There have been much more talking about the universities providing foreign degrees in India and the lawsuits are still hanging in the intangible balance. Yet, if we look closely, the foreign universities are free to open any off-shore branches and to conduct their ventures from there. However, exactly that is why here we are. As there are larger number of students getting attracted towards these foreign degrees, you must have to know certain things before entering in to one of them.

According to the President of American Higher Education India (an organization that is trying to bring foreign degrees at your doorstep), “India is going through a massive shortage of quality higher education and faculty resources. These programs allow Indian students to learn from the best faculty from around the world and earn globally recognized degrees and certificates from the comfort of their own cities”.

If you are looking forward to a foreign degree from your home or home city, we recommend you to perform a little bit of independent research before entering in to any course. Here we are going to discuss about the facts you must know before getting yourself admitted in to one of those universities providing foreign degrees at your hometown.

Perform a through online research

As most of the universities have their online presence, you will easily be able to find out the website of the university. Then, you need to check the following at first.

• The background of the university
• The courses offered by the University
• The admission information

In addition, you could search in the relevant blogs or forums. Besides, former students of that university or student alumni could help you to get a decent level of information about that university.

At next, you need to meet the university representative physically. Very often students are afraid of asking too many questions, as it would make them feel impolite. It actually has nothing to do with being polite. The fact is pretty simple. You have to judge whether the representatives are authentic or not.

Check the university accreditation

Now that you have obtained the basic info of your desired institution, you need to check out the university accreditation. Besides, it is very crucial that the universities are legal and accredited by a recognized international body like UGC. In this way, you will be able to understand the validation of your degree. One of the Mumbai Based Study Abroad Counsellors said, “There have been cases of students not getting jobs even after getting expensive foreign degrees in India, because the degrees weren't recognized”. You have to make sure that you will get yourself admitted in to that sort of institution.

In accordance with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), accredited foreign universities are listed in the publications of Commonwealth University Yearbook, World list of Universities and International Handbook of Universities etc. These publications could be accessed through the AIU Library, British Council Library, American Center, National Network of Education.

Check out the ranking system of the university

It is a common theme that universities will claim themselves to be the very best. However, you ought to remember that the ranking system is not entirely based on the concept of “very best” or “worst”. On a number of criteria, Universities are given ranks and the criteria may include the published research, faculty strength, quality of teaching, media ranking etc. You have to make sure that you are looking for all of the criteria before coming in to your own conclusion.

Comparing the local option

You are going to go for the foreign degrees, yet it does not mean that you have to exclude the local options. It would be very intelligent of you, if you could compare the facilities and cost of local universities and your desired foreign schools at the home country.

Ask questions and make inquiry

Before getting admitted, you have to make your own inquiry and you need to ask questions to the university representatives. You could not just bear to remain shy and not to ask questions. Here is a list of some of the key questions you might consider asking.

• What exactly is there for the students?
• What are the degrees offered?
• Are those degrees internationally recognized?
• What will be the interaction with the international faculty? Will you be able to pursue your career later at the hosting country?
• What is the fee structure of the course?
• What could have been the benefits of that course? What is its value in the job market?
• Is the university going to arrange a job placement seating as well?  

To the bottom lines

Fair and square, you have to know a lot about the institution before getting admitted. You cannot just throw away money and ask for degrees. You have to know whether the degrees are internationally recognized. You also have to know about their values in the job market. To cut it to the chase, you could consult with a study abroad counsellor and make a few inquiry in the relevant websites for the similar types of universities and institutions for making comparisons.