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Category: Education

Education

Masters in USA Beyond branded Universities

There are many variations of passages of Lorem Ipsum available, but the majority have suffered alteration in some form, by injected humour, or randomised words which don’t look even slightly believable. As students across the globe continue to see their learning plans significantly.

The Craze for Branded Universities-

Most of the students aiming for a great master’s education want to get into one of those “Branded” universities everyone is talking about. I’m not just talking about the Harvards and Stanfords of US but even the next tier of Universities such as University of California, LA or SD or North Carolina, Chapel Hill or TAMU, college station etc.. Remember, even these universities have a huge number of applicants from all around the world, especially from the Subcontinent, China, Korea etc.. . Getting into such Universities of course takes a great profile with good GPAs, GREs etc.. An added hurdle is the sheer amount of competition the applicants face.

For example, even after guiding multiple students over the years, for us it’s still quite hard to tell if a student with a great profile can get into CS program of North Carolina, Chapel Hill or not. It really depends on how competitive the Pool of applicants is.

Moving Beyond…

What I can safely claim is that there are Universities which are almost on an equal footing as the “Popular” ones in terms of quality of education, but have somehow missed the limelight. To be honest, a few reasons for them not being that popular could be High tuition fees, Location, limited intake etc.. However, one secret advantage these Universities enjoy is the “Relatively low volume of applicants”. This very situation can increase one’s chances of admit into a great graduate course. Note that some courses in such universities might be ranked higher than the popular ones.

Also, one’s chance of getting on campus jobs or Assistantship increases owing to less number of students in the program, which in turn decrease your expenses.

Branded V/S Not-Branded-

For many students, the “Craze for Brand” is not just the driving factor to aim for such universities, but the opportunities that are created in terms of Job. I cannot deny that. Graduating from a “Maryland, college park” or “Columbia” definitely turns heads. The competition is crushing though.

On the other hand, graduating from a good Master’s course offered by these Not-branded Universities can also positively impact one’s resume, because employers usually look not only at the “brands” but also the content in an applicant.

In my opinion, if you are looking for an enriching education experience, do not limit yourself by just applying for brands. You should also give a shot to the other set of Universities.

QS rankings for some Popular Universities-

University of California, Los Angeles – 35

University of Illinois, Urbana Champagne – 75

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill- 90

University of Southern California- 129

Texas A&M, College Station – 189

University of Illinois, Chicago- 231

UMass, Amherst- 305

Northeastern University- 344

Stony Brook University, SUNY – 359

University of Texas, Dallas – 501-510

University of Cincinnati – 561-570

QS Rankings of some “Not so popular” Universities

Northwestern University 31

Rice University 85

Boston University 98

Case Western Reserve 167

Vanderbilt 200

Dartmouth College- 207

Georgetown University- 226

University of Notre Dame- 241

Tufts University 253

LeHigh University 551-560

Drexel University 561-571

College of William and Mary – 600+

 

Of course some might not agree with the Universities in the “Not so Popular” list, but we have observed fewer students applying to them (from India).

I also tried to include popular universities from different “Tiers” keeping all sorts of profiles in mind.

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Education

IELTS-TOEFL-or-PTE-what-to-prefer

Everyone who is planning to study or immigrate abroad faces this dilemma. I have put together some information that could help you make a better choice about which test to take. 

 Before looking into what’s the best option for you, please remember that all these tests measure your English Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking abilities but on different scales. Obviously, the exam patterns are different from each other. However, Universities have a certain minimum requirement for each of these tests. For example, one university in the US has minimum requirements as – TOEFL iBT 79+/120 , IELTS Academic 6.5+/9, Duo Lingo 105+/160, and  PTE Academic 58+/90. 

 Also Please note that IELTS and PTE tests have two different categories called Academic and General. You choose the Academic version if you’re applying to universities/colleges and the General version for Permanent Residency or Work permit in some countries. 

Universities in different countries accept a slightly different set of the above tests so let me breakdown country-wise.  

1.USA

     For Universities –

TOEFL iBT- Accepted by all Universities. 

IELTS Academic – Accepted by all Universities.

PTE Academic –  Not all Universities accept PTE. 

Duo Lingo- As of 2020-2021, which is the current year, this test has just started being accepted by a few popular Universities but not all of them accept these scores. However, more number of universities might pick it up in the near future. Please check with the universities you’re applying to before taking the test. 

For Immigration/PR- 

No Proficiency test is required for getting H1B or Green Card. 

2.Canada

For Universities/Colleges-

All universities accept TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, and PTE Academic.

For Immigration- 

If you’re applying for PR permit, Canadian immigration department asks you to submit English proficiency proof and IELTS General is the most popular pick. TOEFL , PTE and Duo Lingo are not accepted as proof here. 

If you’re planning to apply for universities or PR , it’s best to choose IELTS over others. Of course, you need to write IELTS Academic in case of study permit and General in case of PR permit. 

3.UK

For Universities/Colleges-

Similar to US, all the universities are accepting TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, and PTE Academic. A few Universities started to accept Duo Lingo scores as well. 

For Immigration- 

No requirement of English proficiency for work visa or Permanent Residency permit. 

4.Australia and New Zealand

 For Universities-

All Australian and New Zealand universities accept IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, and PTE Academic. You can choose either of them. 

For immigration-

Unlike Canada, here all the three tests are accepted – TOEFL iBT, IELTS General, and

PTE General. 

     5.European and other Countries- Most universities accept both TOEFL iBT and IELTS.

Final verdict

 In our training institute and the University guidance department, we see a lot of students choosing IELTS over other tests. It’s the most popular choice because of its wide acceptance by both Universities and countries across the world. 

 Also, please note that there are other not so popular tests such as the TOEIC, Cambridge etc.. which are accepted by a few universities and countries (UK, Canada etc..). Since the tests mentioned in the article are the most popular picks among students, I have addressed them. 

