Study abroad: 5 most sought-after majors in the world that students want to pursue
Planning to study abroad? Here are the 5 most sought-after majors or popular courses that students want to pursue in various universities around the world.
If you are one of the super-competitive kids looking to get admitted into one of ‘THE’ most envious programs offered in some of the most prestigious institutes in the world, then here are some details about some the most sought-after majors offered in the premier universities in the world.
Some of these universities have been the pioneers for starting that particular major and are leaders in the world today. The majors are modified in keeping with the times today.
Graduates passing out from these majors get placed in the best companies in the world related to that industry. Getting admitted into the course is an uphill task with aspiring students preparing for years to get that coveted seat.
Majors like Business Administration/Management, Computer Science, Maths, and Psychology top the list for being most sought after due to their incredible employability and future prospects. There is no doubt that these majors when studied at the world’s best institutes have the greatest value.
Students look for these courses not only in the the Ivy Leagues like Harvard, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, but colleges like Stanford, MIT and Caltech as well. These majors are very prestigious to pursue at some of the best colleges in the world as well.
Here are some of the most sought-after majors and colleges that can be considered:
1. Majors in Social Sciences
This is an extremely popular choice for undergraduate students worldwide. Getting admitted into some of the world’s best universities for this major is no easy task.
The social sciences programme offered at Columbia University is extremely prestigious and one of its most famous and sought-after courses.
Different research departments for Social Sciences at Columbia are Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, and Sociology.
The acceptance rate at Columbia University is as low as 5.3%, making admission into this distinct division a dream come true.
2. A combined major of management and technology
The Jerome Fisher Programme in Management and Technology at University of Pennsylvania: Created to cater to students with interdisciplinary interests in technology and business, the very famous Jerome Fisher Programme in Management and Technology is a dual degree programme.
So exclusive is the programme that less than sixty students are chosen each year to get the benefit of unparalleled career opportunities once they graduate. It has an acceptance rate as low as 2.5-3 percent.
Along with completing the Common Application’s Penn Writing Supplement, one needs to complete two additional essays specific to this programme.
The hard work to get admitted and completing this programme is more than worth it with a plethora of career options one gets to choose from once one graduates.
Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MET) Programme at University California Berkeley: This is a two-degree undergraduate programme at the College of Engineering and the Haas School of Business at Berkeley. Graduating from this programme is a sure-shot for an accelerated career path.
MET is listed under College of Engineering and Berkeley-Haas and aspiring candidates need to submit a supplemental essay along with the other application requirements. Sometimes, candidates may be requested for an additional video essay as well.
3. Computer Science major
Even though the Computer Science programmes at MIT Berkeley and Stanford are very famous, the Computer Science major at Cambridge is no less.
It is so famous that the area around Cambridge is called ‘Silicon Fen' and is home to almost 1,000 cutting edge computing and advanced technology companies, along with commercial laboratories.
It is no wonder that the acceptance rate for new admits is as low as 9.56% for a class of 1500 students. A stiff entry requirement includes A*A*A for A Levels or a score of 40-42 points for IB. The candidate also needs to take the pre-interview Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA).
Similarly, Waterloo's Computer Science programme is one of Canada's most sought-after undergrad programmes to get into at par with University of Toronto’s Engineering Science program.
In general, Waterloo’s acceptance rate is approximately 53 percent however, acceptance rate for admission into Waterloo’s most coveted programmes like Computer Science, Engineering, Maths and Co-op courses is as low as 4.3 percent.
4. Mathematics major
Mathematics major at Imperial College London: Another very coveted major to get into is the Mathematics degree at Imperial College London. The stiff minimum entry requirements for 2022 is an A*A*A overall with an A* in Mathematics, A* in Further Mathematics and an A in another useful subject.
The minimum IB requirement for 2022 entry is 40 points overall, which includes 7 in Mathematics at higher level and 7 in another relevant subject at higher level.
The high competition to secure a seat can be seen in the typical offer range for applicants in 2020 which was 42 point for 80 percent of the IB applicants.
5. Engineering and science majors
The Engineering and Science programmes at National University Singapore are also very coveted and are ranked amongst the top 10 in the 2021 rankings in the world. Graduates from this programme gain in-depth knowledge in foundations and fundamentals.
This four-year programme drives students to pursue groundbreaking work in this field so as to make tangible contributions to the world.
The competitive students need to maintain a minimum CAP of 4.0 throughout their term.
- Article by Adarsh Khandelwal, CEO and Co-founder, Collegify
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