I'm currently in my final year of Engineering in one of the top institutes in India and and want ot pursue a Masters in Data Analytics after I graduate.
I'm an Indian with no work experience (except for a 6-month Internship) and no plans on working either as I want to finish my studies first. I have a GMAT score of 750 (Q51,V40) and average extra-curriculars.

1) My ultimate goal is to relocate to London but I hear it's next to impossible for non-EU students to get a job there. So I've been looking at other countries in Europe (mainly France because of the APS) and will think of London later. I know that language is very important to work in an EU country and I do know French a bit (B1 at best) but would it be possible for me to be professionally fluent in a years time? Or should I just apply to British universities and take a gamble? (The reason I don't want to come back to India is because I would be taking a loan and to pay it off with an Indian salary would be difficult)

2) Is it advisable to do an MS in Data Analytics instead of an MBA (and then specialize in business analytics)? Most of the MS programs are new and I'm not sure about their worldwide recognition.

3) So far I've made a decision to apply to the programs at Essec and ESCP. Are there any other programs that I should look into ?

Thanks for your help!

Hey Aditya,

Congratulations on the GMAT! Happy to help:

1) Getting a job in an EU country as an Indian citizen is hard, period. Some countries have easier visa programs than others, but you're still running up against some long odds. The best way to improve your chances? Do really well in your program and get hired by a huge, important company that has a lot of practice getting folks visas. And to get there, you need get into a good program, so I wouldn't rule out any options at this point. Apply to schools in France, apply to schools in the UK, and see where you get the best offer. If you get admits to similar-tier schools in multiple countries, maybe you decide to go with the country that has the more favorable visa policy, but if there's a big gap in quality, you should go to the better school.

You're right about the language stuff, you can probably swing it, but be honest with yourself about how quick you learn languages.

2) If you plan on not working, then this is easy: the MS. Most MBAs are going to want work experience, so if you have your heart set on that you should put in some years first.

Best of luck!

[Edited by alex.admissionado on Oct 30, 2018]

Yes, agreed that post-MSc employment in the EU can be tough for non-EU students. The UK is honestly your best shot, given your language levels. If you can take some time to get your French up a bit higher, that would help.

Fortunately: as long as the internal operations are primarily in English, companies hiring technical MSc's are less likely to require a high level of the domestic language - versus if you were coming out of an MBA for example.

That said, the difference between your quant and verbal scores on the GMAT may be a red flag (although, again, less so than if you were looking at MBA programs.)

Thanks for the help guys!
How can I compare programs by different universities? Is using the QS MSBA rankings reliable? Or should I be looking at the overall ranking of the business school instead?
For instance, Essec is ranked 4th on the QS MSBA rankings but in the FT rankings for business schools, it's lower down the order.

Use the FT ranking for MiM degrees rather than its ranking of European business school.

Thanks Duncan!