France VS Malta: in which country should you study?

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Every week, Diplomeo gives you an international comparison: the differences between studying in France and in another country. Today, we are interested in Malta, this Mediterranean archipelago full of unsuspected treasures.

Credit Diplomao

In this summer period, it’s a safe bet that Malta is not the destination you have heard most often in the vacation plans of those around you. And yet, from its crystal-clear lagoons to the breathtaking architecture of its fortified towns, the Maltese archipelago has much to offer anyone who ventures there.

So why not go and study there? Diplomeo gives you all the information you need to know if you are made to do part of your higher education in Malta!

Find the school made for you!

Malta in brief

As mentioned earlier, the Republic of Malta is an island state located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea , in Europe. To the North, Sicily, to the West, Tunisia, to the South, Libya, and to the East, Greece. Its currency has been the euro since 2008.

Its territory consists of an archipelago of eight islands , for a total area of 316 km², far from the 643,801 km² of France! In terms of population, there are 440,433 inhabitants in Malta compared to 67,795,000 in France. Needless to say, the two countries do not quite play in the same category.

The geographical location of the Maltese archipelago makes it a multicultural territory , influenced by its many neighbors as well as all the countries that have occupied it. Thus, Malta has not one, but two official languages, Maltese – a clever mix of Arabic, Romance languages and English – and English. In addition, 35% of the population speaks Italian, the official language of the island until 1934.

The three main islands of the archipelago are that of Malta , with the capital Valletta , that of Gozo and that of Comino . There are remarkable landscapes such as the “Tal Mixta” cave which offers a striking view of the bay of Ramla below.

Regarding the climatic conditions, you will find in Malta a typical Mediterranean climate , with mild and humid winters and rather hot and dry summers. For temperatures, you should expect an average of 15°C in winter and 30°C in summer in Valletta, compared to 9°C and 25°C in Paris.

How to go to study in Malta?

If you are a citizen of the European Union, you will not need a visa to go to Malta: a valid passport will suffice. On the other hand, leaving for a university year in the archipelago assumes that you will stay there for a long time. If you plan to stay more than three months there, you will need to apply for a residence permit . To obtain it, you will have to compile a file to submit to the authorities of the country, with several compulsory supporting documents:

A visa application form

A letter of registration from a Maltese higher education institution

Once obtained, know that this residence permit is valid for five years.

As for registering at the university, you will have to inquire with the international office of the establishment, which will give you all the practical indications to follow. If you leave through the Erasmus program , your higher education establishment in France and the one that will welcome you to Malta will be able to give you all the information specific to your arrival and your experience abroad. Of course, you will need to have a bachelor’s degree in order to apply for a higher education course in Malta!

Terms to know

In Malta, university education will be conducted in English . It is therefore essential that you have an excellent level in this language, preferably attested by a TOEFL type certificate .

Regarding tuition fees for studies abroad, be aware that some courses are free for Maltese students, but also for nationals of the European Union. However, this is not the case for all the courses and you will have to pay a variable sum according to each of them: the registration fees can range from around €250 to more than €1000 . It is therefore advisable to inquire directly with the establishment in Malta to find out the precise price of the diploma you want to prepare.

As for the means of financing and the various aids that you can benefit from, unfortunately, the University of Malta does not offer any scholarships to students. Your only recourse will therefore be the Erasmus mobility grant, if you wish to study in Malta and benefit from financial aid, which you will have to apply for.

Another thing to know, the courses in Malta will be offered to you on a full-time or part-time basis : a factor which also affects the price applied to higher education.

The university

The university, yes, because there is only one public one in Malta! It is considered to be the highest educational institution in the archipelago, and offers renowned and high-level diploma courses.

The University of Malta ( L-Università ta’ Malta in Maltese ) has some 11,000 students , of whom around 650 come from abroad, from 77 different countries of origin. It has two campuses , one in the town of Msida, next to the capital, Valletta, and the other on the island of Gozo.