- Population: 493,559
- Currency: Euro
- University Students: 11343
- International Students: 1,000
- English-taught Programs: more than 300
If you are looking for a good education, the small island of Malta may be what you are looking for. It is located in the Mediterranean Sea, it has over 490,000 inhabitants. This warm and beautiful region offers you the opportunity to see your dream of being an international student come true.
You will love being on the island as well as its historical attractions. Malta is considered a really nice place. In fact, a study stated that Malta inhabitants are among the most generous people in the world. But at the same time, this particular island is among the strongest and most steady-state economies in the world. Its paradisiacal beaches and warm climate have turned it into a tourist place full of charm and beauty. If you study here, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation while enjoying quality teaching.
Universities in Malta
This country only has three university institutions, the School of Arts, Science and Technology in Paola (south of Valletta), the Institute of Tourism Studies in San Julián (northwest) and of course, the University of Malta. These ones are part of the Maltese public university system. The region of Malta is also among the signatory countries of the Bologna Agreement which promotes the compatibility of university education throughout the European region. Malta was once a British colony, that’s why some local people know and speak Maltese, the official and predominant language is English.
At the University of Malta, you can obtain bachelor’s, masters and doctoral degrees. This university was founded in the mid-18th century, but now, it supports a few thousand students, including international students from more than 70 countries around the world. Other secondary campuses are located in Valletta and Gozo, the second largest one of the Maltese islands. This university has 14 faculties and several institutes and centers. Its libraries have a collection of almost a million different volumes and publications.
Tuition Fees in Malta
Undergraduate courses are completely free of charge for Union citizens like in some European Union countries. But if this is not your case, i.e. you are not a national of any of the member countries or you wish to pursue higher education in Malta, you will have to pay honorary fees ranging between €1,080 and €1,360 depending on the degree you choose to study.
The agency in charge of managing these scholarship programs is the European Union Programmes Agency (EUPA). You can have more information on this website http://www.llp.eupa.org.mt/. The purpose of this agency is to support the Maltese people as well as their entities, in order to finance the different educational programs promoted by the European Commission.
Since 2014, EUPA is coordinating the implementation of the Erasmus funding program which is known throughout the EU as an important source of subsidy for international students. Thus, through the Erasmus program, a foreign student could opt for getting scholarships that will allow him to pay for accommodation, food, and transportation. But if you want more detailed information about the types of scholarships available for Erasmus and the amount of money you can receive to study under these circumstances, you can visit the official Erasmus website for Malta.
Cost of Living in Malta
The cost of living will depend on the kind of life you want to have in Malta. Living in this Mediterranean region is comparatively cheaper than in most countries of Europe, especially, if we compare them with neighboring countries such as Italy or Tunisia.
If you list such things as transport, accommodation, food, stationery, utilities, laundry, over 1.075 Euros will good enough to cover those basic expenses, including recreational activities.
Internships & Company Placements in Malta
There are a lot of ways to get an internship in Malta. Probably, it might be easy to find a company dedicated to the placement of internships for foreign students. They will help you to find suitable accommodation and set up with local Maltese companies. Only in Malta, some internship programs are unpaid. So, why should you choose an internship? For one simple reason, it will give you something you can’t learn in university books: experience. You will have the opportunity to practice what you have learned, and besides, you will be able to learn from people with a mature professional background. This will allow you to complete your training at an optimal level.
Working in Malta
If you have finally graduated and achieved your desired degree, you may consider staying in Malta and take into account some important issues. Remember that you do not need a work permit to work in Malta if you are a citizen of the EU (except Croatia), or member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) or have Swiss nationality. On the other hand, if this is not your case, then you must apply for an employment license if you wish to work in Malta. But this application is made by the employer instead of the employee. But there is one more detail, in order to an employer to be able to give you the vacancy; he must first prove that no candidate who is an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen or a Maltese citizen is able to fill the vacancy.
Applying for a Student Visa to Study in Malta
As Malta is a member of the Schengen Area, people from Switzerland, the EU or EEA do not require a visa to study in Malta for less than three months. If the duration of studies exceeds that time, you must get a visa even if you have a European nationality. Students from elsewhere need a visa depending on the time of their stay.
After the arrival and registration at the university, all international students who stay for more than three months (i.e. 90 days) must apply for a residence document.
By the time of the first arrival, students must have a return flight ticket to their home country, they must demonstrate that they have enough enough money to afford at least one year’s tuition – fees plus approximately 17,000 euros. But you must also provide other documents before you can apply for a student visa in Malta. You will find all the necessary information at http://foreignaffairs.gov.mt/.