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How to Study in Germany without IELTS Score?
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Germany is unanimously hailed as a paradise for higher education. Apart from being a home to the world-best universities, Germany is also one of the countries that offer a wide variety of courses to choose from, along with globally valued degrees that set you up for a high-paying job. Moreover, Germany has a rich and vibrant history and a dynamic lifestyle that blends the modern and the classics, the urban and the rural, making you fall in love with the place, especially if you are visiting from abroad! Therefore it is not surprising that Germany is constantly ranked among the world’s top destinations to host international students. According to recent statistics, there are more than 357k international students studying in Germany, and this number is only increasing with time as every year as thousands of students seek admission into good universities in Germany for higher studies. Read More:  Study Abroad From India in a Affordable Way Catering to such huge demands, the German universities offer their graduation and master’s programs in two categories – German or English. For international, non-native English-speaking students need to prove their proficiency in the English language if they are to apply for the English program. Off late, many of the German universities have been accepting without the IELTS, provided you are able to prove your English proficiency through other modes. In this blog, we will give you all the details related to studying in Germany with and without IELTS. Later in the blog, we will also look at how you can bypass the IELTS alternatives with upGrad by your side and save money while getting higher education from Germany! Read More: Studying abroad while you prepare for IELTS exam IELTS and German Student visa You can study in a German university without taking the IELTS test. Yes, it is possible if you know where to look. In fact, some of the universities even allow admissions without taking any English-proficiency tests. In even rarer cases, some universities may even accept you if you’ve studied English as a subject in school or college. If the program you are aiming for is taught in German or any other language except English, you will not need the IELTS score, but you might need to show proof of your skills in either German or whichever language the course is being conducted in. Some universities may demand a Language of Instruction Certificate from your bachelor’s college. Getting this is fairly simple, and you can just ask your college to give in writing that you had English as the mode of instruction during your bachelor’s. In certain cases, universities also allow for direct audio/visual interaction to test your communication skills in the language required. In such a scenario, no extra evidence or proof is required. Barring these specific scenarios, you will require an IELTS score or an alternate certificate. Read More: Germany – A dream study destination abroad Alternatives to IELTS for studying in Germany As a student from a non-native English-speaking country, you are likely to be asked for one or the other proof of your proficiency with the English language. Broadly, there are three valid alternatives to IELTS that you can look into. TOEFL: Short for Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL is an internationally accepted, standardized English language test accepted by universities across the globe, including Germany. TOEFL tests you based on four skills related to the language: writing, reading, listening and speaking. You are scored between 0-120, and anything over 110+ is good enough for admissions. Cambridge English Certificates: Also known as Cambridge English Qualifications, these are tests that check your fluency in the English language. Based on the Common European Framework of Research (CEFR), there are different levels of the exams. This test also assesses your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. These tests are globally accepted as prerequisites at more than 30,000 organizations and even more institutes. TOEIC Certification: Short for Test of English for International Communication, the TOEIC certification is unlike the other language proficiency tests. This certification focuses on conversational English language skills and your ability to use the language in an intercultural environment. This means there is an added emphasis on the verbal skills in this exam. The TOEIC certification test consists of tasks that analyze your vocabulary, coherency, intonation, pronunciation, and content. Read More: Reduce cost of masters by 20 lakhs while one studies abroad The upGrad edge: Bypass IELTS while saving a ton of money! While the alternatives mentioned above to IELTS are good enough, you will still need to sit for the exams and clear them. During COVID times, when it is becoming increasingly difficult to focus on studies, taking one more exam and going through all the hassles and paperwork that comes after that is surely a burden you would want to avoid. Fortunately for you, upGrad has a solution to these problems: Introducing upGrad Abroad.  With our Study Abroad program, you get to do a Master’s course from Germany in association with UpGrad. The course is offered by upGrad in association with IU, Germany, and IIIT, Bangalore – thereby offering you a dual alumnus status. You get a chance to receive top-notch education while saving money and eliminating all the hassles that come with manual paperwork and documentation required for applying to universities abroad. You get relaxed English proficiency requirements and specialized training and curriculum from upGrad to improve your English abilities. Read More: Study Abroad from Home country and earn credits in COVID Going to a new country and settling there is a difficult thing to do – and add to that the pressure of doing good in the course, and mingling with the people from different cultures. upGrad allows you to make this transition process extremely smooth. We take care of the end-to-end process of you moving to the destination country to pursue your higher education. upGrad has a unique learning model. For the first year, you get to study from the comfort of your home. Attend online classes for one year, save money and efforts that would otherwise be spent on travelling to a new country in the middle of a pandemic and eventually move to the university campus and complete your degree. We understand that it is essential to attend physical classes, especially if you wish to develop your interpersonal skills with people of multiple cultural backgrounds. This is precisely why we’ve ensured that the program offers a definite provision for you to go to the respective college and continue your education on campus from the second year onwards. Apart from saving your time and money (which is a crucial aspect for everyone), studying with upGrad also eases your academic transition by offering you complete support and personalized guidance. Read More: Pursue Bachelors at affordable cost from abroad Join hands with upGrad and avail of the following benefits: Personalized learning journey Live lectures and 24×7 QnA Small group coaching sessions Videos from industry experts Student success mentors Personalized feedback on assignments Do not wait anymore – Reach out to us today! Drop us a mail or give us a call – we are here to help you realize your wish of studying abroad while eliminating all the hassles that come with it, which tend to put you on the back foot. If you have any questions regarding the article, do let us know in the comments below!