 In case you are still confused or you’re looking for something apart from the IELTS, I suggest you go through test patterns of the other tests and attempt a few questions in sample tests available online. See for yourself which pattern seems most comfortable for you. Of course, don’t forget to check with the Universities (you’ll be applying to) as well to see which of the tests they’re accepting. The details along with minimum requirements are available on University websites. 

 Any questions? Please write to me at jayasury@drrajus.com

 

Jayasurya Pathapati

MSc. Entrepreneurship, Brown University ’17, USA. 

Linkedin- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayasurya-pathapati-1348647

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We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.

LIOYD ALEXANDER
Education

MSc in Data Science in Canada

Canada is increasingly becoming an attractive study destination for international students. Especially when compared to the USA, Canada has a smooth post-study Visa process that is based on merit. Those who apply for Canadian PR with a Master’s degree and relevant job experience find it much easier to secure PR.

Among all the master’s programs, Data science is one of the most trending and in-demand master’s programs. Indeed, many experts predict that there will be huge scope for Data science and its applications across all sectors, and thereby high demand for data science professionals. One good thing is people from diverse Math, Science, and Engineering backgrounds can apply for Mater’s in Data Science, given they have a solid foundation in Mathematics and Statistics, with relevant knowledge or work experience in programming (Python, R, etc..). Some universities might look for experience with handling tools such as SQL, MongoDB, Tableau, PowerBi, etc…

If you’re interested in applying to Universities in Canada, Here’s a comprehensive University List and relevant links for Masters in Data Science and Its associated courses: 

Please note that fulfilling minimum application requirements will not guarantee admits. Other factors also come into play.

1. University of British Columbia (Vancouver): MS Data Science (MDS) 

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA :3 (Minimum 76 % in III & IV Year) 

2. IELTS 7.0 (Min. 6.5 sub-score V campus) ; 6.5 (min. 6.0 sub-score for O campus) or (TOEFL :

100)

3. Work Experience is an advantage

4. No GRE Requirement

Tuition Fees: 48,895 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Jan 31st 

Course Duration: 10 Months

***It is offered both in Vancouver and Okanagan Campuses 

Courses covered in the program: Data Manipulation with R, Statistical Interference,Data Visualization, regression

 

2. University of Toronto (Ontario): Master of Science in Applied Computing

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA :3 (Minimum 77-79 % in final year) 

2. IELTS 7.0 (Min. 6.5 sub-score ), or (TOEFL : 93)

3. Work Experience is an added advantage but not required 

4. GRE Requirement is needed

Tuition Fees: 57, 000 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Early December  

Course Duration: 16 Months ( 8 months course work & 8 months paid internship) 

Courses covered in the program: Statistical and Computer Science Methods for Data Analysis and Data Visualization

 

3. Mc Gill University (Montreal, Quebec): Master of Management Analytics : 

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: 3.2 (Around 80% ) 

2. IELTS 6.5 (Min. 6.0 sub -score ), or (TOEFL : 86)

3. Work Experience is an added advantage but not required

4. GRE or GMAT Requirement is needed

Tuition Fees: 52, 515 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Feb 15th

Course Duration: 12 Months 

Courses covered in the program: data Acquisition, Big data Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Machine Learning and AI

 

4. Queen University (Toronto): Master of Management Analytics (WES requirement)

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (Around 75% ) 

2. IELTS: No minimum scores are published

3. Work Experience in R or Python is an added advantage 

4. GMAT is an advantage but not mandatory

Tuition Fees: 72,500 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Not Available

Course Duration: 12 Months

Courses covered in the program: Big Data Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Predictive Modeling

 

5. Western Ontario: Master of Data Analytics

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: 3.0 (Above 75% ) 

2. IELTS: 7.0 overall and TOEFL: 94

3. Work Experience in Statistical Modelling is an added advantage 

4. GRE is not needed

Tuition Fees: 52,655 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Oct 15th to Feb 15th

Course Duration: 12 Months

Courses covered in the program: Data Analytics, Data Science for AI, Banking and Insurance

 

6. HEC Montreal ( Montreal, Quebec): MSc in Data Science and Business Analytics

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (Above 75% ) 

2. IELTS:  7.0 overall and TOEFL: 95

3. Work Experience though not required it is an added advantage 

4. GRE is around 315 and GMAT 630

Tuition Fees: 29.900 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: March 15th

Course Duration: 16-24 Months

Courses covered in the program: Business Intelligence & Big Data, Marketing & Supply Chain, Finance & Risk management, Innovation & Strategy

 

7. Simon Fraser University ( British Columbia): Professional Masters Big Data Specialization (As a Part of Computer Science stream)

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: 3.0 (Above 75% ) 

2. IELTS:  7.0 overall ( Min Sub-score 6.5) and TOEFL: 94 (Min. 20 Sub-Score)

3. Work Experience though not required it is an added advantage 

4. GRE & GMAT are not required

Tuition Fees: 42,165 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Feb 1st deadline

Course Duration: 16 Months

Courses covered in the program: Big Data, Data Mining, and Visualization methods

 

8. Ryerson University (Toronto): M.Sc in Data Science and Analytics

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (Above 75% ) 

2. IELTS:  7.0 overall ( Min Sub-score 6.5) and TOEFL: 94 (Min. 20 Sub-Score)

3. Work Experience though not required it is an added advantage 

4. GRE & GMAT are not required

Tuition Fees: 42,165 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Feb 1st deadline

Course Duration: 16 Months

Courses covered in the program: Big Data, Data Science and Analytics, Operation Research, Machine Learning

 

9. Carleton University (Ottawa): Collaborative Masters Program In Data Science

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (Above 75% ) 

2. IELTS:  6.5 overall ( Min Sub-score 6) and TOEFL: 86 

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE & GMAT are not required

Tuition Fees: 32,000 to 52, 000 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Jan 15th deadline

Course Duration: 2 years for Masters & 16 Months for MBA

Courses covered in the program: Big Data, Sensor Data Analytics, Database, Business Analytics

 

10. University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario):

1. Master of Data Science & AI.

2. Master of Mathematics in Data Science

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: 3.0 (Above 78% ) 

