C. Earn a Degree While Abroad Top Back

While more challenging than studying towards in degree in North America, this option is becoming increasingly more popular and offers a more affordable and experience heavy alternative to studying closer to home. The key challenges in doing so is ensuring that the degree sought is fully recognized where the student eventually intends to seek employment and finding a institute of higher learning that offers classes in a language that the student is able to studying in and understand.

Which countries' have schools that offer programs taught in English or that are ideal for native English speakers?
Which countries and regions are recommended for studying towards a degree in Asian studies or a related field?
What do I need to know and consider about accreditation?
What should I take into consideration in choosing a program?
I want to a view an organized list of available programs and institutions.

Which countries' have schools that offer programs taught in English or that are ideal for native English speakers? Up

While it may be worthwhile considering studying in other nations and regions, depending on a students interests, there are a number of recommended options for those who have not yet acquired the necessary language skills to study in the official language of the host nation.

For example, In Thailand, many different universities, some of which are very well known, offer special department programs taught entirely in English. These are popular with both foreign students and local Thai student who want to improve their skill in English. While smaller programs commonly offer mainly degrees in business administration, large more established programs often carry a full range of degrees from psychology to south-east Asian studies. Due to the reduced value of the local currency, studying towards a degree in Thailand can be exceptionally cost effective. (View a list of programs in Thailand).

Being a country where English is one of the primary languages used in daily life, most universities in the Philippines offer classes in English. This provides a unique study environment. While speaking English is certainly enough to get by day to day, the Philippines is a nation significantly influenced by surrounding Asian nations and many locals speak Mandarin Chinese and other key regional languages. While most universities attract mainly Filipino students, the University of the East for example, specifically seeks to enrol students from other nations. (View a list of programs in the Philippines).

Several Chinese universities have been authorized by the Ministry of Education to accept foreign students to study in the programs. These universities usually offer short to long-term Chinese language programs to prepare students to study in regular classes with Chinese students. Generally, students who do not meet the Chinese language requirement (usually an entrance examination or HSK level 3-6 depending on the desired program) can apply to spend a year in intensive Chinese language study. Some institutions offer special degree programs in Chinese language studies that are aimed at foreign students interested in completing a Bachelors degree in Chinese. A few of these programs require no prerequisite experience in Chinese. (View a list of available programs at Chinese institutions).

Hong Kong offers a notable sideline to mainland China's sparse offerings of degrees accessable to foreign English speaking students. Although Hong Kong has relatively few post secondary institutions, about 50% of them teach all classes in English. Education is, however, an expensive commodity in Hong Kong and students can expect to spend above $10,000 USD per year in tuition, transportation and living expenses. (View a list of recommended programs in Hong Kong). Those considering the Hong Kong region as a choice may also wish to look at institutions within Singapore. The limited selection of post-secondary institutions located in this wealthy island state offer English language education as a rule and a student's expected annual living and tuition expenses are a little lower than they would be in Hong Kong. (View a list of programs in Singapore). However, entrance to institutions in Hong Kong and Singapore is highly competitive and only the most qualified students are guaranteed admittance.

There are few unique programs in Japan specializing in offering Japanese study programs to non-native speakers of Japanese. Most of these programs offer four year degrees and classes initially are taught in English. As students progress into their second and third year, more and more of their classes are taught in Japanese and eventually by their final year of study all classroom material and teaching is in Japanese. Other institutions offer four year degrees taught entirely in English, with the exception of the language classes themselves. (View a list of recommended programs in Japan).

Which countries and regions are recommended for studying towards a degree in Asian studies or a related field? Up

If interested strictly in a degree in Asian studies (or a specifical regional degree such as East Asian studies), the two most recommended nations to study within are Thailand and the Philippines. Both of these countries have a greater diversity of programs taught in either English or Thai about Asia as a whole than any of their neighbors. As well, it is less complicated to acquire visas and gain acceptance in university programs in these nations than in other nearby countries.

For students wishing in focus on a specific country such as Japan or Korea, it is no doubt the most logical choice to attempt to study within their target nation. However, each country has it's own advantages and disadvantages that must be taken into consideration. For example, the high cost of living in Japan and the accompanying above average expense of tuition fees makes learn term study in this nation completely unfeasible for some.

Those wishing to learning about a country that is a growing key player in international affairs are highly recommended to consider studying towards a degree at a Chinese university. Students interested in studying in China have the advantage of a great deal of school and program choice. As well, entry requirements are usually relaxed by most universities for foreign applicants. However, this does not take away the fact that university entrance in China is a highly competitive affair, partly due to the nation's massive population. Typically, the difficulty in gaining entrance into a Chinese university can be eased by first enrolling in any short to longterm Chinese language program offered by the school.

Several nations, by way of the difficulty that may be found in attempting to study within their borders are for this reason recommendable to students interested in setting themselves apart from others studying Asian cultures and languages. For example, currently the large majority of foreign students studying at Vietnamese universities open to non-native students are in fact Chinese. Any student from a western nation who successfully gained permission to study in Vietnam and after acquiring the necessary language skills was able to complete a full degree would no doubt be in high demand by the many foreign countries interested in investing within the relatively reclusive nation.

What do I need to know and consider about accreditation? Up

To answer this question, one must ask themselves first what their own personal academic goals are. For example, a student who upon graduation from university wishes to work for a local firm in China has no need to expect the Chinese university of their choice to be accredited beyond basic Chinese standards. However, a student who chooses to study within China and then immigrate or return to the United States to seek employment should at a minimum be applying to "big name" Chinese universities that employers in the US will have heard of. While a degree from a small state college based in the US may satisfy most employers at US firms, even if they have not actually heard of school itself, earning a degree at a small university hidden in some seemingly unpronounceable and forgotten Chinese province may prompt some employers in the US to begin questioning the legitimacy of the job applicants educational history.

For those whose primary concern is language study, standard accreditation within the host country should be sufficient for most students. In most cases, it is difficult to expect more than this. Noteably, however, a few rare universities in Thailand and other countries offer jointly-accredited degrees, in which both the host institution and usually a university or college located in a western nation issue graduates a diploma.

It is certainly should never a problem to ask potential universities to provided more detail on the exact conditions of their accreditation. Most institutions will have this information freely available from their websites.

What should I take into consideration in choosing a program? Up

As in the case of the question about accreditation, this question can be best answered by asking oneself what they want to gain from their time in school. Education in the modern world has become and increasingly expensive affair and one does not want to make the mistake of spend time, money and effort earning qualifications that will not benefit their future. Although study for the sake of learning is admireable, there are no doubt some university options that are more practical and beneficial than others.

The first issue on hand is whether a student wishes to prioritise the study of language or a regional knowledge on topics such as religion, politics, physical geography, society and other areas of study. There is no question as to whether or not language skills will assist in the study of any of these topics, however, when time and cost of study is factored in, students will need select priorities as some point in their studies.

A student interested in many different Asian nations should be hesitant about enrolling for study at a school in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan. Institutions in these nation tend to focus mainly on offering degrees and classes strictly about the the host universities own country. So while a student studying at a Korean university may acquire a great deal of knowledge about the Korean language and history, their understanding of Korea's neighbors may be lacking.

Instead, if a student wishes to gain a regional understand of south-east Asia as a whole, a recommended course of study may be to either attend a North American based university with several study abroad options within the south-east Asian region or to enrol in a Thai based institution that allows for a combined intensive study of the Thai language with English taught classes about a range of south-east Asian topics and focuses.

If a student wishes to focus on a specific nation should make all effort to study within the country, as there is no replacement for personal experience, even if it may limit the students ability to gain a balanced perspective of Asia as a continent.