What criteria does QS I∙GAUGE use when rating colleges and universities, and why?

Pursuing higher education goals with so much diversity in terms of institutions and individual aspirations is a tough task. Ranking and rating systems have a significant role in such decision making.

Many have criticized the methodology used in rankings and other assessments, arguing that universities are different from one another and therefore, need to be assessed on a range of categories that recognize the university’s distinct strengths. That is where rating systems come into the picture. The advantage with rating systems is that they bring out the real state of the institution’s overall health/condition over a wide range of categories, ranging from Teaching and Learning, Employability and Social Responsibility to Research and Innovation.

Indian Higher education system, with its distinct characteristics and strong presence, needs such an assessment for colleges and universities. QS I∙GAUGE rating, through the following criteria, brings together the key pillars which make any Indian institution, a world-class university or college. It considers several factors that might not surface in rankings and other assessments. The following criteria, the basis for QS I∙GAUGE rating, were selected as the key pillars of what makes a world-class institution for higher education.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching is a crucial contributor in inspiring the next generation of potential workforce for different sectors. Typical method to assess this indicator includes collation of student feedback on the institution’s teaching quality, faculty-student ratio and the rate of degree completion.

Faculty Quality

Active teaching and learning process get stimulated by a diverse group of educationists and academicians who bring a holistic outlook for students to strengthen the students’ knowledge and subject-wise expertise. This makes faculty from a strong research background and/or a market experience, highly preferable for students across domains. Effective indicators are faculty with Ph. D degree, with work experience outside academia and exposure to external projects. A good pedagogical training program to maximum faculty members further marks an improved quality assurance. The faculty feedback towards the institution is also a crucial parameter.

Employability

Graduate employability is the true assessor of an institution’s effort towards placement related activities. Common indicators in this area are campus employers’ presence, employment rates and career services support. The active involvement of students in forums/clubs encouraging extracurricular participations also boosts the employability at the institution.

Student Diversity

The more diversity an institution incorporates in terms of culture and economic background, the more inclusive and comprehensive the atmosphere is in a university or college. The institution should be pro-active in providing opportunities for exchange programmes with foreign universities. There should be considerable institutional contributions towards scholarships for students in terms of fee relaxation.

Facilities

An institution’s infrastructure is an indicator of the availability of adequate campus facilities that are necessary for a healthy study environment. Facilities such as sporting, IT, library and medical facilities, accommodation and food quality available to the students are considered within this criterion.

Social Responsibility

This feature measures how seriously the students and/or faculties at an institution engage themselves in charity work and relief/awareness programs initiated by the institution. This exhibits the institution’s interest in serving the society by investing in the local community and encouraging environmental awareness.

Accreditation

National accreditations and recognitions awarded to universities and colleges add to the credibility of the institutions and are vital in assessing their performance.

Arts & Culture

Students with interest in artistic pursuits look for institutions encouraging artistic endeavours and cultural programs. Effective indicators are the number of concerts and exhibitions organized by the institution and the number of credits and cultural awards achieved by the faculties and students. Additionally, cultural investment done by the institution is also accounted for.

Faculty Diversity

The presence of faculties from foreign universities is a good experience for the students on the teaching methods in institutions outside India. Similarly, the faculties visiting foreign universities is a boost for their progress and an added advantage for the students. Diversity amongst faculties represents the institution’s motive towards expansion within the country and beyond.

Entrepreneurship

Countries today heavily rely on innovative ideas to bolster their economic development, and new entrepreneurial ventures and start-up initiatives help in achieving this goal. Universities and Colleges are one of the biggest sources of budding entrepreneurs. The institution plays a major role in providing the right guidance and training programmes for the students to pursue this line as a career option. Along with training programs, QS IGAUGE rating checks the percentage of faculty and alumni with entrepreneurship experience, and the aspirations of students in terms of likeliness to pursue a start-up.

Research

Research is a crucial measure of the institution’s performance on the global scale. Indicators considered here include assessments of research quality amongst the faculties at the institution, productivity (i.e. number of papers published), citations (i.e. how recognized and referred to are the papers of the respective faculties) and funding obtained for research projects. This is of higher interest for students aiming at pursuing doctoral studies.

Innovation

Nowadays, universities and colleges contribute a great deal towards investment in creating intellectual property, legalising and commercialising the patents and formation of spin-off entities. Also, the faculty involved in external consultation is considered as such experiences contribute significantly towards motivating the students.

For more in-depth information about QS I∙GAUGE Rating Methodology, visit the QS I∙GAUGE website.

The importance of producing qualified doctors and medical researchers is recognized the world over. And this acknowledgement is one of the reasons for the widespread availability of graduate scholarships for medical students, offered at medical schools around the globe.

At undergraduate level, medical school scholarships are less common. However, there are still a number of opportunities for students to gain funding for a first degree in health and medical subjects, covering a range of program types. Whatever your area of focus – from tropical medicine to hereditary disease – make sure you check for potential scholarship opportunities.

Here are some examples of the types of medical scholarships on offer at all degree levels around the world.

If you’re looking for scholarships to study nursing, these can be found here. We also have a list of veterinary scholarships.

