With the advent of the MOOC era, little attention has been paid to how information Technology influence the field of higher education. Higher education institutions are actively represented in the market of mass online courses, but until now the educational community has a small amount of data not about individual e-learning phenomena, but about the strategic importance of e-learning specifically in universities.

This question served as the basis for a study conducted by the European University Association, designed to provide an overall picture of the level of implementation innovative technologies into the field of higher education and predict future IT trends in training. In other words, simply understand what is currently working and what is not so much in this still new and exciting field of e-learning.

The study involved 38 educational systems in Europe, which represents about a third of the total European higher education area. Universities answered three main research questions: what type of e-learning they use, how and what they expect in the future. Questions were also asked about the support received, coordination, and quality of digital education. Let us briefly describe the most important results.

Key results

With very few exceptions, almost all European universities use e-learning technologies in their work. 91% of surveyed institutions use a blended learning model (when study of material and practice can be carried out both within the walls of the institute and at home); 82% of institutions offer online courses. Some of the trends are the joint production of courses by different institutions, as well as online courses with the possibility of obtaining a scientific degree. So many institutes offer their students to take the online exam even if the subject was taught in the traditional way.

Coverage of e-learning technologies within universities

Although almost all universities participating in the survey indicated that they use e-learning in some form, its prevalence varies greatly depending on the academic discipline. Only a third of the universities surveyed cover all or almost all students in their departments with e-learning. The most popular disciplines for using e-learning are business and management, pedagogy, engineering and technology disciplines. Electronic education is extremely rarely used in the fields of law and art.

Thus, we can say that modern technological initiatives are generated by each department and local enthusiasts separately, and only then can they spread to the entire university. How quickly this happens, or whether it happens at all, depends on the administrative apparatus, the management model and the amount of resources.

Because of modern technologies promoted by departments and passionate teachers, only 13.8% of faculties have their own strategies for implementing e-learning. Therefore, it is not yet possible to talk about at least the beginnings of a unified strategy for introducing electronic learning technologies in universities, although almost half of the surveyed institutions have a developed intra-university strategy, and another quarter are at the stage of its development.

E-learning infrastructure

To ensure a successful educational process, universities need reliable infrastructure. More than 80% of universities surveyed indicated the use of appropriate software for course creation, online repositories for educational material, electronic systems and educational process management tools; and the availability of online student portals (both at the institutional and departmental levels). Almost all universities provide their students with internal email, Wi-Fi access, computer rooms and access to an online library. Also, 80% of universities surveyed provide student licenses for software, access to online course catalogs and educational materials and use social media. 65% report the possibility of online exams, and another 9% plan to implement this opportunity in their work. A significant portion of respondents note the support provided to students and teachers in e-learning.

The introduction of e-learning technologies almost does not depend on the focus of the university

Contrary to expectations, it turned out that technical and open universities do not always lead in the process of introducing IT and digital technologies into the learning process. Although there are quite surprising differences in how and to what extent individual institutions of the same focus and in the same country implement e-learning technologies in their work. It is not yet very clear why this happens: perhaps the reason is different additional funding, differences in faculty and student salaries, and an emphasis on certain disciplines. However, the fact remains: most European universities, regardless of country and focus, actively use e-learning technologies and are working to create a unified internal university strategy.

Benefits and challenges of e-learning

The universities surveyed expressed no doubt about the value of e-learning. Three-quarters of respondents acknowledge that e-learning is changing the way learning and teaching are done, and 87% see it as a catalyst for future changes in teaching methods. Among other positive features of e-learning, its potential in the context of mass education is noted (“It allows you to provide material more students, and also encourages them to working together"). Only 8% of respondents are unsure of the value of the e-learning industry as a whole.

However, opinions differ regarding certain types of e-learning. 45% of respondents either deny the benefits of a flipped classroom or are unsure about them. About half of the respondents either believe that e-learning does not improve the quality of education or are not sure about it (with a clear bias towards doubt rather than denial). The reason for this split may be the relative newness of this approach to teaching; respondents also note that the successful implementation of e-learning requires many factors - time for implementation (76%), budget (43%) and passion of the teaching staff.

