Teachers are in high demand in every country

Dear Madam,

I have completed BSc Hons in Agriculture marketing. I am looking forward to doing my masters in Agriculture economics abroad. What universities would you recommend, are there any scholarships and what is the procedure to apply to a university?

A student

Dear student,

Some of the well-known schools to pursue Agriculture economics in the US include Cornell, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Texas A&M, Penn State, Purdue, UC Berkeley and Virginia Tech. In the UK, University of Warwick and University of Reading are popular for this course. In Europe, University of Copenhagen, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Szent Istvan university in Hungary, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and Humboldt University of Berlin are good. Merit-based scholarships are offered on all university portals. Some of the public universities in Europe are free of tuition fee. US universities offer graduate assistantship and teacher assistantship in addition to scholarships and fellowships. Take an English language test like IELTS, TOEFL or PTE. Before registering for one of them, check what is accepted by the universities that you have shortlisted. A GRE test will be an added requirement for US and Europe. Applications have to be submitted online through the university portal. You would have to upload your transcripts, passport, resume, a statement of purpose or letter of intent and three letters of recommendation.

Dear Madam,

I currently work at an international school and have a BSc and BEd. I want to explore more by travelling across the world. What is the procedure to study abroad and is it a good option to shift my career to a different field like business management?

Shridevi MP

Dear Shridevi,

To study abroad, I suggest you take an English language test which is the basic requirement to go to any country. Since you are a teacher and have done your BEd, the best career option for you is to teach. Teachers are always in high demand in every country. You have said you like to travel and want to explore the world, no better way than to work in an international IB school. The curriculum will be the same and you can move from one boarding school to another without any difficulty. I wouldn’t advice changing your stream to business management when you have no background in the subject. Since one of the easiest routes to any country is through a student visa, perhaps you could consider pursuing your master’s in education and leadership in a country like UK or New Zealand where your programme will be for a duration of one year making tuition and living expenses affordable. These countries also offer stay back options and work visas. There are many IB schools in these countries.

Dear Madam,

I am studying MBBS, would like to pursue masters in Medicine abroad. Can you please recommend some good universities which are recognised by the medical council of India? Can I come and practice back in India?

Dhyan

Dear Dhyan,

After MBBS, I would suggest you go to UK for your masters. To study in UK, you need to write the IELTS exam. To be able to practice in UK, you have to write the PLAB exam. While most universities accept an MBBS for an MRes, MPhil or MSc in an area of specialisation, some universities ask for two years of clinical experience. Some of the best UK Universities for Masters in Medicine are Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, Kings College, Liverpool University, Glasgow University, Newcastle, Anglia Ruskin, Queen Mary and Edinburgh. To pursue your studies in USA or Canada, you need to take the MCAT and USMLE exam. You could also consider a MD or PhD in areas such as cancer biology, cardiovascular biology, neuropharmacology and structural biology, immunology, microbiology, among others. Admission would be based on your previous academic performance, Graduate Record Examination score (general test), letters of recommendation and interviews with members of the department. The best medical schools in the US are Harvard, MIT, Dartmouth University, Duke University, John Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania and University of Southern California. In Canada, I would recommend McGill, University of Toronto and University of British Columbia. You can certainly come back to India and practice if you study at a reputed university.

Dear Madam,

I will be completing a law degree soon and now wish to enroll in a Master’s degree programme in clinical psychology or psychotherapy in a university in USA or Canada. Can you please suggest universities to which I could apply?

Anita S

Dear Anita,

I hope you studied psychology in your integrated undergraduate programme. To pursue your masters in clinical psychology, one of the requisites is that you already have done your Bachelor’s in psychology. Top universities in both USA and Canada would also require a GRE in addition to an English test like TOEFL, IBT, IELTS or PTE. Universities in Canada known for clinical psychology are University of British Columbia, University of Guelph, Lakehead University, University of Toronto and University of Alberta. In the US, Columbia University, NYU, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Pepperdine University and University of New Orleans are among those that offer clinical psychology.