1 thing that all parents have grappled with, at some point of time, is their child’s education.
In larger cities, the challenge starts with nursery admissions! By & large there are some common milestones which everyone faces & these need careful consideration – Subject choice in Class 11 / Course to be pursued in College…
As Career Counsellors, we also get parents looking for these answers, but we’re going to address another popular query: Should we send our child to study outside India – after class 12 or after completing graduation?
Before we dive deep into this - if is important to have clarity and purpose: define the primary goal—whether it's to acquire a global degree, settle abroad, or enhance employability back in India. This purpose will guide your choices regarding country, course, and timing. Once you're clear on this, there are many factors that will shape your final decision - we’re sharing a perspective, which will be of help for you to reach a decision that’s correct for you.
- Type of course (subject): for some streams of study, universities outside India offer far greater exposure and subsequent work-opportunities. eg: Tech-related or even Business & Finance.
- it may also be worth considering your own Learning-style. As a result of many reasons, overseas education offers more hands-on learning, thus allowing student’s to gain valuable practical exposure – which is particularly important for job prospects.
- Regulatory requirements: this becomes important for courses such as Law & Medicine, where India has statutory bodies dealing with Higher-Education.
- In Law, for example, you need to have studied a 5-year programme (after class 12) to be eligible to practise as a Lawyer. So, if you’re keen to pursue law in India, you’ll need to choose wisely ( the BCI does recognise specific universities / courses, and maintains a list of these universities)
- Career Prospects: unfortunately, many courses do not offer the type of career opportunities (they should) in India. Think Psychology , Sports Management , or even a popular course like Business Management. The curriculum in a majority of Indian Universities is not able to expose the students to the latest practices / techniques in the corporate sector. As a result, students do not understand the true extent of the skill-se they possess and settle for jobs / opportunities which are not up to the mark.
- 1 thing that has changed in recent years is the boom in Start-up’s in India – thus making Entrepreneurship an acceptable choice for many college graduates.
- a related point – for Engineering streams : in India you don’t get to choose your stream of engineering. It’s given to you, basis your merit position in an entrance exam. So, whether you’re keen to study a particular subject or not – it’s doesn’t matter!
- Eco-system for International students: differnt countries offer varied options for post-study work visas or pathways to permanent residency. You may find it benificial to spend a longer time ( i.e. going for bacherlor's) if the regulations are suitable.
- A related point is that it will take you time to fully grasp the opportunities that the university / country offer. Can you understand & make the most of it in 1 year ( during Master's) or would speding 3-4 years and exploring opportunites be more your style?
These, and some other factors will help you decide what’s best for you (and your child) . ( and we’ve not even spoken of the costs – because that’s obviously a crucial factor)
There is 1 more major point to consider if you’re thinking of pursuing a PG degree outside India.
Each university (and there are over 1,000 in India) has a different curriculum for the same field of study ; think B.Com or Computer Engineering. The subjects , and their contents vary widely – whether it’s a Public University ( Delhi University , Mumbai University , a top ranked Engineering college) or a Private University. This makes it difficult for Overseas Universities to share a simple criterion for establishing eligibility to apply for the course and to determine your calibre/ competence in a particular subject. So they assess each university differently ( NAAC Grading / Institute of Eminence / Public or Private University etc etc ) Thus, it is highly likely that while you think you meet the eligibility criteria for a course, the University may need additional proof of your competence in that subject ( how do you do that ?) or may even offer you another course instead. Added to this is the fact that during a Bachelor’s degree in Indian Universities, there is hardly any weightage given to Projects / Thesis / Dissertations – all of which are an important criterion for foreign universities.
The end result – a university where you’d have a good chance of getting in after class 12, may end up being a bridge too far, if you apply after completing your Bachelor’s degree from an Indian University.
So, if we were to make a recommendation, it will be to pursue your Bachelor’s Degree outside India , as well as your PG studies. The combination of this exposure to a different education system, work-ethic and networking with students of (50 to a 100) different nationalities will definitely hold you in good stead.
Please also view this video: Studying outside India – UG or PG ?
If you’re thinking about applying to the best universities in the world, we’ll be happy to partner you on this journey. Connect with us today !
