David Heller, International Officer for Team Durham and North America, explains why the UK is such a great place to study.
Why take an international degree?
Studying in the UK is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in a new learning environment and culture that is welcoming and academically challenging. An international degree can help to set you apart from other candidates when applying for jobs. It shows potential employers that you are not afraid of a challenge, like moving to a new country and successfully completing a degree of higher education while working with students from all over the world.
Build your network
Many UK universities will have an extensive, highly international alumni base that can help build your network. These experiences can better prepare students who come to the UK to study for working with others of different backgrounds and cultures for a truly collaborative and successful work environment.
Try something new
Advantages can be found in learning through a different academic model, as well. The UK model for assessments is very different from other countries in relation to grading and module organisation. Whether it be learning the differences between formative and summative assignments or adjusting to a new grading scale with first marks and 2.1s, it helps expand the learning experience and challenges international students to adapt and become better students and more organised, all things that will arise when on the job.
Affordability
Many of the degrees are shorter in length than their counterparts in other countries. Undergraduate degrees are typically only 3 years in length, as most universities do not require general education courses and you go directly into major studies. Similarly, graduate programs are typically one year in length and come at a fraction of the cost as they may be in your home country. These shortened timeframes allow the courses to be very content heavy and allow for a comprehensive programme of lectures, seminars, and other learning experiences.
Easy access to international travel
Another great benefit of studying in the UK is the easy access to international travel that is not available in other countries. Many cities in the UK are close to International Airports opening up access to other countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Being able to use weekends and term breaks to see the world can be truly life changing.
Studying in the UK allows the best of all scenarios. You get to be challenged daily in world-class educational institutions while being able to make friends and connections from all over the world while seeing things in real life that you may have only seen in books and movies. As an American graduate of an institution in the UK, I would highly recommend to anyone looking to challenge themselves and change the trajectory of what they think is possible for them.
Find out more
- David Heller is an International Officer for North America at Durham
- If you’re an international student, learn more about studying in the UK
- Durham University is a top 100 world university. In the QS World University Rankings 2024, we were ranked 78th globally.
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