When people in North America talk about studying abroad, they are normally referring to study during the course of a degree. However, students are increasingly choosing to study in another country for their entire degree. While this has long been a popular option for graduate school, it is on the rise for undergraduate programs, particularly in professional degrees such as medicine and law.
This section expores full degrees abroad, as well as joint or dual degrees, which involve study at two or more universities.
Full degree abroad
Undertaking a full degree abroad offers a complete immersion experience, with all the benefits of this, including an opportunity to develop global competencies that few other study abroad opportunities can match. You will have the opportunity to emerge with not only a degree, but a sophisticated understanding of the host country, the nuances of its culture, geography, history, current affairs and way of life.
You might even acquire fluency in another language (or two). While language learning may be a motivation for undertaking a full degree abroad, it is not always necessary: increasingly, universities around the world are offering degrees taught in English.
All the benefits mentioned in the previous section apply: personal, academic and professional benefits of studying abroad. Living in another country for a full degree may also afford you the opportunity to gain work, internship or volunteer experience in that country—thus augmenting your immersion and the value of your experience. You may even have a chance to study abroad in a third country.
In general, choosing to undertake a full degree abroad will give you the most control over your destination, academic courses and living situation. The world is your oyster. Other study abroad options, such as exchanges, tend to be limited in terms of their options. However, do research the degree equivalency—especially for professional degrees such as law and medicine—if you hope to return to employment in your home country.
Undertaking a full degree abroad need not break the bank. The time taken to complete a degree is often less: in many countries, it is common to complete an undergraduate degree program in three years, compared to four or more in most North American universities. Graduate programs are often shorter as well. All in all, this means a year less of tuition and living expenses. In addition, depending on your chosen location, your fees may be free or cheaper than at a North American university or college.
Application process
To study for a full degree abroad, in general you apply directly to your chosen university, though some overseas universities do work with agencies who assist students who apply from abroad.
The application process may be less straightforward than applying for a degree program in your home country, as you must make sure that your qualifications are recognized. The process may differ from that of North American universities, and may include extra requirements such as an interview, standardized testing, language testing or demonstrating equivalency of your courses.
Be sure to allow yourself a lot of extra time to research the application process and prepare your application materials. Keep in mind that the academic year is often different between the northern and southern hemispheres—so deadlines and start dates may not be the same as for your local universities.
Joint & dual degrees, global programs that include a component abroad
In recent years, some forward-looking universities have been introducing programs specifically designed to expose students to their subject matter in different international environments. The terminology is not always consistent, but some of these options include:
- Joint degree programs, where two or more partner universities offer a single degree, and the students study at both campuses.
- Dual degree programs, where two degrees are offered by two universities, and students spend a period of time at each of them.
- International degrees that may go by various different names, but require a student to work, intern or study overseas as part of their degree. The overseas placement may be organized by the university or by the student.
Some of these degree options originated in Europe, but today they are increasingly offered by universities around the world.
Business schools are possibly the most common place to find sophisticated international joint or dual degree programs, and sometimes they focus on attracting an international student body for their courses—providing a global learning environment on a day-to-day basis. INSEAD, for example, offers global and dual degrees, with campuses in four countries. Other business schools, such as York University in Canada, offer International MBA programs that require an international work term and the possibility of another semester abroad.
However, other subjects for joint and dual degree options exist: for example, City University in the UK and Aarhus University in Denmark recently launched a joint MA in Journalism, Media and Globalisation. Joint degrees are not restricted to the arts or social sciences—nor are they just for graduate level studies; for example, Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University partners with Zhejiang University in China to offer a dual BSc degree in computer science and engineering. If the possibility of a joint degree interests you, it is worth spending some time to research the options for your academic subject, as new programs have been popping up regularly.
Another option for those interested in experiencing a global portion of their degree is to look for programs that require an overseas component—such as an internship or work placement. For example, the International Development graduate program at Humber College in Toronto requires a work placement in the sector, and many students obtain assistance to find placements overseas. Of course, these options are mostly available in degrees that explicitly cover global subject matter.
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