How does a masters degree in the UK work if you are a US student?

I am currently an asian-american university student in the US thus far. I’m majoring in biology and I’m hoping to earn up to a PhD in the subject. I’m interested in University of Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge and UCL. I’m not quite sure how I go about earning a masters and how the international students get qualified. I know I have to earn a Bachelors in related studies to attempt to earn a masters in Biology in the UK and definitely be in good academic standing, but am I supposed to take the GRE in the US and send results to the UK or is there a separate exam all together? The websites I looked at were quite confusing as well. When going for a masters, am I taking a “course” or “programme” to earn a masters or do I apply for the degree itself similar to the US system? And if I were to get a PhD in the US, would the degree itself transfer if the UK university I attend is globally recognized and acknowledged? Thank you in advance for your help!

PhDs (earned, from accredited universities) are recognized globally. The relative ‘prestige’ of a PhD is not necessarily linked to the brand name of the university (for example, for physics UIUC > Yale).

When & how you do your masters is different between the US & the UK. Sticking with sciences (the system is different for most humanities), in the US, *in general/i, a PhD-bound student applies for joint masters/PhD programs directly from undergraduate, and in general there is funding for the combined program. In the UK the norm for that student is for the Masters to be a 1 year extension of the undergraduate (which is funded in the same way as undergraduate), and during that year to apply for PhD programmes.

You will find that each of the 4 unis you mention have very, very different options, and they are very specific. The application process is very different as well. No GREs for PhDs- the key will be how your research interests and background fit with the research interests and current funding of the researchers in the department. So, a lot of homework on your part, and a good amount of research experience is necessary to identify where the best fit is.

Cambridge has a Masters in biosci, Oxford has one in biochem (by research). If you are determined to do a PhD in the UK, the advantage of doing the Masters in the UK is that the proximity and contacts may help you identify PhD programmes for which you are a good fit.