Higher education

Students normally enter university from age 18 onwards, and study for an academic degree. Historically, all undergraduate education was largely state-financed, with a small contribution from top-up fees, however fees of up to £9,000 annual will be charged from October 2012. Students have to pay fees and living costs, but every student may obtain a personal grant from local authorities. If the parents do not earn much money, their children will receive a full grant which will cover all the expenses. Universities in Britain enjoy complete academic freedom, choosing their own staff and deciding which students to admit, what and how to teach, and which degrees to award. There is no automatic admission to university, as there are only a limited number of places (around 100,000) available each year. Candidates are accepted on the basis of their A-level results. Most undergraduates follow an “honours” course (leading to an honours degree) in one or, at the most, two subjects, while the remaining minority of students take “pass” courses that cover a variety of subjects.

The typical first degree offered at English universities is the bachelor's degree, and usually lasts for three years. Many institutions now offer an undergraduate master's degree as a first degree, which typically lasts for four years. During a first degree students are known as undergraduates. The difference in fees between undergraduate and traditional postgraduate master's degrees makes taking an undergraduate master's degree as a first degree a more attractive option, although the novelty of undergraduate master's degrees means that the relative educational value of the two is currently unclear.

Some universities offer a vocationally based foundation degree, typically two years in length for those students who hope to continue on to a first degree but wish to remain in employment. Students who have completed a first degree are eligible to undertake a postgraduate degree, which might be a: - Master's degree (typically taken in one year, though research-based master's degrees may last for two); - Doctorate (typically taken in three years). Postgraduate education is not automatically financed by the state, and so admissions are highly competitive.

A course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution. A student in a high school or university earns credits for the successful completion of each course for each academic term. The state or the institution generally sets a minimum number of credits required to graduate. Various systems of credits exist: one per course, one per hour/week in class, one per hour/week devoted to the course (including homework). Credit is awarded when the specific set of learning outcomes for a module or programme have been successfully demonstrated. Small amounts of measurable learning can therefore be accredited and recorded, and can potentially be accumulated towards a qualification.

7. GB cultural legacy (author + interpretation or painter or anything of interest)