INTERNATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION – a whole new world of options Ruaidhri Donnelly


Studying internationally is now a mainstream option for students worldwide – and universities keen to recruit international students are increasingly offering innovative ways to study. Ruaidhri Donnelly looks at the range of options available, and how to decide between them.


All around the world in recent years, higher education has been undergoing something of a revolution. More students are enrolled at university than ever before, particularly at postgraduate level, and the range of courses available has exploded. Worldwide economic trends have led to universities competing much more actively with each other to recruit students, particularly internationally; new and different kinds of institution have been gaining ground at the expense of traditional ones, and new types of degree or flexible modes of study are becoming more popular. Breaking out from old ‘closed’ national systems, higher education is now a thoroughly global affair with students moving between


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(and universities operating across) many different countries. All this can make picking the right course, institution, country or mode of study a big challenge – but also an incredibly exciting opportunity.


Why study, and why internationally? The first question, of course, is why go to university at all – and if you already have a first degree, why take a postgraduate course? The answer is pretty simple: to stay ahead of your peers. While ‘going to university’ used to be a rarity, participation has grown steadily since the 1950s, and accelerated in recent years. Over 150 million students are now enrolled in tertiary education worldwide, a number which has grown by more than 50% in the last decade alone. In regions such as Western Europe and North America, more than 70% of all college-age students continue studying after finishing secondary education. A degree has become a basic entry-level requirement for practically any ‘white collar’ job; and beyond that, postgraduate degrees are increasingly de rigeur to progress in the most high-flying careers. Research has consistently identified a ‘graduate premium’ – that people with a university degree will earn more over the course of their life than those without.


Postgraduate degrees like an MSc, MA, MBA or LLM are normally quite specialized and professionally- focused. Getting one helps to show employers that you are serious about a career in their specific field, and that you’ve got the skills and ability to succeed in it. As well as imparting specific subject knowledge, good universities tend to ensure that their professional degrees include relevant work placements or projects, often providing direct links in to key employers in the field. A postgrad degree will certainly help you stand


out from other job applicants – and may make all the difference. What’s more, the graduate premium effect of increased earnings is even stronger for postgraduate qualifications.


A second question is, why study internationally? Again, the key answer is that this will help distinguish you from others your age. Being willing to look further afield will give you more options in terms of the course most suited to you, the quality of university you attend, and the other opportunities available to you while studying. Crucially, international study helps demonstrate to future employers that you’ve got the ‘get up and go’ to adapt and succeed, rather than just staying where you grew up. The life skills of moving to a new country, meeting people and making friends, using another language, or gaining work experience abroad (for instance, by doing short-term or part-time jobs while studying) are all attributes that employers greatly value.


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