2. IELTS:  7.5 to 7 overall and TOEFL: 100

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE is an added advantage but not strictly required

Tuition Fees: 40,000 CAD Program Fee

Deadlines: Fall Deadline: Jan 15th deadline 

Course Duration: 18-24 months 

Courses covered in the program: Big Data, AI, Machine Learning, Data Science

 

11. University of Alberta ( Edmonton, Alberta): Master of Science in Computing Science ( Data Base Systems) 

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: 3.0 (About 75% ) 

2. IELTS :  7 (Min. sub score 6) and TOEFL: 100, PTE: 68

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE is an added advantage but not strictly required

Tuition Fees: 20,000 CAD 

Deadlines: Fall Deadline: Jan 15th deadline to Feb 13th deadline 

Course Duration: 2 years

Courses covered in the program: database systems, information retrieval, data management issues on the web and social networks, spatial data mining, database

aspects of multimedia, and artificial intelligence.

 

12. University of Victoria ( Greater Victoria, British Columbia): Master of Engineering in Applied Data Science

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (About 70-75% ) 

2. IELTS:  6.5 (Min. subscore 6) and TOEFL: 90 (Min 20 Sub-Score)

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE is an added advantage but not strictly required

Tuition Fees: 38,000 CAD 

Deadlines: Fall Deadline: June 1st, 2021; Spring Deadline: October 1st 

Course Duration: 1 year

Courses covered in the program: database systems, information retrieval, data management issues on the web and social networks, spatial data mining, database

aspects of multimedia, and artificial intelligence

 

13. St. Mary’s University (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada): MSc in Computing and Data Analytics

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (About 70% ) 

2. IELTS:  6.5 (Min. subscore 6) and TOEFL: 80( 20 min sub-score)

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE is not strictly required

5. Technical Interview and a Programming Test 

Tuition Fees: 37,000 CAD 

Deadlines: Fall Deadline: Feb 1st deadline 

Course Duration: 16 months

Courses covered in the program: Analytics & Business Intelligence, Acquisition and Storage, management and Analysis, Software Design,  Programming Languages & Statistical Modelling Packages (R, Python, Blockchain, Hadoop, Spark, Watson, SAS, SQL).

 

14. University of Calgary ( Calgary, Alberta): Master of Data Science and Analytics

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (About 70% ) 

2. IELTS:  6.5 (Min. subscore 6) and TOEFL: 86( 20 min sub-score); PTE: 59

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE is not strictly required

Tuition Fees: 44,880 CAD 

Deadlines: Fall Deadline: Feb 1st deadline 

Course Duration: 12-16 months ( Including an Internship)

Courses covered in the program: Data Science and Business Analytics related course work that includes an Internship as well.

 

15. Northeastern University, Ontario: Master of Professional Studies in Analytics

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (About 70% ) 

2. IELTS:  6.5 (Min. subscore 6) 

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE is not strictly required

Tuition Fees: 36,900 CAD 

Deadlines: Fall Deadline: Jun1st deadlines ( 3 months earlier the better)  ; Winter Deadline: Sept 5th

Course Duration: 12-18 months ( Including an Internship)

Courses covered in the program: Statistics, Mathematics, Analytical System Technology, Business Intelligence, Communicating with Data.

 

16. York University ( Toronto, Ontario): Master of Business Analytics:

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (About 75% ) 

2. IELTS:  7 (Min 6.5 Sub Score; TOEFL 100 ( Min Sub Score-23)

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE and GAMT is required

5. 2 video essays and 2 written essays are required

Tuition Fees: 53,900 CAD 

Deadlines: Fall Deadline: 4 round of admission ..last round on April-15th 

Course Duration: 12 months 

Courses covered in the program: SAS Certification, Predictive Modelling, Big data, Visual Analytics Modelling 

 

17. Trent University (Peterborough, Ontario): MS in Big Data Analytics (WES Evaluation of Transcripts)

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (About 75% ) 

2. IELTS: 6.5 (Min 6 Sub Score; TOEFL 93( Min Sub Score-22)

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE and GAMT are not required

Tuition Fees: 27,000 CAD per year

Deadlines: Fall Deadline: Not clearly published 

Course Duration: 16 months 

Courses covered in the program: Foundations of Modelling, Statistical, Mathematical and Computational Aspects of the modeling 

 

18. Acadia University (Wolfville, Nova Scotia): MS in CS (AI, Machine Learning, Data Compression, Intelligent Information Retrieval and Integration, Autonomic Computing): Not strictly a Data Science

Program but course work is available with Co-Op program up to 8 months in an industry is offered

 Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA:3.0 (About 60%-2nd division )

2. IELTS:  6.5 (Min 6 Sub Score; TOEFL 93( Min Sub Score-20); PTE: 61

3. Work Experience though not required, it is an added advantage 

4. GRE and GAMT are not required

Tuition Fees: 28,000 CAD for the program 

Deadlines: Fall Deadline: June 15th: Winter: Sept 15th

Course Duration: 18-24 months 

Courses covered in the program: Various programming and Data Base Management Courses

 

Interested to apply to one of these universities?

We will guide you in picking the right set of universities to apply to, based on your academics, test

scores, budget, etc...

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EducationLearning

Why Pursue a Master’s Degree?

Why should you get a Master’s degree?

Is it for better Money? 

Is it because you want to upgrade your skills?

Is it because you think a Master’s degree is a one stop solution for all your professional and personal desires?

If your answer is amongst the reasons mentioned above, I am sorry, in the long run you will be disappointed. If you want to earn a decent salary you ought to have skills. For developing skills you don’t have to go to university, you’re better off doing bootcamps or online courses. Your Return on Investment will be great and you can save a lot of time. Average shelf life of IT-skills is three years. So, upgrading is no longer an option. You are up or out.

So What is Master’s degree for?

