One hour from central London, England, is the University of Essex, recognized as one of the most culturally diverse universities in the world, where almost 15 thousand students from 147 countries come together to expand their most varied knowledge.
Under the motto of being a university that welcomes the “curious, the brave and the daring”, Essex encourages students to challenge the norm and think differently. The institution has been home to two Nobel Prize winners (economist Chris Pissarides and former Costa Rican president Óscar Arias Sánchez), award-winning directors, presidents, renowned actors, astronauts and 75,000 other alumni.
Essex has been operating since 1964 and is ranked 22nd best university in the UK, according to the Times Good University Guide 2018, and 21st among the 200 best international universities in the world (Times Higher Education). Also in the rankings, the university has a gold category for teaching excellence (Teaching Experience Framework 2017) and is among the top 20 in the UK for research excellence, ranking fourth in the area of Social Sciences and first in research on politics.
Essex has three teaching departments – Humanities, Social Sciences and Science and Health – and a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in areas such as politics, biological sciences, business, law, human rights, computer science, linguistics and more. According to Keeley Alvarez, International Officer, the university’s Centre for Human Rights is internationally recognised for its work on the law of armed conflict, civil and political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights, with a focus on the right to health.
“I think the research that our students and staff are doing speaks for itself in terms of how important the center is and how it impacts every human rights goal, making a difference at the international, regional and national levels,” Alvarez explains.
The lifestyle offered to students has earned the university 15th place for the fifth consecutive year in the UK University Student Satisfaction Survey (NSS). Among the benefits offered by Essex are the opportunity to study languages for free through the Languages for All programme and to work in your chosen field on campus for a year.
The university has a growing Brazilian community, with 100 undergraduate and master’s students currently enrolled. According to Alvarez, the most popular department among them is Business, due to its wide range of courses and topics in this area. “Some of the most popular courses among Brazilians are the Masters in International Management, Marketing & Brand Management and International Business & Entrepreneurship.”
Due to the arrival of so many Brazilians at the university in recent years, Essex has a society aimed at Portuguese speakers and a Capoeira society. “I always mention this to new Brazilian students, in case they are homesick and want to meet other people from Brazil on campus,” says the International Officer.
Applying for Essex
The university is looking for international students who are passionate about learning new things and challenging themselves and social conventions. “If you are brave enough to have new ideas and generous enough to share them, you are welcome,” says Alvarez.
The institution provides guides on its website for writing a good personal statement and reference letter, in order to maximize the chances of submitting a strong application. “Always be honest and make sure to mention relevant and interesting extracurricular activities, as long as they are related to your course and serve to help you stand out from the other candidates.”
For Brazilian candidates, depending on the type of course, Essex requires a High School Certificate with a minimum grade of 6 or a bachelor's or teaching degree with a minimum grade of 7.5 (or B).
And let's talk about something good? The university offers a series of incredible scholarship opportunities for the year 2018/2019, some of which are exclusively aimed at Brazilians.
Brazilian students from graduation or postgraduate studies can apply for a £3,000 scholarship. Brazilians with grades between 8 and 10 (or B+ or higher) in their master's degree can apply for a £3,000 tuition fee discount with the Academic Excellence International Masters Scholarship.
There is also the Santander scholarship, worth £5,000, aimed at Latin Americans enrolled in a master's degree. Also for Latin Americans, there is a £5,000 scholarship for those specifically studying a master's degree in Translation, Interpreting & Subtitling or Translation & Professional Practice.
As a partner of the University of Essex, the loveUK provides free assistance to anyone interested in studying at this university. What's more, this weekend (17th and 18th) we will be representing Essex at the EduExpos, free international education fair and Friday (16), a representative of the institution will be available at the office of loveUK in Sao Paulo for private meetings. To participate, simply fill out this form.
