COMPUTER SCIENCE IS WHAT MOST STUDENTS OPT FOR WHEN STUDYING ABROAD. YOUTH INC SNEAKS A QUICK LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST UNIVERSITIES TO PURSUE THIS DEGREE
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w that you’ve got the information technology (IT) degree (even if you’re in the last year, you’ll still have the degree next year) what next? Well, it is a classic situation, where some opt for a job through campus recruitment and some for an MBA straight away! Yet, there is a steady group of fresh engineers who want to look at foreign shores for further studies. And that’s where the popularity of a Master’s in Computer Science emerges as a clear winner among all fields.
“When I started at the School of Engineering at Columbia University, I was taken aback by the sheer number of Indians in the programme. Not only among the students, but also among the faculty members,” says Swati Kumar who is now working with Barclays Bank in New York.
What she means is that Indians are really looking at this field when they opt to study abroad – and that to for two reasons: the starting pay packet is quite decent, much better compared to other fields of study, and second, it is relatively easy to obtain a job (most students are placed during campus recruitments itself) again, compared to other fields of study. This is because there is a huge demand for computer science majors in the US, making this field a great return on investment.
Another advantage, especially for brighter students would be the vast availability of assistantships that are available in the computer science department of most colleges. “Since almost all colleges have a huge undergraduate and graduate population in this field, most professors look for teaching assistants, which is a very lucrative campus job,” says Monesh Punjabi who pursued his master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
Well then, let’s not delay any further, here’s the help we promised. However, a fair waring – the best universities to pursue this degree are in the US. We really can’t help that. Of course, you have to keep in mind that any programme pursued in the US will cost you a mini-fortune. But, as we have said before, your funds can be recovered in little time. For now, we skip the boring details that you can find on the university websites and cut straight to the chase – what students think. Here goes.
1 Carnegie Mellon University – School of Computer Science
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE ENROLLMENT: 48 %
Of course, every college and campus has its own personality, but if you study computer science at Carnegie Mellon, you will be studying at the best in the United States. We don’t say so, US News does! It is the number one ranked school on their website. So, even if a student has only rose-tinted vision while selecting a school, it’ll work if you get selected here.
“I chose Carnegie Mellon University because it has taught students with the finest mindset and remained one of the best engineering schools throughout the world.
Also, I believe that learning science related subjects is a stepping stone for any learning,” says Rahul Shivdasani, who is going to attend CMU this month for his Master’s programme.
2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology-School of Engineering
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE ENROLLMENT: 37.1 %
If you are a student at MIT, your first step into Computer Science would be via a course which integrates programming, basic electrical engineering, robotics, and control system theory – all in one paper! And just like that, you will be studying at the Mecca of technology.
“What was great about MIT were the incredible opportunities, the academic infrastructure, and going to school with people who were cooler and more intelligent than I was. You’ll learn an amazing amount in your time there, and there is a good chance you’ll have a blast doing it. Believe me, Boston is a great place to be a student,” says MIT student Nivedita Chandrasekaran. Adds a friend of hers, “MIT grads get top jobs in the government and industry. Great NASA pilots and astronauts have graduated from here. Who wouldn’t want to study here!”
Many students are of the opinion that the depth of
work is very challenging and a degree in CS from MIT is definitely more respected than any other university.
When recruiters look at a resume and see MIT on it, the company knows that it is hiring someone with great problem-solving skills and a mindset that will contribute to the company.
3 Stanford University -School of Engineering
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE ENROLLMENT: 33 %
“It’s simple,” says Stanford student Arun Josh, “the faculty is excellent, the innovation is mind blowing, and there are interdisciplinary and industry-relevant solutions.” He says it in a manner that leads one to believe that there is no other college worth going to. He goes on to talk about the synergy and support that students thrive on. Whatever the case, there are those who swear by the location, and they prefer to live on the West Coast for the much lovelier climate as opposed to the East Coast. Most Stanford students get jobs immediately, both in the Silicon Valley and elsewhere in the US. Others choose to pursue doctoral studies specialising in such diverse areas as artificial intelligence, hardware design, numerical analysis, or graphics. Since the CS curriculum gives students a strong foundation to build depth in the field, graduates are usually prepared to pursue any subfield in their programme.
4 Cornell University – College of Engineering
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE ENROLLMENT: 45.2%
Cornell has one of the top programmes in computer science in the United States, and moreover, the university carries a lot of prestige than most other universities over the globe. It is an academically strong school, Ivy League, no less, and can boast of some of the best faculty members for the programme.
Many students from the programme also participate in cooperative, on-site work assignments in the industry. During working semesters these assignments can happen in any location throughout the country. They give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real-world settings and, teach them about pressures involved.
Apart from that, students swear by the living environment, the campus providing all that students need