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by Sudipta Chopra

14 May 2021

How to Build a Career in Data Science in Germany even if you are not an Engineer
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Data drives almost every industry in today’s technological world. As a result, making sense of data is vital for nearly all organizations. This has led to an increased number of students aspiring to become Data Scientists at good organizations. Furthermore, because Data Science is an interdisciplinary field that uses different analytical and logical techniques and procedures to extract and analyze information, it is a field open to one and all. To an outsider, it may seem like you need to be a computer science engineer, or at least an engineer, to build a career in Data Science. However, that is a myth. It is beneficial if you are from a CS/IT background, but that’s not what decides whether or not you get to have a career as a Data Scientist. Read More: Germany the fascinated land for study abroad At upGrad, we have seen several students and professionals from different academic backgrounds – from science to economics to statistics – who have swiftly transitioned and made successful careers in the field of Data Science, and we believe that you can do that too. In this article, we will explore how you can become a Data Scientist without an Engineering background, and secondly,  how to achieve this feat in one of the best places and study abroad in Germany! Becoming a Data Scientist without an Engineering background It is a widespread misunderstanding that Data Science is for people from only engineering backgrounds. Though some of the engineers indeed decide to pursue a career in Data Science, that is not it. Many successful Data Scientists in the world did not start with coding or programming. Read More: Study in Germany without IELTS So, if you are from a non-technical background wishing to pursue a career in Data Science in Germany, here are some things for you to get you started: 1. Upskill with an updated and curated curriculum Data Science is a dynamic field – simply because it is relatively new and includes various distinct elements. As a result, if you are just beginning with your Data Science journey, you need to get a hold of an updated curriculum. You can look at online courses or YouTube infotainment videos to get some idea and then pursue formal education. It is essential to do this in a structured manner, otherwise, it will soon become chaotic. We understand that curating resources from virtually unlimited resources online is a time taking the task, especially if you’re a beginner. We understand that – so if you are struggling with finding resources, drop us a comment below, and we will get back to you! Read More: Study Abroad from home and earn credits in COVID 2. Get hands-on skills Data Science is all about doing and less about theory. While you will need to know the essential theoretical concepts, at the end of the day, you’ll be working on some other project. So, to get a flavor of how it actually rolls in the Data Science field, you can either start working on a real-life project using the skills you’ve acquired, or, if you are not confident enough, you can audit a real-life Data Science project closely, and understand the workflow. If you do this enough, you will be able to figure out things on your own and will eventually be able to execute a real-life project on your own. A portfolio of real-life projects will also go a long way in helping you get into better colleges abroad and also find jobs there. When you are working on real-life projects, look to tackle substantive problems, and try to come up with solutions based on exploring and analyzing various sets of data. Try to explore questions like – is it possible to predict election results based on voting trends? Is it possible to trace a cricketer’s performance to tweets of them partying the night before? You can analyze anything – all you need to do is get started! Protip: If you cannot find datasets, check out dataset search engines like Quandl. Platforms like Kaggle, Datakind, and Datadriven are also useful in getting a hands-on experience of working with real-world data. Read More: Study Abroad while preparing for IELTS 3. Be an active part of Data Science communities Community plays an important role – especially during the initial phases of your career. It is advised to be a part of various Data Science communities on different platforms like Reddit, Kaggle, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. Interact with the posts, try to solve any problems they post, and even post any issues that you might have. Build relations and networks in the Data Science domain. This will also keep you closer to any job openings or Data Science requirements. 