Today we will try to understand the development trends of programs known as English-Language-Taught Degree Programmes (ELTDP). Let us note right away that we will not consider countries where English is the native language. We will primarily focus on European non-English-speaking countries.
According to a study by the European Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), ELTDP is not yet a widespread phenomenon in Western higher education. Only 2% of programs at a given university are taught in English, and the number of students enrolled in such programs is less than one percent.
In terms of when they were created, ELTDP programs are young. Almost half of them were established after 1998. The educational institutions themselves offering degrees in English are not much older than the programs. Most of them were founded after World War II, and a third even later, after the end of the Cold War. The geography of the development of English-language degree programs is also interesting. The largest number of programs are offered by Germany (180), the Netherlands (115), Finland (85), France (33), and other Scandinavian countries, while more southern countries - Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece - either have no such programs at all or offer a limited number (5-10 programs).
The main reason higher education institutions open ELTDP programs is participation in the internationalization of education, which has become especially relevant with the emergence of a united Europe. The presence of ELTDP allows local students to study a number of foreign disciplines without leaving the country, and foreigners who do not speak the native language, for example Finnish or Dutch, the opportunity to study in Finland or the Netherlands. Few people today want to learn a language spoken by the people of a single country.
The benefits of ELTDP are obvious to all. The university gets 'extra' students, and the country chosen by students as a place of study gets a significant injection into the economy (for example, US business schools bring $7 billion in profit a year, which is the fourth most profitable export item, and in Australia education last year brought $4 billion to the treasury - significantly more than sheep farming and meat production). And the students themselves increase their attractiveness on the labor market, sometimes at the expense of the host state, because some programs do not require payment.
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that students from EU countries find it much easier to move from one university to another than students from other countries. Programs such as Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, and Nordplus were developed specifically for them, allowing students to start their studies at a university in one country and finish at a university in another.
If we talk about the specialization of ELTDP, business and management clearly dominate. The third most common specialization is engineering disciplines. In Germany, the percentage of educational institutions offering engineering disciplines is 44%, followed by business - 35%, natural sciences - 24%, mathematics and computer disciplines - 15%. France's results: business - 44%, engineering disciplines - 28%. In Finnish universities: business - 59%, natural sciences - 26%. In Dutch universities: business - 63%, engineering disciplines - 44%.
Two-thirds of programs taught in English belong to postgraduate study. This is also quite understandable. Students can earn a bachelor's degree at home and a master's degree at a prestigious university in any European country. In addition to the degree, the graduate gains study experience (and sometimes work experience) abroad, which is usually considered by employers as a positive factor.
What qualities should university graduates have, according to British recruitment agencies? In an analytical survey of British employers conducted by the Association of Graduate Recruiters together with the Financial Times newspaper, work experience ranks first. In second place is any form of personal work experience, including part-time and temporary work; in third place are various kinds of training and professional development.
The average duration of study for a bachelor's degree is three and a half years, for a master's degree - just under two years. Most programs require TOEFL 213 as formal confirmation of English proficiency; other universities replace it with their own exams. In addition, when applying for an MBA, a document confirming work experience may be requested.
Many programs offered by German and French higher education institutions are bilingual. In such cases, students usually study in English for the first two semesters and simultaneously learn German or French.
According to data obtained by ACA, in the last academic year, 28,000 students studied in ELTDP programs, with the largest number - 6,000 - in Germany, and 5,000 students each in Finland and the Netherlands. Moreover, most students studying in English in Finland and the Netherlands are local residents who are interested in language practice and lectures by foreign professors. Tuition fees vary from program to program and from country to country.
For some specialties, such as 'mathematics and computers', the fee is purely symbolic - 300-400 euros; MBA programs are the most expensive, with prices reaching 30,000 euros. As for price statistics by country, most free English-taught programs are offered in Germany and Finland, and the fewest in the Netherlands. Moreover, in most cases, tuition fees are the same for local and international students.
Based on materials from the TsMK 'PARTA'.