Getting done with a bachelor’s degree comes with a lot of uncertainties and your brain starts to burst with questions. For sure, this is the time to take action. Otherwise, it might be delayed forever, as discussed in “Why a Foreign Master’s Degree is Worth-It“
As your research for Master’s degree programs abroad begins, the very first question you get is:
Where to pursue a higher degree?
Without any doubt, you must first be sure of the degree program you wish to pursue. The very next thing is where to pursue this course
Each country has its merits, one country may have good degree programs and research opportunities in the field of Cybersecurity while another country might have reputed programs in Computer Science.
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Country to Study
- Does this country have a good degree program in the field of your interest?
Usually, you are able to find at least one or two programs of your choice in whatever country you like. However, sometimes, you may not have any options, which needs to be researched
- What are the work regulations for students during and after their studies?
Most countries allow students to work 20 hrs/week during study-period and full-time work is allowed during semester breaks.
- Does the living environment suit you?
Some countries may have excellent opportunities, but the living conditions may not be suitable for you. This is a factor mostly overlooked, but it needs to be duly considered. For instance, if you find extreme cold weather to be very disturbing and you go to Canada, you may achieve a lot but are likely to still lack happiness and comfort.
MS Scenario in Various Countries
Canada
Canada has universities of high repute, and those universities are more likely to have reasonable fees as compared to the US. Canada also has several companies in the fields of both engineering and IT, hence a great place to do internships at local and world-renowned multi-national companies.
While Canada is famous for offering quality education with a standard comparable to that of the United States – without the need for GRE – some of the top universities like the University of British Columbia demand a GRE score.
Investment Required: On average, you may require anywhere between 13 and 18 lacs to study in Canada.
Part-time Jobs: You may work part-time at a store or a restaurant to afford your tuition and living.
Merits
- Quality of education
- Job opportunities
- Relatively lower fees than the US
- Policy for permanent residency after students graduate
Demerits
- Canada’s climate is a deal-breaker for many students, with a major duration of the year presenting extreme cold weather
United States
The United States is at the top of the wish-list for students wanting to pursue MS in a reputed university in a country that offers lots of opportunities.
Students can work part-time 20 hrs per week and 40 hrs per week on holidays, breaks, and summer sessions.
Investment Required: Usually, an initial investment of 15 to 22 lac is required if you wish to study in the US. Without any doubt, the tuition fees vary drastically between different universities. You should aim to target universities with low tuition but good reputation (clearly, there are only a few), or you should target well-reputed universities and apply to Graduate Assistant job positions. Another option to afford your tuition is to target universities with good OPT programs, like that of Northeastern University; these programs give you well-paid internships, good enough to help you with tuition fees.
Merits
- With a good GRE score and a decent GPA, universities in the US offer generous scholarships ranging from 20% to 100% (sometimes in the form of assistantships)
- US is the land of opportunities. With 50 states in the Federal Republic of America, there are hundreds of best-in-the-world companies, offering thousands of internship and job opportunities
- Govt. designated STEM programs get you additional time to stay in the US
Demerits
- US has strict regulations for part-time workers, which makes it difficult to afford both tuition fees and living expenses. You are required to work on-campus with a F-1 visa status
You can read FAQ for Planning a US Masters written by NUSTIAN (NUST Alumni Association US Chapter) for specific information.
Few Insights:
- UMKC doesn’t require GRE for over 3 GPA
- UT Arlington doesn’t require GRE for over 3.3 GPA
- Oklahoma State University gives generous scholarships. Two NUSTians with 3.3 GPA and 310+ GRE got full funding
- Lamar university and UMKC have very affordable fee and a good programs in Computer Science; although not very high ranked, these universities have landed Pakistani students with roles top companies
- Texas system of education gives in-state tuition if you are offered 1000 USD or more scholarship. For instance, UT Austin has out of state fee of over 30K USD per year while in-state fee is just over 10K a year. If you’re offered a scholarship of 1000 USD or more based on your profile, the in-state fee applies automatically; hence you pay 10000 minus the scholarship of 1000 (or more) that you’ve got. This is a HUGE DEAL
Relevant Resources:
- Watch Parth Vijaywerjia’s videos regarding “MS in the US” on YouTube
- Yocket
Germany
You may already know that a master’s degree from a public university in Germany costs absolutely nothing. However, you are required to block EUR 8650 (approx. 14 lac PKR) in a German bank account that allows only EUR 720 to be withdrawn every month, once you are in Germany; 8650 Euros are calculated by multiplying 720 with 12, as living expenses for the first year. The purpose of a blocked account is to ensure that you have sufficient funds to live in Germany.
If you are applying through Germany Embassy Islamabad, then you are also required to show a bank statement which shows that you have enough funds to finance the second year of your life in Germany. German Consulate Karachi, however, doesn’t require a bank statement as a proof for the capability to bear the second-year expenses.