Whatever the concerns, they do not reduce the motivation of universities to develop the field of e-learning. Among the motivating factors: flexibility of the educational process, increasing the efficiency of classroom work, distance learning opportunities.

MOOC

Interest in MOOCs in Europe continues. During the survey period, only 12% of universities offered massive open online courses; but almost 50% expressed their desire to launch them. There is no clear connection between the availability of MOOCs from a particular university and its general involvement in other forms of e-learning, but judging by this sample, technical universities are still most likely to launch MOOCs.

Popular motivations for launching your own massive online courses include exposure to the international educational arena, attracting students, developing innovative teaching methods, and providing more flexible learning for existing students. Among the motives, saving the budget or making a profit is almost never mentioned. In addition, in the future, universities see MOOCs as opportunities for cooperation and partnership with other educational institutions.

What are the reasons why universities are abandoning MOOCs?

Half of the universities that have not launched MOOCs have not yet done so for financial reasons. One-fifth cite insufficient preparedness of the teaching staff as the reason (which sounds strange, but given the lack of a unified strategy, it is understandable). More than a quarter indicate that they prefer other forms of e-learning, questioning the benefits of MOOCs for students.

What are they, European MOOCs?

On average, the universities surveyed offer from 1 to 5 online courses - it is clear that they are still in the experimental stage. For the most part MOOCs are offered by universities in Western Europe; Spain has the largest number of courses. In terms of course coverage, a few courses in the sample attract tens of thousands of students, but generally the average online course attracts a couple thousand participants.

One-third of institutions award students extra credit for participating in MOOCs, which explains wide variations in individual course completion rates, ranging from 4% to 50% (though average completion rates range between 10% and 20%). Courses aimed at a global audience are primarily designed to enhance their international prestige, and such courses tend to have low completion rates. More local courses encourage their students to complete them completely.

Due to the small sample (only 31 universities) and the relative newness of MOOCs at the time of the survey, no conclusions can yet be drawn regarding the future fate of MOOCs in Europe. All universities surveyed intend to continue their activities in this area, but few intend to increase their performance. And, as with other types of e-learning, universities see MOOCs as great opportunities for partnerships with other institutions. What’s important: two-thirds of universities noted that they collect data from their MOOCs, which means that this data could soon become an important source of information for analyzing and predicting the future situation.

General conclusions

Overall, it is surprising that such different universities from such different European countries (249 universities from 38 countries) have approximately the same motives for developing e-learning. First of all this efficient use classroom time and flexibility of the educational process.

The results of the study also remind us that digital technologies are not the only or sufficient way to improve the quality of education. Change must occur not only in the technological sector, but also in the social and mental sectors. E-learning is not a panacea, but only part of a unified educational system, the implementation of which requires resources, passionate teachers and time to develop.

Based on OpenEducationEuropa research and news

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the list of little-known European universities among Russians that offer distance learning programs to foreign students with subsequent acquisition of a bachelor's, master's, or, for example, PhD degree, as well as short online courses.

For students who wish to get an education in foreign university, but do not have the opportunity to travel outside their country, there are educational programs for distance learning (distance learning). This is an excellent option for acquiring a higher education diploma, which will be in demand not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

The main advantage of this type of training is that you can “attend” educational courses without leaving home and without interrupting your work activity. It is enough just to have constant access to the Internet and the desire to receive a quality education. And, of course, you need to choose the university that suits you.

The most popular among Russian students today are online learning options, offered in the United States or Great Britain. However, no less quality higher education can be obtained in other countries, where foreigners are offered a wide range of educational offers to meet the growing needs of students.

Wageningen University, (Utrecht, the Netherlands)

The University of Utrecht offers mainly master's and doctoral degrees, as well as programs in medicine, veterinary medicine or general epidemiology. Students can create research projects online from the comfort of their home in collaboration with the institute and under the supervision of staff from Utrecht University.

