Gap year will not be a problem

Study Abroad

Dear Madam,

I have completed my BE in Mechanical Engineering with an aggregate of 8.33 and am planning to do MS in Energy Engineering in Germany after working for a year in an IT company as my financial situation is not good. Can you please suggest some good universities for pursuing higher studies? How can I get scholarships? Will my gap year be a problem?

Vishwanath Iyer

Dear Vishwanath,

Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Berlin, RWTH Aachen University, University of Freiburg, University of Kassel and the University of Duisburg-Essen offer Masters programmes in Energy Engineering. German universities are very affordable.

The tuition fee is close to nothing or very nominal for all students both international and domestic. For this reason and the fact that these universities offer high-quality education, admission to German universities are highly competitive. Take the GRE and TOEFL iBT or IELTS academic test.

Your gap year will not be a problem anywhere. If possible register for a German language course and try to clear at least two levels before heading to Germany. Although the entire programme is taught in English, knowledge of the local language will strengthen your application and your chances in the job market.

Dear Madam,

I have completed my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and I am academically strong. I wish to pursue my Masters in Germany. What would be my expenses initially? What would be the expenses while pursuing Masters? Can taking up part-time job help meet the monthly expenses.

Anthony Fernandez

Dear Anthony,

If you are academically strong, your chances of getting admission in a German university is high. My response to the previous question posted by Vishwanath holds good for you too. As far as living expenses go, I would ask you to arrange the funds. You would also need to show some funds to cover your maintenance while applying for your visa. If you find a part-time job, you will be able to take care of your living costs but there is no guarantee on that part-time job. The good news is that you save on your tuition fees when compared to elsewhere in the world.

Dear Madam,

My daughter is studying in the second year of BSc. Her core subjects are Biotechnology, Genetics and Biochemistry. She is keen on pursuing post-graduation. Kindly suggest some good universities abroad which offer MS programmes in any of her core subjects.

Jayashree

Dear Jayashree,

Since your daughter is pursuing a three-year Bachelors programme in India, I would recommend UK, Australia and New Zealand which accept our three-year degrees. Most other countries follow a four-year Bachelors and accept only our BE or BTech students. The Master's programmes in the above-mentioned countries are for a duration of one year and very affordable.

In the UK, I recommend University of Edinburgh, Kings College London, Nottingham Trent University, University of Westminster, University of Glasgow, Imperial College London and the University of Birmingham.

In Australia, I recommend the University of Melbourne, UNSW Sydney, RMIT and the University of Queensland.

In New Zealand, the two best universities for these subjects are the University of Canterbury and Massey University.

Dear Madam,

My son is studying in Class 11 (ISC) in commerce stream with Math combination. He is also an avid footballer. He wants to major in Economics as well as pursue football professionally.

Please suggest German universities offering undergraduate degree courses in Economics. Also advise, as to how he can pursue sports along with academics.

Ruchi

Dear Ruchi,

Berlin School of Business and Innovation, University of Heidelberg, FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences, LMU Munich, University of Hamburg and the University of Cologne in Nürnberg are some of the universities known for their Economics programmes.

Most of these universities do offer football among other sports. The cities also have their own football clubs. It is best to check on each university’s website for more details.