Work on your credentials

STUDY ABROAD

Dear Madam,

I have done my Master’s in Physics and want to take up astronomy. I would like to apply for PhD in the US and I have some specific questions about the application process. I have applied to graduate school in the USA twice - fall 2017 and fall 2018 - and I couldn’t secure admission. I am interested in studying clusters of galaxies and there are very few astronomers in India doing research on this topic. So, I want to pursue the studies in the US.

Krishna Kumar Kowshik

Dear Krishna Kumar,

For a PhD programme in the US, it is important to communicate with professors at various universities and get their permission to apply. Most of these programmes are fully funded and it is important to convince the professors that you will be an asset to their department. Universities look for candidates who have excellent writing skills, high academic credential and published research works. GRE score of 327 and above is necessary. You need to identify a research topic and communicate with professors from various universities who are already into research in your area of interest. A good research proposal, a statement of purpose which clearly addresses your interest in their university and the particular department you are applying to, a resume which highlights all your academic achievements, research works and publications and work experience will help them decide if you are a worthy candidate. While USA does have the highest number of world-class universities, please do look at other countries too. You will be surprised at the number of universities offering PhD in Astronomy. There are universities that even have their own observatory. Other than the US, look at universities in Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Netherlands, Japan and Singapore.

Dear Madam,

My daughter is in final year BE (Biotechnology), she is insisting on doing MBA abroad. Kindly guide us in choosing the course and university that is affordable for a middle-class family. I seek your advice on other possibilities as well.

K Murthy

Dear Parent,

If your daughter wants to pursue her MBA in UK, New Zealand or Australia, she needs to only write the IELTS exam. For all other countries, she must also take the GMAT. The most affordable in my opinion is UK and New Zealand since the duration of the course is one year and you can find a good university where the total cost including tuition and living expenses will be around Rs 20 lakh. For more information on universities, entry requirements, fees, scholarships etc., visit www.umaaswani.com.

Dear Madam,

I have completed my graduation in mechanical engineering with 67 percentile in 2016, and I am currently working and have an experience of two years in the Aerospace industry. I am interested in pursuing my masters in Supply Chain or in Management. Kindly suggest some colleges in Canada or Europe.

Omkar

Dear Omkar,

University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of York, Concordia University, HEC Montreal - Business School / the University of Montreal, University of Windsor and Seneca College are some of the Canadian universities that offer masters programmes in supply chain management.

In Europe, we have Maastricht University and Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands), ESSEC Business School (France), Copenhagen Business School (Denmark), University of Cologne, Kuehne Logistics University and IUBH University of Applied Sciences (Germany) and WU Vienna University of Economics and Business (Austria) that are known for supply chain management courses.

Dear Madam,

My son has completed BE in electronics and communication. He is a certified SAP – abab programmer from SAP Lab Germany. He would now like to pursue MS in SAP in any university in USA or Canada or in the Far East. Please recommend a suitable university.

S Vembu

Dear Vembu,

The University of North Alabama and Central Michigan University in the US, HEC Montreal in Canada, Victoria University in Melbourne Australia, SMU in Singapore, Mannheim Business School Germany, Brunel University and Sheffield Hallam University in UK offer masters in SAP. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2NxfLPL.

Dear Madam,

I just completed my Chemical engineering degree. I got placed in a paper industry. I want to do further studies abroad (MS/MBA). What opportunities do I have? Also, I wanted to know the exam to be taken and when and how to start preparing for it. How can I get a scholarship abroad? What subject can I opt for? What job will I get after doing MS or MBA?

Akshay

Dear Akshay,

You can pursue MS in Chemical Engineering, Innovative Chemical Technologies, Sustainable Chemical Engineering, Chemical Processing Engineering, Material Science, Nano Science and Nano Technology, Polymer Science etc., if you wish to study a course related to your Bachelor programme. Alternately, if you want to pursue a management course you could either go with a traditional MBA or go with an MBM, MIM, Masters in Engineering Management, MS in Operations Management, Human Resources Management, Supply Chain Management etc.

The exams you need to take will again depend on the country. While a simple English test like IELTS is sufficient for UK, Australia and New Zealand, you would have to write the GRE for MS and GMAT for MBA in addition to an English test such as TOEFL iBT / IELTS / PTE for most countries. Practising past papers is enough preparation for these tests. Scholarships would be based on your GPA, test scores and other credentials like published research projects, work experience and finally, your writing skills.

If you are passionate about what you do, there will always be enough job opportunities.

Dear Madam,

I’m a Class 12 student interested in graphic designing. Which are the best universities in the US that provide a scholarship for this course?

Thejas

Dear Thejas,

Graphic Design is a very popular course and is offered by many universities. Some of the best in the US include Yale, Carnegie Mellon, California Institute of Arts, Boston University, Indiana University of Bloomington, Cleveland Institute of Art, University of Georgia, University of Wisconsin Madison, Rutgers, California State University LA, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Rochester Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, University of Michigan, Washington University and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Scholarships are offered by all of them and are based on your scores in SAT, Subject SATs, TOEFL, 9th to 12th Grade exams and your college essays.