And, why we, as HE providers should look west.
Several years ago, I spoke at a conference about why it’s better for an American student to undertake their postgraduate studies in the UK. I turned this into a paper that I’ve updated occasionally over the years. The last update was in 2017, but I am planning to update it again in 2022, as all the key points remain relevant.
In summary, students who study in the UK, do not have to take the GRE. A taught MA, in many courses, takes a year instead of more in the US. There are the cultural aspects which not only broaden the CV, but also the student’s experience of the world. But the main issue is, arguably, time and cost. Even with the cost as an international student, 1 year in the UK costs less in most cases than does the 2+ years for an MA in an out of state university. With some programmes in large cities massive amounts in fees and costs of living. In all of the examples I researched in 2016/2017, studying for an MA or PhD in the UK was vastly cheaper and faster – and has many added benefits.
You can read the whole paper here, keeping in mind that some elements will have changed in the intervening years.