Many individuals who were not able to experience international education during their undergraduate years may sometimes think that they have already missed their chance.
Luckily, many higher educational institutions (HEIs) worldwide offer postgraduate degrees abroad, including master’s and doctoral degrees, and short-term programs.
Increasing Number of International Students Every Year
The increasing number of international students every year shows more and more are seeing the results it brings. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), international education worldwide has been experiencing a 4.8% growth every year when it comes to the number of students applying for courses abroad.
In 2018, the OECD recorded around 5.6 million tertiary international students worldwide. This is twice the number the OECD recorded in 2005. According to the OECD, this increase in the number of international students is due to the following:
- Personal aspirations and ambitions
- Better career prospects
- The lack of access to high-quality education at home
- Government policies to attract international students
- Higher education institutions’ capacity to attract talents worldwide
- Better access to international education due to technology, and emerging economies
Benefits of Pursuing a Postgraduate Degree Abroad
If you are considering going abroad for your postgraduate studies, here are the benefits you can get from it:
You Build Your Confidence
The thought of living alone in a new country with a different culture might feel scary at first. However, once international students get past this initial feeling, they usually learn that living abroad can be fun, and eventually realize it is one of the best things that can happen in their lives.
Experiencing another culture, discovering the world, and living independently abroad increases one’s confidence in facing everyday hurdles, and postgraduate students can do this in any country they choose.
Better Career Prospects
Studying abroad can help internationalize one’s CV, which is useful in helping one stand out in the job market, be it in home country or another part of the world. This is because of the skills and exposure one gets from studying abroad, such as soft skills important to many companies worldwide.
For those who are already working, getting a postgraduate abroad is also a good way to shift to another career or increase their chances of getting a promotion at work.
Different Teaching Methods and Different Perspectives
When you study abroad, you also get to learn different teaching methods that you may not experience in your home country. You may also be introduced to other perspectives, or other ways of understanding different situations.
Experiencing other types of teaching methods can be likened to experiencing another type of management in different office settings. Meanwhile, being able to understand different perspectives is a good way to develop your own people’s skills, which are important in many leadership positions.
In addition, you learn how to better understand and communicate with the different people and personalities you usually have to interact with in the workplace.
You Enhance Your Personal Development
When you study abroad, you also enhance your own personal development by experiencing another culture, meeting new people, and living in another country. All of those experiences can help an individual see the world in a different point of view, and learn more about themselves. Remember, one can only develop further when they get out of their comfort zone to experience life’s challenges.
Students pursuing their postgraduate degrees abroad also have the opportunity to develop valuable relationships, which can eventually turn into useful professional networks.
Start your postgraduate journey abroad by checking out international study programs on MSM Unify now.
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