1.To develop niche-skills: Let me give a specific example. If you are an electronics engineer, I hope you will relate to this. In order to design a normal Power amplifier all you have to use is the knowledge gained in the second year of your degree. Quite frankly, someone with a decent understanding of circuits can design it without a degree. But, if you want to design the same amplifier with restrictions on parameters such as noise ratio, high unity gain bandwidth, low input resistance, then maybe you will require some more knowledge. This too can be done without much assistance. Let me up the game a little. Now, if you want to design an Amplifier at nanoscale (used in computers) with hundreds of technical parameters, do you think you can do it without simulators and guidance from your professors? I guess the answer will be a no for many. Now, that’s where a Master’s degree comes in. For niche fields such as Quantum computing, Nanotechnology,ASIC design, Computer Vision etc., masters is not an option, it’s mandatory.

2. For guidance: Those of you who are thinking that Einstein has come up with the Theory of Special relativity on his own, wake up. He had phenomenal insights but insights won’t transform themselves into equations, you need guidance. Albert Einstein got the best education of his day and built upon work done by Graduate school professors. In fact he was a faculty member at Princeton University.

3.To observe and exploit patterns: Do you know that many of the best engineers and physicists who get the top dollar, work in hedge funds? What do you think is common amongst them? Math. Now just doing a master’s degree doesn’t give you a good understanding of Finance. What it does is give you is better tools(than that you used in your bachelors) to gauge odds.

4. To network with peers : When it comes to Management education, it is no secret that professionals do an MBA for networking, not curriculum. The advantages of networking are too obvious to discuss here. Also, the more diverse, distinct and talented the peer group is the better. Hence, the competition for top MBAs is insanely high.

5. To change domains: After four years of engineering if you realised that it is not for you, no worries. Master’s degree is the best way to break into the field you want. We have seen core-engineering students opt for fields such as – Operations Research, Quantitative Finance, Engineering Management, Data Analytics etc.. which all have great scope for employability.

6. Career growth – With a master’s degree you’ll have a kickstart in your career. For example, with a Master’s in Finance degree, you can start as an associate instead of starting as an analyst(In Investment Banking roles) or post your Master’s in Computer Science, you will be qualified to work for FAANG and many other such reputed IT firms .

7. Research – If you want to break into academia, you’ll have to publish high index research papers. Your index depends on the quality of your research. Mostly, bachelor’s degree is about testing different waters, but in master’s you actually get to immerse yourself completely in a stream. Generally, universities in the USA, Europe, UK, Canada etc.. receive a high amount of funding from Government and MNCs for research. This will enable you to be part of cutting edge research in advanced labs, where you can collaborate with your Graduate school faculty and colleagues from different streams. Remember, almost all Noble laureates have a Master’s degree and have done their research in Universities.

8. International Immersion– At graduate school, you will be meeting people from different cultural backgrounds and diverse academic fields. You also get to explore a very different environment and study curriculum, which will help you broaden your perspectives. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, a Master’s degree is for you if you want to acquire advanced skills and/or want to dig deeper into the field you’re passionate about. It’s not just another degree to have on your checklist but it will be a very influential step in your career, if you make the right use of it.

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EducationFinance

Cost of MS in the USA

Master’s education in the USA is a huge step for many of us- professionally and financially. So It’s always good to have an estimate of how much it would cost at each and every step of the application process, which will help us plan better.

 

 

What’s the cost of Tuition Fee for a Master’s program?

 

This is a very common question and can be compared to questions like, what’s the cost of buying a good car? It really depends on what you are aiming for- Brand of the car? Performance? Mileage? Maintenance?…. Sorry about going off track but I’m just trying to give you an idea. 

 

Short answer is, the average total cost of education would be around Rs 45,00,000/- or around $60,000 inclusive of living expenses (but that’s like taking an average of all cars in the market). In reality, it could be anywhere between $10,000-$70,000+ or 7 Lakhs to 50+ Lakhs. 

 

Costs vary as per-

 

University –  Whether it’s private or public. Public and State Universities are usually cheaper than private ones, but not always. The USA has many Public and State universities for all kinds of student profiles (which are not talked about on popular forums) but it doesn’t mean all of them are good. You need to be careful in picking the right ones. 

 

Location- Universities in cities cost more than the ones in Towns. Living expenses are also low in towns (except for towns in Northeast America, everything is expensive there). Actually, many well ranked universities are in “University Towns” like Purdue, Texas A&M College Station, Cornell etc..

 

Brand and Rankings- Generally, the costs of studying in an Ivy league school and other top ranked schools are pretty high. It’s like buying a Volvo car is nice, you can’t go wrong with it, but the majority can’t afford it. It doesn’t mean you cannot buy a car that serves the purpose it’s built for. 

     Similarly, it doesn’t mean only branded universities provide quality education  and outcome. Many universities have top notch faculty, a well- structured curriculum, good labs, and hey … decent basketball players too 😉 ( Ray Allen is from University of Connecticut). 

 

Length of the course- Length of master’s courses vary from 9 months to 24 months. You can finish some courses within 18 months. By finishing early, you can save upon living expenses. Tuition fee is  dependent on the number of credits you need to finish the course and not on duration. 

 

Other Variables  (which unfortunately you don’t get in cars 😛 )- 

Variables such as Scholarships, Assistantships, part time jobs etc.. reduce the cost of education drastically. These are dependent upon your profile and the work you have done so far..

 

BUDGET-

As far as tuition fee is considered, it really depends on how much your budget is. It’s good to have a budget in mind (and maybe discuss it with your sponsors) to help you choose which universities you want to apply to, because the USA has a wide range of universities to choose from based on your budget. Good quality master’s programs need not always be expensive. 

 

Other Expenses- 

 

Cost of Tests-

 

GRE and IELTS exam fee–  GRE ($213*74.62= INR 15,900/-) and IELTS (INR 14700). 

 

Application Process: 

Let’s assume you’re applying to 7 Universities. 

 

University Score Reporting-

 

GRE Score reporting– To report your GRE score for every university electronically, you need to pay $27. So that’s $27*  74.62 * 7= 14,100/-.

