Getting a UK degree abroad with transnational education

Global university rankings such as The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 show an encouraging shift to a leveling up of the quality of education available around the world. Whilst the UK and US still lead university rankings charts, their position at the top is coming increasingly under threat. Chinese universities now account for 13 of the top 200 universities in the THE WUR 2024 rankings, while the majority of new universities added to the latest rankings are from Asia. 20 of these new universities are from India, whilst Africa accounts for 19 of the new universities.

Despite this backdrop of improving quality of education worldwide, you may still wish to study in places like the UK, America or Europe, where university rankings still feature at the very top. This begs the question, can you get an education from your own country that carries the same prestigious reputation as an education from somewhere like the United Kingdom?

Through increasingly popular education partnerships that are emerging across the world, transnational education (TNE) offers students the opportunity to study for a degree in one country, whilst being awarded a degree from a university in another country. The United Kingdom has been at the forefront of this trend, with some UK Universities having even established whole campuses of their own on foreign soil.

Examples of such UK transnational universities partnerships with dedicated university campuses include:

University of Nottingham Ningbo China
University of Nottingham Malaysia
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Middlesex University Dubai
Heriot-Watt University Dubai
University of Reading Malaysia

What does transnational education mean for your study options?

By enrolling on a UK university course delivered through TNE, you have the opportunity to access higher quality education at a location closer to you. Rather than moving to the UK for your studies, you may find that a campus located in Malaysia, Dubai or China is a much more suitable or accessible location for your studies.

Other benefits for your studies include more affordable course fees than the equivalent fees for an international student studying in the UK. For example, the University of Reading Malaysia estimates that its fees for students at its Malaysia campus are roughly half the costs that an international student studying at their UK campus would be expected to pay.

As the course itself is delivered by a UK degree awarding body, you can be assured that the quality of your teaching is going to be at the same high level that you would expect from studying in the UK. Your degree will also carry the same high reputation as having studied at the awarding UK institution.

Another benefit to many TNE courses is that you may be offered the opportunity to study part of your course in another country. For example, you may be able to visit Nottingham in the UK or the Nottingham Malaysia campus for part of your degree if you are studying at Nottingham Ningbo China.

Many UK universities now have TNE partnerships, whereby courses are offered in partnership with other existing universities, giving students access to UK university courses at existing universities closer to them. These degree courses also have the added benefit that the degree will be awarded by the UK university.

For example, the University of Westminster in the UK lists Macromedia University of Applied Sciences in Germany, Instituto Europeo de Design in Spain, Informatics Institute of Technology in Sri Lanka and The Westminster College (TWC) in Nepal amongst its partners. At each of these partners, you are able to study for a degree validated and awarded by the University of Westminster, without needing to relocate to the UK.

Studying at a TNE campus or partner gives you the opportunity to experience a culturally diverse learning experience, while having access to world class teaching and research that may not be available otherwise at institutions closer to your home. If these benefits interest you, be sure to include transnational education partnerships in your course search to find the best opportunities for your studies.