Around 52 per cent of Indian trainees meaning to study abroad prefer specialised courses over university reputation when selecting the organization, reveals a study commissioned by Western Union.

” They look for courses that are specific niche, but slowly acquiring significance, typically looking beyond Ivy league universities that are unable to use these courses,” said the Education Overseas– An Evolving Journey research study commissioned to NielsenIQ.

Specialised courses a hit

The study abroad sector has experienced an increasing pattern of students deciding for specialised courses. Leap Scholars data programs Indian students tend towards more popular courses like MBA, MSc Data Science, and Computer Science.

” MBA-adjacent STEM degrees are particularly popular among women, and even leading schools are rushing to make them more widely available for everybody. Yale University, for example, recently rebranded its Economics degree as Econometric and Quantitative Economics so trainees can get STEM accreditation, and the 1 year masters degree in Finance at MIT is primarily made up of global trainees,” Ramani highlighted.

Tarun Aggarwal, CBO of CollegeDekho, stated the major concern for most of the students is Return of Investment (ROI) as pursuing a degree abroad requires a substantial expense. Courses that land financially rewarding jobs like engineering, management, computer technology, law, hospitality and style are always sought after by those who desire to study abroad.

” While MBAs have always been a popular degree for worldwide trainees in the US, students are increasingly picking MBA-adjacent topics like financing, analytics, and management. These fields hold extra appeal since they not only supply more career stability however also provide US migration benefits after graduation, thanks to their STEM accreditation,” said Sasha Ramani, Associate Director (Corporate Strategy) at MPOWER Financing.

” Lately, the pattern has actually revealed that demand for courses like data science, business analytics, and fintech has actually been acquiring traction. Mix courses like health informatics and engineering management have likewise proven to be popular options for students,” Aggarwal included.

Popular courses in overseas universities

Piyush Kumar, Regional Director (South Asia) at IDP Education, stated students go with best-specialised courses available in a nation or the university they choose to study in.

As per the data released by the Ministry of External Affairs, a total of 11,33,749 Indian trainees research study in 99 foreign countries, since January 2021. Of these, UAE, Canada, Australia, China are among the leading locations that Indian students select for abroad studies.

“Several students go with the UK to study courses associated with innovation, engineering and business, natural sciences, medicine, law, social sciences, sports science, media and interaction, imaginative arts, visual arts, performing arts, and hospitality and tourist. On the other hand, lots of trainees pick to construct a career in the field of medication, medical sciences, engineering, and service management and consider Ireland as a preferred choice,” he included.

“New Zealand is popular for its high education offerings while Canada is home to some of the most exceptional universities on the planet, known for providing the very best courses in company and financing, computer science and details technology, engineering, medicine and health, and media and journalism,” stated Kumar.