Does an MS/MBA from the US makes sense in the changing visa scenarios?
With the rising clamor around working visa in USA, students are calculating prospects of earning a degree from the most coveted institutes in the world. The Indian dream has been around earning these world class degrees to harness a scintillating career with the biggest firms in the world. The question now is whether they will be able to build a long term career in the country where there are long queues to get a semi permanent stay.
The answer to the question largely depends on the course one decides to enroll. Typically, Indians with engineering background aspire for both MBA and MS from the States. The other big lot of graduates in other streams exclusively look for MBA or courses like Financial engineering.
The truth is that USA still marks the credibility of technical excellence to the Indian minds and though there might be a cut down on the onsite prospects through Indian IT companies but they still look forward to the techno functional blend of mind that there universities produce after severe screening. That is the idea behind the OPT certified courses, that allows an individual to work in the country for 27 months post completion of the course. 27 months means that the student gets to bet three chances at the H1B lottery and hence higher probability of converting it. That is the reason why in spite of all the regulations, Indians still comprise almost 50% of the batch size of most of the Top Universities.
When it comes to MBA, let us be very honest, American companies prefer citizens for management roles as they are more customer centric and need a deeper understanding of the market and practices. But, this doesnt deny the fact that Indians do not get hired during company placements. They have an upper hand when it comes to consulting roles that require more of analytical skills. But, marketing and customer facing roles are still favored towards locals. Also, getting a job is not the end of the story. The next big issue is getting a work visa. There is no work permit that comes with the course, hence applicants struggle to apply for an H1B to continue working here. And as we all know its a lottery, a lot of the students get rejected and have to head home and land a job that is at par or even less than their ex-batchmates who have completed their MBA from the IIMs or the ISBs.
But, if we keep aside the thought of working in the US post completion of the course, there is a steep learning curve that comes with studying from the top notch universities. I interviewed a few of my students, who have landed into best of the universities and they claim that the faculty, the infrastructure, the course curriculum and the hands on experience through projects is unmatched to studying even in the top institutes of India like the IITs and the IIMs. The competition here is healthy and there is immense scope of peer to peer learning. The course structure is tailored in such a way that students feel equipped to make a great head start once they join the industry.
Hence, if you are passionate about learning from world class institutes, States provides you with the best options that will make a permanent mark on your personality and the way you attack any real life problem. But, it doesnt guarantee you a very long term stay with a job in the US.
To know more on the US applications feel free to write to pranidhi@thebigpie.co.in