Students who enroll in overseas graduate programs may decide to do so because they believe immersion in a new culture will boost their resumes.
Some experts agree that these students are onto something. “It’s a global marketplace, and employers are seeking diversity,” says Brenda Brouwer, vice provost and dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Queen’s University in Canada. “They’re looking for diversity of experience, perspective, cross-cultural understanding, global citizenship.”
[Debunk four myths about earning a graduate degree abroad.]
Prospective students can reflect on the following advice from current international students and higher education experts as they decide whether to earn a graduate degree in another country.
Good Reasons to Go Abroad
— You’re adventurous and independent. Some students may be better equipped to pack up and move overseas for a degree when they’re older and more mature.
“I don’t know if my 18-year-old self could have done this,” says Tove Olaussen Freeman, a master’s student from the U.S. studying health economics and management at the University of Oslo in Norway. The 23-year-old says loneliness, homesickness and culture shock are all part of the experience of studying overseas.
To combat these challenges, Freeman has made an effort to meet new people — she speaks Norwegian, which helps — and be a “yes person” who is open to new opportunities.
[Learn what types of students should consider international universities.]
— You want to work for a global company. Multinational employers in particular will value skills and experience that students acquire when earning a graduate degree abroad, says Thomas Jørgensen, senior policy coordinator at the European University Association.
He says such employers will appreciate the language skills and empathy, among other things, that can come from spending time in another country.
— You’ve identified a potential adviser. Ted Sargent, professor and vice president, international at the University of Toronto, says prospective students who know what they want to study should “scour the globe” to find not only a school with a strong program in their chosen field but also a graduate or doctoral adviser they’d like to work with.
Prospective students can explore university websites for information on specific program faculty, says Brouwer from Queen’s University. She adds that students can double-check information about faculty research via Google Scholar.
Bad Reasons to Go Abroad
— Saving money is your only concern. It’s good to be money conscious, but students and experts say the price of a degree program shouldn’t be the only factor motivating a person to attend graduate school abroad.
Freeman says the fact that the University of Oslo does not charge tuition factored into her decision-making process. But so did the quality of the education and her goal to pursue a global career.
Students should thoroughly research all aspects of an international graduate program and give serious thought to whether it’s right for them, says Brouwer. “If you haven’t done the homework and you’re uninformed, who knows how that’s going to go,” she says.
[Learn what it’s like to attend a tuition-free university in Europe.]
— You like the program but haven’t researched the location. Diana S. Díaz-Valdés, a master’s student from Spain studying the theory and practice of human rights at the University of Oslo, says prospective students need to consider that they are choosing both a graduate program and a country. “Don’t go to a country where you think that you are not going to feel comfortable — don’t go just because the master’s is really appealing,” she says.
Students should take into account seemingly mundane things like the weather, says Díaz-Valdés. For example, Norway has long, dark winters that can be challenging for some people. Other significant factors that could make students feel uncomfortable include a country’s attitudes toward specific religions as well as the prevalence of racism or homophobia, she says.
— You don’t know if your degree will be accepted back home. Students who want to pursue jobs that may require professional certification — such as accounting, law and medicine — need to research potential implications of earning a foreign credential if they want to work in their home country, experts say.
An alternative option for students who may not be able to earn full degrees overseas, Jørgensen says, is to see if there are programs in their home country that offer short-term study abroad options.
— You think it will be easy. It’s important for prospective students to manage expectations about attending graduate school in a foreign country, some students and experts say.
Jørgensen says students should be careful not to have an overly romantic view of life abroad. “You go to the supermarket, and you study hard, and sometimes it rains,” he says. “It’s everyday life.”
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Weigh Good, Bad Reasons to Earn a Graduate Degree Abroad originally appeared on usnews.com