It should be noted that in world rankings Wageningen University ranks second in the field of forestry and Agriculture. Moreover, this university specializes primarily in programs related to healthy food and the environment.

Uppsala University (Uppsala, Sweden)

The oldest university in Scandinavia, which is one of the leading universities in Northern Europe. He offers online courses in the form of lectures that are provided as visual and audio documents that can be downloaded for self-study. At the end of the course there is a written exam via the Internet.

University of Vienna (Vienna, Austria)

Suitable for students seeking online programs in management or international relations. Students can choose to take courses either entirely online or through a combination of classroom and online courses, depending on their preferences. Courses do not have fixed timings so that students can complete their assignments at any time during the school week.

University of Wismar (Wismar, Germany)

This university once received an award for providing distance learning services in the course “Professional Studies in Lighting Design”, and in 2013 it was among the best distance learning institutes. The university offers its students online educational programs in areas such as economics, technology and design.

Business School and Campus Stellae (Santiago de Compostela, Spain)

The business school works closely with two strategic partners: the University of Barcelona and EAE Business School, the most respected business schools in Spain. Students are offered courses in marketing, business administration, financial and project management.

The European Institute Campus Stellae offers tailored distance learning options for students interested in a wide range of fields. Its feature is a well-developed communication environment where students participate in video conferences from anywhere and at any time. The institute has created a digital platform through which students receive training as per their requirements.

Cork Institute of Technology (Dublin, Ireland)

The Cork Institute in Dublin provides online training in three core disciplines: cloud computing, environmental engineering and e-learning design and development. Thanks to a modern application where students can join a virtual desktop at any time and gain access to all software, systems and services of the university, students have the opportunity to study educational material around the clock, which makes studying at this university as effective as possible.

University of Helsinki (Helsinki, Finland)

IN international ratings this university is located among one hundred the best universities peace. The Institute offers several tuition-free programs as well as short courses in a wide range of disciplines, from environmental ethics to science fiction literature and cognitive neuroscience.

Natalya Glukhova

Pros and cons of education in Europe

14/05 2017

Good afternoon friends!
An important topic for young people is education in Europe. It seems that this is some kind of unrealistically difficult event. In reality, everything is much simpler.

Europe will gladly accept students from other countries, and in some universities education is free.

From this article you will learn:

Which countries offer good education?

European school

Our approach is not the same as in other countries. There is a completely different education system here. When many children arrive to study, they initially do not understand how it functions. For example:

Children have more independence. Especially in choosing what you want to do. Already since high school they are distributed into specialized classes. Why should a child with artistic inclinations, an ability for singing and musical instruments be taught difficult mathematics and physics? These subjects are also given, but in a lighter version, there is no in-depth study.
Lessons often take the form of a debate. You can argue, even with a teacher, to prove your point of view.
If you have the opportunity to attend a variety of clubs and sections. There is no principle of “start studying - finish it”.
Children with primary classes have to do design work, research. They study a certain subject consciously and independently.
Admission based on school exam results. We have almost the same system now with the Unified State Examination.
You choose a set of subjects to study for each semester.

The European system is aimed at making learning interesting for children.
I will tell you about the possibilities, and you choose where the conditions are best for you personally.

European schools

Let's start with school education.

Spain

Students study here from 6 to 18 years old, but compulsory only until 16 years old. Further - as desired. There is an opportunity to continue your studies at the university - 2 years, and you have a bachelor's degree in your pocket. Logic is taught to children here.

History, literature, art of the 18th century are connected. There is no point in studying 3 separate subjects if everything can be considered as a whole.

Parents prefer private or semi-private schools. The state ones are full of migrants who don't speak Spanish well. This significantly reduces the level of the entire class.

Finland

It's actually interesting here. There is no clear division into 45-minute lessons. There is no schedule either, but there is one learning space. The teacher focuses on the mood of the class. Kids are active - let's do something creative.

