All you need to know about STEM Education courses abroad

When researching your degree options abroad, it's normal to feel overwhelmed or confused. This can be the case if you’re looking at a broad qualification category like STEM. That’s where we can help by explaining what STEM qualifications are, what you can study, what the benefits are and where you can study for a degree in a STEM field. 

What are STEM courses?

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and maths, and STEM courses fall within any of these broad disciplines. Because these fields are closely related, many STEM degrees are interdisciplinary, incorporating elements from one or more of these subjects. 

There are hundreds of STEM degrees available worldwide, with some of the most popular courses including:

• Biomedical sciences
• Chemistry
• Civil engineering 
• Computer science
• Economics
• Electrical engineering
• Finance
• Mathematics 
• Psychology
• Statistics

The popular ones picked by Indian students in 2024 are:

• Data Science courses
• Computer Science courses
• Information Technology courses
• Electrical and Computer Engineering courses

Why pursue STEM courses abroad?

1. As STEM degrees are more likely to include study abroad options, if you want to get an overseas study experience, pursuing STEM as an international student is a great option. Many universities are keen to attract the brightest minds to their STEM courses and offer a comprehensive range of international scholarships to ease the financial burden of studying abroad.
2. With many of the top colleges for STEM courses located internationally (Times Higher Education, 2024), you’ll be well-positioned to experience world-class infrastructure, use top-quality equipment, and learn from top academic and professional minds in your chosen discipline. As well as providing an inspirational and exciting study experience, studying at one of these top universities is a strong addition to any CV.
3. STEM graduates are renowned for creating innovative solutions to global problems. As such, many international students with STEM degrees find that the experience of studying abroad gives them a strong career advantage. Learning to collaborate as part of a diverse, multinational team, and experiencing and absorbing another culture will put you in an enviable starting position to follow any career path.
4. Studying abroad, you may also be able to use a post-study work visa to continue to work in that country after you graduate, broadening your professional network and offering a range of exciting work opportunities in prestigious areas of industry. 

Top countries for STEM degrees

According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 (QS) for engineering and technology, life sciences and medicine, natural sciences, and social sciences and management, many of the top universities for STEM degrees are in the USA and the UK.

Both the USA and the UK boast multiple universities in the top 10 globally across various STEM disciplines (QS and Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2024).

Top UK universities for STEM degrees (QS, 2024) include:

• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Imperial College London

Top US colleges for STEM degrees (QS, 2024) include:

• Harvard University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Stanford University

Remember: if you study a STEM degree in the USA, you may be eligible for an additional 24 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) through the STEM OPT extension. This is in addition to the standard 12 months of permitted OPT, meaning you may be eligible to live and work in the USA for up to three years after graduation.

Eligibility requirements for pursuing STEM degrees

The entry requirements for STEM programmes will depend on the specific degree you apply to and the university. However, almost all technology, engineering and mathematics programmes will require you to have a prior mathematical qualification, with science degrees requiring a scientific background.

Undergraduate

To enrol on an undergraduate degree in a STEM subject, most universities will require you to have a minimum of:

• Three A-Levels (often at least BBB), including one or more science and/or maths subjects; or
• International Baccalaureate (often at least 32 points), including one or more science and/or maths subjects with a typical minimum grade of 5 or 6; or
• Equivalent qualifications

Postgraduate

To enrol on a postgraduate degree in a STEM subject, universities commonly ask that you have a recognised bachelor’s degree with second-class honours in a closely related subject. Relevant professional or research experience may also be considered. 

English language requirements for STEM courses

Studying a STEM subject abroad, you will need to meet the English language requirements of your chosen university. These vary between institutions but are typically in the region of an overall IELTS score of 6.0 for undergraduate programmes and 6.5 for postgraduate programmes. 

STEM MBA programmes

In the last two decades, the boom in the tech sector has led to a unique relationship between STEM subjects and business. To fill this knowledge gap, many universities now offer students the opportunity to study a STEM MBA. 

A STEM MBA programme prepares students for a successful business career in science, technology, and/or analytical fields, offering an in-depth business education with applications across STEM fields, which are tailored to a specific area of interest or expertise.

Some universities or business schools (especially in the USA) offer pre-designated STEM MBA pathways, while others require students to enrol on a standard MBA but select from a range of elective STEM modules.

 Career prospects after pursuing a STEM course

With STEM skills crucial to economic growth and innovation globally, STEM graduates are among the highest in demand globally, with employment figures continuing to rise (Prospects, 2019). Depending on the nature of your degree, you might find yourself working for a governmental organisation, multinational corporation, charity, business start-up, or in an academic setting.

Due to the technical nature of STEM degrees, careers can be interesting and lucrative, often with high job security. And of course, with skilled STEM workers in such high demand globally, graduates with a STEM degree often have plenty of scope to work abroad. 

In the USA, the median salary of a STEM worker is USD 64,000, compared to USD 40,000 for non-STEM professions (National Science Foundation, 2023). In the UK, nine out of the top 10 degrees for best starting salaries are STEM courses (Complete University Guide, 2023), with dentistry topping the list.

Top recruiters of STEM graduates

Many of the world’s top employers are actively recruiting STEM graduates. Because STEM subjects are interconnected, many companies offer a broad range of roles suited to graduates with many subject backgrounds. 

Top employers of STEM graduates globally include:

• Amazon
• American Express
• AstraZeneca
• Boeing
• BP
• Deloitte
• GSK
• Johnson & Johnson
• McLaren
• NASA
• OpenAI
• Pfizer
• Tesla
• United Nations

Editor's note: This article was originally published in June 2018 by our content writer, Doodle Nandi. We have since revised it to include up-to-date information and ensure its comprehensiveness.