NEW PATH TO STUDYING ABROAD

Pathways programmes help students who want to study abroad but don’t quite meet the entry requirements close the gap.

- R. Radhika Saba Ahmad

In alternative to direct admission in universities abroad, pathways programmes are helping students become applicants that universities are seeking.

A Due to the difference in education systems and credit requirements between countries, students are given "sheltered" instructions in the country of choice to help them match the university's requirements in a candidate.

Most pathway programme providers partner with top-ranked universities to streamline the admission process with the target of maximising admission chances. At the same time, the programmes are also designed to cast a wider net and aim for more than one university.

Offered at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, the pathways programme includes a combination of an English language course and "creditbearing" first year courses similar to those offered at the preferred universities. This programme essentially, allows students to have a year to "bridge the gap" in the primary eligibility requirements, said Diwakar Chandiok, vice president for recruitment (South Asia), INTO University Partnerships. For instance, if a student needs to improve English or study skills before attending a university in the United Kingdom, pathway providers offer unique foundation courses which often lead to direct degree-level entry upon completion.

Moreover, the programme helps students with standardised tests like International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) which are essential to get a seat in any university the US and UK.

The programmes emphasise on the academic language that students studying in the US will use in their classes.