This poses a big hurdle for many Nepali students who wish to go to America for their further education. Four years of college is a hallmark of American education system and the three years of undergraduate studies do not qualify as a completed bachelor’s degree. [break]
However, there are a few universities that accept a three-year bachelor degree and accept students into their masters programs.
“There are around seven universities that accept the three-year bachelor degree in the US,” says Deeppan Sapkota, Counselor at Nepal International Educational Consultancy (NIEC) in Kathmandu.
These few universities admit students mostly to the MBA Program. A student seeking an MBA degree from one of these universities must have completed their bachelors with a minimum of first division (though many second rate universities accept students with lower division scores) besides having scored high in the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
This is a computer-adaptive standardized test which comprises of English and Mathematics and evaluates a student’s verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills.
As for the non-management students, Shyam Bhandari, Managing Director, Rohini International Education Services, advises to “either apply for credit transfer into an undergraduate program or complete the first year of the Masters degree here in Nepal before applying for an admission into a graduate program in the US.”
The myth among students about not being accepted by US colleges or getting their visa rejected because of the three year bachelor degree is false, claims Bhandari.
He says that, there are a number of students who apply for admission into a graduate program after the completion of a three year bachelor degree and get accepted.
“Visa decisions are made keeping a number of factors in view, and if a university has accepted a student into its graduate program, it is of little concern to the consular office,” he asserts.
The UK could be another option for students, as universities and colleges there accept the three-year bachelor degree for admissions into a Masters program.
“Colleges in the UK will also accept a two-year bachelor degree,” informs Sapkota. The three-year bachelor degree is originally a product of the British education system. Also many Masters level programs in the UK comprise of only a year and therefore students who want to complete their education in a shorter span of time can take advantage of that.
Although comprising of only a year, the British degrees are known for their industry relevant coursework and sufficient work experience to give students exposure to international work culture. The structure of these courses generally is nine months of coursework and three months of research.
Students, however, need to be cautious before applying to any private British universities to make sure that the university is listed in the “Tier 4 Highly Trusted Sponsor” list of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) like all government universities. The UKBA is responsible for securing the UK border, controlling migration and enforcing immigration and customs regulations. A UKBA enlistment is a guarantee that the university or college is not run illegally.
A student applying for a university degree, Bahndari recommends, must consider whether the college is in the ‘Highly Trusted Sponsor’ list and also make sure of the university awarding the degree to them once they complete the course from the college.
Another essential for students’ willing to study in the US or the UK are the various tests. The tests are mandatory and important as it is through the marks obtained in these that the colleges and universities evaluate a student, which largely affects admission and scholarships decisions.
Along with the mentioned GMAT there is the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
While TOEFL tests your English language skills and is mandatory for the US colleges, IELTS is another language test accepted by the colleges in the UK. GRE, on the other hand, is a must for an entry into all disciplines, except Management, at the US universities. The GRE or GMAT scores are usually not required by UK institutions excepting a few top European B-Schools that may require GMAT in addition to IELTS/TOEFL.
“For most good graduate schools, the entry requirement is IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL (IBT) score of 80. Of course, many top schools have a higher entry requirement with a score of minimum 6.5 in IELTS and 90 in TOEFL (IBT),” concludes Bhandari.
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