Finnish schoolchildren

A literature lesson can easily be translated into a conversation about the world around us, and it smoothly flows into mathematics. A chemistry lesson may only take 20 minutes, but then the class really wants to do astronomy and talk about the stars. This lesson will take 1-1.5 hours.

Required - 4 foreign languages to choose from. Secondary education is considered weak. Universities provide in-depth study. But the children are calm, confident, and there is no suffering because of bad grades. And they don’t really give any ratings. Everyone here is great. I wrote about this in more detail in the previous one.

Italy

Here the scheme is: 5+3+5 = 13 years. The first 5 years are primary school, then 3 years are secondary and 5 years are lyceum. After that it’s university.

Children are bored sitting still for 45 minutes. And cramming math or your native language is even more boring. Teachers with children primary school They play educational games, go to museums, excursions, and trips to nature almost every day. Between all this I manage to squeeze in a couple of hours of math.

The main thing is that school does not cause feelings of despondency. This is a cheerful team, the teachers do not scold, but help and praise. But they have a big homework. These are tasks for every day, for the summer. The child learns independence. The school provides the material and the child works on it at home.

France

For Russian children, French is very unusual. On the one hand, there is a lot of free time, interesting projects. School is going on, but the child does not feel much pressure. We are used to teachers shouting, giving bad grades, and calling parents.

France, primary school

The attitude towards the student is even. There is a project for the whole semester, for example. If you need advice, the teacher is ready to help, advise, or sit in after class. But then they ask in full.

Exams happen every day, it’s simply impossible to prepare. You need to develop knowledge in advance every day, don’t skip. Studying in a good lyceum is not the cheapest, so it is always a big problem for parents if their child is expelled.

Universities in Europe

But you still have to come for an interview. European universities have quotas for foreign students. Of course, first our own students, and then foreigners to fill the remaining places.

Stages of higher education

Usually, by the age of 18, schooling ends. From this age, a young person has the right to enter a university. Further:

3-4 years bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Science diploma). Many people stop there;
1 year master's degree (master's diploma);
3-4 years Doctor of Science.

You will spend at least 6 years in a beautiful European city! I think that in itself is a great motivation.

Exams

The system is similar, but not the same as ours.

exams must be passed;
this is not a formality, a small conversation and a grade in the grade book;
there are no “automatic machines”;
the examiner asks a variety of questions, there are no tickets as such;
There is no such evaluative division as we have.

You need to pass the exam and go to the next semester. Passed with a C, B or A special significance does not have. Of course, “excellent students” are held in high esteem everywhere. This is a struggle for knowledge, not for a grade.

Studying well is the main task of the student himself. Good students then receive recommendations and find it easier to find a job.

In Germany, for example, the ratings are “0” - excellent, “1” - good, “2” - satisfactory.

For example, a medical student with an average grade will never qualify for a good training program in a first-class European hospital.

I think the cheapest option is Italy and the Czech Republic. In Italy the cost of studying is state university 500-800 euros per semester. For example, at the University of Milan. This is one of the oldest in Italy, and throughout Europe.

At the University of Bologna you can take language courses. This will prepare the student for a new form of learning, and will improve the language. A good option, Truth? And then you can come here.

Disadvantages of European studies

Of course, there are also disadvantages. Admission is a kind of contract. You get the opportunity to study, do internships, and live in the country. You receive a visa for the entire period of study, which means you can move freely throughout the Schengen zone.

But this also comes with several disadvantages:

Most often, hostels are not provided to foreigners. You will have to look for an apartment, a room, or an accommodation option. Rarely does anyone end up on a college campus. Renting apartments for 2-3 people costs 250-300 euros per week best case scenario. Somewhere around 500 euros per month;
student visas exclude the possibility of employment. You will be able to work part-time at the institute. For example, in the library, cafeteria, departments. This is a small income, but still;
You have to pay for textbooks. This ranges from 20 to 70 euros for 1 textbook. Some can be borrowed from the library, while others are cheaper to copy. This is a big minus - new books are expensive;
your visa is valid while you are studying. After finishing, that's it. Or you managed to find a job, you received an invitation - then you can prepare documents for a residence permit, for example. Or you found your soul mate, again a residence permit for marriage, a fiancé/groom visa. This is not uncommon, you understand. Read more about this in the section on each country separately.

