As we steer head first into the 21st century, sustainable development is becoming one of the most important disciplines of study out there. Earning your sustainable development degree abroad will teach you innovative new methods in how to approach the major global challenges of alleviating poverty and preserving our planet; all while challenging you personally to fully immerse yourself in another country’s culture, language, and customs. Think you’re up to the challenge?
Why Earn Your Degree Abroad
Earning your degree abroad in any subject can be a daunting prospect, as you take an extended leave of absence from home to embody the adventurous role of stranger in a strange land. While earning your sustainable development degree abroad especially, travelling the world can make a huge impact on your academic and career aspirations. Witnessing firsthand the diversity and magnitude of challenges we face as a global community will inspire you to do great things down the road as a global citizen.
Locations
Sustainable development as an academic discipline generally focuses on ways of how to socially and economically empower less developed countries (LDCs) in an environmentally responsible manner. While the subject matter may revolve primarily around the developing world, the potential locations of where you can earn your sustainable development degree abroad may also be limited by other factors such as accessibility of higher education and the language barrier.
Countries in Asia such as China, India, and Malaysia are all popular destinations where to earn your sustainable development degree abroad. Each of these nations is at a different level of economic development and each faces an entirely distinct set of challenges they will work to tackle throughout the course of the oncoming century. China and India especially are two of the most influential nations in the global community, where blossoming university systems will afford you the opportunity to receive a very high quality education in the field.
European countries such as England, Sweden, and Germany can also be very rewarding destinations where to pursue your sustainable development degree abroad. While these countries are already industrialized for the most part, they are also home to some of the most prestigious universities in the world, where you can enjoy exposure to cutting edge academic research in the field of sustainable development.
Accommodation & Visas
Sustainable development is an expansive, interdisciplinary field which generally requires studying a breadth of academic subjects during the course of your degree track. Economics, environmental science, political science, and architecture are just a few of the potential areas that you will likely be taking classes within while you earn your sustainable development degree abroad. Sustainable development is a highly complex real-world field to effectively take action within, so it is important to gain a firm footing in many of these different conceptual disciplines.
It’s possible to earn your degree abroad in sustainable development at either the undergraduate or graduate level. Undergraduate degrees generally last for three or four years and focus on providing you with the appropriate interdisciplinary knowledge to go forth and make a career in sustainable development. Graduate programs will enable you to further specialize in one particular aspect of the field, while often undertaking your own research and/or fieldwork as well.
The language barrier is an additionally important factor to keep in mind if you plan on earning your sustainable development degree abroad at a foreign university. While English speaking degree programs are available in some places, most often you will be expected to have a comprehension of the local language in order to be considered for enrollment.
Benefits & Challenges
Eye Witness. Sustainable development is a globally-oriented study, and one that you will take a much higher stake in after travelling the world and personally witnessing the many challenges that face our global community.
Total Immersion. As opposed to a traditional study abroad program which may just last a few months, earning your full degree abroad in sustainable development is the opportunity to truly get to know another country’s culture and people through the long haul.
Cross Cultures. If you are planning to make a career in sustainable development, then chances are you will be travelling a lot and interacting with people from many different backgrounds. Earning your sustainable development degree abroad is a great way to begin developing cross-cultural communication skills.
