Prospects Postgrad 1

ADVICE AND GUIDANCE Postgrad 19 MONEY MATTERS On the money side, same time, seek clarification on any additional charges they have, for example in the US some prospective students have to pay £50 alone for making an application. Meanwhile, careers advisers may be able to offer the course. This leaves the next 12 months for your university and funding application(s), for which you will need to co-ordinate references, transcripts and test results, amongst other things. apart from the small group of selffunders, most students will be looking for some kind of assistance. ‘It’s absolutely crucial if you want to spend an extended period overseas,’ explains Jean Cater, a Grants Manager for The Leverhulme Trust. ‘Fees, study costs and the cost of living combined make it very hard to self-fund. Fees seem to vary tremendously. In some European countries they are very low, but other countries levy very high fees, like in Australia or Canada. Sometimes students have to pay an affiliation fee for access to facilities within the host institution.’ Jean says that funding, whatever form it comes in, allows students to focus on their studies without added financial pressure, though this doesn’t mean you won’t have to budget during your time abroad. The Trust itself provides research project funding, fellowships, studentships and prizes across all academic disciplines. UK students who are successful in their application for funding can currently expect to receive £15,000 for maintenance, alongside payment of return airfare, baggage allowance, overseas tuition fees and other discretionary items. A total of 20 awards are offered per year, with competition for places extremely intense. The Trust is one of many organisations offering funding to study abroad, and again there is no one place to find all of the scholarships that are available. If you have settled on one or a few institutions, contact them directly to find out what is You should also start to consider visa some suggestions about funding available applications and travel and from UK-based organisations, or accommodation arrangements, again overseas funders with UK representation (such as the Fulbright Commission). GAINING ENTRY There may also be paying particular attention to timeframes and deadlines imposed by the country you are looking to study in. All this hard work, you’ll be pleased to know, does pay off in the end. Jean says that former students who have received funding from the Trust have been overwhelmingly positive about their experiences overseas. ‘Studying in a different country and environment with different academic traditions and styles is stimulating and allows students to gain knowledge not otherwise available within the UK. Personally, they also gain, improving language skills; becoming more independent; seeing a new country additional fees for tests, which is in itself another vital consideration of studying overseas. First and upper second degrees gained in the UK are usually acceptable entry qualifications, though some institutions may consider the length of your undergraduate programme, as they can be shorter than their international counterparts. Some universities will require you to take additional entry exams, or prove proficiency in the home language. And while it is common to find postgraduate study delivered in English, you have to lecture theatre and how you are going to converse in everyday situations with the local population. Again, you should enquire with your chosen institutions about language courses available, any additional costs and the duration. PLANNING AHEAD It’s vital that you take consider your environment outside of the and making new friends.’ STUDYING ABROAD: POINTS TO REMEMBER Be clear about all your intentions for studying overseas. Research your chosen institution, course and entry requirements. Explore the university’s facilities and consider whether you can visit before enrolling on the course. Establish whether there is a good relationship between staff and students. enough time to prepare for studying abroad and, crucially, the application process. As you might expect, this is not something that will happen overnight and it is recommended that your available for the coming academic year(s) research should begin at least 18 months Research your final qualification and whether or not it is transferable in advance, with final choices being and be sure to ask what has been available to former UK students. At the made a year before your plan to start in the global and UK job market.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Prospects Postgrad 1

Prospects Postgrad Autumn 2008 Contents: What’s Inside For Love and Money Cash for Qualifications A Tale of Two Students Meet the Postgrad People All Aboard The Postgraduate Environment Maths Market The Postgrad Programme Teacher Training Arts and Humanities Science and Engineering Business and Management Social Sciences

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.