4. Attend Data Science events, watch lectures and podcasts To really immerse yourself into all the happenings in the Data Science world, follow various physical and online events and conferences – you might find things that will spark your attention. Further, you can explore podcasts and lecture series on Data Science to acquire more knowledge and information. There are three large conferences that you can look to follow – Strata Conference, KDD (Knowledge Discovery in Data Science), and NIPS (Neural Information Processing Systems). Many Data Scientists professionals and aspirants across the globe attend this conference. You will learn about various technical concepts and gain a new perspective on things and problems while attending these conferences. Read More: Study Abroad from India in a affordable manner 5. Find a mentor in the field Navigating the various nuances of Data Science is difficult, especially if you are a fresher coming from a non-technical background. To make sure it does not get too overwhelming for you, you can find a Data Science professional and consult them as a mentor. This can be done by being active on various platforms and groups, meeting up with different Data Scientists, attending conferences, and more. All in all, definitely ensure that you are active in the Data Science community so that you have a few people looking out for you. This can really make the difference between finding a Data Science job and working your first day as a Data Scientist. 6. Prepare hard for the interview Interviews are challenging for everybody – but it is pretty confusing if you are from a non-technical background. Data Science interviews tend to include elements of software engineering, statistics, data analysis, data warehousing, mathematics, and more. You do not need to be an expert at everything to crack the interview, but you need to have a working knowledge of it all. You might even be asked about why did you switch from a non-tech to a Data Science field, and what is your opinion about the Data Science field – what more can you bring to the table, and more. You must anticipate these questions and prepare well for these. Answering these without preparation, being put suddenly on the spot, might get difficult – so make sure to have some pointers written for some key questions you think you will definitely be asked. Read More: Reduce cost of Masters abroad by 20 lakhs With UpGrad, you can do all this and more… What if we told you that regardless of your educational background so far, upGrad can help you pursue your dream course in Data Science from one of the most in-demand countries for education – Germany! That means – whether you are from a technical background or a non-technical background, with upGrad, you get to build a solid foundation in the field of Data Science. Study abroad with us while saving up on money, resources, and hassles. How do you ask? upGrad’s Study Abroad program brings you the ability to pursue a Master’s course from Germany in Data Science. Jointly offered by IIIT-Bangalore, and IU-Germany, the completion of this course will provide you with a dual alumnus status and double the network and connections. upGrad takes care of most of the documentation work for you and allows you to have relaxed English proficiency requirements while providing specialized training and curriculum. Read More: Cutting down cost of bachelors abroad The 2-year Master’s course will be broken down for you as 1-year online and 1-year offline, giving you the chance to study abroad in Germany while saving money. You will get to choose six specializations of IIIT Bangalore and ten electives from IU Germany during this course, based on your past education and future expectations. Keeping in mind that you’re a fresher in the Data Science field, you also get additional help, whenever you need it, from upGrad as a part of the Alumni support program. Apart from saving your time and money, studying with upGrad also eases your academic transition by offering you complete support and personalized guidance. Small batches of students, 24×7 live lectures, lectures from industry experts, and a lot more – reach out to upGrad today, and accelerate your career to the next level!
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by Sudipta Chopra

14 May 2021

How Can You Reduce Your Cost of your Master’s Abroad by 20 Lakhs?
