樱桃导航

• Europe is home to some of the world’s most prominent business schools, spread across numerous countries.
• The region can offer a different study experience depending on which country you study in—but there are plenty of similarities, too.
• International students in the U.K., Germany, and Ireland share what it’s really like to study in Europe.

 
You never quite know what a new country is going to be like until you get there. And although researching your destination in advance can be helpful, nothing compares to the insights you gain from people who have been in your situation and then moved abroad to study.

We spoke with three international students in different parts of the region to learn their top tips for pursuing an MBA in Europe. Here’s what they had to say.

Applying: The Earlier, the Better

All of the students we spoke to reiterated the importance of applying for your MBA as early as possible. While early application is generally advised for all students, it’s critical for international students.

“As somebody coming from outside the country, you have to start the process a year ahead,” says Ananya Singh, an Indian graduate of the MBA program at University College Dublin in Ireland. “So if you have to start the class in September next year, you need to start working on your application in August or September a year before. The earlier you are in the process, the better chance you have of getting a scholarship also.”

Applying early has a number of benefits. It gives you more time to prepare things like travel, accommodation, visas, and healthcare. But as Singh mentioned, in many cases it also helps your chances of securing a scholarship. You’ll find that the leading schools in Europe offer a range of strong scholarships.

While early application is generally advised for all students, it’s critical for international students.

American student Katerina Alvarez pursued an MBA at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. She applied early, and because the scholarship application was part of the admissions application, she also received a scholarship at the same time she was accepted. This allowed her plenty of time to prepare for her move to the U.K.

"I got accepted early (in December), and so I had a nine-month period where I was able to plan,” she explains. "So I recommend applying early: the earlier the better. It'll make your life easier, especially if you're moving with partners or children."

Languages: English Is Widely Spoken, but It’s Not Universal

Europe is attractive to a lot of international students because English is so widely spoken there. Singh primarily chose Ireland because it’s an English-speaking country; the lack of a language barrier also helped Alvarez make a smooth transition to life in the U.K.

Even in countries where English is not the dominant language, such as Germany, it’s possible to get by in English—particularly in the larger cities. "Berlin is like a soft landing for English speakers,” says Farah Nafi, a Jordanian-Palestinian MBA student at ESMT Berlin. “It's super English-friendly, and that was also what gave ESMT the edge for me. 鈥奍 was thinking about going to Spain, but when you read more about Spain, you know that it's a little bit harder because you need to know some Spanish before you go."

However, while English is widely spoken across the continent, it also has its limitations. Nafi explains how English is common in Berlin, but English rates drop “exponentially” as you move away from the German capital. 

It’s more than possible to find an English-speaking job in Germany, for instance, but you may still sometimes feel “like an outsider.”

"It was a little intimidating knowing that I'm gonna go to a country where, OK, everyone at cafes, in the nightlife, and students speak in English, but if I need to get stuff done, I need to speak German."

To counter this, Nafi recommends connecting with a native speaker in your study destination as soon as possible. You could try connecting with them via social media. Or you could attend local language exchanges when you get there.

Nafi also says that the language divide extends to work life. It’s more than possible to find an English-speaking job in Germany, for instance, but you may still sometimes feel “like an outsider” if you don’t speak German in the workplace. "Even if you find an international company where all of the interactions workwise are happening in English, you will not go up the ladder if you do not socialize in German,” she reiterates.

Accommodations: The Biggest Challenge?

Wherever you study in Europe, finding accommodations is going to be a big challenge. It’s an acute problem for international students, who may struggle to find a residence without physically being in the country. Again, connecting with a local in advance can be hugely beneficial here.

"I found my accommodation through another MBA student who was here the year prior,” says Alvarez. “They had posted a message on FindersKeepers saying their house was going to be available. I reached out right away, and they connected me with the realtor."

Nafi points to the rental portal WG-Gesucht as a great tool for finding accommodations in Germany but reiterates the value of using a local to help you find a good place. "鈥奩our quality of life would improve drastically if you know someone who's already a resident in Berlin,” she says.

