In this episode of Students Speak, team Avanse is in conversation with Shradha Agarwal, whose passion is to study and acquire knowledge on different interesting subjects. She is a Chartered Accountant by profession and holds various other qualifications in subjects such as Law, Company Secretary, Money Laundering, Astrology and many more. She always planned to pursue her higher education from abroad, and right now, she is all set to start her Master’s degree course in Global Management from Royal Road University, British Columbia, Canada.

Why did Shradha opt for Master of Global Management?

Shradha highlighted that this course is specifically designed for working professionals, and this degree perfectly fits her background. The course description on the university website indicates that it prepares students to manage international complexities in business. It is designed for professionals who are seeking a global business perspective to complement existing skills, motivated to develop competencies in international business, curious about the world, and interested in leveraging their multicultural background. The overall curriculum is focused on four themes – cross-cultural awareness, international business skills, ethical & rational decision-making, and self-awareness.

The course duration is around 19 months with a 6-month internship period. There will be four semesters in the first year, followed by six months of internship or research (whichever you opt for as per your preference). According to Shradha, this course structure is very similar to that of an MBA but does not require a GMAT/CAT examination score. This course also gives Shrada the perfect platform to leverage her already existing skillsets and degrees.

Why Shradha opted for Canada as her study abroad destination?

Canada is considered to be a student-friendly destination. This country offers a favorable and welcoming environment to international students. A lot of other study abroad countries are restrictive with regards to work scenarios or post-course completion experience. Canada, on the other, offers lucrative options to explore after completing the degree course. Its current Prime Minister supports immigration, and the country gives multiple opportunities to students who are exploring various options to strengthen their professional journey.

Another reason for which Shradha selected Canada is because of the presence of Indians in this country. Did you know that according to a Forbes report, the number of Indians who became permanent residents in Canada increased from ~39,340 in 2016 to ~80,685 in 2019, an increase of more than 105%? Shradha feels that Indian migrants and students in Canada will help her feel at home.

Prospects for Shradha after completing Master of Global Management

Her chartered accountant background accompanied by a master’s degree in Global Management will enhance her career prospects in any market as this course prepares students to leverage cultural knowledge in a business environment. It will assist Shradha to explore managerial and/or higher-level positions as soon as she completes this course. According to the university website, students pursuing this course can explore expatriate roles successfully.

Shradha’s research mechanism to take an informed decision

One of the first things that Shradha kept in mind during the research process is that her degree course should be able to value add to her already existing qualifications. This narrows down her options to either a master’s degree in Law or Business Management. According to thorough online research, Shradha figured out that the competition in the law domain is excessive. Her job prospects in this field would be limited. Hence, she rejected the first option. Then, since she did not have a GMAT/CAT score, an MBA degree was not possible at the moment, and she did not want to invest time to go through the examination process currently. Hence, she conducted rigorous research to understand which degree course would add value to her overall professional career. She came across this Global Management course. One of Shradha’s friends who is pursuing this course introduced her to this domain. The course curriculum and structure interested her, so she conducted desktop research to gather as much information as possible. She also reached out to a consultant who guided her and helped her make an informed and well-researched decision.

So that’s all about the start of Shradha’s higher education journey planning and the research mechanism. In the next chapter, we will highlight the impact of COVID-19 on her academic program, her accommodation plans, things to keep in mind before traveling abroad, her way of managing educational expenses, and more. Till then, if you have any queries, please reach out to Avanse. We will be happy to assist you. Take care!