Part-time work: Learn beginner level German language and you’d be able to find a part-time job at a wage of around 9 to 10 EUR per hour. If you work smart and look for lower-skilled jobs like computer administrator or another office based job, you can even earn 800 EUR per month by working only 20 hrs per week (this is a real case of a close friend who has landed a role in Data Handling/Data Annotation).
Investment Required: In public universities: EUR 8650 + travelling (few hundreds of Euros) + health insurance (few hundred Euros)
Private universities may have lots of fees, or sometimes nominal fees (as compared to other countries)
Merits
- Highest quality education
- No tuition fees
Demerits
- Climate: While the weather isn’t as drastic as Canada, in almost all parts of Germany, you’d see the temperature ranging between -12 degree Celsius and 15 degrees Celsius
- If you apply for German citizenship and you qualify for it, you have to give-up your Pakistani citizenship
- Language Barrier: Learning German is a crucial part of surviving (working and living) in Germany.
Relevant Resources: Study and Life in Germany
Australia
Australia has been among the hot-favourite countries for the past few years, owing to its immigration policy, which offered convenient Permanent Residency (PR) through a point tested system. You can check your points at Home Affairs Points Test; it is advised that you consider yourself in the scenario when you have completed your studies and then do the points test. At present, people are getting invites for PR at 75 points in the field of information technology.
Australian universities offer easy scholarships (up to 25%), and among the challenging ones are 50% and 100% scholarships.
Investment Required: At present 1 Australian Dollar (AUD) = 100 PKR (approx.). The investment required to study in Australia ranges from 12K AUD (Tuition) + 2200 (Travel) + 2 months living (2000 AUD approx.) in cheaper universities to 17K (Tuition) + 2200 (Travel) + 2 months living (2000 AUD approx.) for well-ranked moderately expensive universities (while top-ranked universities are usually out of reach for international students)
Again, the initial investment is all that you need to study and work in Australia if you are willing to put in hard work in real sense.
Merits
- Climate: Australia has moderate weather round the year, and offers the perfect climate; although sometimes the temperature may go to 35 degree Celsius when too high, usually it stays in the range of 6 and 25 degree Celsius for the most part of the year.
- PR Process: While the PR process is not very easy anymore, but it definitely is more certain and smoother than the US. Also, there are many ways to earn points for PR; with a very good score in IELTS or PTE, it becomes a lot easier. Therefore, we can place the ease of getting PR second to Canada (at present), above the US and Europe.
- Work Regulations: Students can work part-time for 20 hrs per week during semester studies period and full-time work is allowed on official holidays. Also, students can do a job anywhere, without a restriction to work on campus.
- Minimum Wage: Minimum wage in Australia is the highest in the world at 20 AUD per hour. Any wage offered to you which is below 20 AUD is illegal and it can be reported.
De-merits
- High Tuition Fees: A large sum of money in Australian economy comes from international students’ fees. However, due to easy regulations for part-time work, people are able to manage fees and living expenses by doing hard work.
- Quality of education is just as much as is required to enter you to the Australian workforce. The same demerit turns into convenience for international students, as classes are usually only two days per week, so students can work the rest of the days to afford their education and living.
There are other countries like Sweden, Norway, Finland (in Nordic Region) which I haven’t been able to cover during research, since there were one or two constraints that I noticed, like these countries offer extreme cold weather, expenses are difficult to manage for the first year in Finland (unless on Full-scholarship). If you do not have a problem with extreme negative temperatures, you should definitely expand your options and search about these countries too.
Relevant resources: Internash – Study in Australia Facebook Group, and Pakistani Students Association of Australia
Important: If you’re a NUST Alumnus or a student at NUST, you may request to join NUST Coaching Groups by emailing Alumni Association or by contacting a volunteer.
Takeaway
When thinking about doing a master’s from a foreign country, do not make yourself overburdened by thinking that your parents need to pay each semester fee and all living expenses. However, do not be tricked into thinking that all of the expenses will be managed without you spending your free hours into work. The two years of your master’s degree may be the busiest years of your life, but the future they offer is remarkable.
As I’m repeating time and again, the initial investment is all that is needed to study abroad due to the part-time job opportunities and high wages in developed countries. If you’re still wondering about ways to arrange the initial investment, read Ways to Fund Your Master’s Degree to get your answers
All I have to say to you now is: ESCAPE YOUR COMFORT ZONE, Challenge Yourself, and Cherish the Future that Everybody Dreams – Before It Is Too Late
What is FAQ Blog Series?
I wanted to give the information I received from my seniors and the lessons learned from my experiences to the juniors, hence started the FAQ Blog Series, where I shall be addressing the most commonly asked questions which I picked from the career guidance sessions carried out by the NUST Alumni Association in the past.
Source of Featured Image: Stoodnt
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