In 3-5 years in the country you can understand how and what functions. Getting an education and finding a job is real. It's yours new life, you need to try to find your way, a new life from the first day.

In recent decades, a large number of people have become interested in obtaining European higher education. For a young man who is not burdened with obligations, going to another country is not difficult, if there is a financial opportunity. But what should people do who work, have families, or for some other reason cannot be absent from their homeland for a long time? For this category of people, distance learning would be an excellent solution. Which European universities provide this type of training? How much cheaper is this form of training? How does the learning process happen? I looked for answers to these and other questions on my blog. // 08/10/2012

First of all, let's figure out what “Distance Education” is. Distance education is education that is carried out in whole or in part with the help of computers and telecommunications technology. This means that the learning process takes place remotely, without the student’s mandatory presence at the university. Not to be confused with correspondence courses. “Correspondence students” are required to attend the reading and passing of tests and exams at the university; in the distance learning form, this is not a prerequisite.

In addition to the fact that it is convenient from the point of view of mobility, it is also cheaper than getting a European education full-time, since there are no additional costs for living in another country.

European education system

Almost the entire education system in Europe is built on the credit-module system (CMS). ECTS credit is a basic concept of CMS, which is associated with a student’s workload when studying a component curriculum or an entire course. Each discipline you study allows you to earn a certain number of ECTS credits. The total annual student load must be equal to 60 ECTS credits. To obtain a bachelor's degree you need to earn from 180 to 240 ECTS credits, and for a master's degree you need to get the missing 300 (that is, another 60 to 120 ECTS credits).

In each university, along with compulsory disciplines, the opportunity to choose subjects is provided. This is where the flexibility of European education manifests itself - the student himself forms the curriculum.

I wanted to draw your attention to the credit-module system because universities, when calculating the cost of training in your chosen specialty, are guided by the cost of one ECTS credit.

Leading universities in European distance education

Great Britain

Open University (http://www.open.ac.uk/)

The largest university in the UK, with more than 250,000 students, of which more than 50,000 are international. Is the largest educational institution in the United Kingdom and qualifies as one of the largest universities in the world.

Cost of education

The cost of an ECTS credit is approximately 42 euros. Based on loading 60 ECTS credits per year, we obtain the cost of a year of study at 2,500 euros.

If you are an EU citizen, your education fees may be in the form of a credit. If you are interested in this type of payment, you may be interested in the services of a company called OUSBA (Open University Student Budget Account, a subsidiary of Open University).

How it works? You select the course you wish to take and OUSBA will pay the cost of the course to the university on your behalf. After this, the debt that you have to OUSBA can be repaid according to two schemes of your choice:

in installments (“differentiated payment”), in which the debt amount is divided into equal shares and paid monthly, starting from the second month of study on this course, along with interest. Interest rate at the time of writing, it was 5% per annum;
deferred payment involves paying for the course before it starts. You must repay the loan amount in full at the start of your studies. This scheme implies an interest-free loan.

Payment must be made by the 5th of each month. For these purposes, you can use any debit card, issued in Britain, or major cards such as Visa, MasterCard, except Solo, American Express, Diners Club.

What type of diploma do we get?

Certificates, diplomas and degrees of bachelor (bachelor), master (master), there are also doctoral programs (PhD).

Specifics of teaching

Training materials are sent by mail free of charge and may include:

specially written textbooks, books;
audio CD, DVD and various software;
for some practical classes, the equipment will need to be returned;

A variety of online materials are also available, including an online library. Considering the specifics of distance education, for effective learning, it is recommended that the student have a computer with Internet access.

