Can I do medical study with BUIC?
Entry to undergraduate medicine is extremely competitive. Competition is so fierce that medical schools will usually require top marks in A-levels or the International Baccalaureate. Other qualifications, including 'foundation programmes' are recognised for admissions purposes, but this is relatively rare. Each medical school is allowed to take only a very small percentage of non-EU students: typically less than 20 each year. Some give preference to countries that have no medical schools.
Entry to clinical postgraduate medicine requires registration with the General Medical Council, and universities are not involved in the process. New immigration rules prohibit doctors from outside the European Union being given training places.
For more details please refer to our advice for applications for medicine from Iraq
Entrants to postgraduate dentistry must first pass the Overseas Registration Exam and then apply to universities for a place.
PhD programmes in Medicine and Dentistry are laboratory-based, and cannot include any contact with patients unless the postgraduate is registered with the GMC or GDC. The PhD is not a clinical training programme.
How do I write a research proposal?
Applicants for a PhD in a UK university must submit a research proposal. The purpose of the proposal is to enable the postgraduate admissions tutor to judge whether the academic department can offer supervision, and to judge whether the project is of a scale and quality appropriate to a PhD. Before you write the proposal you should look on the webpage of the department in which you hope to study, noting any research groups that you might want to join or supervisors who might be able to supervise your project. A proposal should be 1000-1500 words long, and should contain the following elements:
How long until I will receive a response from the BUIC Universities?
As all the individual institutions have slightly different processes for dealing with applications it is impossible to estimate how long the consideration of your application will take, but rest assured they will contact you as soon as they have reached a decision or if they require additional information from you.
Is there any deadline for submitting the BUIC application forms?
While there is no closing date for Applications forms, places in popular disciplines such as medicine are limited so applicants should apply well before the start of the academic year that they wish to enroll for. In the UK our academic year runs from September to May.
Can my family come with me to the UK?
The immigration authorities will normally give dependents permission to be in the UK for the same amount of time as the student. If you apply for your spouse and/or child to come to the UK as your dependents you will be asked to show that you have appropriate accommodation for them. Information on VISA regulations can be found online. You must check with your sponsor as to whether they would provide funding for your family to accompany you.
What is the difference between a conditional and unconditional offer?
When you are offered a place to study at a UK university the University will send you an offer letter. There are two types of offer – unconditional and conditional.
An unconditional offer will be sent to you if you have met all the entry requirements for your chosen programme of study; this includes the academic entry requirements and the English language entry requirements.
A conditional offer will be sent to you if you have not yet met the academic and/or English language entry requirements for your chosen programme of study. The University will also tell you what conditions you must meet. Once you have met all the entry requirements, and have provided the required evidence to the University, the University will then issue you an unconditional offer which may be used for visa purposes.
Can BUIC help get my VISA application approved?
No, this is entirely a matter for the UK visa authorities to decide based on the information in your application. When you apply for a visa to study in the UK you will need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). A CAS is a unique reference number and full details of when you should expect to receive the CAS will be sent to you by the University from which you have accepted an offer. You will only be allowed to accept one offer with a 'CAS' - you cannot hold multiple offers from different universities. When submitting your application for a student visa you will also be required to submit a number of documents to the UK Border Agency (UKBA): these will include evidence that you have met all the conditions outlined in your offer letter. Detailed information about the visa application process is provided on the UKBA website.
I have been accepted to study with a BUIC member but can't start on the date they gave me, what shall I do?
You should immediately contact the person who sent you the offer of place and advise them of your circumstances. They will be able to advise what effect this will have on the status of your offer.
Can BUIC offer me funding for my studies?
We do not administer any scholarships, so can only suggest you contact individual British Universities regarding funding opportunities. On our Scholarships page you will find information and links regarding funding sources available for students wishing to study in the UK, including links to individual BUIC members.
In January 2009 Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, launched the Iraq Educational Initiative, a programme designed to provide educational opportunities overseas for Iraqi students as part of a capacity-building project. A major focus of the Initiative is a scholarship scheme to send up to 10,000 Iraqi students to study abroad at universities in the UK, USA and elsewhere. The scheme is implemented by the Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq.
A pilot project to place 500 students overseas commenced in the summer of 2009, and 200 of these students are expected to be sent to study in Britain. BUIC is working closely with the Higher Committee for Education Development and the British Council to help place the successful applicants in the UK. BUIC now comprises 29 UK universities, working together to help
For further information regarding the scheme visit the Higher Committee for Education Development's website at www.hcediraq.org
In March 2006 the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Iraq announced it would be funding an ambitious scholarship programme over the next ten years, aimed at helping to upgrade the country's higher education system.
Starting in 2006 1000 scholarships were made available for Iraqi scholars to study at PhD level. The number of scholarships available will rise in 2007-8 to 2000 with approximately 600-700 available for study in the UK, growing in 2008-9 to a total of 3000 places with approximately 1000 for study in the UK.
Priority subject areas are science, engineering, medicine, law, and some humanities. Most will be for PhDs, but some will be available for students wishing to pursue taught Masters or MPhil. Discussions are ongoing with the Ministry, but our understanding is that students will receive funding for three years of PhD study, with funding for pre-university English for up to a year.
For information regarding these scholarships please visit the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research website. Link >>
Can BUIC arrange for Fees Discounts?
The level of fees charged by British universities is a matter for the universities themselves. BUIC cannot discuss discounts or scholarship provision for all its 29 members.
If you haven't found the answer to your question regarding BUIC please feel free to contact us.