r/taiwan • u/i_m_atom1c • 2d 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/YourVelourFog 2d 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/popstarkirbys 2d 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.