In today’s globalised world, an increasing number of Indian engineering students are drawn to pursuing educational opportunities abroad. This journey involves two primary pathways: pursuing Undergraduate (UG) engineering programmes or Postgraduate (PG) programs outside India.
Studying engineering abroad has transformative potential, elevating students’ career paths. Despite the substantial financial investment, the allure of international engineering studies remains strong, whether through undergraduate or postgraduate courses.
While many students opt for postgraduate degrees, a significant portion also choose undergraduate programmes. Deciding between UG and PG engineering programmes abroad requires careful consideration, involving weighing the pros and cons of each option. To gain insights into this choice, input from both students who have undergone the process and field experts is essential.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing an undergraduate engineering degree abroad compared to a master’s degree?
“The main advantage of pursuing undergraduation in universities abroad, especially in the UK and at research focussed institutions such as the University of Essex, is getting international exposure and getting to know people from diverse backgrounds. Students also have access to a wide variety of facilities offered by the university. The School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering has many specialist labs and facilities. The downside is the three-year commitment regarding the tuition fees with accommodation, this all adds to your overall costs. However, by taking a placement year or by doing a capstone project, a significant return on this investment can be achieved”
– Ajith KR Vajrala, Master in Data Science, University of Essex
“In my view, pursuing education abroad is mostly advantageous. I don’t see many disadvantages, at least in my case. A bachelor’s degree abroad fosters independence, as students manage themselves from their teenage years onward. The extended four-year period allows ample networking opportunities, which might be relatively limited in a shorter master’s program. Also, the exposure gained is invaluable.”
– Pratik Modani, Founder and CEO of Hungry Picnic, University of South Dakota, USA (undergraduation)
“While I lack insight into undergraduate degrees, master’s degrees are likely a less expensive and straightforward route. Visa validity varies between UG and PG courses, posing a challenge for UG students.”
– Pooja Pattnaik, pursuing Master’s at Maynooth University, Ireland
“I did not do undergrad abroad, only master’s, so I have no idea except maybe students are too young to know if they can sustain themselves abroad and might feel lonelier or unsure of how to adult sooner when pursuing undergrad abroad.”
– she/her, 30, working as performance marketing manager in an e-commerce, Germany
Why do many students opt to pursue their master’s abroad after completing their undergraduate engineering studies in India? What benefits does this approach offer?
“The UK offers a one-year master’s which is much shorter in duration than in India and other international countries. Moreover, the quality of research and job opportunities are the main driving factors for students to consider a master’s degree abroad. Most good universities in the UK offer very strong research areas and a plethora of career opportunities in the UK, especially after Brexit. During my master’s, I got an opportunity to work for the University of Essex’s affiliated Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme. The University of Essex is the number one university for KTPs with the most active partnerships with businesses in the UK. I have worked as an AI Data Scientist during this time.”
– Ajith KR Vajrala, Master in Data Science, University of Essex
“In my case, an MS didn’t feel essential, and the pay grade remained similar regardless of the degree. After a degree you have to start from zero as it is so it didn’t make sense to me. Learning in our field often occurs during work, not just in degrees. However, a higher degree can facilitate getting a visa. UG students face a disadvantage in this regard, but obtaining a visa seems easier abroad than securing a job in India due to intense competition.”
– Pratik Modani, Founder and CEO of Hungry Picnic, University of South Dakota, USA (undergraduation)
“UG courses span three years, while master’s programmes range from one to two years, immediately reducing costs. The postgraduate route makes securing a job and visa abroad easier. People choose this route to obtain a study visa and a graduate visa, enabling them to find work sponsorship and remain in the country.”
– Pooja Pattnaik, pursuing Master’s at Maynooth University, Ireland
“In my case, I worked for a few years before pursuing a master’s. I was simply wanting to have a change and this looked like a good way. Being in India vs abroad was immaterial. I did not get a good enough CAT (approx 97 percentile) score to be in the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), my dad did not want me to wait another year and I had to be admitted from one of the top five MBA schools in Germany, so I was here. The funny thing is the cost for IIM A was Rs 20 lakh, my school was Rs 23 lakh at the time. So, it did not feel like I was losing anything.”
– she/her, 30, working as performance marketing manager in an e-commerce
Why do a significant number of students who complete their undergraduate engineering abroad choose to return to their home country? Do you agree with the statement? How does this differ from the situation for those pursuing a master’s degree?
“I neither agree nor disagree as I do have alumni contacts who have stayed in the UK and looked for opportunities and others who decided to go back. The UK offers a two-year graduate route for international students to stay back and work or look for employment opportunities. Honestly, most of the time it depends on the individual’s choice and what really motivated them in the first place to take up the undergraduate degree. Most of my classmates during my master’s preferred continuing their careers in the UK. The UK has great opportunities in the fields of Healthcare, Science and Technology, Business and Management, Law”
– Ajith KR Vajrala, Master in Data Science, University of Essex
“You are right, many people do come back to India after pursuing their undergraduate degree outside but they return with valuable technical knowledge, exposure and network. Quality education, multicultural exposure, and modern technology often surpass what India offers. People get rewarded at the end in terms of work.”
