While there are some significant differences between pursuing graduate work in the U.S. as opposed to pursuing grad work abroad, at the end of the day, it’s still graduate school: you attend an institution of higher education sometime after you finish your undergraduate degree to get an advanced degree like a Master’s or a Doctorate. For this reason, the design-logic thought process we outline under the Determine module is largely the same: you work backwards from the work you want to do in the world to the tools that you need to do that work to figuring out how you get those tools.

Put another way...

The main goal of grad school abroad shouldn’t be the “abroad” part;

it should be the “grad school” part.

Grad School Abroad

Scenario 1:

"I want to be in France, so I'll go to grad school there."

Verdict:

Non, s'il vous plait.

(Rough translation: Not so much.)

Scenario 2:

"I want to pursue X work in the future. To do that work, I’ll need Y degree, and Z program in France offers a program/degree directly relevant to the work I want to do and will help me develop the skills I need."

Verdict:

Mais oui!

(Rough translation: Yup!)

Considerations

What should you consider specifically as you're thinking about graduate work abroad?

Language

Is the program taught in English and/or a language in which you have proficiency? (Many programs abroad are taught in English, but not all, so that’s definitely worth confirming.)

Pre-requisites

Are there different prerequisites for these programs? For example, in the US, frequently you earn a Master’s as part of a PhD program. In the UK, you need to have earned your Master’s before you begin a PhD. Note that in some countries/fields you start your professional training as an undergraduate (that is, you cannot simply get a JD or MD, but must first start with a bachelor's degree in law or medicine, for example).

Does it translate?

Recognition and network: There are some universities that are very well known, but not all. This doesn’t mean that you should only apply to the big-name schools. It does mean, though, that it’s worth exploring how well-known/recognized the program is in your particular discipline or industry and what sort of network it may have internationally. Bonus: many universities outside the US (for example, University of St Andrews in Scotland) have career offices or advisors whose focus is helping you articulate the value of an international degree when/if you return to the US.

Professional qualifications: If you are proposing to do a professional degree in a country different from the one in which you hope to practice, please first check whether or not that degree/qualification will be accepted in the country where you hope to practice. Pro-tip: check both the information provided by the program and the websites of the relevant professional association(s) in the country where you hope to practice.

American apples vs. Chinese 橙子 vs. French pommes

You can certainly apply for grad programs both in the US and abroad, though keep in mind that some things (like application timelines, degree structure, support, culture, etc.) may vary a lot. For example, many US grad programs request that you commit to a program by the spring before you would start. Programs in the UK start a bit later, and therefore may notify a lot later.

Some thoughts on persuasion.

There are a lot of good reasons to want to pursue graduate work abroad. Here’s the thing though: what may be a good reason for a certain audience (i.e. you, personally) may not be as persuasive a reason for another audience (i.e., graduate admissions committees). Consider these examples:

Hypothetical Example 1

"I am hoping to pursue graduate work abroad because [this specific] University offers [this particular] degree program that aligns with my academic interests and areas of focus [in these detailed ways]. This program would enable me to [do the specific type of work I want to do in the world], particularly because I would be able to work with [this researcher or professor], whose scholarship has contributed to my field of study [in these specific ways]…"

Persuasive? Potentially!

(Subtle? Not even remotely, but you get the idea…)

Hypothetical Example 2

"I am hoping to pursue graduate work abroad because I really want to live in France."

Persuasive to an admissions committee?

Not as much.

Be Specific

Now, admittedly, the first example is pretty extreme, but in practice, your reasons for pursuing graduate work abroad need to be specific:

Why that particular degree program?

Is there a professor or researcher associated with the program who is an expert or contributor to a field of study relevant to your academic interests?
Are certain courses offered in this program that aren’t offered elsewhere? Why would those courses be so impactful in your research or study?
Does the program offer particular opportunities (for example, internships or experiential learning placements) or access to resources (for example, specific archives or labs) that would significantly shape your work or outcomes? Where are their strongest networks and where do they place grads?

To answer these questions, you have to do your homework: ideally you should do this regardless of where you hope to attend grad school, but in order to make a persuasive case for your admission to a grad program abroad, you need to do the research to determine and articulate specifically why that is the right program for you (and you for it!).

And One Real-Life Example

Plenty of people want to do graduate work at Oxford because… well, it’s Oxford (and to some folks, that’s super fancy). That’s not a specific reason, though. The following is an excerpt (posted with permission) from a personal statement that gets specific:

"The MPhil in [Oxford degree program] will provide the archival access, methodological training, and supervision necessary to situate Indian soldiers’ experiences within a global and imperial historical context. Continuing my studies in Europe will give me proximity to the sources and to the battlefields where these soldiers fought. A British master’s degree will moreover be a step towards pursuing a PhD in history…"

(Also worth noting, this person referenced elsewhere in the essay the relevant research they had done with an expert in the field at Oxford while pursuing their study abroad, which would dovetail directly into the grad work they will now pursue. Spoiler alert: they got in, and got funding!)

Funding Graduate Work Abroad

Not all funding opportunities can travel (so to speak): some programs, like the NSF GRFP or the Soros Fellowship, require applicants to be pursuing graduate work in the U.S. Some other programs, including but not limited to the list below, specifically fund graduate study outside the U.S. To explore in more detail, check out our resource on Fellowships & Scholarships for Graduate Study and our Fellowships Browser, which has filters (like “Grad/Professional School Scholarship) you can use.

Please note these are just a few examples of many possible fellowships and scholarships that could fund grad work abroad!

Funding Graduate Study Abroad.docx

Well, now you’ve expanded your horizons (literally and figuratively) and hopefully have the tools to consider thoughtfully if a program abroad might work for you. The same tools we outline in the rest of the Grad School module still hold true. So, hey:

Allons-y! 我们走吧! Lass uns gehen! ਚਲਾਂ ਚਲਦੇ ਹਾਂ!

(Rough translation: let's go!)

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