Hi,

I am working in a bank in India. Have already done my MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahemdabad (the best school in India). Prior to that I am an engineering under-grad. Have total 4 years of work ex. (1.5 yrs engineering & 2.5 years corporate/project finance)..

My wife is in the process of shifting to Netherands next year. So I am also planning to take up a course there. Best school i could find out is Rotterdam..

need help from you guys should I apply for Msc specialization or MBA (second one!).. Idea is to get settled in Netherlands..

TIA

pls reply.. need urgent help!

Do a Dutch course.

If you apply to an MSc at Amsterdam, they have a very inexpensive one year intensive Dutch course. You'll need Dutch to get residency.

Thanks Duncan..

understand you are saying Msc at UA so that i can learn dutch parallely. But would the Msc itself help me in getting a job there?

I mean..to get residency i have to spend 5 years minimum which is only possible if i get a decent job there..

In case UA can provide me with that..i think best subject wud be Business Economics - Finance

let me know if i am on the right track..

No I suggest you take a year full time to learn Dutch. Then the MSc. You will not learn Dutch simultaneously.

Umm.. But that means I have to spend 2 full years without any income.. And wud I get a job with an MSc from UA

After spending 1 full year on Dutch at UA wudnt it be better that I do MBA or MSc at some other better ranked school..I.e in case I am spending two years anyway

But can I cut it to 1 year.. Don't want to be unattractive to employers with 2 kinda idle years.. At least 1 year should be of high value addition..

One more query.. Do I get a 1 yr permit post the Dutch course at UA also for finding jobs.. Might be able to contact some IIMA alumni and convert it in that one year..

Pls guide me I am getting confused now..

Are you confused or impatient? Your employment opportunities are very limited if you don't speak the language - as in France or Germany. Because most people in shops will speak Dutch there is no incentive to force foreigners to learn. As a result they don't have access to the same jobs, networks and cheap housing. You will be very marginal unless you make a major effort to learn the language. That is more important than a extra degree. There are lots of places to learn but the UvA has a great offer for its students.

May be I am impatient also!

but Duncan i am confused too.. please give clear advice..

Option 1
1st year - Dutch language course at UA
IInd Year - Msc at UA say Business Economics Finance or MBA at ABS

Option II
1st year- Dutch language course at UA
IInd year - Res permit for finding jobs

Option III
1 year - Dutch language course at UA
2 year - MBA from RSM or Msc from RSM

What i am clear about is that I have to do a full time dutch course.. But after that? this is the confusion

Also explain a little why UA has a great offer.. Am i missing something

Thanks for your insightful comments..

Full time Dutch courses are expensive but UvA heavily discounts them for people who have been admitted to UvA programmes the following year. I don't know what they would do if you were to go elsewhere the following year. Take the best masters you can for your career goal. But also think about location: why not study at whichever of those good schools is closest to your wife?

Thanks Duncan..

Have been doing dome research on the topic.. what if I do a masters from TU Delft in their Management & Analysis deptt. say something like construction management or Policy analysis.
This would combine my engg & management skills..

What could be the job prospects after that?
Plus TU Delft also offers intensive dutch courses to its students..

This option appears because my wife might take up a technical course at TU Delft as she is a civil engineer with 7 yrs work ex..

please help me out

If you study Dutch at the same time as a masters degree then you will not be able to get to fluency by the end of your degree. If you are impatient then study finance since that has the most opportunities that don't require fluent Dutch. In construction and policy, which are more localised, there are very few opportunities which don't require Dutch.

I think your only strategy, if you want to settle there, is to become fluent in Dutch. You can't get permanent residency without that at high intermediate level which very few Indians reach without full time study. If you find an purely English speaking job then there will be no time or incentive to reach that level of Dutch and without that you really cannot integrate. Many such folk keep their kids out of the excellent Dutch schools and have the huge cost of private English speaking schools. Learn Dutch first then do an MBA or MSc in finance: I suggest Rotterdam since that is close to Delft.

Thanks Duncan..

Have been doing dome research on the topic.. what if I do a masters from TU Delft in their Management & Analysis deptt. say something like construction management or Policy analysis.
This would combine my engg & management skills..

What could be the job prospects after that?
Plus TU Delft also offers intensive dutch courses to its students..

This option appears because my wife might take up a technical course at TU Delft as she is a civil engineer with 7 yrs work ex..

please help me out

Hi Shweta

Have gone through that post.. that is why I am so concerned abt the job scenario..

i am still confused abt what to do.. lets see will take GMAT next month anyways

Hi All,

Duncan hope you are doing great!

So I have taken my GMAT scored 740 and have applied to Amsterdam business school - master in international finance, NHH masters in Energy & Finance; got an interview invite at LBS - MIF but dinged after that.. other schools are at different stages of app..

Meanwhile my wife has also secured admit to NTNU, Norway..

Most prob i will convert ABS with good schol.. guys need advice what to do.. I am all over the map rt now

Bergen to Tronheim is a long journey. Holland is easier.

What feedback did LBS give you on your application?

ABS is okay, but it's not a great business school. NHH is better, I guess.

Where else are you applying to?

Hi Duncan,

Yup NHH to NTNU is a long distance. But good pt is I get a work permit if my wife studies in Norway.

LBS didnt give any feedback as such.. just a mail 3 days after they recieved my interview report.

I am applying to 1)RSM - MSc Finance & Investments 2)Oxford 3)Warwick but am not too sure abt any of them!!

Do you think RSM MSc is worthwhile at 15K Euro. I dont want to do a second MBA from RSM at 44K E. They had a nice post-experience Masters in Financial Management Programme but now they have clubbed it with MBA at 56K E.

Additionaly, I am looking at financial/quant kind of courses which will lend me hard skills. Ex UVA MSc in Financial Mathematics or Tilburg Quantitative Finance MSc.

Any suggestions are more than welcome:-)

It sounds like you are looking in the right directions. Norway's a good, and a growing economy. An MSc in some quant field is very good. Also look at the DSF: http://www.dsf.nl/ and the VU http://www.vu.nl/en/programmes/international-masters/programmes/n-q/quantitative-finance-msc/index.asp

Hi Duncan,

I had a look at DSF earlier & it looks very promising. Anyways, I have now applied to DSF MSc Finance & UVA MSc Finance apart from the ABS MiF. Further, I will apply to RSM Master in Finance & Investments. Lets see what all gets converted.

Can you please give your views on these programmes. Basically in terms of job prospects for a non-european:-)

Thanks as always..

Do consider the VU programme as well. I'm a specialist in MBAs rather than in MSc degrees, but I think they should all have pretty good outcomes. Just ask them.

Perhaps RSM will have the best career services, and the DSF the highest starting salary?

Hi Duncan,

Update on my applications

NHH - Accepted
UVA MSc BE Finance - Accepted

DSF - applied & waiting
ABS MIF - interviewed & waiting

RSM - yet to apply..

Both NHH & UVA have given me some days to accept. Any suggestions what I do now.. NHH is 2 yrs & I dont think UVA BEF has great placements?