To complete the course, you must complete assignments that will be graded by your instructor. There are two types of assessments:

Assessments throughout the course, for which you will answer questions from the instructor, complete short written assignments, or complete interactive assignments.
Examination or research paper grades: Examinations may be written or oral. If the exam is written, you will be sent a sample exam paper for your reference. appearance and the course materials on which the exam will be taken. To take the written exam, you must be present at the university or one of the partner centers closest to your country. The oral test can be taken via video conference.

Concerning research work, it may be requested in writing or electronically. You will know the date by which the work must be sent to the university. Delivery of the work is paid by the student.

Germany

Fern University (http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/)

It is the first and only state open university. At the time of writing, more than 79,000 students were studying at this university, more than 6,000 of whom are students outside of Germany. Provides the opportunity to obtain a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees.

Cost of education (bachelor)

Course name	Total cost for the entire training period
Mathematics
Computer science
Pedagogical Sciences
Cultural Studies
Political science, management, sociology
Psychology
Economy
Jurisprudence

Cost of education (master)

Course of Study	total cost
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Computer science
Mathematics
Computer science
Psychology
Jurisprudence
Economy
Education and media
European Modernity: History and Literature
Control
Philosophy - philosophy in a European context

What type of diploma do we get?

Bachelor's or Master's degree in your chosen field. A certificate is also issued indicating the overall score, information about exams passed, the topic of the dissertation and information about the completion of the degree.

Specifics of teaching

Exams can be taken at the German embassy or consulate. If we are talking about oral exams, then there are two options: to come to the university or, for students from non-CIS countries and only after the consent of the auditors, to conduct the exam in the form of a video conference. This will cost a one-time fee of 40 euros. As for the dissertation, the defense takes place only at the university.

Spain

Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (http://www.udima.es)

The Open University of Madrid (UDIMA) is a private university headquartered in Madrid. UDIMA started its scientific activity in the 2008-2009 academic year and provided the opportunity to obtain degrees in the following areas: law, administration and management, occupational psychology and human resources and tourism. In the 2009-2010 academic year, the list was expanded to include bachelor's degrees in history, computer science and journalism. UDIMA closely uses open source tools in the learning process: Moddle, Gmail, GoogleDocs, GoogleSites, GoogleTalk. He has a YouTube channel, an official Facebook page, and his own virtual space in Second Life.

Cost of education

At the time of writing, the cost of an ECTS loan in any direction was 73 euros. Based on loading 60 ECTS credits per year, the cost of a year of study is 4380 euros. For students not residing in Spain, this fee does not include the cost of delivery of study materials. It must be paid separately. There are other administrative expenses that the student is informed about in advance: student ID, certificates, diploma supplements, etc.

What type of diploma do we get?

Bachelor's or Master's degree in your chosen field.

Specifics of teaching

The educational process takes place in a virtual university classroom, which operates 24 hours a day. Students can connect directly with teachers through forums, telephone, or additional online tools. The student is given access to a huge amount of educational materials on various subjects written by famous authors in scientific circles. To check students there are online tests, exams, virtual workshops, etc.

So, as an example, I propose to consider the cost of training in the field of information technology in all the universities listed above.

Table 1. Comparison of tuition fees at some European universities in the field of information technology for a bachelor's degree ( Bachelor) as of May 2012

University	A country	The exact name of the field of study
	Germany	Bachelor's degree in Computer Science (180 ECTS credits)
	Great Britain	Computer and Information Technology (360 ECTS credits)
Universidad a Distancia de Madrid		Computer Science (240 ECTS credits)

As conclusions

I described some of the advantages of distance education at the beginning of the article, but what about the disadvantages? The most common one on the Internet is the “quotation” of a diploma. It is pointless to argue about what is better - traditional education or remote education, the answer is clear, but what to do with the growing demand for education? Remote control solves this problem well, and it requires less money. The quotation rate still depends on the rating of the university: if the university has a good reputation, for example those discussed in the article, then there should be no problems. After all, employers are interested in personnel issues and are studying this topic.