However, on your GRE exam day (at the end of your test), you can send your scores to 4 universities for free. So you can save about $27*74.62*4 = Rs 8050/- . You can decide this based upon your Average GRE scores in Mock tests. However, a little professional guidance might help you hit the right target. 

 

IELTS Score reporting- 

To some universities you can report for free, some charge Rs 250, and others charge Rs 1250. I’ll take an average of Rs 500 and times 7 is 3500/-. 

 

University Application Fee – 

This fee varies from $0 to $100/120. Let’s take a safe estimate of about $80. So the total cost would be approximately $80*7*74.62 = 41,800 /-

 

Visa Fees-

Once you get your admits, you need to pay a Visa fees-

$350 = Rs 26,117/-

 

 

So the total cost for Test Reporting, Applications, and up until Visa would be around- INR 1,00,000/- ($1300-$1400).

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EducationLifestyle

Fall Intake or Spring Intake

Friend: You know ABC’s university’s acceptance for Fall is high when compared to Spring.They also offer high scholarship during Fall.

 

You: Oh! Is it? Then I will wait till next year to apply.

 

Does the conversation sound familiar? Well, then welcome. I was in the same place while I was applying. There are a lot of rumors around which intake to apply for. Don’t worry I’ll cut the clutter for you.

 

Fall or Spring depends on:

 

1.Courses: Almost all the courses will have a Fall intake. But, only a fraction(albeit a decent proportion) of them offer spring intake. Chances are if it is a niche course such as “Laser and Photonics”, it may not be offered for Spring. It depends on the country again. So, always check the university website and plan in advance. If your course is being offered in Spring by decent universities, then why wait for another term?

 

2. Scholarships & Assistantships: Getting an assistantship in the first semester is very tough and it depends on your research experience.If you have published or atleast have previous internships(research oriented) from famous labs(University or Product based companies research divisions) and a stellar GPA then you may land up an assistantship in your first semester. A major chunk of assistantships go to doctorate students. So, Intake doesn’t matter here. 

 

3.Internship opportunities: In some countries such as USA, you’ll need to finish minimum two semesters before applying for Summer Intership. Here Fall students have a little bit of advantage as they can apply for summer interships, right after finishing two semesters whereas Spring students need to wait for three semesters to apply for Summer internship. Summer internships do increase your chance of getting hired so they are important.

 

4.Job opportunities: Internships are a great opportunity to not only grind your skills, but also to convert to full time positions. So what holds true for Internship opportunities will  hold true for job opportunities. Here,  hiring cycles make a significant difference.There are usually two major hiring cycles- one is post Summer and an other is at the beginning of a new year. Which means both Fall and Spring students will have job opportunities right after they pass out. However there are many cases of students getting hired throughout the year, so there’s not a significant difference here.

Conclusion

Your choice of Spring or Fall intake should depend upon whether good Universities are offering the course of your choice or not. The biggest advantage of Fall is that 99% courses offer it and the intake is huge.  Spring intake is generally small, has a limited number of seats and not all universities offer it. But there are quite a few well ranked universities offering it.

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Education

Csc Specializations for Masters

In order to write the perfect blog post, you need to break your content up into paragraphs. While most blog posts use paragraphs, few use them well. Take the time to put links in your blog post…

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EducationLearning

ECE and EEE Specializations

Specializations for Electronics and Communications Engineering and Electronics and Electrical Engineering students.

 

In many countries the Master’s degree in ECE/EEE is offered under the names of Ms in Computer Engineering (Ms in CE) and Ms in Electrical Engineering (Ms in EE). These streams are two pretty common choices among Engineering students, second to only Computer Science. Although CSc grads get the highest pay among engineering grads, Electrical Engineers are not very far behind, as the industries in this segment are booming internationally and domestically. Since more and more Electrical students are directly or indirectly opting for jobs in CSc, there will be shortage and consequently more demand for Highly skilled electrical Engineers across the world. 

 

Here are some specializations you can explore in this field–



1. VLSI and circuit design:

Description: Thanks to VLSI engineers, your laptop is functioning as efficiently as a room sized computer used to. VLSI is basically packing a lot(millions) of switches in a chip. Common Roles: ASIC frontend designer,FPGA frontend designer,Library developer

 

2. Nanotechnology:

Description: Now, if you want to place more chips(billions) in a single chip, do you think merely decreasing the channel length of the transistor will do the job? Nope. Scaling doesn’t work like that in electronics. Many nonlinear effects arise. In order to understand the effects and come up with new designs, one needs to have a good understanding of underlying physics. That’s where Nanotechnology comes in.

Common Roles: Materials Engineer, applied research positions in tech giants

 

3.Optics and Photonics:

Description: What if computers can perform calculations at a fraction of light speed? Am I sounding futuristic? Please check out Optical computing. Take a look at the router that you are using. Did you observe a thin cable connecting it and a port nearby? Well that’s an optical fibre. Applications of Laser and Photonics are vast. This field is probably the most exciting interplay between Physics and Electronics.

Common Roles: Photonics engineer, Silicon photonics, Bio-Photonics

 

4. Bio Electronics:

Description: Few weeks back, Neuralink released a video showing a chimpanzee playing video games. Mind boggling, isn’t it?! We were taught that behind every action there is an impulse sent by the brain. Artificial limbs are applications of bioelectronics.

Common Roles:  R&D labs of electronic equipment designers

 

5. Networks:

Description: This specialization focuses on making systems interact with each other. One will learn how to manage bandwidth, traffic, and the security of networks , as well as any devices connected to the network.

Common Roles: Network Administrator, Network Analyst, Network Architect.

 

6. Signals and Image Processing:

Description: Ever wondered why there are many image formats such as jpeg,jpg and tiff. Ever thought how we are able to compress huge files(from GB to MB) ? Well, it all comes down to compression techniques. How is it related to Signal processing, you ask? Image and text are nothing but signals. Deep Learning is extensively used in this domain.

