Living in a new country is an education in itself!

Study abroad

Dear Madam,

I have completed my BE in Telecommunication Engineering. I have an interest in Data Science and I have joined a certification course. Will it be difficult to pursue master’s degreein Data Science because of a different branch in my under graduation? What should I do to get admission in top universities in the US, Germany or the UK?

Sharath Ram

Dear Sharath,

Data Science master’s is offered to students from any background in most universities. To get into a top university in the US and Germany, you need a good GPA, any English language test such as IELTS, TOEFL and PTE and GRE scores of 320 and above.

For the UK, other than your GPA in Bachelors, all you need is the IELTS.

Dear Madam,

I am presently pursuing my BE in Electronics and Communication. I have a great interest in the field of Astronomy. I have also done a few online courses on it. Is it possible for me to pursue my master’s degree in astronomy? If not, what is the best path for me to have a career in the field of space technology?

A student

Dear Student,

Ideally, you should have studied Physics and Astronomy at Bachelors. However, if you have a good GPA, it will not be a problem to shift from Electronics and Communication to Astronomy. For Astronomy, I would suggest the US, the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Canada. You can apply for scholarships, teaching assistantship and research assistantship. In Germany, there will be no tuition fee in public universities. The exams you need to pass to apply for your Masters in the UK is only IELTS and for all others countries mentioned above you would require GRE and TOEFL/IELTS.

Some of the well-known European universities for Astronomy are TU Delft, University of Leiden, University of Amsterdam and GRAPPA in Netherlands, LMU Munich, University of Heidelberg and The Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany, Sapienza University of Rome and University of Trieste in Italy, ETH Zurich and University of Geneva in Switzerland, University of Copenhagen in Denmark, KU Leuven in Belgium and Chalmers in Sweden.
In the US, the universities for Space technology and Astronomy include Caltech, UC Berkeley, MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Arizona, Princeton, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Columbia, Michigan Ann Arbor, University of Chicago and Ohio State University.

Dear Madam,

I completed my BE in Civil Engineering last year and started working in a structural consultancy as a structural trainee. I want to specialise in structural engineering to increase my knowledge and skill in this field without quitting the job. So I wanted to know if I could do an online master’s (MSc) programme from a foreign university in this field. Does it require a GRE score, will it hold the same value as an on-campus degree, or is there any university in which I can study at home and just attend the exams on campus?

Mohammed Hammad

Dear Mohammed,

All online programmes allow you to study at home and take the exams on campus. However, online programmes abroad cost almost the same as on campus programme. The entry requirements are the same for both on campus and distance programmes. One of the advantages of studying on campus is getting on-the-job training and experience that these universities offer.

Especially for a subject like yours that needs hands-on training, I would advise you to enroll for a full time on-campus programme. The whole experience of living in a new country, meeting fellow students from various cultural backgrounds and learning from professors who come from different parts of the world is an education in itself!