How Can You Be an International Student From Home? | Online Learning - Masterstudies News

Article written in association with IED.

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One of the many personal and professional advantages derived from studying abroad is that employers increasingly prize international experience, continues Masterstudies News.
 

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But not everyone can afford to leave their jobs and other commitments behind for months or years at a time to pursue an international degree -- even if it means better career prospects down the line. The good news? If you fall into this category, studying abroad isn’t out of the question. In fact, one option offers a perfect solution: blended education. Here’s a closer look at the many benefits of international studies, along with how to get the best of both worlds with a blended master’s degree.

The benefits of international study

A growing body of evidence points to the value of international studies. For starters, students who study abroad have higher GPAs and graduation rates, and are more likely to graduate on time when compared to their peers who have not studied abroad. 

Additionally, international studies have been shown to support cross-cultural competence and technical skills, which are of paramount value in today’s globalized workforce. Which begs the question: just how important is international experience to employers? Data shared in an Institute of International Education (IIE) report speaks for itself, including the following:

• Study abroad has a positive impact on the development of a breadth and depth of cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal 21st century job skills, including intercultural skills, curiosity, flexibility & adaptability, confidence, self-awareness, communication, problem solving, language, tolerance for ambiguity, course or major-related knowledge, teamwork, leadership, and work ethic.
• Study abroad facilitates understanding of enhanced career possibilities as well as the confidence and ambition to pursue these paths. 
• The skills acquired through study abroad experience have a long-term impact on career progression and promotion throughout a graduate’s career.
• Both short-term and long-term study abroad programs have distinct advantages.

The overall takeaway? At a time when “skills have become the global currency of the 21st century,” according to the OECD, the value of the benefits conferred by international study cannot be overstated...

In the context of international education, the benefits of blended education are even more profound. Why? Because they not only offer participants all of the advantages of blended learning, but amplified across the international study experience...

IED Madrid blended master’s degree students have their choice of four programs: the Blended Master in Brand Design; the Blended Master in Digital Communication and Marketing in Fashion; the Blended Master in Fashion Management; and the Blended Master in Strategic Design for Interiors. Each is structured into three modules: two online and one in-person. 

Students start with a three-month online module, which allows them to orient and organize themselves through IED’s online platform in the way most suitable to them. 
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Source: Masterstudies News