Postgraduate Study Abroad Is The New Gap Year

Figures from new research suggest that postgraduate study abroad is the new gap year, with British students increasingly enrolling on a course at a foreign university following the end of their undergraduate study. In a response to the increasing pressures on the job market in the UK, and the cost of postgraduate study at home, many British graduates are looking to Europe to continue their studies.

Indeed, the most recent data for this phenomenon provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) suggests that at least 1,590 students travelled out of the UK to continue their studies in 2012 – an increase on the proportion from 2011. One of the key driving factors for this is thought to be the cost – some courses in the UK can cost as much as £41,000 (for instance, an MBA) but are offered free of charge to members of the European Union in countries such as Sweden and Norway; and are much cheaper (in the hundreds of pounds) in places like Paris for instance.

Another reason for the growing trend may also be that foreign universities are increasingly offering courses which are taught in English – making them far more accessible to British students. Indeed, the number of international institutions, most of which are in Europe, which offer English-language tuition has risen from 560 in 2002 to around 3,700 by 2011. In Finland, there are 246 Masters courses available in English, compared to around a fifth of that number (42) five years ago in 2007.

Postgraduate Study Abroad Is The New Gap Year_Map Finland, France, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands are popular destinations for postgraduate study.

The Chief Executive of Graduate Prospects, Mike Hill, felt the move towards studying abroad could be helpful for British students, as graduate employers are increasingly looking for international experience from applicants – it can be seen as a crucial element which may set a candidate apart in an increasingly global world. Graduate Prospects is the UK graduate careers service. Mr Hill stated that the number of university graduates taking this route should not be blown ‘out of proportion’, but called it a ‘significant minority’ who would give themselves an ‘advantage in the recruitment market afterwards.’

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