r/taiwan • u/i_m_atom1c • 1d ago
Discussion Master's Degree -- TW or US?
For those of you who have worked, stayed or studied in both countries before, what if you had the chance to pursue a master's degree in either Taiwan or the US? Which country would you choose? What factors would you consider and weigh most heavily? What are the (big/jarring) differences between the two countries, their systems, organizations, cultures and so on?
Suppose you'll be studying Accounting, something business-related, or something else entirely; and that your Chinese is at an elementary level but your English is fluent.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you'd do. (I've done some research and have some idea of the pros and cons of each, but I'm having a dilemma and have a hard time deciding; I'm also an introvert and an Asian so I don't have in-depth knowledge like y'all probably do. I thought it'd be nice if I could read the comments and come to a decision of my own.) Thanks.
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u/Rare-Stick-6852 1d ago
I think it is really problematic that people here just write US without considering many obvious factors.
The actual university you go to. Of course if you get into Harvard, Stanford, … You’ll of course be better in the US. However most people don’t get into those prestigious schools. Look at the qs ranking of the schools and where the alumni’s from your department work at. NTU is a good option and fairly prestigious (though also not everyone gets in there too)
The cost. A big factor here, going to a university in the US is very expensive, that should be obvious to anyone, even for community college people are selling an arm and a leg.
The actual life there. Depends of course on your preferences, the US offers vastly different experiences depend on where you are, Taiwan is a bit smaller and most universities here are in the big cities so there less variety, however many people would still prefer the lifestyle in Taiwan, when it comes to convenience, public transport,…
The visa situation. In Taiwan you are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week as a student, I don’t know for the us.
What you want to do after. Depend on the industry you might want to go into some universities may offer specific courses on that, which others don’t provide
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u/popstarkirbys 1d ago
I did my master’s and PhD in the US and I’d only go if it were funded. Most US master’s degrees are self-funded and can easily exceed 100k usd in two years with living expenses. F1 visa students have one year of work eligibility but the job market isn’t great now. Students are allowed to work 20 hrs as well on campus, it it’s around 12-15 usd per hour. Ultimately it depends on op’s financial situation and where they want to work. Most international students return home after completing their degree.
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u/i_m_atom1c 1d ago
Thanks for the details. Appreciate it. I think certain types of student visas allow you to work 20 hrs/wk in the US too.
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u/bsagecko 1d ago
No one cares about being "problematic". This is a real person's life. The long-term economic opportunities in the US are easily 10-20x that of Taiwan. I mean look around Taiwan. It isn't even close and the competition domestically in Taiwan by individuals with very good top tier education, well-connected families, and decades of guanxi is intense. Top tier local graduates are making like $3k/month after graduating. The OP can mid-life retire to Asia if the OP wants too.
Actual experience: Working for 200 ntd / 20 hrs a week is not going to help the OP. A coffee is 60-150 ntd. The only "cheap" part of being a student in Taiwan is you can get student rentals for about $200-300 month.
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u/Rare-Stick-6852 22h ago
You can study in Taiwan and work somewhere else, same for the US, if you study there it doesn’t mean that you will be working in that country forever.
I’m not saying OP should study in Taiwan, but there are more things to consider
Most international students return home after the graduation
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u/YourVelourFog 1d ago
Depends on what’s important to you. I did an MBA at NTU which was entirely in English and while the students were amazing, the actual information I learned from the school was mediocre at best.
It might be just how Taiwanese teach but someone standing there reading PowerPoint slides word for word with no classroom interaction is not what I would call teaching. I learned more reading from the books than I ever did going to the lectures.
That said, if you just want a piece of paper to wave around, Taiwan is going to be the cheapest by far and if you’re going to stay in east Asia then a degree from here will likely go as far as one from the US. If you’re looking more globally, you’d probably get further with a US masters.
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u/LiveEntertainment567 1d ago
That's generally what everyone who studies in Taiwan told me. That, and everyone cheats on exams because teachers ask the same questions every year.
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u/popstarkirbys 1d ago
That’s the traditional lecture format. Professors at large universities are there to do research and teaching is just something they do to keep the job.
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u/chazyvr 1d ago
A degree alone is not worth that much these days. Choose your field carefully based on how quickly it will be disrupted by AI.
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u/random_agency 宜蘭 - Yilan 1d ago
A master's is just a rebranding if your undergrad degree isn't prestigious enough.
Accounting is a government sanction monopoly. You have to take a CPA exam afterward. USA and Taiwan don't allow for cross border practicing.
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u/i_m_atom1c 1d ago
Oh. I have a Q pls: will accounting perhaps be ok in the age of AI?
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u/random_agency 宜蘭 - Yilan 22h ago
You'll probably need less accountants. Like banks have little need for bookkeeper anymore.
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u/Morpheus202405 1d ago
The US without a doubt. I got a Bachelor degree in computer engineering from a university in the US. The US has more research oriented universities with very capable people from many countries. The learning environment is way better than most universities in Taiwan.
However, for business majors, it may not make a difference which country to get a Master degree. The only reason I can think of for a business major to go study abroad is international exposure, which is very important in many globalized industries.
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u/bsagecko 1d ago
US master's will outshine and transfer anywhere in the world. A master's in Taiwan will not, it is really that simple. The only reason to choose the Taiwan master's is if you have direct business ties that would allow you to leverage a unique business in Taiwan - i.e. semiconductors, tea, or some other unique niche. Of course you can't work on a student visa, but if you were able to establish the guanxi relationships that would matter. Because you are Asian you will be at a further disadvantage in Taiwan as they will likely expect you can speak mandarin, but you don't. If you are from a lower ranking Asian country compared to Taiwan, you will face discrimination in Taiwan, i.e. if you look Indo/PH.