Differences between an international master's degree and a master's degree abroad
Publication

Is an international master's degree or abroad the same? Know the differences

17 de Enero 2023
Maria Fernanda Vargas Cordova

Higher education is one of the most important investments a person can make in their life. A master's degree is a significant step in enhancing your skills and knowledge, and can open up unique opportunities in the world of work. However, within the innumerable options available, you must choose the most appropriate according to your professional objectives. 

Among the alternatives, the first category that you should analyze is the scope of the master's degree according to the place where you do it, that is, if you want to study a master's degree abroad or if what you want is an international master's degree. Although they seem to offer the same benefits, here are some points that distinguish them. 

International Master's VS Master's abroad

Studying a master's degree abroad does not always mean that you will receive an international program. Both options have their own benefits and drawbacks, and it's important that you carefully consider each before making a decision. 

An master abroad is a postgraduate study program offered in a country other than the one in which you reside. For example, if you are from Peru and decide to study a master's degree in Spain. Your professors and classmates will probably be mostly from the country you chose, but it is likely that you will also find foreign students like yourself.

On the other hand, international master It is a postgraduate study program that can be offered in your country of residence or abroad, but with accreditations that recognize it internationally, it guarantees cultural diversity thanks to the composition of the class and faculty with a wealth of nationalities. and study experiences of international scope. This type of master's degree gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture, meet people from different countries, and learn about a new way of life. 

And although both offer an enriching experience both personally and professionally, the main difference is in the impact you can achieve when you finish it and if the knowledge you learned is applicable to your region. 

How to choose the best master's degree for you?

Choosing the best study program requires an important review of your vision and the requirements that are essential for you as an applicant. Therefore, we recommend you reflect on the following points:

  1. Why do you want to do a master's degree? Think about the purpose you want to achieve with your professional goal: better quality of life, personal satisfaction, search for growth opportunities. 
  2. How long do you want to meet your study goal? If you are considering a master's degree abroad and you are willing to stop working for the duration of the program, define how much time you want to dedicate to your training and consider whether the master's degree you are choosing makes up for that space.
  3. What resources do you need to achieve it? Determine the budget, scholarship or funding opportunities, and the efforts involved in getting admitted to the college of your choice. 
  4. What does the labor market demand today? Make a balance between what you are passionate about, what the market needs and what you can contribute with the skills that you are going to enhance through a master's program. 

To make the correct choice of your master's degree, it is important that you consider the option that allows you to best develop the version of the professional you want to be in the future. To deepen your knowledge and your goals, INCAE has a team of professionals that provides professional advice, so that you can discover if our business school is the best alternative for you and what is the program that will allow you to achieve what you want to build. 

INCAE for an international experience 

Master's degrees offered in INCAE Business School are internationalIn other words, they allow you to live an immersive and multicultural experience, since more than 10 nationalities from various fields of study come to the campus located in Costa Rica. This ensures that you can experience the richness of diversity in our classrooms. In addition, the faculty is made up of professors trained in the best universities in the world and experts in emerging economies, 98% of them have a doctorate.

When you choose INCAE you also choose to delve into Latin America and how to promote better development in our region. 

Depending on your goals, you can choose from several full-time programs: 

MBA + Digital transformation: Increase your knowledge with specializations and concentrations: Sustainable Development, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Operations and Technology, Finance and Economics. 

Global MBA + Digital Transformation: It allows exchanges and double degrees at prestigious universities such as Yale, St. Gallen, Michigan, ZLC-MIT, as well as study trips in Latin America and the world. 

OnlineMBA: Master's degree in blended format, lasts 24 months and has 3 face-to-face meetings during the program. It has the same objectives of our face-to-face MBA in a new virtual experience.

Master in Analytics, Innovation & Technology:  It prepares you in key areas for business at this time: Analytics, Big Data, digital transformation and business.

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