1 » Accreditation
Only accredited and nationally recognised distance learning programmes lead to an academic degree and are accepted as such at your future employer. For this reason, it is very important to inform yourself carefully about the recognition of your distance learning programme. First of all, your desired study programme has to be accredited by a recognised accreditation agency. This agency investigates if the different subjects are combined and coordinated in a meaningful and sensible way that ensures academic standards as well as practical relevance of the study programme. The national recognition is usually done by the Ministry of Education or a similar authority. Note that there can be differences between countries. In Germany for example, the 18 states (Bundesländer) are independently responsible for the recognition of universities and their study programmes. Besides the accreditation and the national recognition there are other quality labels and certificates that can give an indication about the quality of the education.
2 » Programme of studies
When you know your field of studies the next step is to see which country is best to choose. For example, when you are interested in language studies, the best you can do, is to study it in the country, this particular language is spoken. This will be a great advantage for you, since you will learn to speak like a person, who lives there, and you have the chance to practice and improve yourself every day. If you are interested in majors like economics, biology, engineering, medicine etc., you should do a research on the best universities, which are specialized in these fields.
3 » Flexibility
One of the most important reasons for distance learning is the higher flexibility compared to a conventional on-campus programme. This is why distance learning enables you to combine your career with pursuing a degree more easily. However, there are various differences regarding the flexibility depending on which university and which distance learning programme you choose. When deciding for a distance learning programme you should therefore carefully inform yourself in order to make the best decision for you.Does the university have a fixed semester schedule or can you follow the programme more flexible? How often does the university have on-site attendance and are those fixed or flexible? Some distance learning universities offer several dates and locations for the compulsory on-site meetings, so that you can choose the ones that are most convenient for you. You should not underestimate that on-site meetings are often leading to high additional costs for travelling, accommodation and can take up a lot of your already scarce time. Ideally, the on-site meetings should match your work schedule and be close to your home to avoid long and expensive travel times.
4 » Official language(s)
Another point you may need to acknowledge is the language(s) spoken in the country of your choice. Ask yourself the following questions: 1. Do I speak ....(the official language)? If yes, is my level of knowledge high enough to study in a university? If not, do I need to take language courses before starting the semester abroad? Is it a must for the university I am applying at?
In some universities there are also programmes in English if you don’t speak the official language.
5 » Tuition fees
When choosing your distance learning programme, you should pay attention that you get good value for money. Distance learning programmes are usually a bit cheaper than study programmes on location. However, you should keep in mind that there might be extra costs such as for study material or travelling and accommodation costs for on-site meetings.
As studying besides your job can be quite demanding, you might want to consider reducing your working time from full-time to part-time. This gives you more time to focus on your studies but you have also to cope with a reduction of your income. In combination with high tuition fees, that can quickly lead to financial problems. Some distance learning institutions recognised this issue and offer suitable financing options. It is worth to take those into account when deciding for the right distance learning programme.
6 » Duration of your studies
Are you interested in a Bachelor degree, which normally lasts 3 years? (in some countries it is 4 years or more). Or a 2-year-Master’s degree? The main question is why you want to study abroad. Are you looking for different experiences or do you want to work abroad after you get your university degree? I am asking this, because it is vital to get informed about the degree recognition. There are many people, who studied abroad and couldn’t get a recognition of their university diploma in their
home country or it took a long time and money to make it. If I were you, I would get informed about that beforehand.
7 » Personal support and service
The quality of personal assistance is a very important factor when choosing a distance learning programme and often decides about success or failure of your studies. Depending on your studies and the distance learning institution there can be major differences regarding the quality and kind of personal support provided. When can you reach the lecturers? Is it easy possible to arrange flexible personal appointments if needed? Is there personal support for the exercises and during the exam preparation? Are questions answered immediately or do you have to wait for an answer several days? All these factors have to fit your personal learning needs and preferences. Thereby, staying motivated is an important factor! If you are working full-time besides your studies, it is for example important that personal assistance is also offered in the evenings or at the weekend.
8 » Central or more suburban areas?
Central areas offer a wide range of opportunities. That can mean finding a job easily, whether full-time or part-time, travelling to and from there without big inconveniences, getting easy access to banks, post offices, city center etc. For some, especially young students, night life is a crucial aspect to consider, something, which varies from city to city. In smaller cities, there will be less night clubs and bars than in the central ones. Although some find it dull and not at all exciting, for others it is a relief not having too many distractions during their studies. But everyone should choose according to their own personal likes and dislikes.
9 » Study material and the digital learning environment
For distance learning education, the quality of the study material and the digital learning environment are even more important than for conventional studies. A motivating learning environment with diverse and interactive tasks, videos, quizzes etc. can improve your study success considerably. In order to stay in contact with your fellow students, many digital learning environments offer social platforms and a virtual campus that enable you to work together and support each other. Many distance learning institutions offer free test lectures. This can help you to get familiar with the different learning environments and to decide, which one fits best to your personal preferences.
10 » Tuition fees/financial aspects
The tuition fees is another fact to take into account before making your final decision. Most universities have tuition fees. If you or your parents can afford them, it is not a problem. If not, there are ways to get the necessary amount such as scholarships if you have good grades, student loans, student jobs. There are many part-time jobs for students, who want to work and study at the same time. There are also part-time study programmes. It does take longer to graduate, but you can study and make some money at the same time. Of course, there are countries, which don’t demand fees in most cases, like Greece for instance. Since last year, most universities in Germany are without tuition fees.
11 » Weather/climate
The weather is probably the last and less important thing to think about. If it is just for 2 years, I think most of the people could put up with a not-so-perfect-for-them-weather. For a longer period of time, it might be something to consider, if a place like Finland or maybe Sweden is unbearably cold or on the other hand countries like Spain, Italy, Greece etc. are too warm for people coming from northern countries or not warm enough for others coming from more southern countries.
~ http://www.distancelearningportal.com/
~ http://www.mastersportal.eu/