I dare to suggest that in 5-10 years we will face serious reforms in the field of education. Such the developed countries like Great Britain, USA, Canada, they invest a lot of money in the development of electronic education. We are just beginning to move in this direction. The relatively recent integration of the Bologna process into the Ukrainian education system is proof of this.

The world's leading universities and business schools provide students from all over the world with the opportunity to study remotely. Getting a decent education without leaving home, and even at a well-known foreign university, sounds tempting! Reality is tormented by questions:

Study is rightfully considered one of the the most complex types human activity. Most graduates breathe a sigh of relief after defending their diplomas and feel much more confident in the work process.

The problem of domestic higher education is isolation from reality. A student receives outdated or ineffective knowledge for years without being able to put it into practice.

Distance learning allows you to plan your life wisely:

Work calmly, asserting your financial solvency and status as a specialist.
Study thoughtfully, expanding the scope of professional competence, preparing the foundation for career growth.

Features of distance learning

Remote and distance learning- completely different concepts. Correspondence education abroad involves frequent and therefore costly visits to the university. Not every person can afford to travel abroad several times a year to take exams, defend graduation projects, and do internships. It’s easier, cheaper and more convenient to get higher education abroad remotely!

What is distance learning?

Distance education assumes almost complete independence of the student from the strict regulations of the educational process. The student himself plans his daily work, based on the requirements of the university. All training takes place remotely using modern computer technologies.

The curriculum includes listening/watching a certain number of lectures on various subjects, completing various projects, tests and tests, periodic examinations. Seminar sessions with a wide range of students are often held at a time convenient to the students. This option for advanced training is extremely convenient for working and family people.

The effectiveness of distance learning

Is studying online abroad worth the money? With a sound and thoughtful approach - absolutely! The peculiarity of Western education is that the student has an active influence on the formation of his own curriculum.

The curriculum is compiled based on two criteria:

Standard set of compulsory subjects
Individual student choice

Such flexibility, on the one hand, guarantees the university the graduation of a well-trained specialist. And the student receives modern knowledge in the areas that are most interesting to him.

What is a credit-modular system?

The European education system is simple and logical. During the learning process, the student undertakes to score a certain number of points in each subject included in his curriculum. The so-called credit-modular system is being implemented, the main concept of which is ECTS - credit.

ECTS credit is an indicator of a student’s success, calculated based on his academic workload. Completing a certain part of the curriculum (module) gives the student a certain number of ECTS credits. The “passing” annual score is 60 ECTS credits, which gives the student the opportunity to “pass” through the most interesting subjects.

A bachelor's degree is awarded to a student who has successfully completed more than 180 ECTS credits. To obtain a master's degree, additional training will be required - you need to gain more than 300 ECTS credits.

Cost of distance learning abroad

The cost of online training depends on:

Distance learning abroad can be much cheaper than originally planned costs. Many universities motivate students with the opportunity to study for free with high levels of academic performance and personal achievements (especially in creative professions).

Is it possible to study distance learning for free?

Is it possible to get distance education abroad for free? It is virtually impossible to get a free higher education. But it’s quite possible to improve your qualifications. The free educational segment is represented by a variety of online seminars, courses, and literature available for study (research data, the latest textbooks).

Various educational webinars are held all year round from various business schools (for example, MBA), media holdings, industrial enterprises and, of course, higher educational institutions.

How to get to distance learning?

Distance learning at reputable universities requires quite serious preparation. Each university has a certain set of requirements for candidates (for remote learning, the list of restrictions is minimal).

After submitting an application for training, you must transfer the tuition fee (in whole or in part) to the university account. It is important to remember that when paying for your studies partially, you must strictly adhere to the deadlines - otherwise you may be automatically expelled for non-payment.

Distance learning - perfect option for purposeful people. Do you have life goals, but feel a lack of relevant knowledge? There is no need to waste time on domestic universities. Gain knowledge online and immediately implement it in your work!