ubc masters in neuroscience

As someone who was recently accepted into a Master’s of Science in the Neuroscience program at UBC, I am often asked what I might be doing if I weren’t studying neuroscience? The funny thing is, the answer to that question isn’t as easy as you’d think. Are you looking for the Ubc Masters In Neuroscience guide? Read through for ubc neuroscience requirements. You will also find masters in neuroscience requirements in the post.

The objectives of the Program are to educate graduate students as neuroscientists with intensive experience in at least one area of research, and to ensure that students in the Program develop a broadly based knowledge of the neurosciences. The Program aims for flexibility so that the individual needs and background of each student can, as quickly as possible, be accommodated. The core program of courses offered to entering students consists of Neuroanatomy, Neurophysiology, Neurochemistry, Psychobiology, Molecular Neurobiology, and Neuropharmacology. Additional related courses are available for selection by the student and his/her Supervisory Committee. The Program is research oriented: students are expected to engage in research from the start of their studies. Research is undertaken in individual departments, over a wide range of basic and clinical Neuroscience topics.

If you want to apply to the Masters in Neuroscience program at the University of British Columbia, there are a few things to know. Here is our guide to getting accepted into the MSN program.

ubc neuroscience requirements

ubc masters in neuroscience

SEPTEMBER 2023 INTAKE
APPLICATION OPEN DATE
15 July 2022
CANADIAN APPLICANT DEADLINE
01 December 2022
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT DEADLINE
01 December 2022

WHAT MAKES THE PROGRAM UNIQUE?

The Graduate Program in Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary program of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. It is administered by the Chairman of the Neuroscience Advisory Committee, and comprises some 60 faculty members representing 13 departments from the Faculties of Medicine, Science and Arts at the University of British Columbia. Laboratory and teaching areas are located across the UBC campus and at the University Hospital and the Vancouver Hospital, according to the teaching and research affiliations of the Neuroscience faculty members.

During my undergraduate degree, I discovered my interests in imaging and mental health. The research I was doing at the time focused mainly on image analysis, but I wanted to use the skills I had developed in a more translational way. I found my supervisor at UBC due to his work on MRI in mental health (bipolar disorder), and so I thought that this would be a great place to bring my two interests together!

QUICK FACTS
FacultyFaculty of Medicine
Mode Of DeliveryIn person at UBC Vancouver
Program Components
Coursework + Thesis required
Academic UnitNeuroscience Program
SpecializationNeuroscience
Tuition (First Year)Domestic: $5,197.59 | International: $9,131.31


ADMISSION INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS

1) CHECK ELIGIBILITY

MINIMUM ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEST

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE – INTERNET-BASED

Overall score requirement: 100

Reading

22

Writing

21

Speaking

21

Listening

22

IELTS: INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEM

Overall score requirement: 7.0

Reading

6.5

Writing

6.5

Speaking

6.5

Listening

6.5

OTHER TEST SCORES

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

2) MEET DEADLINES

SEPTEMBER 2023 INTAKE

APPLICATION OPEN DATE

15 July 2022

CANADIAN APPLICANTS

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 01 December 2022TRANSCRIPT DEADLINE: 15 December 2022REFEREE DEADLINE: 15 December 2022

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 01 December 2022TRANSCRIPT DEADLINE: 15 December 2022REFEREE DEADLINE: 15 December 2022

DEADLINE EXPLANATIONS

Application Deadline

Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.Transcript Deadline

Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.Referee Deadline

Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.

3) PREPARE APPLICATION

TRANSCRIPTS

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

LETTERS OF REFERENCE

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

STATEMENT OF INTEREST

Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a “statement of intent”, “description of research interests” or something similar.

SUPERVISION

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING SUPERVISOR CONTACT FOR MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NEUROSCIENCE (MSC)

Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.

CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) APPLY ONLINE

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

RESEARCH INFORMATION

RESEARCH FACILITIES

With more than 155,000 square feet of space, the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health has both laboratory and clinical research areas within the Centre proper and in the UBC Hospital Koerner Pavilion. Our core facilities are essential to ongoing collaboration, teaching, and research.

