Consultants for international education blame the changing demands of the labor market on the “explosive growth” of industries such as cybersecurity, data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
When Indian students come to the United States for higher studies, engineering is no longer their first option. The most recent Open Doors study, an annual survey that looks at international student exchange participation in the US, reveals this. Even though engineering is still the most popular field, its popularity has declined recently. According to the data, over 24.5% of Indians in the US chose to pursue engineering in 2023–2024 a nearly 5% decrease from 29.6% in 2021–2022. In the meantime, 42.9 percent of Indians pursued computer science or mathematics in 2023–2024, making these fields the most popular among them.
Why are Computer Science and Mathematics so popular?
According to Sachin Jain, country manager, Educational Testing Service (ETS) India and South Asia, students are increasingly choosing programs that correspond with cutting-edge subjects like artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning because of the quick expansion of technology-driven enterprises.
In recent years, Indian test-takers have consistently chosen computing and information technology over traditional engineering, even according to the TOEFL (ETS administers this standardized test to determine language proficiency) insights data. Higher employability and more flexible work alternatives are the main drivers of this shift. Careers in high-demand fields like analytics, software development, and information technology can be accessed through computer science and mathematics, he said.
Engineering’s popularity is changing rather than declining in absolute terms, according to Dr. Sridevi Sarma, vice dean for Graduate Education and Lifelong Learning at Johns Hopkins University. Engineering today engages with and is changing domains that were previously believed to be impervious to “quantitative” analysis and description. Data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and similar technologies are revolutionizing the fields of biology, medicine, and healthcare, she added.
The “explosive growth” in domains such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, and Cybersecurity is another reason given by foreign education advisors for these changing demands in the labor market. According to Sachin, “the market for computer science is growing significantly to include industries where technology has been able to make an impact due to the rapid growth of AI and related technologies.” Furthermore, in contrast to traditional engineering subjects, which frequently result in fixed career routes, these disciplines offer job prospects in a variety of industries, including healthcare and finance.
Modern engineering is changing, as a result of the incorporation of AI into fundamental engineering domains like Electrical and Mechanical. Particularly in larger nations like the US and the UK, the employment trend has moved to the global market.
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