MTech in IIT or MS/Phd from abroad??

Since you are from Mechanical and if you are not under QIP program or sponsored .... then my advise will be M.Tech from IISc, KGP or IITK (in that order)...

and I will really think twice before joining new IITs and this includes IITG too, which is nothing but buildings, no quality staff.. The less said about new IITs like IITP.. idiots with no postdoc experience are also faculty there.

You can also try IITB which has M.Tech+Ph.D dual degree program and some PhD programs in IITB are in collaboration with Aussie universities....

MS/Direct PhD from foreign university depends on university..

 

If I understand you correctly, you have two decisions to make here:

(1) MS / MTech or PhD ?
(2) India / IIT or abroad ?

The first one is relatively easy. Generally speaking, you cannot get financial aid for MS programs, especially in the US (or the UK). You will need some sort of work-study arrangement, a scholarship or you have to pay your own way. If you have to take a student loan for tuition and find additional money for living expenses, then I would say that doing an MS abroad is not worth it. One of the better IITs can provide comparable training.

A top school like MIT or Stanford, if you can afford it, is a slightly different matter. If you are exquisitely prepared, you may benefit from the dynamic, entrepreneurial environment there. However, in my opinion, if this would be your first experience abroad, then two years spent in an MS program is not sufficient for you to extract full value out of the available opportunities. If you plan to stay in the US after graduation, then the horizons expand a bit, but then you are immediately on the visa / loan / job treadmill and the pressures will be great.

Europe can be a bit different. Scholarships and fellowships may be available even for a Master’s program, especially through EU agencies if you are planning to return to India. However the systems are very heterogeneous. You will have to do a fair amount of research to find the opportunities.

So, if you want to a Master’s degree, then I would say go for an MTech at a good IIT unless you are well off and can afford it.

More on the PhD later.

 

If this means that the Govt. of India is willing to pick up the tab for your PhD, you should set your sights very high. No point being shy!

You will learn more in a research oriented setting. I would not worry about the 'letters' in the degree.

I will explain when I have time.

 

Hi Friend,

I would suggest please apply for both IIT's and US universities. I would suggest that if you get admit in ivy league schools in US, take up the opportunity, ivy league schools have very good research funding and assistantship options.

 

If I understand you correctly, the Govt. of India will pick up the tab for your studies and you will have your job waiting for you when you return. You like your job and have no plans of shifting.

This is a golden opportunity! Many people would give an arm and a leg for this chance. I think you should use it to the max. Here are some thoughts, as separate posts for clarity & concision.

(a) I would suggest that you go abroad. It is not only about classroom education. There is also an ineffable 'style', especially in research. You have already lived / worked in India. Now take this chance and pursue your higher studies elsewhere, say for example in the US. You will benefit from the change in 'style'.

(b) This will not only help you mature intellectually as an engineer, but also help you make contacts for the long term. Knowing good people to talk to is absolutely invaluable. If you play your cards right, you will make a good connection with your thesis advisor, your thesis-committee members, other students and research fellows, other members of the department, your collaborators and professional colleagues you meet at conferences. This is extremely important. In these days of multidisciplinary research, it is rare that engineers work in isolation. The interactions are part of your education.

(c) The facilities available at a good American university cannot be beat. It is not only about equipment and funding. It's also about excellent compute clusters and modeling environments within the university, free access to federally funded high-performance computing that you can use from anywhere (See XSEDE) , first-rate research libraries, access to proprietary databases and so on.

It will help your development to see engineering research done American-ishtyle!

 

MS or PhD?

Unless your goal is simply a higher degree and better promotion prospects in your govt. track, I would encourage you to do a PhD.

An MS can be completed in two years or a little longer, if it's a research based MS and not purely course based. As I pointed out earlier, I don't think this is enough time for you to get the full benefit of a research experience. If you are a capable and motivated student-engineer, then at the end of two years, you will have found your groove. This is the time you will begin to feel well integrated into your research group, into the American university / research system, in command of the state of the art in your field and confident and ready to make an original contribution of your own. It would be a pity to let it all go! So, if you really want to upgrade yourself as a Mechanical Engineer, why settle for a Trabant when you can go for a Lexus? :rotfl

 

Your options abroad are the US, UK and Germany. The Germans are great engineers with an outstanding university system, but there may be language / social barriers for you. Whether you consider Germany depends upon your personality.

The UK has the advantage that a PhD can be completed in 3 years. However, the disadvantage is that most programs are relatively unstructured. You are let loose in a lab and that's pretty much it. You will have a thesis defense at the end of 3 years, the rest is up to your PhD supervisor. This may not be an ideal environment if you do not have research experience.

I would say that coming from an Indian education system, the US is the best option for you. There is a good structure for the PhD - 1-2 years of graduate courses, a series of lab rotations in your first year where you work in 2 or 3 different labs, one each per semester and then choose one for a thesis project, a preliminary exam at the end of your first year, a quals / comprehensive exam at the end of your second, a thesis proposal to your committee when you are ready, followed by yearly committee meetings until you are done. This structure can be useful, especially if you are not used to research.

A PhD in the US in an engineering field can take anywhere from 4 - 6 years or more. The statistics include poorly motivated students and mediocre departments, so they can be misleading. Let's say that if you are motivated and pick a good lab, then 5 years.

I think this is the biggest factor in decision-making for you re: the US / UK and MS / PhD choices. Apart from education, self-development and career, your personal and family goals need to be factored in. The Govt. of India may have opinions about letting you go away for that long! It also depends on whether you will retain your seniority, get a promotion upon return and so on.

It is difficult for me (or anyone) to offer any advice beyond this without knowing you, your ability and your exact circumstances.

:cheers