TUITION & FINANCIAL SUPPORT

TUITION

FEESCANADIAN CITIZEN / PERMANENT RESIDENT / REFUGEE / DIPLOMATINTERNATIONAL
Application Fee$108.00$168.25
TUITION *
Installments per year33
Tuition per installment$1,732.53$3,043.77
Tuition per year
(plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)
$5,197.59$9,131.31
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) $3,200.00 (-)
OTHER FEES AND COSTS
Student Fees (yearly)$1,052.34 (approx.)
Costs of living (yearly)starting at $17,126.20 (check cost calculator)

* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS (MERIT-BASED FUNDING)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants’ Union.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their direction. The duties usually constitute part of the student’s graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is a form of financial support for a period of graduate study and is, therefore, not covered by a collective agreement. Unlike other forms of fellowship support for graduate students, the amount of a GRA is neither fixed nor subject to a university-wide formula. The stipend amounts vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded. Some research projects also require targeted research assistance and thus hire graduate students on an hourly basis.

FINANCIAL AID (NEED-BASED FUNDING)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

FOREIGN GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIPS

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

WORKING WHILE STUDYING

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.

TAX CREDITS AND RRSP WITHDRAWALS

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

COST CALCULATOR

Applicants have access to the cost calculator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

CAREER OPTIONS

The 2-3 year MSc in Neuroscience is designed to prepare students for employment in the public or private sector, or to pursue further studies in the PhD program.  Recent graduates have taken positions at Weston Brain Institute, BC Cancer Center, Science World and many other organizations.  Those looking to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience have gone on to study at other universities as well as our own PhD program.

ENROLMENT, DURATION & OTHER STATS

These statistics show data for the Master of Science in Neuroscience (MSc). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

 20202019201820172016
Applications7858697457
Offers1617252115
New registrations1413191712
Total enrolment3939414039

COMPLETION RATES & TIMES

This program has a graduation rate of 90% based on 42 students admitted between 2011 – 2014. Based on 28 graduations between 2017 – 2020 the minimum time to completion is 0.66 years and the maximum time is 4.66 years with an average of 2.72 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.

DISCLAIMER

Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each year, May to April [data updated: 22 April 2021]. Enrolment data are based on March 1 snapshots. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs [data updated: 19 October 2021].

