If you are already finishing or have finished graduation and intend to continue in academic life, you probably have already asked yourself this question: is it better to do a master’s degree in Brazil or abroad? And the answer to that question will basically depend on what your goals and priorities are. But, first of all, it is important to keep in mind that there are advantages and disadvantages in both cases. Understand more about it now!
Is it better to do a master’s degree in Brazil or abroad?
The most important thing is that, whether to do a master’s degree in Brazil or abroad, it is very important to research the courses and also the universities that best suit your academic and professional goals. Now let’s look at each of the two cases!
Master abroad
It is a fact that many companies, especially the largest ones, value international training in the candidate’s curriculum. This is because this type of qualification indicates, at least at first glance, that he has experience in dealing with different contexts and cultures, in addition to having knowledge that may not have been so well developed here.
But beware: not all universities abroad really have quality programs above the Brazilian standard. In fact, many programs have exactly the same level or are even at a lower level. Everything will of course depend on which institution you are interested in both here in Brazil and abroad.
Another great advantage of taking a master’s degree abroad is the possibility of contacting fields of study that are not yet fully developed and covered here in our country. And this can happen even due to the country’s own relationship with the desired area of study.
For example, if you are interested in doing a master’s degree in wine production, the best countries for that are those with a strong tradition in the production of the drink. If you want to do a master’s degree focused on the study of ancestral cultures, it is interesting to choose a program in the country where this culture was born and developed.
And of course, the possibility of developing yourself in another language and experiencing other cultures is also a great differentiator. This can be seen by the companies you are interested in working with as an indication that you are a person adaptable to change.
Finally, it is also extremely positive to be able to develop relationships with lines of research, methodologies and professors from other contexts and backgrounds .
On the other hand, it can be a problem that Brazil still has enough difficulty to establish equivalence agreements with other countries in the field of Education. This can get in the way of revalidating your foreign master’s degree here. But of course, this does not apply to all universities and international programs.
Master in Brazil
If you choose to take your master’s degree here in Brazil, you will certainly have no problem with having your degree recognized, as long as your university is well evaluated by CAPES.
And the fact that you are taking a national course does not mean that you will not be getting a high level education. To do a master’s program at a prominent public institution in Brazil, it is necessary to go through a long admission process that evaluates curriculum, research project, skills in the desired area and also language proficiency (usually English or French). That is, even if you stay here you will also have the opportunity to practice your studies in another language.
It is also worth remembering that a master’s degree from a prominent Brazilian university and a master’s degree from a foreign university will have the same weight here. This means that in a selection process, for example, those who graduated abroad will have no more advantage than those who graduated here, at least not just because of this isolated fact.
If you really don’t need to have contact with other cultures and different teaching approaches, nothing rules out the possibility of doing an exchange before, during or after your master’s degree or even getting a sandwich scholarship to do part of your program here and another go outside.
Now if you don’t feel safe to do a master’s degree abroad due to the lack of skills in foreign languages or even if you prefer to develop research that is more connected with the reality and the needs of society and the Brazilian market, then do the your master’s degree here may be the best decision.
