In the modern world, studying at a foreign university has long ceased to be a privilege of only the wealthy and influential. Now many students can fulfill their dream – to go to study in America, Great Britain or Europe. In recent years, more and more foreign graduates choose education in Europe. There are several reasons for this:
- learn the local language, understand the cultural code, enter the local community;
- to get a job not only where he was educated, but also anywhere in the world;
- learn from practitioners who already work in commercial or non-profit organizations (you can also do an internship there);
- study rare specialties;
- create a network of professional contacts from different countries, which will include not only classmates, but also teachers, administration, career center;
- get experience of life and communication with people of different nationalities, cultures, education.
Let us dwell in more detail on the universities of Europe. There are three stages of higher education:
- Bachelor's Degree. Students study for a bachelor's degree for 3-4 years, you can enroll immediately after school.
- Magistracy. Master's degree takes 1-2 years. For admission, it is necessary to have a diploma in a close field.
- Doctoral studies. A prerequisite for obtaining a doctoral degree is the availability of bachelor's and master's degrees.
To begin with, you need to decide on the country - some offer free education not only for locals, but also for visitors.
Germany
Quite a popular location in Europe in terms of admission. It is necessary to know the language, have a certain amount on the account sufficient to live in Germany, but most importantly - the applicant must study for 1-2 years at a higher educational institution at home or undergo a year of pre-university training in college to compensate for the difference in educational programs.
Students are required to pay a semester fee (student card and reduced travel card; use of library services, canteen), the amount of which depends on the institution. Studies are conducted in German, although there are a number of subjects in English, but there are few of them - only 3%. For admission, you will need a certificate of passing the exam (Goethe, TestDaF, DSH or TELC level B2) + you will need to pass an entrance test, which includes the German language and the subject in the specialty. For individual specialties, their own tests can be established.
In order for a student to obtain a student visa, a special account must be opened in a German bank with a certain amount of funds sufficient for 12 months. The account must be blocked, that is, only a certain amount of money can be withdrawn from it monthly. Students can officially earn extra money, but not more than 20 hours per week. It is possible to extend the visa for 18 months after graduation, subject to official employment and certain earnings.
The rating higher educational institutions of Germany are munich technical, Heidelberg, Munich named after Ludwig and Maximilian.
Austria
In the state institutions of Austria, applicants can enter immediately after graduation, while knowledge of German is not a mandatory criterion. If the applicant does not speak German, he will be trained according to a special program and at the same time master the language. There is still an option to enroll in the same specialty, having studied at home for 1-2 years, and after completing 3 courses at home, you can immediately enter the magistracy.
After graduation, graduates are given time to find jobs. A huge plus of Austrian educational institutions is the absence of exams, except for some areas - medicine, sports and creativity. Subjects are taught in German, although there are several programs in English as well.
The tuition itself does not require payment, but obtaining a student visa will require financial guarantees in the amount of about 6,000 euros per year. Just like in German universities, here you need to pay a semester fee Do not forget that life in Austria is quite expensive. Unlike German institutions, in Austria students can work only 10 hours a week. After graduation, graduates have 6 months to find a job, get a work visa and a residence permit. The best universities in Austria are Vienna, Graz Technical.
The Czech Republic
Universities in the Czech Republic are among the most attractive in Europe for students from the CIS. There are relatively small living expenses, which attracts many applicants, besides, you can quickly master the Czech language - to help foreign students at universities there are preparatory courses.
As in Austrian higher education institutions, it is possible to enter universities in the Czech Republic after the 11th grade, but subject to the recognition of a school certificate or diploma of another state. To do this, you must pass several exams in the main school subjects. You can enter the Czech Republic only by passing the entrance exams in the desired direction + you will need a certificate of knowledge of Czech. Training also takes place in the Czech language and it is free of charge. There are also programs in English, but they are already paid. Students can work 20-25 hours per week.
To get a student visa, you will need to open an account with a certain amount.
Among the best in the Czech Republic are Karlov, the Higher School of Chemical Engineering and the Czech Technical School.
Greece
Studying at the universities of Greece has a number of advantages: the absence of tuition fees for foreign students in state universities, there are no entrance exams (only the language proficiency exam is passed). Knowledge of Modern Greek is mandatory, which can be studied in courses for the first year of study. There are both paid and free courses.
A huge role in enrollment is played by a certificate with honors, because the selection is carried out on the basis of a certificate competition. On the basis of this, you can study for free. You can enter Greek universities after the 11th grade. Training is conducted in Modern Greek, there are also programs in English. The peculiarity of training is the optional attendance of lectures, only well-passed sessions play a role.
To obtain a student visa, it is necessary not only to open an account for a certain amount, but also to provide a rental contract and health insurance for the entire period of study. Students can earn up to 20 hours a week.
The most popular Greek universities are Athens Polytechnic, Athens National Kapodistrias.
Norway
Teaching is conducted in both Norwegian and English. Foreign students here are no more than 10%, most of whom are applicants. Those who wish from other countries have the opportunity to learn Norwegian, knowledge of which is mandatory, free of charge. There are no entrance exams, but the certificate plays an important role.
There are no tuition fees, there is only a small semester fee, but living in Norway is expensive, plus you need to open an account from 12,000 euros. Apprentices are allowed to work 20 hours a week and full-time during the holidays.
The best institutions in Norway are the University of Oslo, Bergen, Norwegian Natural and Technical Sciences.
Ranking of popular free universities in Europe
The Scuola Normale Superiore (Italy)
The expenses of foreign students for education and accommodation are fully covered. Bachelors can go in three main areas, including natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics) and humanities (art history, archaeology, modern literature, linguistics, philosophy) + political science.
The University of Göttingen (Germany)
Students study here for free, but students pay for accommodation on their own. There is an administrative fee, but it is a small amount. The areas in which applicants can receive education are law, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. By the way, this educational institution has one of the largest libraries in Germany!
University of Vienna (Austria)
The university is located in Vienna and has about 200 educational programs. There is teaching in English. Tuition is completely free, but you will have to pay a small semester fee.
Nord University (Norway)
It is funded by the state, so there is no tuition fee. True, applicants need to provide evidence that they have the means to live in Norway for a year, but this applies only to those who are not EU citizens. Teaching is conducted in English. Popular disciplines include circumpolar studies, 3D art, animation, games and entertainment technology, biology, and English.
