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Each course is a unique mix of many different ingredients — from the subjects covered, to the campus location, to the career it leads to.
Whether you’re still considering possible courses, tossing up between two fields of study or have no idea what kind of career you want, we can help find the best course for you and coordinate your university application.
How to pick the right course and university - 6 essential ways to decide
The sheer explosion of opportunities is overwhelming, but you need to start somewhere soon. Here are the most important criteria to consider when choosing your future university to study abroad:
Select your desired discipline
So, you have a clue about what you want to study and need to find the place where they will give you the training you want. You might find places that offer some interesting interdisciplinary Bachelor’s or Master’s programmes, or specialisations you may not have thought about.
Firstly you need to think upon what you are really good at, if you are good with numbers, you can opt for courses in accounting or economics. Similarly, you are inclined towards the healthcare sector, physical therapy, nursing and pathology makes for great choices. A shorter, more focussed list of options will put you in a better position to figure out what courses will suit you the best.
Decide where you’d like to study
Chances are that you’ve already thought about a specific place where you would like to move and study. Even if you don’t know where to start from, you might want to do some research, checking countries and cities that have the most or all the desired traits, whether it’s the type of study programme, the facilities, the transport, living cost, or weather.
Nevertheless, if one of your main criteria is geography, you should try and narrow it down using other pertinent factors, such as career opportunities, financial options or application requirements. If you haven’t thought about researching the location, it may be best to effectively reduce the search to a handful of possibilities.
Course prospects
Location selection, check. Now what? See which universities offer the courses you are looking for, what their course has to offer in terms of the career you have planned for yourself. Take the time to visit each university or college website to explore not only the subjects included in your course but also to find out the content of each module per subject, along with the duration for which it is being offered. Remember, the course duration also depends on the type of course you wish to pursue.
Course Duration (Indicative)
- Master’s Degree – Duration – 1 or 2 years
- Undergraduate Degree – Duration – 3 years
- Post Graduate certificate – Duration – 6 months
- PhD – Duration – 4 years
Use the best search engines to research and compare universities
Given that there are a few huge factors to consider (and many small ones) when deciding what university to enrol in, you should carefully search the ideal option for what you are looking for.
The best way to manage this lengthy and sometimes frustrating process is to use a well-informed professional platform for higher education, ideal for quick web navigation between study options, categories and filters.
Check the international University Rankings
Another obvious way to look at it is by asking “Which are the best universities?”, but things aren’t as simple as that. There are many diverse ranking systems, created by several organisations that use different metrics to come up with their top university lists.
Whether they measure academic and educational performance, or the teaching environment and the internationality of the institution, the major ranking systems are data-driven hierarchies which outline the competition between major universities worldwide:
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- QS World University Rankings
- U.S. News Global Universities Rankings
On the other hand, non-official rankings such as the one on Wikipedia can also reflect the perceived impact and reputation of these institutions, among potential students.
Research for Affordability & Career Opportunities
It’s no secret that studying abroad may cost a lot, so you need to pay attention to the overall price of the study programmes available. Do find out if there are any scholarships available for your course at both government and institute level. If you are able to land one, it can help bring down the cost of your studies considerably.
Your chosen course should put you on a path to a profession you’ll love, but first you need to be clear what it is that you are seeking. For instance, if you wish to make it big in Events Management, Dubai is one of the best destinations for you. With the current expansion of mega events across the region, there is a growing demand for event managers with handsome perks here.
Still not sure?
We, at Study Abroad, are up for this job! You can speak directly to us and get all your queries on course selection, application procedures, scholarships, fees structures and campus life etc answered at a personal level.
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