In a world in which a university degree is practically standard, what makes a person stand out? Many of us have been told that learning abroad is the answer, or at the very least, doing our degrees — graduate or doctoral — at different institutions. However, this may not always be feasible.
Annual tuition for an international student getting a PhD at a UK university can be up to almost $23,000, and that doesn’t even include living costs. Doctoral programs in the US can average up to around $50,000 per year for international students. The fact of the matter is that most students simply cannot afford to study abroad, and those who can may not necessarily want to.
According to the Times Higher Education’s global university employability rankings, U of T has been the top Canadian institution for employability for over six years straight. On the global scale, in 2019, U of T ranked 15th in the World University Rankings employability table, beating out institutions like John Hopkins University, Imperial College, and Dartmouth College.
Many students who remained at U of T from undergraduate to PhD studies have landed elite positions in the global job market. One such case is Tony Liang, who studied electrical and computer engineering at U of T from his undergraduate years all the way to his PhD and landed a job as an antenna engineer involved in designing satellites at SpaceX, a company founded by Elon Musk.
With regard to international experience, employers do appreciate the expanded perspective it brings, along with the increased competency in individuals who have had to adapt to and navigate a new environment and culture. However, one does not necessarily need to leave U of T to acquire these skills. The University of Toronto offers opportunities for students to study abroad at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
U of T has partnered with top institutions all over the world — from universities in Australia to England to Hong Kong — to offer courses, research opportunities, international placements, and internships. Thus, even though we may be studying at U of T, we can also add an international learning experience to our résumés.
In fact, Ontario Student Assistance Program funds can be maintained while studying abroad through U of T — even while completing an international internship. U of T also offers awards and scholarships to assist in funding a learning abroad experience.
Finally, interviews with recruitment officials and acquisition heads actually show that some employers are not incredibly focused on where you get your degrees from. They are more interested in the skills you have to offer and whether you’d be a good ‘fit’ for their company culture.
Most importantly, employers are interested in candidates who have experience and appear to be well-rounded. That is, what makes you most appealing to future employers isn’t whether you did your master’s and PhD at the same school — it’s whether you worked while doing it and were involved in extracurriculars.
This seems to be asking a lot of students who are swamped with coursework from four to five university courses in addition to the demands of day to day life. Luckily, U of T has over 1,000 clubs, groups, and student organizations to choose from, as well as a work-study program. This program is designed to schedule work hours around classes to cater to the busy lives of students.
Altogether, while it is ultimately your choice as to where you pursue your graduate degrees, there appears to be no detriment to staying at the University of Toronto. In fact, it seems to be a very smart choice.
Ambika Maharaj is a third-year psychology, English, and Buddhism, mental health, and psychology student at Victoria College.
