Prerequisites
The student counsellor needs to be aware of enrolment and visa prerequisites affecting international students in the destination country.
Academic or Professional Prerequisites
Most courses have prerequisites for entry. Higher-level courses tend to have more prerequisites than basic courses. Prerequisites might include academic or technical qualifications, age, language proficiency, or other factors specific to the course.
For example, high school matriculation is usually a prerequisite for a university degree. Language proficiency is almost always a prerequisite for international students. In most education systems, there are some common types of academic prerequisites for different types of courses.
| Type of Course | Possible Prerequisites |
|---|---|
| Primary school | Minimum and maximum age |
| Secondary school | Minimum age, completed primary school |
| Vocational or technical certificates | Completed secondary school, related vocational/technical certificates or lower-level diplomas |
| Semi-professional diplomas | Completed secondary school, related vocational/technical certificates or lower level diplomas |
| University undergraduate degree | Completed secondary school, related semi-professional diplomas |
| University post-graduate diploma | Completed undergraduate degree |
| University master’s degree | Completed undergraduate degree |
| University doctoral degree | Completed undergraduate honours degree and/or master’s degree |
| Second-language courses | Proficiency prerequisites |
| Specialty courses | Various, often specialised prerequisites |
In addition to appropriate academic qualifications, technical, semi-professional and professional courses may have prerequisites related to professional experience.
To determine if students meet academic prerequisites, the student counsellor must know the equivalence of their home country’s qualifications with those of the destination country. Students’ home country qualifications must be recognised as meeting prerequisite requirements by both the education institution and the immigration authorities.
Entry prerequisites are discussed in A2.3 Study Planning/Planning International Study
Recognition of qualifications is discussed in A2.2 Qualifications Frameworks/Equivalence and Recognition
Language Proficiency
International students must demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the language of instruction to be able to enrol in their course and obtain a student visa. The student counsellor needs to find out how language proficiency is recognised by the education institutions and immigration authorities in the destination country.
Minimum language requirements are generally expressed in terms of internationally recognised language tests. The student counsellor should understand these terms, and how they apply to the different types and levels of course. These terms express a level of proficiency, and this level may be demonstrated in a number of ways:
- Internationally recognised standard language tests
- Nationally recognised standard language tests
- Previous study in the language of instruction for a minimum specified duration
- Successful completion of study in the destination country to a minimum level.
The student counsellor may need to arrange testing of the student’s language proficiency, and if necessary, find a suitable language course. This may be a stand-alone language course or a foundation course which includes a language component for this purpose.
Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:
- What kind of prerequisites are there for a student visa?
- What conditions apply to them?
- How does this affect students?
- How does it affect the student counsellor?