Again, connecting with a local in advance can be hugely beneficial.

Although Nafi, Alvarez, and Singh all ended up in private accommodations, Singh believes that researching whether your university offers student accommodations is worthwhile, as it could make the process of finding a place to live much smoother.

“鈥奣he best bet is to go for private student accommodation or university accommodation, if you're able to secure it,” she says. “Just do that upfront. I was in the mindset that maybe I'll get a better room or a better rate. So I just decided to search for more. But by the time I had searched for more, all my other options were exhausted.”

Healthcare: Public or Private?

Most European countries have a well-established public healthcare system that international students should be able to access. Generally speaking, you’ll be able to register for public healthcare after securing a visa.

In Germany, whether you can access public healthcare depends on your age. “If you are under 30, you can enroll in the public health service, which is super easy. If you're over 30, you need to go private, which is also super easy. You just send an email to any of the providers with your paperwork,” explains Nafi.

In the U.K., accessing the public healthcare system requires a surcharge of 470 GBP (around 640 USD) per year. Alternatively, you could also pay a higher fee to access private healthcare in the country.

Even so, it might be a good idea to get your health checked and obtain important medicines before leaving. “I got all of my reports done and everything checked [before leaving India],” says Singh. “I even got my prescription and all the medicines with me because in Ireland, things work differently. 鈥奍n India there's a lot of medicine you can get over the counter, but here you need to go to a doctor and you need to have a prescription.”

Transport: Get Ready to Walk and Cycle

Day-to-day life in Europe is likely to be quite different from what you’re used to. Alvarez says it’s more common in Europe to travel via public transport, foot, or bike than by car—as is the way in her native U.S. She bought a bike as soon as she arrived.

But that’s not to say nobody drives in Europe. For international students, she also points out the Co-Wheels app as a great way to access a car when you need one. You can rent cars directly via the app, and they tend to be parked throughout major towns and cities.

Remember that are valid in the U.K. for the first 12 months after arriving, but beyond that you’ll need to get a U.K. license. Other licenses from non-designated countries aren’t valid in the country.

You can use to check the validity of your license in the European Union.

Study Styles: Learning Rather Than Studying

It’s also worth thinking about how the teaching style in Europe could be a little different from that in your home country. Singh points out that class sizes in Ireland are much smaller than in India—sometimes she had only around 30 to 35 people in her class. But the approach to learning in general is also different.

“In India it's very much exam-regulated. It’s like: these are the courses, you have to study this, you have to take an exam, you have to get good marks—it's that kind of thing. You have to score high. It's very competitive,” she explains.

“Here it is more about learning. We have a lot of group work. We have a lot of hands-on case studies. We even went on two international trips to understand how business is done in the international market.”

Fernandez adds that the structure of the program was also different in Europe. "In the U.S., people are used to having quizzes and homework assignments, and there are a whole bunch of grades that will accumulate towards your final grade,” she says. “But here you have one exam or one essay, and that will count for 100% of your grade. So that can be daunting."

Post-Graduation: Generous Visas, but Tightening Rules

If you’re thinking of pursuing an MBA in Europe, there’s a good chance you’re also thinking of pursuing a career in Europe. So post-graduation visas should be a big part of your research.

The good news is that for MBA students, post-graduation work visas in Europe are generally quite favorable. You’re entitled to 18 months in Germany and two years in the U.K. and Ireland to look for work after graduating. You’re likely to find similar rules in most European countries.

However, one thing to bear in mind is that some countries have started introducing regulations that would tighten these visa rules. The U.K. is proposing to reduce the two-year work visa to 18 months. In France, the time that an international student must reside before bringing a dependent has increased from 18 months to 24 months. And Germany has increased the amount of money international students must have to demonstrate they can support themselves financially.

As with any major decision, it’s vital to weigh the pros and cons of pursuing an MBA in Europe for yourself. But for these students, it wasn’t a decision they regretted.

“Ireland is a very welcoming country, and I really enjoyed the MBA,” says Singh. “If I went back in time, I would definitely make the same decision again.”