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The thought of pursuing higher education from abroad is pretty exciting and actually materializing that is even more impressive. You get to travel to another part of the world, meet new people, socialize with new cultures, and so much more while getting a top-notch education. However, studying abroad doesn’t come easy – there is a lot of planning and organizing that needs to be done for everything to go right. From taking English proficiency exams to booking flights, looking for accommodation in the new country to finding food services – it Is a pretty long list. Needless to say, you must spend a ton of money! Thus, if you aspire to study abroad, it’s crucial to plan it well. We know of a way you can trim down your study abroad costs by at least 20 Lakhs INR, and we will get to it in a bit, but first, let’s talk about a study abroad roadmap for you – something that’ll help you start planning your overseas education trip. Read More: Get affordable study abroad option from India 1. Answering the three essential questions – why, where, when? These should undoubtedly be the first questions you ask yourself while planning to pursue your Master’s from abroad. Whether you are a working professional looking to resume studies or a fresher seeking good quality education – knowing the answer to the 3 Ws will give you a lot of clarity. Plus, you will get ample time to prepare documentation and brush up on your English proficiency skills. 2. Finding out about exams and applications Once you have answered the three core questions, the next step is to find out about the various examinations and relevant applications that you need to fill out. For instance, the colleges in the USA will require you to appear for GRE and IELTS/TOEFL. Australian and European countries, on the other hand, don’t require a GRE score, and instead, weigh in your undergraduate performance for admissions. If you are targeting German universities, you might need to learn the German language or pass the English proficiency test. Before you start applying to colleges, make sure that you have all the paperwork in control. Start preparing your SOPs, collecting your LORs, and all the essential transcripts and documents from your college. Further, if you are looking for loan options, start looking out for them early on too. Read More: Build career in Data Science without being an Engineer 3. Taking care of the various expenses Higher education from abroad costs a lot more than studying in India. Various components go into determining the final expenses – besides the generally high tuition fee, you will need to take care of living costs that are usually relatively high. Other costs like books, food, travel and all need to be considered as well. While scholarships are available, there are a very limited number of students that get the scholarships. In such a scenario, many students go for education finance or loans. These loans tend to cover everything, including tuition fees, flight costs, living expenses, etc. Now that we have identified how to start planning for your master’s study abroad, let’s look at how you can reduce your expenses or at least get them in control. These tried and tested tips will help you get financial aid or make some extra money by doing a part-time job. Read More: Study in Germany without IELTS score Aids for expenses of studying abroad  If you have found the answers to the what, why, and where – the next obvious concern is the expenses. Here’s a list of ways you can help yourself with the costs of studying abroad: 1. Apply for scholarships Most universities or colleges have a pretty straightforward scholarship process. There’s a fixed amount of scholars and a deadline to submit your applications, and any restrictions may apply as per the university. The types of scholarships offered include general scholarships for assistance, targeted scholarships for diversity, and help to financially needy students. Apart from just university scholarships, there are also many government grants and funds that you can benefit from. So, ensure that you look beyond just your college scholarships and talk to different people and advisors about other ways of funding the studies. 2. Pick a short course  Rather than going for a 4/6-semester course, you can target different short-term courses as well. If you are looking to find a good job and don’t care too much about the college experience, you can look for 1 year courses that are targeted in their curriculum. These courses are not only less expensive, but you will also spend less on living expenses. However, keep in mind that many of these courses do not have scholarships available. Read More: Germany: Land of Study Abroad Dreams 3. Save money on the ground This point is entirely subjective and up to you. When you are living away from home, the two significant (and biggest) expenses are food and living and then there is traveling. You can try to reduce your expense for each of these components. For living, you can check out cheap stay options, such as homestays and PGs. For food, the best and most affordable way is to learn to cook and prepare your food. Likewise, you can find feasible options to cut expenses on travel. All in all, you should strive to spend your money wisely – a lesson that’ll stay with you throughout your life. 4. Work or intern abroad Internships and part-time work opportunities are available in abundance abroad. You can take guidance from the career department in your college or ask for referrals from some people to help you with your first steps. More often than not, the colleges themselves actively search for internships for their students to give them real-world experience. If you’re unable to find internships in a field relevant to your education, you can look for other part-time jobs that’ll help you sustain your study abroad experience. We saved the best for last – the upGrad study abroad experience! Join hands with upGrad & take the upGrad advantage! The points mentioned above are good enough to help you save (or earn) some money. However, there’s not much scope for savings you can do with the above-mentioned approaches. How about we help you save flat 20 lakhs (if not more) while you pursue your master’s from abroad? Read More: Earn credits in COVID as you start your abroad studies from Home upGrad Study Abroad program brings you the ability to pursue a Master’s course in Data Science from abroad. The course is offered jointly by IIIT-Bangalore, and IU-Germany and the completion of this course will provide you with a dual alumnus status and double the network and connections. Further, you’ll get rid of the rigorous documentation you’d otherwise have to do and get relaxed English proficiency requirements (while getting specialized training and curriculum to work on your English skills) – upGrad takes care of it! The 2-year Master’s course will be broken down for you as 1-year online and 1-year offline, giving you the chance to study abroad in Germany while saving money. You’ll get to choose six specializations of IIIT Bangalore and ten electives from IU Germany during this course, based on your past education and future expectations. All in all, you’ll save INR 20 lakh (which is the cost of living and studying in Germany for one year), if not more, on taking the UpGrad route. Apart from saving your time and money, studying with upGrad Abroad also eases your academic transition by offering you complete support and personalized guidance. Small batches of students, 24×7 live lectures, lectures from industry experts, and a lot more – reach out to upGrad today, and accelerate your career to the next level. Is this something you wish to try? Talk to us today!
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by Sudipta Chopra

14 May 2021

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