RESEARCH SUPERVISORS

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

  • Accili, Eric (molecular mechanisms responsible for cellular pacemaking behavior )
  • Allan, Douglas (Nervous system)
  • Auld, Vanessa (Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Zoology; Cell; Cell Biology; Development; Developmental Genetics; epithelia; Genetics; glia; in vivo imaging; Molecular Genetics; nervous system; Neurogenesis and Gliogenesis; permeability barriers)
  • Austin, Jehannine (Genetics, genomics, genetic counseling, psychiatric illness, mental illness, mental health, psychiatry, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, postpartum depression, perinatal mental health, Mood & Anxiety Disorders, Schizophrenia)
  • Bamji, Shernaz (Medical and biomedical engineering; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; neurodevelopmental disease; primary neuronal cultures; synapse biology; transgenic mouse models)
  • Barr, Alasdair (Mental health and addictions, with a particular emphasis on psychosis and the medications used in its treatment, Anesthesiology )
  • Barton, Jason (face perception, object recognition, eye movements, higher visual function, Human vision and eye movement)
  • Beasley, Clare Louise (identify changes in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder that may elucidate the etiology of these disorders and provide clues to novel treatments; white matter pathology and inflammation; effects of antipsychotic medications on the brain)
  • Bhagavatula, Sastry (Age-related research, Anesthesiology, plasticity of synaptic transmission, mammalian central nervous system)
  • Boyd, Lara (Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Physical therapy; Rehabilitation medicine; Learning; Learning and Memory; Motor System; Motor learning; Neurophysiology; Physiology; Plasticity / Neuronal Regeneration; stroke)
  • Brotto, Lori (Human reproduction and development sciences; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; mindfulness; Sexual Dysfunctions; sexual desire; sexual dysfunction)
  • Cairns, Brian (Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); electrophysiology; headache; Neuropharmacology; Oro-Facial Pain; pain; pain mechanisms; peripheral analgesics; sex-related differences; temporomandibular disorders)
  • Cashman, Neil (prion disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, protein misfolding diseases, Alzheimer’s)
  • Cembrowski, Mark Steven (Molecular neuroscience; Mathematical modelling and simulation; Mechanisms of memory in the brain; Anxiety; Big Data; Bioinformatics; Cell types; Computation; CRISPR-Cas9; Fear; Genetics; modeling; Neural circuits; neuroscience; Neuroscience of memory; PTSD; RNAseq)
  • Chakrabarty, Trisha (Cognitive dsyfunction; Virtual reality cognitive retraining; Bipolarity; Psychotherapy approaches for mood disorders)
  • Christoff, Kalina (brain, cognitive neuroscience, psychology, prefronal cortex, fMRI, neuroimaging, neuropsychology, executive functions, problem solving, reasoning, thinking, mind-wandering, attention, consciousness, real-time fMRI, trauma and PTSD, Cognitive and neural basis of human thought, reasoning and problem solving)
  • Ciernia, Annie (Biochemistry; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Autism; Brain development; Epigenetics; Gene-Environment Interactions; Neurodevelopmental disorders)
  • Clark, Luke (Gambling, Problem Gambling, Addiction, Decision-Making, Reward, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms involved in gambling behaviour and disordered gambling)
  • Craig, Ann Marie (Excitatory and inhibitory synapses, Synapse development and plasticity, Synapse organizing proteins, Neurotransmitter receptors, Autism and schizophrenia)
  • Cynader, Max (eye diseases; glaucoma; dyslexia; stroke; neurotrauma; memory; vision; learning disabilities; hearing development; recovery after brain damage; ischemia; gene therapy, Alzheimer’s)
  • Diamond, Adele (executive functions; prefrontal cortex; dopamine; working memory; self-control; self-regulation; cognition; COMT gene; Sex differences; stress; ACEs (adverse childhood experiences); ELS (early life stress); resilience; social determinants of health; ADHD; depression; PTSD; Physical Activity; the arts; mindfulness)
  • Doudet, Doris (Brain imaging, mood disorders, stimulation therapies, Parkinson’s disease)
  • Eich, Eric (Mood congruence and mood dependence in learning and remembering, memory impairments associated with bipolar affective illness, the cognitive correlates of dissociative identity disorder, and subjective, behavioral, and neural differences between field (first-person perspective) and observer (third-person perspective) memories)
  • Eng, Janice (Neurorehabilitation, spinal cord, brain)
  • Enns, James (Behavioural neuroscience of reward and motivation; attention; action kinematics; social perception; perceptual development)

