If You are an international student, you have probably been deciding between the United States and some other country. But have you considered Azerbaijan?

Azerbaijan is known as the land of fires and Azerbaijanis love to drink tea with jam. The noble family who funded the Nobel prize made money in Azerbaijan through oil digging and trading.

Azerbaijan is a good destination for a large number of students because of its good programs, reasonable fees, and its culture and history.

Though it is a Shia Muslim country it is open and secular. It is a known fact that Baku has the largest flag in the world. Manat is the currency of Azerbaijan. Baku is the largest city and the capital city of Azerbaijan.

In this article, we will explore why Azerbaijan is an excellent study destination, its education system, universities, cost of studying in Azerbaijan, and how to apply to study in Azerbaijan.

Why study in Azerbaijan?

Nearly 26,000 international students are currently studying in Azerbaijan. The country has a growing reputation for its high quality of education and is home to several world-class universities.

Azerbaijan has a rich cultural history and is located in a strategically important region. The country is famous for its oil production with an output of some 5,00,000 barrels per day.

Azeri is widely spoken there but most of them are familiar with Russian as Azerbaijan was previously a part of the USSR. Azerbaijan is also a large producer of natural gas and the country is leading the world in the development of solar power. 

Azerbaijan is quickly becoming a hotspot for international students in the last ten years, they have grown their education sector by 300% And it is not just a passing trend; Azerbaijan has seen consistent growth over the past few decades, attracting more prospective students than ever before.

Azerbaijan is the birthplace of crude oil. Azerbaijan is famous for mud volcanoes. More Azerbaijan lives in Iran than in Azerbaijan and its traditionally inclined towards Iran.

It was ranked 66th in the 2021 Best Countries for Education by U.S.NEWS.

There are also many cultural similarities in the country that make it easy for international students to get used to their new change of environment.

Top 12 reasons to study in Azerbaijan:

1.    Affordability:

The educational institutes in Azerbaijan provide quality education to students at affordable tuition fees. The cost of living is also less in Azerbaijan when compared to other nations.

2.    The Excellence of Education:

Azerbaijan continuously seeks to improve its global position as an educational destination for international students. You can get access to a European-style diploma in Azerbaijan with a low cost of living by studying in Azerbaijan.

3.    Availability of top Universities:

Though it is a small country, Azerbaijan is home to many reputed universities.  There are fifty-one universities in Azerbaijan, out of which 36 are run by the government and the rest are public. Some of the significant universities are:

•    Baku State University
•    Khazar University
•    Azerbaijan Medical University
•    Azerbaijan State Oil Academy
•    ADA University
The universities of Azerbaijan are establishing and maintaining great links with excellent universities across the world.

4.    Opportunity to learn multiple languages:

You will get a chance to learn three languages if you decide to pursue your higher education in Azerbaijan. They are Azerbaijan, English, and Russian languages.

5.    Student-friendly Nation:

Orientation programs are conducted for international students to get accustomed to the new environment and people in the new country. It helps them to come across their fears and insecurities. In addition, it gives a chance to interact with other students and faculty members to create a student-friendly atmosphere.

6.   Modern and traditional at the same time:

Azerbaijan always endeavors to follow the latest educational trends to keep up with peers. It is one of the modern European countries. Though Azerbaijan rapidly internationalizes, it also strives to align its conventional values with fresh trends.

7.    Age advantage over other nations :

You can hop from your O-levels, straightforwardly to do a four-year Bachelors degree by skipping your A-levels if you wish to study in Azerbaijan.
If you complete your O-levels at the age of 16, then you will be able to complete your Bachelor’s degree at the age of 20 in Azerbaijan.

8.    Safe and Secure Nation:

Azerbaijan is one of the safest nations with low crime rates. The country has a low crime rate, good relations with its neighbors (except Armenia), and benefits from a strong economy.

The people of Azerbaijan are very tolerant and hospitable to students from other countries. There will be no discrimination concerning religion, ethnicity, etc., 

9.    Member of the Bologna Process:

Azerbaijan is a member of the Bologna process. The Bologna Process seeks to improve coherence in higher education systems across Europe. It makes higher education in Europe attractive and competitive for international students. As a result, higher education in Azerbaijan meets European standards.

10.   Easy to adapt climate:

Azerbaijan has warm summers and cold winters just like in India. The climate never goes below 0 degrees Celcius even during the winters. Temperature ranges between 20 to 30 degrees Celsius during the summer in Azerbaijan. Though the climate is diverse, it is easy to adapt Indians to Azerbaijan weather.