Common Roles: Cryptography, Image processing engineer, Deep Learning Engineer

 

7. Radio Frequency engineering:

Description: Why doesn’t your normal speaker work for satellite broadcasting. Well, frequency is the answer. The bandwidth of the human voice and that of radiofrequency waves are different. At higher frequency even a small wounded wire in your circuit may act as an inductor. In RF engineering you will learn how to design equipment for capturing, amplifying and processing electromagnetic waves(30HZ to 300 GHZ)

Common Roles: RF engineer, Microwave engineer

 

8. Telecommunications:

Description: Just like a music director innovates with different instruments and modulations, a Telecom Engineer comes up with different ways of transmitting a signal from A to B with minimal information loss. For doing so ,he /she comes up with protocols such as GSM,3G,4G,5G  and techniques for packing and transmitting signals such as CDMA,FDMA,etc. 

Common roles: Telecom Engineer, Protocol testing engineer

 

There are many other specializations for ECE and EEE students such as Power & Energy systems,  Robotics, Computer Vision, Bio Engineering etc.. which all have great real world applications and hence many job opportunities around the world. 

 

Expert Tip– If you want to get jobs right after graduation, pick universities in areas/countries where there are good electronics companies. In the USA, apart from popular states such as California, Texas etc there are other states such as North Carolina, New Mexico and a few more, where job opportunities for Electronics students are plenty. The State Universities here also offer good funding opportunities. After Master’s, many students interested in core Electronics pursue PhD (which is just another two years), in order to find high paying jobs in the R & D division of top electronics companies. 

Interested to shift to another field? 

Many ECE students  transfer to the IT sector by applying for MS in CE or MS in CS. EEE students usually take up MS in CE (not direct CSc) and then take elective courses related to CSc and apply for jobs in the field. Students also pick courses such as  Ms in Data Science, Business Analytics, Engineering Management, Operations research, Ms in Quantitative Finance etc.. to find good job opportunities outside the field. 

 

To Apply for MS in CE/EE or any other specialized master’s courses, get in touch with our experts to discuss the best streams for you. You can write to our student advisor, Jayasurya at jayasurya@drajus.com or schedule a call with us by submitting your contact details here

 
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Education

Management Degree for Engineers

MASTERS IN ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 

 

Many students think that an MBA is their only option when it comes to advanced degrees in project management, organizational behaviour, Marketing, supply chain or business operations.

But for engineers, a Masters in Engineering Management (MEM) offers similar skill building, combined with industry-specific management development, setting them up for future movement to positions of increasing influence and leadership. Yes, engineers from all streams can apply for this program.

 

The biggest advantage is, unlike MBA abroad which requires students to have 5-10 years of work-ex, applicants for the MEM program can apply with 0-5 years of work-experience. Which means if you are an engineer who is looking for alternatives to core-jobs early in your career, then Master’s in Engineering management would be a great choice to shift your field! So what is this degree exactly?  

 

Master of Engineering Management (MEM) (or Master of Science in Engineering Management (MSEM)) is a professional master’s degree that bridges the gap between the field of engineering or technology and the field of business management. Engineering management is a multidisciplinary field that seeks to address problems associated with complex engineering operations or systems along with the business. MEM or MSEM graduate programs are grounded in principles such as data analytics, machine learning, product management, product design, operations, and supply chain management. Harvard Business Review found that in 2018 more of the top-performing 100 global CEOs have engineering degrees than have MBAs.

 

CORE COURSES: Courses that make up a MEM program can be found in an MBA program as well; courses such as Marketing, Intellectual Property, Business Law, Finance, Accounting and Management are examples of courses that are utilized within both an MBA program and a MEM program. The focus of students engaged in a Master of Business Administration graduate program is business-centric: teaching students how to make informed decisions that would impact business (large and small), but with little or no emphasis on the technological aspects of the business.  The primary objective of the Master of Engineering Management is to interweave the business and technology curriculum together so that students of this program can learn to leverage both domains when making data-driven decisions that would impact the business comprehensively. While MBA and MEM programs share some similarities in shaping capable leaders through a core curriculum in economics, marketing, and operations, students with MEM degrees are a better fit for today’s technology companies simply because an undergraduate degree in a STEM field is a prerequisite for admission. Since it’s not a prerequisite for an MBA, a majority of candidates graduate with a non-technical education. In a world where technology touches almost all aspects of life and business, students with a MEM degree fit seamlessly into today’s high-tech companies that need tech-savvy leaders for data-driven decision making and innovation-driven global strategy and growth.

 

Here are Ten Top Universities which are offering the MEM course.

 

1. Cornell University (Ithaca, NY): MEM  

https://www.engmanagement.cornell.edu/em/programs/meng-campus

https://www.engmanagement.cornell.edu/em/programs/meng-campus/academics

 Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA :3 (Minimum 70 % ) 

2. IELTS 7.0; or (TOEFL : 80)

3. GRE : High Scores are needed (Above 320)

4. Work Experience is an advantage but not required

5. SOP Plus Technical Writing Sample

Tuition Fees: 60,000 USD per Year

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Feb 1st  

Course Duration: 9-15 Months (2 semesters and One Internship)

Research Tracks: Consulting, Analytics, Program Management, Entrepreneurship, Computer Science, Real Estate & Construction Management, Renewable Energy & Sustainability, Engineering Leadership, “Built your Own Track”

Course Work at a Glance: Project Management, Data Analytics, Risk Analysis, Finance, Decision Analysis, Engineering Management Project

 

2. Dartmouth University (Hanover, New Hampshire): MEM  

https://mem.dartmouth.edu/

 Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA :3.5 Average (Minimum 75 % ) 

2. IELTS 7.0; or TOEFL: Average 111

3. GRE: High Scores are needed (Average V;158, Q: 166, AWA:4.2)

4. Work Experience is an advantage but not required (2 years experience would be better)

5. SOP Plus Technical Writing Sample

Tuition Fees: 1,00,000 USD Program

Deadlines: Only Fall Deadline: Jan15th to Mar 15th   (two rounds)

Course Duration: 15 Months (4 Terms and One Internship)

Concentration Tracks: Data Analytics, Program Management, Entrepreneurship

Course Work at a Glance: Operation Research, Statistical Methods, Operation Management, Data Analytics, Optimization, Applied Machine Learning, Finance and Accounting, Technology Assessment.

