Studying in Europe for many reasons is an amazing choice, but for just as many reasons is much more difficult and requires even more work and research to get to where you need to be.

My Journey

I did my master’s (MPhil) in theology at Trinity College Dublin, which was a 1-year research master’s, for which I applied and won a scholarship that covered my expenses for the entire school year.

I am now at the beginning of my doctoral program in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (Dr Theol to be precise) at the University of Göttingen (pronounced Gut-ingen, as in it takes a lot of guts to study in Germany).

Getting here was by no means a straight line or even my idea of a career path until I was nearly 30 years old and halfway through my master’s program. Very few people actually know they want to study the Bible as an undergrad, and so often PhDs in Bible or Theology will have really diverse bachelors degrees, and some even pivoted from one or two careers a little later in life into studying the Bible or theology at a postgraduate level.

Your Journey: My Advice

Firstly, everyone’s journey is so different, so you should not expect your academic journey to unfold the same way as mine did. Everyone has different academic and personal connections, different resources (and lack of resources), different finances, etc.

Why should you study in Europe?

There are so many very old and very prestigious universities to choose from, with rigorous programs and academic traditions of excellence. Each university you may choose will likely have its own character and specialization or area of research it is famous for, both in theology and in biblical studies.

Financial Considerations

Depending on whether you choose to study in the UK or Ireland, or in Germany like I have, you will have different levels of tuition fees to deal with. While I did win a scholarship for my master’s, I did need to cover the TCD tuition with standard American federal loans. However, the fees for my entire master’s degree were approximately half the fees for one year of my private bible college undergrad. Now more so than ever, it is important to avoid student loan debt (or much of it) if at all possible.

German universities require just a small yearly administrative fee (maybe 200-300 euro) and tuition is completely subsidized by the government, meaning students both local and international do not need to pay for tuition. All that is important is to cover the (relatively small) monthly minimum that the government requires in order to be issued the student’s residency permit. Currently that amount stands at 934 euros monthly, and while it is a tight squeeze, it is a livable amount. Germany is far cheaper than the US, particularly because cities are walkable and public transportation is dependable.

How do I get there?

In the United States, applying to competitive master’s programs and especially doctoral programs is a major roll of the dice. Every year an abundance of extremely qualified candidates apply for programs, and the statistical reality is that you could be rejected, as positions are so limited. This is even more so a reality for funded doctoral programs at the biggest research schools.

In 2021 I applied to four doctoral programs in the US, having made varying levels of connections with the scholars in each university. It was difficult for me coming as an outsider (having done my master’s in Ireland). However, for one university I had a letter of recommendation written for my application by the then chair of Hebrew Bible in their graduate school. Despite the strength of that connection (as he would have become my supervisor), I still unfortunately did not make it into that program.

Wait, so you can just email a scholar?

The best piece of advice I received from an American scholar (and a fellow alumnus of my alma mater) was that if I wanted to do doctoral studies, I should find a scholar whose work I enjoy and admire, and ask if they’d be willing to take me on as a student. Although I did not at that time have any idea of who I’d like to work with, I did eventually, through my own ongoing research, encounter the scholar who is now my Doktorvater (supervisor).

It is possible to email any scholar, and I advise it strongly. You can explain your interests and what you’d like to study, and even request to have a Zoom meeting with them to have a conversation. If you are really serious and feel that you have an idea for research that would yield some interesting new things, let that be obvious in your email! You could connect on some mutual interests, which could lead to an open door for you to become their student.

This is how, without any prior connections, I was able to find my way into my master’s program at TCD, as well as my doctoral program in Göttingen. In my experience, professors can be incredibly kind, generous, and helpful—even if you are not applying directly to their university. The worst that can happen is that they ignore your email, or respond badly to you. In this case then you’d know that you probably wouldn’t want to work with such a rude person anyway.

What is the catch?

The catch, of course, is that you have to navigate your way through mountains of paperwork, find a place to live and eventually a part time job, or somehow apply for funding to live there as a student. This I think is the best option, especially if studying in a foreign language, because it gives you the ability to improve your language skills, surround yourself with an academic community, as well as physical access to their library.

However, lately it is not uncommon, especially for doctoral students, to spend time between their home in the US and wherever their university is abroad. If you find a university and doctoral supervisor willing to be flexible, you might be able to conduct your studies a bit more remotely.

There are also plenty of universities in the UK or even South Africa that will allow you to enroll there as a student and do your studies entirely from home in the US. You may need to do some travel back and forth, but it might not require you completely relocate.

Conclusion

So, while it is not unusual for American students to find their way into master’s and doctoral programs in Europe, it is certainly not easy. Try to find another scholar who has taken this path, perhaps someone who has studied at the same school (or in the same country) you are interested in, and send them a friendly email.

And as always, if I can be helpful or answer any questions, please send me an email at: leslitaflores@outlook.com