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Getting a European diploma is the dream of many international students, but, you must admit, not everyone can afford such training. In many European countries, the average cost of studying at a higher education institution starts from € 5,000 per year, this does not include accommodation and meals. Therefore, recently, applicants have increasingly begun to pay attention to education in some Balkan countries: Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro. Is it so profitable? Is it difficult to enroll? Let's try to answer these and many other questions using the example of two neighboring countries - Serbia and Montenegro.
Ten years ago, there were few foreign students in Serbia, since education at most universities was conducted in the state (Serbian) language. However, over the past 2 years, the situation has changed significantly: the number of English-language programs at universities has increased by 22%. Today, the best universities in the country are considered to be:
The University of Belgrade was founded in 1808 as a higher school, and in 1905 it was transformed into a university. It is one of the most important universities in the country, which includes 31 faculties, 11 research centers and 7 university centers. The tuition fee depends on the chosen direction, but on average it starts at $ 1,600 per bachelor's degree. The training is divided into two academic semesters, but for convenience, the payment is calculated for a year.
Novi Sad University (UNS) — founded in 1960. The state non-profit university is among the top 1000 best universities in the world (according to QS). The university has 14 faculties in various fields. However, biomedical is particularly popular. The cost of tuition depends very much on whether the student is a citizen or not. For citizens of the country, annual tuition at this university will cost only $ 9 per year, but for foreign students the cost will be several times higher — $ 2500 per year. It is noteworthy that the university also operates under the student exchange program, since numerous foreign universities have signed a bilateral agreement with Novi Sad. This influenced the opening of faculties with English as the language of instruction.
Nis University — started its activity in 1965. The university is a state university, located in the city of Nis. The University actively cooperates with the European University Association (EUA). There are 14 faculties. Education is conducted mainly in the state language, so the university offers preparatory courses for learning the Serbian language. Some accredited English-language study programs are available at faculties such as the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Tuition fees for different categories of students (residents, citizens, foreigners) may vary. To find out: what will be your annual payment, you need to fill out a special questionnaire where you specify the faculty, specialty, language of instruction and then receive the calculation.
Kragujevac University — opened in 1976. The university has 12 faculties. According to the university's rating, the most popular faculties are economics, engineering, medical Sciences, and the Faculty of Urban Planning. At the same time, the university's branches are located in six cities of Serbia — Kragujevac, Ciacak, Jagodina, Kraljevo, Užice and Vrnjacka Banja. The cost of studying at technical faculties (urban planning, mechanical engineering, medicine) is higher than, for example, at such faculties as pedagogical and philosophical. Thus, a bachelor's degree in the Faculty of Education costs € 660, and a natural sciences and Mathematics degree costs € 2,500 per year of study. Applicants should pay attention that at all faculties the language of instruction at the undergraduate level is Serbian. But the master's and doctoral programs already offer programs in English.
Serbia adheres to the Bologna system of education, which is called academic and includes three stages: bachelor's degree, master's degree, doctoral degree. However, during the year after the master's degree, you can also take special academic training. In addition to academic education, there is another type of higher education in Serbia — professional. It is usually obtained in higher schools specializing in applied fields. Education in such schools lasts 3 years and students graduate not with a diploma, but with a certificate. Unfortunately, it does not give the right to enroll in a master's degree in the future, but it almost immediately gives you the opportunity to find a job. In any case, whichever direction the applicant chooses, the admission procedure will be the same for all foreigners:
After the university publishes the list of students who have successfully passed the exams, it will be necessary to pay tuition fees. Almost all higher education institutions in Serbia charge in full, but there are also those who offer installments. There is no budgetary higher education for immigrants in Serbia. Only citizens of the country have the right to free education in Serbian universities.
Let's note the pros and cons of Serbian education:
1. Low tuition compared to EU countries (for example, the average cost of annual tuition in the Czech Republic is € 3,500, and in Spain and France more than € 10,000
2. Study programs in English. Despite the fact that most universities teach in Serbian, about 170 programs are taught in English
3. Serbian is the language of the Slavic group, which native speakers of the Russian language will not be difficult to master. Knowledge of the Serbian language opens up more opportunities not only for education, but also for employment in the future.
4. Serbian universities raise their standards every year. So in 2021 Serbia was not even on the list of the best universities in Europe. And today, as we noted above, they already occupy certain positions.
5. Serbian universities participate in the Erasmus+ program, which allows students to study for an exchange in different EU countries. Under this program, the cost of living and tuition is covered by the educational institution. Also, international students who have shown excellent academic results can apply for a reduction in the cost of annual tuition.
1. As a minus, we can note the lack of scholarships for international students. Many of them are trying to find additional part-time work in Serbia, which is not always easy to do.
