Can Integrated Programmes Offered Abroad Be Beneficial For A Good Career Growth?

Degrees abroad are always seen in a binary- bachelor's or undergraduate degrees and master’s or postgraduate (graduate in some countries) degrees. As common knowledge dictates, the former is applied to by high school students and the latter by those who have completed an undergraduate programme. Recently, however, universities have started recognising the utility of offering integrated programmes. These programmes combine the experience of an undergraduate and a graduate programme abroad and allow high school students to earn both degrees through a relatively prolonged course duration. Simply put, students join the university directly after high school, study for about 5-7 years ( four in the case of the United Kingdom), and earn two degrees – a bachelor's degree and a master's degree at the end of coursework. This approach has been experimented with in India as well with institutions like IIM Indore paving the way forward. Some of the leading universities abroad including Rice University and Cornell University have also started offering such programmes.

These programmes are a very interesting choice for students who are keen on studying abroad with a keen and driven specialisation in one academic field. In order to decide if this degree is the right one for you it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing the same. The extent to which these factors apply to an individual is varied, and hence students should make this decision after thorough research and inspection. Whilst it can lead to great placement outcomes in academics and industry, students can also find themselves stuck in a field and career if things are not planned adequately.

Benefits of Pursuing an Integrated Programme Abroad

Security of a Graduate Degree

Securing admissions to reputed universities is a very taxing process with uncertain outcomes. Most students go through this anxiety-prone situation not once but usually twice in their lives. An integrated program completely does away with this tension. Students have the security of completing their graduate degree (provided they continue performing the above requirements) from a reputed university that they have secured admission into just once. Most students who complete this degree do not feel the need to pursue another full-time course. Moreover, this graduate degree is at par with any normal degree, which means that students have equal access to placement offers in industry and academia.

Prestigious Placements

It is no secret that students with master’s degrees earn a higher salary as compared to those with bachelor’s degrees if everything else (specifically academic specialisation and college placement) remains the same. Upon completing this degree, students earn a much higher salary as compared to their peers who only complete a graduate course. Not just salary, even the placement positions that are open or offered to students are better.

Increased Benefits At The University

Universities abroad are attractive to Indian students because of the wide variety of attractive opportunities they offer ranging from study abroad programs to active student clubs and communities. The experiential and interdisciplinary education they promote is also a distinguishing factor. Through an integrated program, students spend more time in a university, which implies that they can benefit from these opportunities for longer. Moreover, given the extra time, students can also be relatively relaxed in their approach to fitting in and choosing what's best for them. This also implies that students have more time available for them to pursue internships and other experiential opportunities that increase their employability in the long run.

Also Read | 4 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Choose Your Undergrad Study Destination

Disadvantages of Pursuing an Integrated Programme Abroad
Lack of flexibility

The biggest demerit in an integrated program is the lack of flexibility that students can avail. There are two types of inflexibility- in university and in course (academic specialisation). Firstly in terms of university, students are mostly stuck with the university of their choice (which they made during high school) for 1-3 additional years. There is no scope for improvement or moving to a better/more prestigious university. The university environment may also start becoming monotonous for students who might wish to pursue more diverse experiences. Whilst the contacts that one makes in a university continue to bear fruit, these contacts and opportunities are themselves limited. Second, the student might also be straight-jacketed into a course and career that is not their ideal choice. Preferences change over time and it is very common for students to change their major or career pathway after their undergraduate degree. This option is fairly limited in integrated programs. While students may have some level of control over how they would like to customise their degree (both in terms of optional electives and their ultimate specialisation) the larger coursework and trajectory for any student is largely mapped. This implication of the inability to change career pathways is adverse as students may be stuck with a course they are no longer interested (or maybe competent) in.

Integrated programmes combine the experience of an undergraduate and a graduate programme abroad and allow high school students to earn both degrees through a relatively prolonged course duration.

Limited Professional Opportunities

It is very common for students to gain some work experience after completing their undergraduate degree and before starting their graduate course. This allows students to generate some savings but also more importantly understand an industry before they fully commit to it. Getting out of the college environment and working in the industry helps students gain much-needed exposure on the basis that they choose their ultimate career pathway. Whilst this opportunity exists for students in an integrated program through internships, the exposure through these is naturally limited as compared to a prolonged full-time job. Moreover, students without work experience get offered lesser salaries and lower positions as compared to those graduates who have earned work experience (which is why leading MBAs mandate at least 3-5 years of work experience for incoming students). Hence whilst professional opportunities are better as compared to the undergraduate level, they might not be at par with graduate ones.

Leading Integrated Programmes Abroad

Some universities have the option of starting a master's just after completing their undergraduate degree. These are slightly different from integrated programmes because of two reasons. Firstly, unlike integrated programs, the coursework for the bachelor's and master's degrees are not fully in sync and not geared towards a specific comprehensive outcome. Secondly, a student does not enter this programme with the intention of completing a master's degree in the same university, as is the case with integrated programs. The decision to continue into a master's is made through or at the end of the undergraduate programme. Universities that offer this continued approach include the University of Amsterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the University of Groningen, and the University of Sussex.

Some of the leading universities that offer integrated (bachelor + master) programmes are:

Cornell University: The IMB programme offered by Cornell University is considered to be one of the most prestigious degrees in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Students must enrol themselves in the undergraduate BS programme and maintain a steady record through the first four years. Upon completing the undergraduate courses with an average score of 3.0 and submitting a declaration they are admitted to the graduate course automatically. The most unique feature of this degree is that students are not compelled to study for 7-8 years but can finish the required coursework a couple of years prior.

Also Read | Solve The Conundrum Of Pursuing Undergraduate Or Postgraduate Degree Abroad

Birmingham City University: Similar to Cornell, Birmingham City University also offers integrated programs in the engineering domain which are four years long. Students can complete a specialised master's after a regular three-year undergraduate degree in automotive engineering, manufacturing engineering, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering.

Rice/Baylor BS MD Programme: Rice University and the Baylor School of medicine offered one of the most prestigious and unique integrated programmes which allowed students to earn a bachelor's degree in pre-med or related fields from Rice and subsequently complete their MD from Baylor. This programme has been suspended by these universities for the present academic year.

Integrated programmes definitively warrant thorough thought and research from students intending to study abroad. Students should at least apply to one of these programmes to keep this option open. Whilst this is a personal decision, students who are very keen on an academic specialisation and career trajectory and thrive in a familiar environment are a good fit for such programmes. However, the final decision must be made after careful consideration, research, and professional guidance.