11.    Availability of Indian food in hostels:

The educational consultancies that have to tie up with Azerbaijan universities run mess to provide Indian foods to the students. This makes it an extremely favorable place for international students studying in Azerbaijan.

12.    Takes less time to travel from India:

Azerbaijan is just 4946 kilometers away from India. As well as it takes only five hours to travel from India to Azerbaijan. These factors makes Azerbaijan the most desirable nation in terms of flight expenses.

The education system in Azerbaijan:

Education constitutes the beginning of the development of society in Azerbaijan.

The education system in Azerbaijan consists of three levels. They are Primary Education, General Secondary Education, Full Secondary Education, and Tertiary Education.

The general education schools are operated by the Ministry of Education. Nine years of General Education is mandatory for all the citizens of Azerbaijan.

The language of instruction in educational institutes in Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani.
 However, few schools offer 9 years of compulsory education, 3 years of higher education, and a Bachelors degree in the Russian language.

The private schools where the medium of instruction is in English have higher tuition costs than the local educational establishments.

Primary Education:

The first year of primary education is spent in a pre-primary school setting. Primary school begins at the age of six and lasts four years, with classes ranging from one to four.

Students take an exam at the age of ten and pass into what is known as middle school in the western system.

For primary education, the bulk of the population attends public schools; however, there are several private schools to pick from and attend.

General Secondary Education:

Secondary educations goal is to instill in students a culture of oral speech and writing, as well as effective communication, logical thinking, and the introduction of relevant knowledge.

It also aims at observations on subjects covered in the curriculum as well as global citizenship. 
General secondary education enhances the ability to use modern information and communication tools and to determine the direction of future activity.

The fifth-ninth classes include general secondary education.

In the Republic of Azerbaijan, general secondary education is compulsory.

The final assessment is done at the level of general secondary education, and the certificate is issued to students who have completed their education.

This certificate is mandatory to pursue the next level of education.

Full Secondary Education:

In high-school education, it will be possible to fully realize the ability and talent of students.

This level also prepares the students for independent life, to chose their professions, to respect human rights, and to incorporate tolerance.

It also helps to communicate in one or more foreign languages etc.

Education is provided in specializations viz. technical, Humanitarian, natural, etc., during the full secondary education.

The 10th and 11th grades are part of full secondary education.

Students begin to prepare for the entry examinations during this period that usually takes place in the summer.

This is the most stressful period for the students due to the stress of high competition and the necessity of scoring well in the entrance examinations.

Vocational Education:

Few students may opt to study vocational education after the completion of general secondary education.

Vocational education can start from the 9th grade too and 11th grade in Azerbaijan.

It may last three to four years depending on the specialization.

Students who have completed Primary Vocational education are provided with certificates and those who have completed Secondary Vocational education are provided with Diplomas.

Higher Education:

In Azerbaijan, higher education comprises three levels of degrees. They are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Doctorate. 

Colleges, Universities, Academies, Conservatoire, and Institutes provide higher education in Azerbaijan.

A bachelors degree usually lasts for four years in Azerbaijan.

The Masters takes up to two years to complete whereas Doctorate takes up to three years to complete.

Universities in Azerbaijan:

If you want to study in Azerbaijan, you need to know which Azerbaijani universities are right for you.

Azerbaijan contains around 5 universities. Out of the 51 universities, 36 universities are run by the Government and the rest are private universities.

A few of the popular universities of Azerbaijan are:

•    Azerbaijan Medical University
•    Azerbaijan State Marine Academy
•    Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University
•    Baku Higher Oil Academy
•    Khazar University
•    ADA University

AZERBAIJAN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY:

Azerbaijan Medical University is one of the first universities in the country and was founded in 1930.

It had been given university status since 1991.

Azerbaijan Medical University is located in Baku and is named after Nariman Narimanov, a famous doctor, and writer in the country.

This university had given many prominent scientists to the world of the medical field.

As of now, 63,000 students from Azerbaijan and all over the world are made into fully qualified doctors by Azerbaijan Medical University.

Currently, the school has 8000 students belonging to the 74 academic departments.

Faculty of General Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Pharmacy are available to study at Azerbaijan Medical University. 

Due to the Bologna process, education is under continuous progress and Modernization in this university.

You can know more about this University, by studying our blog on Why study MBBS in Azerbaijan medical university?

Azerbaijan State Marine Academy:

Established in 1881, Azerbaijan State Marine Academy is the first maritime training institution in the country. It is a non-profit public university.

