the above criteria, applicants also have to undergo a telephonic or personal interview.

Scholarships:

Under one of the scholarship programs offered by the Leeds University, the international applicants can get a waiver of up to 50% on the tuition fee depending on the credibility of the candidate. For the UK self funded applicants, there is also a Women’s Scholarship being offered and a grant of almost 10% is offered to the alumni of Leeds University.

Placement Opportunities at Leeds:

Leeds University provides its students with a program that focuses on career planning. The university’s Global Talent Centre provides the resources and know-how about the industry requirements. It also helps the candidates in realizing their potential and meeting their desired career objectives through career guidance.
The course is designed to give the students an overview of the present market conditions. A number of workshops on career development are also organized to give them an idea about the interview process and the corporate environment. The University hosts multiple networking events which provide an opportunity to the students to interact with the various business leaders and learn about their experiences. It exposes them to the industry environment where they aspire to be in future.

University of Greenwich is located in the historic London Borough of Greenwich, London, England. It has three campuses – Avery hill in south – east London, Greenwich and Medway in Chatham Maritime, Kent. It is one of the most diverse of all UK universities with students from over 100 countries and many projects in collaboration with over 20 countries.

Courses offered:

Traditionally, the University’s areas of focus are mathematics, computing and natural sciences, but in recent years it has built on architecture, teacher training, engineering and history with its Business School emerging as one of the best.

The University schools and institutes are -

The Business School – includes accounts and finance, financial services, economics, international marketing and personnel management

Architecture and Consruction – include landscape architecture, 3D designing, constuction management and estate management

Computing & Mathematical Sciences – for mathematics, statistics, software engineering, computing and multimedia technologies

Education and Teacher Training

Engineering – for product design and civil, mechanical and electronic engineering and communication etc.

Greenwich Maritime Institute – offers postgraduate programmes in maritime management, policy and history.

Health and Social Care – include courses in nursing, midwifery, public health, social work and psychology.

Humanities and Social Sciences – include English, history, law and sociology, languages, media studies, philosophy, politics.

Medway School of Pharmacy – is a joint initiative between the University of Greenwich and University of Kent, offering an MPharm program and foundation degrees.

Natural Resources Institute – is a multi-disciplinary centre for the study of management of natural and human resources, especially in developing countries.

The Science School – includes biochemistry, biomedical science, chemistry, environmental science, forensic science, geography, human nutrition, pharmaceutical science and sports science.

Urban Renaissance Centre – dedicated to research programs for studying regeneration and other challenges specific to London and Kent.

Admission Process:

Applications for undergraduate courses are to be made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service) online.

Application for postgraduate courses should be made on University Application Form. There is no closing date and late applications will be considered subject to availability of seats.

Applications for primary and secondary PGCE programs are to be made through GTTR (Graduate Teacher Training Registry) except for Primary Flexible Program starting in January for which the University Application has to be used.

International students looking to study in UK should apply using University Application Form and provide proof of proficiency in English.

Bursaries and Scholarships:

Some of the proposed bursaries for 2010 – 2011 are -

Mandatory Bursary for financial support depending on household income

UCAS scholarship for academic excellence

Merit awards for academic excellence

Accommodation:

Accommodation is guaranteed for all freshers including international students in either halls of residence on campus or university approved individual accommodations. All accommodation is conveniently located with proximity to university campus.

Jobs and Placements:

University of Greenwich has strong links with many top companies and many of its graduates are employed with them. Many startup companies have set up base in Thames Valley for technical collaborations which provide another venue for jobs for students.

The university has a Job shop to assist students find part- time jobs during the study tenure and in getting placed with good companies after graduation.

University of Aberdeen in Aberdeen, Scotland is the 5th oldest of all UK universities. It has 14,000 students. With a history of academic excellence of more than 500 years, many of its degree programs have been rated the best both in Scotland and in all UK universities. Some of the popular courses in Aberdeen are Medicine, Education, Divinity and Law and Engineering. Here each student has an academic advisor to provide guidance; Aberdeen has received special recognition for the teacher- student relationship.

Courses offered:

The University of Aberdeen has three colleges-

College of Arts and Social Sciences includes-

• University of Aberdeen Business School
• School of Divinity, History and Philosophy
• School of Education
• School of Language & Literature
• School of Law
• School of Social Science
• Graduate School

College of Life Sciences and Medicine includes-

• School of Biological Sciences
• School of Medical Sciences
• School of Medicine & Dentistry
• School of Psychology

College of Physical Sciences also includes research centres-

• School of Engineering
• School of Geosciences containing departments of geography and environment and geology and petroleum
• School of Natural and Computer Sciences containing departments of physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering and computing
• Research Centres containing Institutes for Coastal science and management, Energy Technologies and Transport and Rural Research

Admission Process:

For Undergraduate courses- applicants need to apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Services). Fee charged for one course is £11 and for more than one it is £21. Applications are accepted from September 2010 for academic year 2011. The closing date is 15th January though applications may be considered till June subject to availability of seats.

Applicants for Dental, Veterinary Science/ Medicine need to take CAT admission test. Closing date is 15th October, 2010.

For Postgraduate courses – applicants may either apply online or download the forms.

International students who wish to study in UK, can submit their applications from September 2010 to end of June 2011 for academic year 2011. They also need to submit proof of proficiency in English.

For Primary and Secondary Education Programmes – applications may be made either online or through forms available at Graduate Teacher Training Registry.

Scholarships and Bursaries: Some of the grants offered are-

• Undergraduate Entrance Scholarship – minimum £1000 per year for academic excellence, financial support
• Jim Duncan Scholarship for undergraduates
• University of Aberdeen Alumni Discount Scheme
• Funding for overseas students

Accommodation:

Aberdeen has on campus halls of residence. All freshers are guaranteed accommodation subject to acceptance of application. All rooms have access to wireless internet connection.

Jobs and Placement Assistance:

University of Aberdeen offers a point based system under ‘Working in Scotland Scheme’ where international students can work up to 2 years after completion of the degree. Students are also helped in getting placements in top companies. As many as 97% students start work directly after graduation.

Aberdeen also has ‘Joblink’, a student support system to help in finding part-time jobs and offer employment advice during study years.

Other facilities:

Aberdeen’s library has a collection of over a million books and another quarter of a million of historic and ancient books and manuscripts.

A sports venue consisting of an indoor hall housing 9 courts, full size football pitch, fitness suites, squash courts and a lab for performance in sports.