How To Apply For Masters Degree Abroad In 2024

Students always dream of studying for a masters degree abroad, and they are always researching for tips, requirements, application process and cost of studying for a masters degree abroad.

There are a lot of benefits of studying for a masters degree abroad, from adding more value to your CV, getting in touch with a new environment and a lot more.

Based on the statistics on international education around the world, the numbers of students studying for masters degree outside their countries of origin have increased rapidly in the last decade, and as at 2018 there were more than five million studying outside their country of origin.

In this article, you will know the exact steps on how Nigerians can apply for a masters degree abroad.

How To Apply For a Masters Degree Abroad From Nigeria

Decide on a study destination

This is the first step you must take. There are very many good study destinations to go for a masters degree, so you have to decide on which country in particular fits your masters degree program.

Decide on your university of choice

The next step after choosing your study destination is to choose which university you want to study. Choose a university that fits your budget.

Know the admission requirements

You have to know the admission requirements of the university you want to study in because the requirements for every university varies.

Check for important details

Get to know important details like duration of your desired course, the test or exams you need to take and the cost of doing your program as an international student.

Start preparing

Start full preparation and decide on how you will finance your studies abroad

Read this article: How to study for a masters degree abroad free

Take the necessary test or exams

There are some countries that require that you take some tests such as GRE, TOEFL and IELTS.

If you want to study in a country that requires these tests, then prepare and take the necessary tests.

Your admission will also depends on the your scores.

Start applying to universities or your university of choice

After taking and passing the recommended tests, start applying to universities.

It is always advised to apply to more than one university so that you will have a high chance of getting admission.

Early applications is the best so you don't have to rush when the deadline is near.

Start building connections

Contact people who have studied in your preferred university and ask for advice and guidance. Linkedin is a very good channel to get connections.

Prepare for interviews

Start preparing for admission interviews because most universities conduct interviews before the full admission have been given.

Get to know the kind of questions that will be asked and practice how to answer them.

Apply for visa

Finally start applying for visa to the country your want to go for studies. Get all the required documents and apply.

Visit the official immigration website of your destination country for accurate visa information.

You can also visit the country's embassy in Nigeria for more information

Read: Cheapest places to study for a masters degree abroad

To apply for a masters degree, you require a bachelors degree in the field you want to study.

You will also need to submit a proof of your English Language skills because most international masters programs are thought in English.

If you need more help contact your local study abroad consultants because they are more experienced in the field.

How To Apply For Masters Degree Abroad

As a Nigerian student, you have to know the basic steps on how to apply and study for a Masters degree abroad.

As written earlier in this article, all you will do is to apply to the specific university you intend to study for a masters degree.

This is because almost every university abroad have different requirements for a masters degree.

Is it possible to study for a masters degree abroad free?

Yes, it is very possible to study for a masters degree abroad completely free.

Many European countries offer scholarships to Nigerian students to study a masters degree free and also there are some countries in which there is tuition free education even for Nigerian students.

Countries To study for a Masters degree for free

As said earlier, there are some countries in which international students can study for a masters degree abroad free.

Below is the list of countries to consider if you are interested in a free Masters education.

Sweden

Sweden is one of the countries in Europe where international students can study abroad for free.

International students can study for Masters degree free in Sweden as long as you are willing to study in Swedish language.

Belgium

You can also study for a Masters degree in Belgium. It is not all universities in Belgium that offer a tuition free education but most public universities offer tuition for both the locals and international students.

Czech Republic

Czech Republic offers free Masters degree education to international students. This is to both EU and Non EU students.

Most courses are taught in Czech so proficiency in the language is important.

Finland

Finland also offers free Masters degree education to international students.

Only EU students can benefit fully from this free tuition opportunity in Finland, non EU students will have to pay a little tuition fee of about $1500 per year.

Norway

Norway is also one of the European country that offer tuition free education to both the locals and international students including non EU nationals.

Germany

Germany is the most popular study abroad destination for international students offering tuition free Masters degree education.

This is one of the best places to study for a Masters degree abroad.

German universities are among the best universities in the world and you will have the opportunity to collect the best education possible.

Austria

Public universities in Austria offer tuition free education to international students.

Ways To Raise Money To Pay For a Master's Degree Program Abroad

Fundraising

If you have good family members and a lot of good friends you can get a lot of money for your masters program through fundraising.

There are many fundraising platforms online and the most popular one is GoFundMe.

Start a GoFundMe campaign, post your links to family, friends and social media and ask for donations.

Many people have raised money for their masters program using this method.

Work in the university you intend to study

Although it is not easy to get a job immediately as an international student, but if you can successfully get a job at the university you intend to study in then you might not need to pay any fees for study again.

Applicants who have working experience might find it easy to get a job as an international student.

Working in the university might not guarantee 100% tuition free education but a percentage of your tuition fee will be slashed.

Apply for scholarships

One of the assured ways of studying for a masters program abroad for free is by getting a fully funded scholarship.

Most international students that study for a masters degree abroad for free achieve that through different scholarship schemes.

To get a scholarship to study for your masters abroad, the first thing you should do is to search for the scholarship schemes that fits your intended program.

If you can’t find any scholarship programs after researching then you should contact the scholarship providers directly and tell them that you are interested in a scholarship, they might test you on certain things before granting you a scholarship and you must also be of a good academic standing.

Tuition free universities

There are many tuition free universities in Europe where you can study for a masters degree totally free, most of these universities are located in Germany, Finland, Norway , France and Austria.

If can you meet up with the requirements needed to study at any of the tuition free universities then go ahead and apply to the universities.

Thousand of international students are studying in Germany and Finland totally free.

Conclusion

Studying for a Masters degree abroad is not cheap so international students usually seek for ways they can study for a Masters degree abroad cheap or free.

Fortunately there are many countries and universities in which international students can study abroad for free and all have been listed in this article.

To study a masters degree abroad, you require a bachelors degree in the field you want to study.

You will also need to submit a proof of your English Language skills because most international masters programs are thought in English.

If you need more help contact your local study abroad consultants because they are more experienced in the field.

Cost of getting a Masters degree abroad as an international student.

Getting a master’s degree from any good school in the USA, Canada, UK and Australia should cost you an average of $30,000 and above, depending on the course you want to study, the ranking of the school and its location.

It could be a bit lesser than that amount and it could also be as high as $120,000 and even more if you want to pursue an MBA in some of the “top MBA schools” in the world.

Let’s say this figure covers all expenses – application, acceptance fees (if applicable), visa procurement, air ticket, tuition and living expenses. So, the $30,000 is quite conservative.

Exception to this are universities in Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Austria in which you can study for a Masters degree for free although the only problem is that you have to study in their language which is very difficult for most international students.

You can study for a Masters degree at a very cheap rate like $3000 per year in Eastern European countries such as Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia etc.

So its it worth going for a Masters degree abroad or is it advisable to get a job or start a business?

Hmm, this is a complicated question. If you have a very good job I do not personally think you need an MSc. Stay on your job and continue acquiring experience.

If you have such money, and there is a hunch to “invest” in yourself, look into starting a business (as a part-time thing) and watch it grow.

Instead of travelling abroad to go and bless another man’s business (always remember that those schools are business enterprise themselves), start creating yours.

$10,000 and upwards is a lot of money to invest in an MSc that wouldn’t really be of significant importance to the grand scheme of things – growth and happy life.

I hope this post will be helpful.