RESEARCH SUPERVISORS

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

  • Fedida, David (How the heart generates, maintains and regulates electrical activity, Anesthesiology)
  • Floresco, Stanley Bogdan (Neural circuits subserving learning and executive functions, behavioural and electrophysiological analyses of limbic-cortical-striatal interactions involved in decision making and behavioural flexibility, animal models of schizophrenia and drug addiction)
  • Frangou, Sophia (the study of the human brain in health and disease)
  • Galea, Liisa Ann Margaret (Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Psychology and cognitive sciences; Aging Process; Alzheimer’s disease; cognition; depression; Drugs and Pregnancy / Breast Feeding; estrogens; hippocampus; Hormones and Growth Factors; Learning and Memory; Neurogenesis and Gliogenesis; neuroplasticity; Postpartum Depression; Sex differences; women’s health)
  • Giaschi, Deborah (Other health sciences; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; amblyopia; reading)
  • Goldowitz, Daniel (Genetic basis of brain disease, neurobiology of autism, Huntingtong’s gene, mouse/mice epigenetics, gene regulatory network)
  • Gordon, Michael (Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Zoology; Chemosensation; Drosophila; Feeding; Gustation; Neural circuits; Neuronal Systems; neuroscience; Sensory systems; Taste)
  • Graf, Peter (Memory (including episodic and semantic memory, and working memory); Human memory; Prospective memory; Affect and cognition)
  • Gregory-Evans, Kevin (retina, stem cells, gene therapy, retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, age-related macular degeneration, Stargardt’s disease, Best’s disease, x-linked retinoschisis, electroretinography., Eye, novel molcular approaches in the treatment of retinal disease, cell-based therapeutics ofr age-related macular degenration and retinitis pigmentosa, molecular defects underlying retinal disease)
  • Gregory-Evans, Cheryl (Tissue fusion during development, Aniridia, retinal therapeutics)
  • Grunau, Ruth V (Biobehavioural regulation, brain and neurodevelopment in premature infants and children, Long-term effects of neonatal pain on stress regulation, brain, behavior, neurodevelopment, Infant pain and stress, Parenting stress, parent-infant interaction)
  • Haas, Kurt (Medical and biomedical engineering; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Autism; Brain Circuit Development; Dendritogenesis; Epilepsy; Genetics of Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Neurological diseases; Neuronal Communication and Neurotransmission; Neuronal Computation; Neuronal Modeling; Neuronal Systems; Neuronal and Synaptic Activity; Plasticity / Neuronal Regeneration; Synaptic Plasticity)
  • Hayden, Michael (Genetic medicine; Health counselling; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Diabetes; Disease progression; Drug development; Gene Therapy; Genetic Diseases; Huntington disease; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurodegenerative disorders)
  • Herdman, Anthony (Auditory System; Visual System; Audiovisual, Visual, Audio and Written Communications; Electrophysiology; Language and Cognitive Processes; Neuroimaging Methods (EEG/MEG); Central auditory processing; Auditory and visual perecptions related to reading acquisition (1st and 2nd languages); Brain computer interface)
  • Holt, Robert (Immunogenetics, Metagenomics – Infectious agents in Cancer, Cancer Genomes, Neurobiology, DNA Sequencing)
  • Honer, William (Brain disorders, risk factors for disease )
  • Hsiung, Ging-Yuek Robin (Dementia, Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology, Neurodegeneration, Alzheimer Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, Music Therapy in Dementia, Genetics of Dementia, Dementia Clinical Trials )
  • Illes, Judy (Ethics and Health; Ethics, Law and Responsibilities; Neurological Diseases; Biomedical Ethics; Aging and dementia; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Brain Injury; Stem Cells; Neurotechnology; Neuroethics)
  • Inglis, J Timothy (Exercise science, neurophysiology, biomechanics, stance and balance control, human microneurography, physical therapy and rehabilitation, vestibular system)
  • Kastrukoff, Lorne (MS; human immunology and multiple sclerosis particularly T-cell responses and most recently NK or natural killer cell responses)
  • Kingstone, Alan (Human cognition and social attention in complex settings behavioral, neuropsychological, and functional neuroimaging research)
  • Kolind, Shannon (Medical physics; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; brain; Imaging; MRI; medical physics; multiple sclerosis; myelin; Neurological Disease; spinal cord)
  • Krassioukov, Andrei (autonomic dysfunctions following spinal cord injury (SCI))
  • Krausz, Reinhard (addiction, complex concurrent disorders, E -Mental Health, Internet based healthcare, vulnerable urban populaton, Psychosis, opiate addiction, e-mental health, internet based healthcare, vulnerbale urban population, trauma, homelessness and mental health)
  • Kumar, Ujendra (Somatostatin hormone, molecular pharmacology, Somatostatin, , Hormones, somatostatin, locomotor and cognitive function, neurodegenerative diseases, drugs)

SAMPLE THESIS SUBMISSIONS

SAME SPECIALIZATION

FURTHER INFORMATION

SPECIALIZATION

Neuroscience

Neuroscience offers these core courses: Neuroanatomy, Neurophysiology, Neurochemistry, Psychobiology, Molecular Neurobiology, and Neuropharmacology.

UBC CALENDAR

http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12%2C204%2C828%2C1403

PROGRAM WEBSITE

FACULTY OVERVIEW

Faculty of Medicine

ACADEMIC UNIT

Neuroscience Program

PROGRAM IDENTIFIER

VGMMSC-SG

CLASSIFICATION

Computational neurosciencesNeurosciences, biological and chemical aspectsNeurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspectsNeurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects

masters in neuroscience requirements

Best Countries To Study Abroad

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Studying abroad is a great way to develop additional social, academic and language skills, whilst adding an unparalleled depth to your university experience. Study overseas can enhance your university years, and will also ultimately give you a competitive advantage when it comes to finding employment, as recruiters seek out those who have proactively pursued different ways to broaden their experience. If you are considering completing all or some of your university studies overseas, check out this summary of the best countries to study abroad.

