Why Study in Europe?
Universities in Europe have long been known for their high academic standards, their cutting-edge research and their value for money. Thirty-one of the world’s top 100 universities, as listed by The Times in its 2012 World University Rankings, are located in Europe, making it the second biggest bloc of universities after the USA.
In all, there are over 4000 Higher Education Institutions in Europe offering a wide range of courses at Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate level. With more and more of these institutions introducing English as the language of instruction for at least some of their degree programs, universities in Europe are now better placed than ever before to offer a warm welcome to international students and to deliver a course of study that meets their career needs in today’s global market. This is particularly noticeable at graduate level: the number of English-taught Masters in mainland Europe has increased massively from just over 1000 in 2007 to over 5000 today. Degree courses taught in English are available in a huge array of disciplines from Business and Economics (currently the most popular, representing about 28% of English-taught Masters in Europe) to Engineering, Life Sciences (including medicine), Social Sciences and Humanities subjects.
The Bologna Declaration of 1999 has led to higher education systems throughout Europe becoming aligned to a 3-cycle system of Higher Education as follows:
- Bachelor Degree (3-4 years)
- Masters Degree (1-2 years)
- Doctorate Degree (3 years)
As part of this process the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) has been introduced which permits students attending a European Higher Education Institution to transfer to another university within Europe or indeed further afield and to easily transfer their credits. The ECTS helps students to transfer between universities during the course of one cycle (normally just at bachelor degree level) or to transfer upon completion of one cycle to another university for further studies (for example, to switch from one university after completing a Bachelor degree to another university for a Masters program).
Universities in Europe have long welcomed students from other countries. With its unique combination of a modern and high quality way of life allied to its rich historical heritage, Europe offers a study experience like no other.
Quality of education
Europe boasts some of the strongest education systems in the entire world. Universitas 21 ranks the top higher education systems in the world each year. In 2014, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom all made the top 10. Meanwhile Finland, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland and Poland all feature in the top 10 overall education systems in the world according to Pearson..
Continent of innovation
When you think of the word ‘innovation’, you might immediately think of Asia or America because of their strong ties to technology. However did you know that Sweden is the home of technology and software which you use every day? Skype, Spotify, Candy Crush, Minecraft and Angry Birds all come from Europe, specifically Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Finland.
Europe has history
Europe has far more history than some other continents like America which was only discovered in the 15th century. Therefore Europe’s further-reaching origins often appeal to individuals who don’t quite have the same sense of history back home. You’ll be completely taken aback by the jaw-dropping architecture and remains of yesterday. Plus, if you’re a historystudent, these adventures may inform your studies too.
See a lot, close together
Europe is made up of approximately 50 countries and they all vary in terms of customs, lifestyle, language, sights etc. So you won’t run out of things to do and you don’t necessarily have to jump on a plane or move across oceans to find them. It’s relatively easy to move through Europe, especially if you are European yourself. “InterRail-ing” via train is a popular method used by both current students, those on a gap year and travellers, allowing smooth passage across borders. If you come from somewhere far away like Asia or America, make the most of being in Europe and see everything you can – you probably won’t be here forever.
Find love
While finding love shouldn’t be the main reason you decide to study abroad, you never know what’s around the corner! European cities like Paris, Vienna and Rome have acted as the backdrop for numerous love stories over time (Paris is the ‘City of Love’ after all). Whether it’s the language, the music or the easy-on-the-eye individuals, there’s definitely something about Europe which makes us want to walk hand-in-hand with that special someone down a quiet lane on a summer evening.
Choice and Flexibility
Choose your perfect course from among the tens of thousands of degree programmes offered by the higher-education systems within the European Union.
Take advantage of the flexibility provided by universities –such as the range of courses within your programme, the opportunities to gain experience in the world of industry and the possibility of studying in more than one European country.
Tradition & Innovation
The rich traditions of university life across Europe remain firmly in place – but our universities are far from resting on their laurels…
In both the oldest and newest universities we can see the cutting-edge achievements of Europe’s researchers, who benefit from the enormous investments made in our higher-education institutions by governments, industry, and the European Union itself.
Quality
Europe’s universities are working ever more closely together to ensure the quality of education they provide. Student-centered learning isn’t just a slogan – it’s at the core of European values in higher education.
Internationalized outlook
Universities across the European Union are on a mission to become truly global in outlook and activities – and building a thriving community of international students and lecturers is often at the centre of this approach. Ask the exhibitors at the Fair to tell you how they are internationalising, and how you can benefit from this global outlook.
Affordability
When it comes to fees, a wide range of options is open to you: from programmes that cost tens of thousands of Euros at one end of the scale, to free-of-charge degree programmes at the other (with many in between costing between several hundred to several thousand Euros). This variation in cost is not based on differences in quality – each country of the European Union has its own approach to setting fees for international students. So you should look around Europe to see which option suits you best!