2. Getting a room in a Serbian university dormitory is a big problem. To do this, you need to prove either the difficult financial situation of the family, or your belonging to national minorities. However, you can find inexpensive housing within the radius of your university, or team up with other students to live together, which will be much cheaper.
3. The disadvantage for many foreigners is passing entrance exams. They take them on a par with Serbian schoolchildren who are preparing for exam questions in high school in special courses. Well, applicants from other countries need to take these exams in Serbian or English, but it's still more difficult.
4. This point can also be attributed to the disadvantages, since the cost of studying in English is 2 or even 3 times higher than the same training in Serbian. However, this is also provided for in many other European countries where English is not the official language.
Unlike Serbia, Montenegro cannot boast of a large number of higher education institutions (there are only 3 large universities and several highly specialized universities in the country), but it offers a number of advantages to foreign students who want to get higher education here:
The Bologna Education System (ECTS) in Montenegro has been operating since 2007 and is already familiar to many applicants. The training is conducted in the official Montenegrin language, which is similar to Serbian. If foreigners do not speak Montenegrin, the university organizes language courses for them. Despite the fact that there are a limited number of universities in the country, study programs can be in Serbian, Albanian, Bosnian and English. And all diplomas are issued in two languages: Montenegrin and English. Universities in Montenegro, as well as in Serbia, provide entrance exams for applicants. Sometimes there may be five items, and sometimes there may be three. Everything will depend on the chosen faculty and specialty.
The University of Montenegro is the only state university in the country, which opened its doors in 1974. To date, the university has 19 faculties, which are located in the capital of Montenegro — Podgorica. The most popular faculties are: economics, Law, biology and Medicine. The cost of studying at this university is also attractive, and what is interesting is that for local residents who did not qualify for a grant, this cost will be higher than for foreign students. So for foreigners, annual tuition at the University of Montenegro starts from $ 1,000, and for citizens — from $ 1,090. At the same time, the university can also provide financial support. For example, with the academic success and talent of a foreign student, the university may offer him encouragement in the form of a scholarship. In addition, the university, together with business companies, creates special programs that prepare students for future work. Within the framework of such a program, you can get not only a scholarship, but also an internship at the enterprise, and after graduation you can find a job.
The University of Donja Gorica is a private university that began its activities not so long ago, in 2010, but has already established itself as a university that is difficult to enter and difficult to study at. In total, the university has 14 faculties, 2 of which have opened relatively recently. The university pays special attention to various scientific research in different fields, therefore, promising specialties in the field of healthcare, information systems and business are taught here in English. The University also cooperates with foreign companies from different sectors of the economy, which can help the student to get a job in the future. The university's website provides information about all faculties and specialties that applicants can choose. However, you can find out the cost of tuition on request, since it varies depending on both the chosen direction and the indicators of the applicant himself (prizes in Olympiads and scientific competitions, excellent success in school, diplomas, etc.).
The Mediterranean University is the first private university in Montenegro, opened in 2006. Initially, the university had 4 faculties: the Faculty of Tourism, Business Studies “Montenegro Business School”, Fine Arts and Information Technology, later two more were opened — the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the Faculty of Law. The University offers high-quality education that meets all European standards. The university has a large library, which provides access to various sources of scientific research from different countries. With a diploma from this university, many specialists confidently get jobs not only in government, but also in large foreign companies. In addition to the main set of documents, the university can request a certificate of the applicant's health status and a certificate of knowledge of the language in which he will study.
The admission process in Montenegro coincides with admission to Serbian universities, since universities in Montenegro adhere to the same system of entrance exams.
Both countries provide an opportunity to obtain a residence permit in Serbia and a residence permit in Montenegro through training. The basis in this case will be a document on the admission of a foreign citizen to a higher educational institution in one of these countries. At the same time, in Serbia, after an invitation letter to a university, a foreigner must apply for a type D visa, through which it will be possible to obtain a residence permit. If the student has the right to visa-free entry to Serbia, then he can immediately apply for a residence permit, which is issued for a period of 12 months. A residence permit for studying in Serbia must be extended every year by providing documents about your studies at the university. Students cannot request permanent residence. If they want to further legalize and obtain Serbian citizenship, they need to change the reason for living in the country — to find a job, buy real estate or open a company.
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The residence permit in Montenegro is identical to the Serbian one on the basis of education. In Montenegro, it is also issued for a period of one year with an annual extension. After studying, the residence permit can be extended for another 2 years, but you need to legalize in the future in other ways. In Montenegro, by the way, a residence permit can be obtained through the purchase of real estate for any amount, and then request permanent residence.
We think that it will be interesting and meaningful for students to get an education in both Serbia and Montenegro, since the diplomas of these countries are recognized in all European countries.