France

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Romantic Paris consistently tops lists of the best cities for students. Although the vibrant night life, thriving cultural scene, and the prospect of long walks along the left bank of the Seine are surely partly the reason, the almost non-existent tuition fees also help. Whilst much undergraduate teaching is carried out in French, graduate education is often available in English. Or take the opportunity to brush up your French and attend a course given in the ‘language of love’.

United States

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The choice of Universities in the US is quite mind-boggling. From internationally renowned ivy league institutions to hubs of innovation and cutting edge thought, whatever you study here you will have opportunities to add to your life experience. Over 750000 international students attend university in the US every year, and despite the high costs of fees, students love living in both Boston and San Fransisco enough for both cities to rank among top student cities. But if you sign up to study and decide that you would like a change of scenery, switching between universities in the US is not unusual.

Germany

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As one of the economic powerhouses of Europe, Germany has more going for it than just Oktoberfest. It is also one of the best known European destinations for free (or almost free) university tuition fees, which might explain why outside of anglophone nations (the UK, US and Australia) it is the country with the highest number of international students. Head to Munich to attend an internationally rated university without breaking the bank, or Berlin to join the thriving tech hub and immerse yourself in the German take on hipster culture.

Canada

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Toronto ranked recently as the most desirable city for students, among an impressive three Canadian cities in total to make the top 15. With cities this attractive it is no wonder that 6.5% of students in post secondary education in Canada come from abroad. With a vibrant culture, stunning natural environment and massive regional variations, Canada offers lots to explore for visiting students, in addition to several internationally ranked universities.

Taiwan

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Taipei was recently ranked as the most affordable city for students around the globe. Tuition fees are low, and the high quality of education can make this a great choice. Learn more about the local history and politics, as well as experiencing life in a new culture, where old and new come together in a vibrant symphony.

Argentina

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Argentinian students enjoy free university tuition, and although international students must pay a nominal enrolment fee, the costs are still low outside of the private institutions. The University of Belgrano gets a special mention, as a modern and well equipped facility just outside of downtown Buenos Aires, with great global connections. Take the time in Argentina to perfect your Spanish and maybe even learn to tango.

Australia

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Australia is one of the world’s most popular places for international students – and with sandy beaches, year round sunshine and a relaxed outdoors lifestyle, it is no surprise. Australian universities welcome international students and are well prepared to support newcomers. Considering its relatively small population, Australia has an unusually high number of institutions making the top hundred for university academic rankings, making it the perfect destination for sun, sand and academic success.

South Korea

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Who didn’t love Gangnam style? Get to the heart of K-Pop by studying in Seoul. And if you’re not a catchy-pop-tune kind of person, then you will be delighted to hear that the capital – as well as being a seriously fast paced fun place – is home to 14 internationally rated universities. Get outside your comfort zone and learn about an amazing culture whilst improving both your academic record and your CV.

United Kingdom

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The UK has a wide variety of high quality universities, and although fees vary across institutions and can be fairly high, it is worth seeking out scholarship opportunities. Students often work to support their studies, and flexible opportunities to fit around university schedules are not unusual. With a melting pot of cultures, a mix of location from cutting edge urban to sleepy rural idyll, students in the UK never need to be bored.

Denmark

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If you are from the EU/EEA or Switzerland then you may be eligible for free university tuition in Denmark. And if you are intending to pursue a PhD, there are even opportunities to study whilst earning a salary as this higher level study comes fully funded. The costs of living are undeniably high, but Denmark provides a fascinating base to explore Europe and experience nordic culture at its best.

Wherever you go, studying overseas is about more than the academic qualifications you may gain.  Showing the curiosity, organisational skills and ambition to arrange a period of study overseas is a great selling point. Whether you are heading off for your entire university program, for a semester or two, or even to study during the summer holidays, you are gathering armfuls of skills and experiences that will stand you head and shoulders above competitors when it comes to looking for graduate jobs. Take the opportunity to combine study and travel, and immerse yourself in a new culture to broaden your horizons. You won’t regret it.

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