– Pratik Modani, Founder and CEO of Hungry Picnic, University of South Dakota, USA (undergraduation)
“The first part doesn’t apply to me. For masters’ students returning back home, it is one of the two cases, returning immediately after, because they have family business to take care of or because it was sponsored education by their previous company. Most people try to stay and work here. The second case being working here for some time say 10 years and then returning because they have seen it all now and want to go back to their loved ones. They miss the comfort of home, the food, the ease of household help and older parents.”
– she/her, 30, working as performance marketing manager in an e-commerce
Why is job placement abroad often perceived as more challenging for students who complete their undergraduate engineering studies abroad, unless they attend an Ivy League institution? How does this compare to the situation for those pursuing a master’s degree?
“The UK doesn’t have the concept of campus placements like Indian colleges. Top-ranked institutions instead offer tailored career advice on how to apply for jobs, crack interviews, so students need to be self-motivated and start job applications way ahead of graduation. Because the process is based on individual initiative, it can be perceived as challenging. More generally, I think master’s students have more opportunities than the ones from undergraduate because of their level of maturity, on ground professional experience, and research exposure. Also, master’s students might have better interview experiences than the undergraduates.”
– Ajith KR Vajrala, Master in Data Science, University of Essex
“Finding a job isn’t as difficult, particularly for engineers. Competition abroad is lower than in India, making job hunting easier. I got my job within 20 days after my graduation there. But yes, getting a visa is challenging. Easier if you have a higher degree.”
– Pratik Modani, Founder and CEO of Hungry Picnic, University of South Dakota, USA (undergraduation)
“Usually if a person has more than five years of work experience in Data Engineering/Software Engineering in India, it is easier for them to get a job abroad. So, master’s students find it way less challenging to look for jobs there.”
– Pooja Pattnaik, pursuing Master’s at Maynooth University, Ireland
“It is only in India that I have seen the concept of placement. In Germany, after master’s and even during internship, we had to find our own jobs. Most people have to send out like 200 applications in total before they land some decent telephone interviews which then could be converted to a full-time job depending on each one’s ability. The number is higher if not in the Information Technology (IT) field because of the language barrier. I was lucky to have found the internship within 50 applications which I converted to a working student and then to a full-time job.”
– she/her, 30, working as performance marketing manager in an e-commerce
Could you elaborate on the differences in return on investment (ROI) for students who pursue undergraduate and postgraduate engineering degrees abroad and subsequently return to India? Is the investment worthwhile in both cases?
“Undergraduate courses are for plus three years in most of the universities. With course fee, accommodation and expenses, everything will be three to four times higher than the amount of money that is spent on a master’s degree. I feel that for a person on a budget, a master’s degree is worth the time and effort because of the exposure and opportunities it offers. The students are allowed to work up to 20 hours on a student visa which can be helpful in meeting a portion of their regular expenses. If the student is able to secure an opportunity after master’s he can recover everything in less than a year and the Undergraduate degree student has to spend a significantly higher amount of time, sometimes up to three years, to recover their overall investment. In my case, I strongly feel investment in master’s is completely worth it due to the high-quality education and global job opportunities. The student can work in any part of the world and even back in India, the student has high chances of bagging great job opportunities at a higher compensation than the home country graduates.”
– Ajith K R Vajrala, Master in Data Science, University of Essex
“There is potential for a good return on investment. Yes, it is hard to pay back the huge loan that one takes up to study abroad, but not impossible. You can easily pay back by working for a few years. A friend who studied dairy Science abroad returned to elevate his father’s milk business tenfold within three years. He applied the techniques he learnt in America while studying there. This exemplifies substantial ROI. However, those returning to work in India’s service sector might struggle with loan repayment.”
– Pratik Modani, Founder and CEO of Hungry Picnic, University of South Dakota, USA (undergraduation)
“Frankly, ROI is pretty good for people who are getting a job after a master’s degree.”
– Pooja Pattnaik, pursuing Master’s at Maynooth University, Ireland
“For someone who doesn’t think job and monetary ROI is everything, this country is perfect for the non monetary ROI of it. It is possible that I’m earning as much as I would have earned back in India after an IIM MBA or maybe a little lower even. I’m also saying I would have earned better, maybe somewhere else say the USA. I would have been happier food-wise in India. However, staying abroad has its own charm. you tend to appreciate other things. You tend to make another friend circle that feels the same things about what it means to be a foreigner. Some things just cannot be measured. I would always choose to come to Germany given the choice again, but beware of the language barrier, it is a difficult language to learn and you will always feel like you are not integrated completely because of that. All you can do is prepare yourself for self-discipline and self-sustenance and you should be good to go.”
– she/her, 30, working as performance marketing manager in an e-commerce
Courtesy : Edex