Study in Mexico: Admission Criteria and Accreditation
The large number of applicants has resulted in admission to universities being more strictly regulated: The education system was fundamentally modernized at the beginning of the 1990s. Since then, tuition fees have been allowed to be charged and entrance examinations have taken place. According to a2zdirectory, Mexico is a country located in North America.
This is especially true for Mexican applicants, but international students must also take placement tests. In addition, the Consejo para la Acreditación de la Educación Superior (COPAES) was introduced for quality assurance, evaluation of teaching and accreditation of services.
The quality of the Mexican educational institutions varies considerably: While some are in the middle to lower range, many of the private institutions and the UNAM are in very good international positions. The accreditation of private institutions by the Secretaría de Educación Publica is an important criterion, since universities can only award academic degrees with government approval. If you want to study in Mexico, you should definitely pay attention to these accreditations.
The study system in Mexico
The Mexican academic year consists of either two semesters (August to December or January to mid-June) or three trimesters (autumn, spring and summer). The study system of the Universidades is based on the study system of the USA and is divided into two phases. A degree is generally awarded as a título (title) or certificado (certificate).
The training is school-based and precisely stipulates the selection and number of courses. However, foreign students who come to the country as free movers for only one or two semesters often have a free choice of courses that have to take care of their credit in their home country.
The undergraduate degree: Licenciatura
In the first phase of the course in Mexico, there is a four-year vocational training course. It is completed with the title Licenciatura, which roughly corresponds to the German Bachelor’s degree. Depending on the subject, this phase can also last five to six years, for example for courses in engineering, architecture and medicine. In the past, a detailed thesis was required to acquire the Licenciatura. Today, proof of professional experience, research work and / or excellent academic grades may be required instead.
Further studies: Diploma de Especialización or Maestría
Many of the Mexicans go straight into working life after obtaining their Licenciatura. If, on the other hand, the graduates plan to deepen their studies through further studies, they can on the one hand join the one-year Diploma de Especialización.
Another, more frequently chosen variant is the two-year Maestría course, which is comparable to the German Master’s and specializes in specialist knowledge.
Since 2005, students who want to focus more on research have had the opportunity to take the Maestría en Ciencias course. It is comparable to the Anglo-Saxon Master of Research. The research-intensive Doctorado en Ciencias can be linked to it, as well as to the “conventional” Maestría degree. Three years are also to be planned for this.
The doctoral program: Doctorado
Afterwards, a doctorado can optionally be acquired in a further three years. In international comparison, this doctoral degree course is very schooled, as there is a compulsory course program to complete in addition to writing the doctoral thesis.
In exceptional cases, the doctorate can also take place within five years directly after the Licenciatura. Then, however, the courses from the Maestría course must be integrated into the curriculum.
Admission to study in Mexico
The respective Mexican institution is responsible for the admission of the applicant German applicants require a general university entrance qualification for admission to the Licenciatura program. If you are aiming for a complete degree in Mexico, an admission test, the examen de admisión, is part of the compulsory procedure. It varies depending on the university. However, if you are staying for only one or two semesters, you do not have to take such an exam.
For admission to the Maestría course, German applicants should already have successfully completed a bachelor’s degree. In the doctoral program, the local academic degrees – state examination, magister, diploma or master’s degree – are recognized as equivalents to the Maestría and entitle you to admission. Nevertheless, interested parties should always inform themselves about the study and examination achievements to be made at the respective Mexican university.
Visa and entry into Mexico
An FM-3 student visa is a basic requirement for studying abroad in Mexico and must be applied for at the Mexican embassy in Berlin or at the consular mission in Frankfurt am Main. This should happen no earlier than three months before entry, otherwise the visa will expire again. Proof of sufficient financial means must be provided for the visa.
In addition, the passport must be valid for at least six months at the start of the journey. Once you have arrived in Mexico, you have to report to the Ministry of Interior’s migration authority, the Instituto Nacional de Migración de la Secretaria de Gobernación, after 30 days at the latest. This is where the entry is made in the foreigner register.
Mexico is known to be a not entirely harmless place – especially at night. Therefore, some basic rules of behavior must be observed: For example, you shouldn’t be walking alone after 10 p.m. In addition, students should only take taxis from the official taxi stands (Sitios) or reserve taxis by telephone. There are also districts and streets that are to be avoided at night. Alcohol consumption in public (for example on the street or on the beach) is prohibited in Mexico and is severely punished.