 

3. Duke University (Durham, North Carolina): MEM  

https://memp.pratt.duke.edu/

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA :3.2 Average (Minimum 70 % ) 

2. IELTS 7.0; or TOEFL: Average 100

3. GRE: High Scores are needed (Around 325)

4. Work Experience is an advantage but not required

5. SOP & Recos will also play a major role.

Tuition Fees: 60,000 USD for the Program

Deadlines:  Fall Deadline: Jan15th to Mar 15th  (two rounds) : Spring Deadline: Oct 1st

Course Duration: 12 Months Minimum

Concentration Tracks: Customer Experience & Product Design, Data Analytics and Machine Learning, Product Management, Entrepreneurship, Operation and Supply Chan Management, Technology Development, Build Your Own.

 

 

4. Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland): MS EM  

https://msem.engineering.jhu.edu/

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA :3.0 Average (Minimum 75 % ) ( WES Requirement for the Transcripts )

2. IELTS 7.0; or TOEFL: Average 100

3. GRE: High Scores are needed (Around 320)

4. Work Experience is an advantage but not required

5. SOP & Recos will also play a major role.

Tuition Fees: 57,000 USD per year

Deadlines:  Fall Deadline: Usually Jan 15th , due to Covid it is extended up to April 1st

Course Duration: Three Semesters (12-18 months)

Technical Tracks: System Engineering, Cyber Security, Space System Engineering, Chemical Product Design, Computer Science, Probability and Statistics, Communication Science, Operations Research and many engineering disciplines.

Management Track:  Accounting, Finance, Consulting, Supply Chain Management

 

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA): SDM (or MEM)  

https://sdm.mit.edu/

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: B.S: 3.0 Average (Minimum 75 %) and M.S: 3.5 (MS degree is not needed but an advantage

2. IELTS 7.5; or TOEFL: Average 90

3. GRE or GMAT- High Scores are needed (Around GRE-320, GMAT around 700)4. Average Work Experience: 5 Years: Work Experience is the Major Criteria (3 years for Master degree)

5. SOP & Recos will also play a major role.

6. Video Interview

Tuition Fees: 30,000 USD per Term (Usually takes 3 to 4 terms)

Course Duration: 16-24 Months

Deadlines:  Fall Deadline:  Jan 8th ( 1st round) , April-2nd (2nd round)

Technical Tracks: Multidisciplinary Approach (“Built your Own Track”)

Course Work at a Glance: Product or Project Management, Data Analytics, Operations, Business Strategy, Engineering Management, General Management

 

6. Northwestern University (Evanston, IL): MEM  

https://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/engineering-management/

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: B.S: 3.0- Average (75 %) ( WES Requirement for the Transcripts )

2. IELTS 7.; or TOEFL: 100

3. GRE or GMAT- High Scores are needed

4. Work Experience: Minimum 2-3 Years

5. SOP & Recos will also play a major role.

Tuition Fees: 64,000 USD For Program

Course Duration: 9-15 Months

Deadlines:  Fall Deadline:  Jan 15h ( 1st round) , March-15th (2nd round)

Tracks: Managerial Analytics, Product Management, Project and Process Management, Health Care System

Course Work at a Glance: Decision Tools, Financial Issues, Accounting, Leadership & Organizational Behaviour, Engineering Management, Strategic Management

 

7. Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN): MEM  

https://engineering.purdue.edu/EngineeringManagement

 Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: B.S: 3.0- Average (70 %) 

2. IELTS: 6.5; or TOEFL: 80

3. GRE – High Scores are needed (Around 315+ to 320+)

4. Work Experience is not needed but it will be an added advantage

5. SOP & Recos and Resume will play a major role.

Tuition Fees: 41,000 USD For Program

Course Duration: 12-24 Months ( Including a Co-op Program)

Deadlines:  Fall Deadline:  Jan 11h ( 1st round) , March-15th (2nd round)

Spring Deadline: October 1st

Concentrations: System Engineering and Management

Course Work at a Glance: Business Analytics, Marketing Management, Strategic Management, Operation Management, Supply Chain Management, Logistics etc.,

 

8. Tufts University (Somerville, Boston, MA): MS EM  

https://engineering.purdue.edu/EngineeringManagement

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: B.S: 3.0- Average (70 %) 

2. IELTS: 7 ( sub score 7); or TOEFL: 100 Sub score 25) but there is flexibility

3. GRE & GMAT are required for International Students ( No minimum Criteria)

4. 2 years Work Experience

5. SOP & Recos and Resume will play a major role.

Tuition Fees: 55,000 USD For Program

Course Duration: 12-18 Months

Deadlines:  Fall Deadline:  Jan15th to June 15th …Rolling admissions

Concentration: Engineering Management

Course Work at a Glance: Data Science, Big Data, Project Management, Software Methodologies, Finance & Accounting, Leadership, Business & Technology Strategy   Etc.,

 

8. University of Southern California (LA, CA): MS EMT  

https://catalogue.usc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=12&poid=13030&returnto=4314

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: B.S: 3.0- Average (80 %) 

2. IELTS: 6.5 ( sub score 6); or TOEFL: 90( Sub score 20) but there is flexibility

3. GRE is required for International Students (No minimum Criteria but 320 would be fine)

4. Work Experience not required

5. SOP & Recos and Resume will play a major role.

Tuition Fees: 68,000 USD For Program

Course Duration: 24 Months

Deadlines:  Fall Deadline:  Jan15th , Spring : September 15th

Tracks: Management Track, Analytics, Supply Chain and Operations, Innovation and Technology Commercialization

Course Work at a Glance: Statistics, Predictive Analytics, Economics, Operations, Project Management, Machine Learning, Strategic Management etc.,

 

9. Stanford University (Stanford, CA): MS Management Science and Engineering

https://msande.stanford.edu/academics-admissions/graduate/ms-program

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: B.S: 3.5- No minimum Requirement but 90% would be fine

2. TOEFL: 100( Average 110)

3. GRE is required for Students (No minimum Criteria but around 325-330 would be fine)

4. Work Experience is not required but definitely is an added advantage

5. SOP & Recos and Resume will play a major role.

Tuition Fees: 95,000 USD For Program

Course Duration: 15-18 Months

Deadlines:  Fall Deadline:  Jan 12th

Tracks: financial analytics, Operations Analytics, technology & engineering management, social science & computations, decision and risk analysis, energy& environment, and health systems modelling

Course Work at a Glance: intro to optimization, decision analysis, and fundamentals of data science, inference, and predictions, among others.