To study in Australia or New Zealand

• AFPHM John Snow Scholarship – Medical scholarships from The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, awarded to students at accredited medical schools and universities in Australia and New Zealand.
• University of Auckland John Hamel MacGregor Award in Medical Science – Medical scholarships for international and domestic students to study for a Bachelor of Medical Science or a postgraduate research degree at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
• University of Melbourne Baillieu Research Scholarship – Scholarships for medical students to study in Australia at graduate level at the University of Melbourne. Only open to Australian students, with preference given to Australian descendants of WW1 soldiers.
• University of Wollongong Scholarships – A range of medical school scholarships to fund study in the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health at the University of Wollongong in Australia.

To study in North America

• AMA Minority Scholars Award – Medical scholarships for underrepresented students studying medicine in the US. Eligible students include African-Americans, Alaskan Natives, American Indians, Hispanics and Native Hawaiians.
• American College of Surgeons International Guest Scholarships – International scholarships for graduates aged 35-50 who are interested in medical teaching or research, to study and undertake research in the US.
• AMWA Awards – The American Medical Women’s Association funds medical school scholarships and fellowships on offer to all AMWA student members.
• ASCP Siemens Scholarships – A range of medical school scholarships for graduate medical technologists, technicians and scientists to study in the US at selected medical schools.
• ASME Grants and Fellowships – Various international scholarships for medical students, teachers and researchers to continue their medical education in the US and outside.
• Edith SeVille Coale Scholarships – Scholarships for women in their third year of medical school studying in the US at one of four medical schools near Washington DC, including Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine.
• Harvard Medical School – Available medical scholarships include the Emirates Cardiac Society Scholarships, in which priority is given to students from the United Arab Emirates.
• University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Awards – Doctoral scholarships for students enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at the University of Calgary in Canada.
• US Army Health Professions Scholarship Program – The US army will pay 100% of the tuition for a graduate-level healthcare degree for any accredited medical, dental, veterinary, psychology or optometry program in the US or Puerto Rico. For US residents only.
• UCLA David Geffen Medical Scholarships – Merit-based scholarships for students (including international students) entering the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Provides financial support covering 100 percent of the four-year cost of attending medical school – including tuition, accommodation and other expenses.
• United Health Foundation/NMF Diverse Medical Scholars Program – 32 awards of $7,000 are available to medical students who identify with a minority group, are US citizens, and are currently enrolled in medical school.
• The Recovery Village Health Care Scholarship - A $1,000 award is available for a US student or permanent resident who is pursuing a medical-related program. To apply, you'll need to submit an essay describing why you're passionate about health care, with a focus on substance abuse and mental health.
• Tylenol Future Care Scholarship – 10 awards of $10,000 and 30 awards of $5,000 are available for students seeking careers in healthcare. You can be studying at undergraduate or graduate level and must be a US or Puerto Rican citizen to apply.

To study in Europe

• AMC Amsterdam Merit Scholarships – Medical school scholarships for non-EU/EEA students who are studying at master’s level in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
• Carl Duisberg Scholarships – Medical scholarships for students currently undertaking their clinical traineeship or practice year in selected medical fields. Eligible candidates include international students wishing to study in Germany and German students wishing to study abroad.
• Novo Nordisk Foundation Research Scholarships and Grants – Research scholarships for students within the fields of clinical or basic biomedical research wanting funding to conduct independent research in Denmark.
• The Karolinska Institutet Global Master's Scholarships – Scholarships for international students to study at master’s level at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

To study in the UK:

• Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine – A range of scholarships are available to study an MBBS or BSc in medicine at Imperial College London.
• King’s College London Global Health & Social Medicine – One bursary award for entry onto the university’s BA/BSc degree in Global Health & Social Medicine. Open to all nationalities.
• NHS Student Bursaries – One of the most prominent funding bodies in the UK for medical students, the NHS offers large numbers of grants every year to students who are studying medicine. Eligibility varies, but generally these bursaries are only available to residents of England.
• QMUL John Abernethy (Barts) Scholarship for Medicine – Need-based scholarships for medical and dental students studying at Queen Mary University of London on an MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) or BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) program.
• TEG Postgraduate Training Fellowship in Medical Statistics for African Students – Funded by the UK Medical Research Council, this fellowship allows a master’s student from sub-Saharan Africa to study at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) on the MSc in Medical Statistics.
• UCLan MBBS Scholarships – Scholarships for UK students from the North West of England to study an MBBS degree at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
• University of Cambridge Graduate Course in Medicine Bursary – Scholarships for medical students from within the EU to gain funding for study at the University of Cambridge.
• University of Edinburgh/Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh – Scholarships to study an MSc in Internal Medicine, an online distance learning course studied part time over three years, delivered by the University of Edinburgh.  

View more scholarships to study in Europe here.

To study anywhere!

• Wellcome Trust Doctoral Studentships – A small number of doctoral scholarships are available for students of any nationality to undertake medical research at doctoral level at a university in the UK, Ireland, or a low-to-middle-income country.

This article was originally published in February 2015. It is updated regularly, most recently in January 2019.

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