Europe

The United States of America has classically been the most sought after grad school destination for Indian students who aspire for a higher degree. However, Europe offers several superior options to pursue graduate education, which are blindly neglected due to ignorance or prejudice. In this week’s Monday Learning Article, we present an objective view of the advantages and disadvantages of graduate education in Europe to encourage you to consider options outside the USA to fulfil your grad school dreams.

What are my options?

Competitive and challenging programs in almost all disciplines are offered in most countries in Europe. A representative list of some of the best colleges in the world is provided below. We encourage you to scan the websites of these institutes as a starting point.

England

• Oxford University

• Cambridge University

• University College London

Germany

• All the Max Planck Institutes!

• TUs or the Technical Universities (Technische Universtaet): e.g. Berlin/Dresden/Munich

• RWTH Aachen

Switzerland

• ETH-Zurich

• EPFL-Lausanne

Austria

• Institute of Science and Technology (IST)- Austria

• TU-Vienna

France

• Ecole Polytechnique

Belgium

• Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven)

Sweden

• KTH Royal

Italy

• Politecnico di Milano

• Politecnico di Torino

What are the advantages?

1. Quality of research/education is among the best in the world.

2. The cost of education (tuition) is lower (when compared to the USA), except in the UK though. Some countries, like Germany and Switzerland, have negligible to no tuition fees, and you end up doing an MS at the same costs as a B.E. at BITS.

3. Research funding and scholarship scenario is better in some countries in Europe than in the US. Countries like Germany are pumping in more money into research and education than the proportion being allotted to science and engineering in the USA.

4. Maintenance of a strong work-life balance, which is an integral part of the European work culture.

5. Language: An opportunity to learn a new language since you need to know the local language to buy food! But also bear in mind that most institutes (say Max Plancks) are professionally English speaking international institutes where the language hardly matters.

6. You’re in Europe! The cultural and scenic wealth of the continent adds a unique multi-dimensional advantage to your grad school experience.

7. Flights to India are cheaper and only 7 hours long ;)

8. Admissions are less competitive as compared to the USA.

What are the disadvantages?

1. The job scenario in Europe after graduating is not encouraging. Most companies require you to show proof of language proficiency.

2. Not as many university options as in the USA (in terms of quantity, not quality).

3. Not as huge an Indian population as in the USA. Not as many Indian stores!

4. A less international environment than the USA (though this is changing now with research institutes like Max Plancks which are consciously very international).

5. Language: The annoying challenge of learning a new language since you need to know the local language to buy food! (It’s really how you look at it! Few people studying in Europe report this as a crippling disadvantage though).

Process of Admission

Different schools may follow different admission processes (refer to the program website for details). However, some common factors are:

1. Application in some places is free

2. Some schools do not require standardized test scores like GRE/TOEFL

3. Deadlines aren’t as early as the USA admission deadlines

4. There is sometimes a requirement to establish contact with Profs before applying who will support your application.

5. If you are selected for interviews (for PhD), you will be flown to Europe (all-expense paid) to interact with faculty and students to help you make an informed decision

PhD specific information Advantages:

1. Your PhD is done in 3-4 years as against 5-7 years in the USA.

2. No coursework

3. You know the research group you will join for your PhD from the point you join the program.

4. A competitive stipend is provided to all admitted students (this is also the case in the US).

Disadvantages:

1. You need to finish your PhD in 4 years. If your project doesn’t start well you may end up with an unsatisfactory experience.

2. No coursework for most PhD programs. If your theoretical base is weak, or you come from a different background this may work against you.

3. No rotations for PhD students (in most schools). If you aren’t sure of your interest then it may be a risk to commit to a Prof as soon as you join a program.

4. Not as many labs as in the USA (only in terms of quantity, not quality).

BITSian presence

There is a strong BITSian Alumni presence in universities in Europe and they provide a useful resource to prospective applicants to share first-hand experiences on their education.

Just because it’s in the US, that doesn’t make it a good school

As a prospective applicant please be warned that just because a school is located in the US, it doesn’t qualify that school to provide you with an enriching grad school experience. This is an oft-made incorrect assumption. We hope we have convinced you to seek information on programs in your field of interest in Europe too. The decline in the financial stability of science and education in the US coupled with the active efforts being taken by governments in Europe to attract international talent presents you with a promising opportunity. Consider it!