This university is located in Baku and is accredited by the Azerbaijan Ministry of Education.

Azerbaijan State Marine Academy was established based on Baku sea-faring school.

Over 1000 students are currently studying in the university and 15 of them are from other countries like India, Georgia, Turkey, etc.,
There are four departments under the ship navigation faculty. They are:

•    Department of sea navigation
•    Department of Shipbuilding and Ship Repair
•    Department of Humanities
•    Department of English Language
There are three departments under the Shipboard mechanics and Electromechanics faculty. They are:
•    Department of shipboard power equipment
•    Department of ship Electro-Automation
•    Department of Applied Mechanics

Azerbaijan State University of Oil and Industry:

It is a tertiary educational institute located in the capital city, Baku.

 More than 10,000 students are currently studying at the Azerbaijan State University of Oil and industry.

Degrees relevant to oil and gas are the most prominent faculty in this university.

In addition, six more faculties are available here. They are Geology and Exploration Faculty, Petroleum and Mining Faculty, Chemical Technologies Faculty, Energetics Faculty, etc.,

Both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees are available to pursue.

The university has its own sports complex. It has access to a swimming pool and tennis courts.

Baku Higher Oil school:

BHOS was established in 2011 as a higher educational institute in Azerbaijan.

Baku Higher Oil School became the absolute leader of all the higher educational institutes in Azerbaijan.

Baku Higher Oil School is the only institution that has been awarded four international certificates namely ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, and ISO 10002:2014.

BHOS managed to attract the most qualified specialists with its highly qualified academic teaching staff.

It provides the best quality education in English and cooperates with international companies.

Faculties like Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Process Automation Engineering, Information Security, Process Automation Engineering, PG – MBA is available to study in BHOS. 

Over 1000 students are currently studying in BHOS with many of them being international students.

Khazar University:

Khazar University is the first private university established in the year 1991 in Azerbaijan.

It is composed of multiple independent schools that are united by the same academic policy.

Khazar University implements international degree programs with English as the medium of instruction.

A credit-based educational model is being followed in the Khazar University.

It is one of the top 70 universities listed in the QS top universities of the Emerging Europe and Central Asia region.

MBA in International Economics and MBA Management programs of the Khazar University are included in EdUniversal Best Masters Ranking.

There are around 250 academic staff and around 2000 students at the Khazar University.

The following faculties are available at the Khazar University:
•    Engineering & Technology
•    Arts & humanities
•    Business & Economics
•    Computer science
•    Physical sciences
•    Life sciences
•    Social sciences
•    Education 
•    Psychology

Cost of studying in Azerbaijan:

The cost of studying in Azerbaijan depends upon the course you take, the university you choose, and the duration of the course.

For a preparatory course, it might cost around 600$ to 2000$ per year to study in Azerbaijan.

An undergraduate program costs around 1000$ to 2500$ for a student to study in Azerbaijan.

Similarly, for a postgraduate degree or a Ph.D., a student might pay $1000 to $4000 per year to study in Azerbaijan.

The cost of living in Azerbaijan is relatively low when compared to other education-wise equal countries like Italy and Israel. It costs around $130 per month to cover the day-to-day expenses.

Eligibility criteria to study in Azerbaijan:

Students do not need to crack an entrance examination to study in Azerbaijan.

The student should have scored at least 55% in Physics, Maths, and Chemistry to be eligible to study in Azerbaijan.

If you’re still confused about what you have to do when you wish to pursue a course in Azerbaijan, then our get direction global Educational consultancy team will clear the air for you and help you in taking the process forward.

Why choose Get Directional Global to study in Azerbaijan?

Get Direction Global is a trustworthy team as it is the only authorized educational consultancy that recruits students from India and UAE.

Free counseling is provided to students in case of any queries.

We at Get Direction Global will assist you with the following things to realize your dream of studying in Azerbaijan:
•    Application Guidance and guidance in choosing the right university
•    Coaching for language proficiency tests like IELTS, GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, etc., 
•    Scholarship guidance to ease your financial strain
•    To assist you in applying for educational loans
•    Visa experts of our team will assist you in the visa application
•    Our team will take care of your travel and accommodation facilities in Azerbaijan.
•    Moreover, we will make sure you feel secure in the country and accompany you till you adapt yourself to the new environment and a new country.

Please feel free to contact Get Directional Global via Email info@getdirectionglobal.com or via phone +918015000900 to know more about the admission process to study in Azerbaijan.

You can read Why study in MBBS abroad ? to know the advantages of studying MBBS in abroad.