Though people don’t often realize it, Taiwan is a big facilitator of higher education with over 100 public and private institutions. It’s worth it on a cultural level as well as an academic one. Unlike some education systems across Asia, Taiwan focuses on human rights, gender equality and freedom of speech. It’s a world-class country for education.
Taiwanese higher education
Taiwanese institutions are foundationally strong and reliable, having remained largely unaffected by the recession and economic crisis. It is particularly popular for international students, with English being the medium of instruction in over 121 courses spreading over 41 universities. There are currently roughly 160 institutions to pick from.
Taiwan’s best universities
Like anything, “the best” is subjective, but there are some obvious picks when it comes to Taiwanese higher education. There are 21 universities in Taiwan listed on the QS World University ranking list, indicating the scope it has on an international level. National Taiwan University (NTU), located in the capital city Taipei, is one of Taiwan’s most internationally recognized and prestigious institutions. National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Hsinchu, on the other hand, is impressively ranked 155 in the QS World University rankings.
Post-graduate opportunities in Taiwan
Working while studying is quite a difficult process, with fees and regulations involved, so a frequently asked question by international students is: “Can I stick around and work afterwards?” The simple answer is yes, and much more easily than if you were to try work during your studies. The only tricky part is that you need to be hired by a company before you can apply for the visa. An education writer at Brit student and Australia 2 write explains: “Once you have a work permit from the company who want to employ you, it’s easy: just go onto the government website and apply with a few clicks.”
Application process
Applying is a relatively easy process, but make sure you do everything in the right order or else it could cause difficulties later on. First step: Find the course and school you want, which can be done with a bit of research online. You may want to base it on the QS World Rankings, which you can access on their website, or you may want to search depending on the department you want to join. Once you’ve made this decision, the next step is to apply on that university’s website – ensuring you do so in time, as most have cut-off dates. Part of this process is then language ability and visa requirements, which are slightly more complex.
Language proficiency requirements
The language requirements are usually that you be proficient in English, though this can differ per department and some masters programs require you to be proficient in a second language. Generally, if you’re an international student whose mother tongue is not English, you’ll need to provide the school with evidence of your proficiency. Examples of evidence are if you studied previously at an English institution, regardless of your native language. If this is not the case, you’ll be required to complete the TOEFL test, scoring a minimum of 500, as well as a minimum of 5.5 for your IELTS score.
Visa application and acquisition process
Student visas are easy to attain once you’ve been accepted into your program. Essentially, you can’t skip ahead and do the visa before you’ve received your acceptance letter, so keep that in mind regarding timing., Gail Calvin, an international student of Mandarin from Writemyx and Next coursework, says: “You don’t want to leave it all to the last minute. Once you’ve got this, you’ll need to provide proof of your ability to pay the tuition, whether it’s sponsorship, guardian-paid or savings.”
International tuition fees
Tuition is dependent on the level of study. A bachelor’s degree (4 years) is about NT$51,000-$78,000 (US$1,650-$2,530) per year. A master’s degree (1-4 years) can range from NT$50,000-$79,000 (US$1,620-$2,560) per year. A doctorate’s degree (2-7 years) is around NT$142,000 (US$4,600) per year.
So, if you’re looking to learn Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan’s official language), or any other subjects unique to the region, Taiwan is a far more accepting, democratic and transparent environment than China and well worth your consideration.
Read Next: GUIDE: How to Go to College in Taiwan
Editor: Nick Aspinwall (@Nick1Aspinwall)
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