 

10. Columbia University (Manhattan, NY): MS Management Science and Engineering

https://mse.ieor.columbia.edu/  

Minimum Requirements: 

1. GPA: B.S: 3.0- No minimum Requirement but 80% would be fine

2. IELTS: 7.0; TOEFL: 100

3. GRE is required for Students (No minimum Criteria but around 325-330 would be fine)

4. Work Experience is not required but definitely is an added advantage

5. SOP & Recos and Resume will play a major role.

Tuition Fees: 80,000 USD For Program

Course Duration: 12-18 Months

Deadlines:  Fall Deadline:  Feb 15th  

Tracks: logistics & supply chain management, pricing & revenue management, operations & analytics, entrepreneurship & innovations, Financial Technology  

Course Work at a Glance: optimization, stochastic modelling , probability, statistics, simulation among others  

 

There are more than 100 universities across USA, Canada, and Europe which are offering similar courses under different names such as Master’s in Technology Management, Master’s in Management Science and Engineering etc..

The application process of this course involves writing great Essays which represent your skills and achievements, and personal interviews. We have guided many students in the past to top MEM programs, and so we have all the resources and network to guide you in the application process. If interested, do schedule a call with us!

 

 

Jayasurya,

MSc in Innovation Management,

Brown University, USA.

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Education

Mechanical Engineering Specializations

Mechanical Engineers find their need in almost all industries. Here are some streams you can specialise in!

Mechanical Engineering is one of the oldest fields and is popularly known as an “Evergreen” field for engineers. Although it might not be the most popular choice among engineers, experts in this field as they progress in their career, are usually paid very high for their skills and in depth-knowledge- especially in the coming future as there is shortage of skilled engineers in this stream. 

 Here are some popular fields that Mechanical Engineers can choose to specialise in during their master’s study. 

 Fluid Mechanics or Hydraulics: This is a part of Physics. But, it has its applications everywhere. It is concerned with the mechanics of fluids. From building dams to studying plasma, there are many domains that use Fluid Mechanics.

 Heat Transfer, Thermodynamics, and Energy Systems:It is a study of efficient forms as well as transport of thermal energy. Also, heat transfer plays a vital part in transitioning to renewable (a very high potential industry) and sustainable energy systems. It has applications in industries such as Solar energy, Nuclear Energy, HVAC Systems etc.. 

 Materials Engineering: Transistors and chips that are used in military grade weapons are different from those that are used in consumer electronics. The obvious reason is military grade chips need to have more tolerance for temperature and other parameters. Now, that’s just one of the areas where materials engineers come in. From Aerospace to biomedical, wherever a chip is to be tailor made, materials engineers weigh in.

 Sound and Acoustics; An overlap of physics and Mechanical engineering, sound and acoustics engineers deal with applications of principles of Sound in noise control and sound quality (of machinery, in jet engines, automobiles etc..), in high-fidelity sound system design, design of musical instruments, design of hearing aids, hearing test equipment (also called bioacoustics) and many other areas. 

 Nanotechnology: Most of this emerging field is filled with buzz words. It is essentially the manipulation of an atomic scale. It’s a combination of Materials science,chemistry and surface science. 

 Automobiles: This specialization needs no introduction. With increasing demand and Advancement of technology,  for environmentally Cleaner and Automated automobiles, in the Automobile sector, there will be high demand for experts who have the skill-set of the future. 

 Robotics, Automation & Control: How does a robot have an idea about its surroundings? Will the same code apply for a 5kg robot or 50 kg robot? Don’t you think the dynamics change. Who fixes the mechanical parameters such as torque,rpm,etc  and gives operating ranges? Well, that’s where mechanical folks come in.

 Industrial Engineering: Ever wondered how companies manufacture millions and millions of products (like phones, laptops, toys, cars etc..) with the least amount of defects? How is the quality of the products controlled? Well, Industrial Engineers deal with such cases and many more in manufacturing companies across many sectors. 

 Oil and Gas: From digging for oil using manual labor to detecting oil using seismographs, we have come a long way. Now, tech giants are using AI to detect oil spills.Algorithms don’t work by themselves. It takes subject matter experts to tweak the algorithm according to a scenario. 

 There are other specializations such as Ocean Engineering, Turbo-Machinery,  etc.. that mechanical engineers can choose from, which all have good job prospects across the world. 

 Additionally mechanical engineers can choose non-core specializations such as  Supply Chain Management, Operations research, Engineering Management etc..  which are all popular choices among engineers. In fact, Mechanical Engineers are popular for taking leadership roles in Multi-National companies in not just core-Industries, but also in IT, BioMedical, Electronics, Pharmaceutics etc.. as the applications of concepts learnt in Mechanical Engineering are widely applicable acorss all sectors. 

Expert tip: When you’re applying to universities for Mechanical engineering related fields, don’t just apply for the “popular branded” ones as there are many State and Public universities across the world which have very good faculty and resources for Mechanical engineering stresm (as this stream is one of the oldest engineering streams ever to be established by universities). Don’t just blindly follow rankings or brands as quality of the university changes as per the specialisation you’re interested in. 

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