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Opportunities for Higher Education in Computer Science

In this article, let us see which opportunities are there for high quality higher education in computer science. We will try to broadly cover several opportunities, and interested students can contact us for further details.

The first question to get clarity is: “Is a premier Master’s program valuable for a better job?”

In the first decade of IT growth (1990-2000), the IT sector in India concentrated on low-end solutions. The emphasis, when it came to employment, was on people with basic exposure to IT and average programming skills. 

However, all big organizations have realized that they can enhance their business substantially only if they take to high-end IT, namely, research and cutting edge solutions along with low-end development work. In addition to this, several non-Indian organizations whose emphasis is on research and development (IBM, Microsoft, etc.), have opened R&D labs in India for high-end work. 

High-end fields like artificial intelligence, networking, embedded systems, knowledge-based systems, and bio-informatics require very qualified professionals. In this context, there is a tremendous opportunity for specialists (not just programmers). If you have the right academic credentials and are interested in establishing a technically focused career in IT, you should consider doing a high quality/high-end Master’s programs. The two years that you spend doing such a program will add tremendous value to your resume.

High-end Master’s programs are: M.S., M.Tech, or M.E. They can be done after you have studied the relevant subject(s) at the graduate or post-graduate level for 3 to 5 years (i.e., after doing B.E., M.C.A., or M.Sc.). 

These Master’s programs take 1.5 to 3 years to do. After completing any of these programs you can pursue a Ph.D. This will take another 4 to 6 years. A PhD is a must for a faculty position in any good university, whether in India or abroad. 

The Master’s courses help you get a job in R&D divisions or as a project lead in the best of organizations. Estimates indicate that the demand from industry for such positions in the next 5 years will touch several tens of thousands. 

When you study for M.S., M.Tech., or M.E, you will be exposed to the finest researchers and professors. Moreover, these courses will also cover many important concepts not covered in your graduate or post-graduate programs. For example, a “computer architecture” course at the M.S. level covers the subject at a much greater depth than at the B.E level. 

Let us now look in to some of the programs:
An M.Tech/M.E. degree in computer science from any premier institute (IIT, IISC, NIT, etc.) is bound to enhance your value in the industry. Remember that GATE is a pre-requisite for these programs in many of reputed universities. Since you must be familiar with GATE, let us discuss more opportunities that are novel.

A recent phenomenon in computer education is programs that are either developed by foreign universities or, even better, directly offered by foreign universities. You learned about M.S. (IT) in one of the previous “Chaduvu” columns. Let us now learn about this exciting new opportunity:

National Technological University, a fully accredited American university is going to offer its M.S. programs in Software Engineering and Computer Science through chosen colleges in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. 

These programs are designed by the best faculty from the top 25 universities in the US and have gained tremendous acceptance from the industry. They will be conducted in the teacher assisted e-learning mode in India. Since students get accredited M.S. degrees after completing these programs, they become eligible for further education and work both in India and abroad. 

Students with 72 percent or more marks in B.E. are eligible to apply for these programs. There have to take a test for language proficiency. South Asia International Institute is the coordinator for these programs in India. You can learn more about National Technological University at http://www.ntu.edu , about South Asia International Institute at http://www.saii.org , and about the specific M.S. programs at http://www.iiie.us  

Keep your eyes open for their notification; they provide an excellent opportunity for those who want a Master’s degree from a US university and to avail of global opportunities.

Higher Education in the US

If you want to do an M.S. or a PhD in the US, you have to write the GRE and TOEFL exams. The application procedure involves writing statements of purpose, collecting recommendations, and applying to a set of universities. 

Education in the US is expensive without assistantship. With proper planning, however, getting aid (full or partial) is possible. But you should be careful in choosing the right kind of (reputed and accredited) universities, since this matters a lot while getting a job later.