A guide to studying abroad

If you want to study abroad, there are many excellent opportunities in Europe, USA and Japan. There are many scholarships that these countries offer for students who cannot afford the full tuition.

Opportunities in the European Union

Master's candidates can apply to European universities through the EMJMD (Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree) study programme.

Subjects such as Art and Design, Humanities and Law, Engineering and Technology, Business Studies, Management Science and Economics are available under these programmes.

You have to submit the applications between October and January for courses beginning the following academic year.

During the study period, candidates must study in at least two of the programme countries under European Union.

If a partner-country institution is involved, part of the studies can also take place in the partner countries.

Best candidates are also offered European Union funded scholarships that usually cover travel, living expenses, course fees and insurance.

But scholarships vary depending on the country, course, and tuition fees.

Between 10 and 20 scholarships are available per year, but candidates can submit applications to only three consortia. 

The study programme lasts for 12 to 24 months.

To apply, an undergraduate degree or a recognised equivalent level of education is required.

Each programme has specific eligibility criteria. More information is available on their website.

Opportunities in the UK

Chevening Scholarships: These are the UK government's global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations.

The programme offers awards to outstanding scholars with leadership potential from around the world to study for a Master's degree in UK universities.

To be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship, you must be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country. 

You must return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after your scholarship has ended.

You need to have an undergraduate degree that will enable you to gain entry to a post-graduate programme at a UK university.

You need to have at least two years' work experience.

You also need to meet the Chevening English language requirement.  

Commonwealth Scholarships: Commonwealth Master's Scholarships are for candidates from the low and middle-income Commonwealth countries.

Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth Master's Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.

The application is closed now, but do keep an eye on their website for latest openings.

Opportunities in the US

To study in an American university, students need a good academic background, strong financial support and excellent English language skills.

At least 12 years of education in Bangladesh for a Bachelor's degree programme and 16 years of education in Bangladesh (the equivalent of the US Bachelor's degree) for a Master's degree programme are required for application.

Students can apply to as many universities as they want, but application is not free in all.

After selecting the universities, students should write to each one of them requesting application forms and more information.

This process should be done at least one year before enrolling. Students can apply for both spring and fall session.

Depending on the institutions' requirements, students should take TOEFL, IELTS or PTE. Additionally, SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT would be helpful.

There is no fixed requirement for academic result or financial support; it depends on the college or university.

Both undergraduate and graduate students can get financial aid.

Students will find more information and advice in the EducationUSA section on the US Embassy in Bangladesh's website.

Opportunities in Japan

Studying in Japan is comparatively more cost efficient than studying in America or Europe.

According to the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, depending on location, university and programme, the average monthly cost is Tk58,570.

But students can apply for the MEXT Scholarship (Japanese Government Scholarship foreign students) through the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh.

Both research and undergraduate students can apply for the scholarship.

Depending on the programme, duration of the scholarship for research students is two years or more, and four to six years or more for undergraduate students.

Applicant should be a Bangladeshi citizen and depending on the programme, age should be between 17 and 35 years.

For research students, a bachelor's degree or higher is required and for undergraduate students, a high school diploma or higher is required.

The selection process for research students includes examination in Japanese and English.  

Selected undergraduate students will receive acceptance notification in following January or in the month mentioned on the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh's website.

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University offers a five-year PhD programme in Science in Japan.

Enrolled participants are fully-funded with a research assistantship.

Applicants can apply through OIST's website.

Applicants also have to demonstrate their English language ability through TOEFL or IELTS test although no minimum score is required.