For some degrees, such as MBAs, there are credible international rankings.
This integration of university with work is evident also in the rise of professional postgraduate degrees, such as JD programs.
Workplace skills courses have been a compulsory part of vocationally-oriented undergraduate degrees, such as engineering, for several years.
For undergraduate degrees such as history, English and law, the average fee for an international student is £8,300.
For the more expensive degrees, such as physics, engineering etc, the average international fee is about £10,000.
Nevertheless, master's degrees such as Southampton's MSc in space systems engineering remain fairly rare in the UK.
Professional degrees, such as those in law, business, and medicine are excluded, as are second baccalaureate degrees.
Save in the case of professionally-accredited degrees (such as medicine or law), universities are answerable to no one for the standards of their awards.
Those who have studied for specialist degrees, such as social work or town planning, can apply directly to councils for graduate positions in those disciplines.
With some exceptions, intermediate degrees, such as those of bachelor and master, have been abandoned in the universities of continental Europe.
Students can combine a Columbia MBA with one of 11 other professional degrees such as law, engineering, medicine, international affairs, or social work.
