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Small Pennsylvania University Cashes in on Indian Students
(This School seems to concentrate only Science and Engineering, most of students are Indian and majority of them from Hyderabad.)
Compared to the hallowed halls of hundreds-year old Ivy League and other higher education institutions in the United States, Harrisburg University in Harrisburg, PA, is a 10-year old fledgling. But it is using that newness to spring forward with innovative programs targeting foreign students. Its latest success is an international initiative launched a year ago targeting Indian students and landing a bonanza that it hopes to grow in coming years.
Today, this university has 980 registered students and 604 of them Indian, concentrated in its science, technology, engineering and math or STEM programs. Officials say Indian students find the competitive cost of a STEM education, especially one focused on Information Technology, not only more affordable, but also one that allows them to be gainfully employed while studying in the U.S. Of the 1,900 new applicants for next year, 1,300 are from India, including some already on an F1 visa who want to transfer to Harrisburg University.
“Our programs seem to fit with their interests and the needs of Indian and U.S. employers,” Eric Darr, president of the university, told Desi Talk. Working within Department of Homeland Security guidelines, Darr said, the university was able to take advantage of some aspects of the program such as practical training under the F1 visa. It costs $32,000 for a two-year Masters program with 6 credits earned in every semester of the 6-semester study period. Students get to study in “executive fashion- coming in every four weeks to Harrisburg for face-to-face interaction with faculty, studying the remainder of the time online, all the time working with various multinational like Walmart, eBay or Microsoft etc. “So our students live throughout the U.S., for instance in Triangle Park, North Carolina, Austin, Texas, Silicon Valley,” Darr says.
Established 10 years ago, the university found it hard going in the first few years developing a brand image. “I wanted to find a competitive space with our world class faculty. China did not pan out so well, according to President of Harrisburg U, and focused its vision on drafting Indian students. That international outreach program was a bonanza going by the figures. While 604 Indian students are currently enrolled, another 600 are waiting in the wings to join in January and February.
A majority of the students hailing from Hyderabad was merely a function of the Indian recruiters who signed up to bring in students – a majority of the recruiters were based in Hyderabad, according to Doug Firestone, senior vice president of the university. Firestone is going to India in the first week of February, this time to Gujarat, where the university sees further potential for recruiting students. The university also hopes to attract visiting faculty from India to supplement what they offer in Pennsylvania.
Small Pennsylvania University Cashes in on Indian Students |
(This School seems to concentrate only Science and Engineering, most of students are Indian and majority of them from Hyderabad.)
Compared to the hallowed halls of hundreds-year old Ivy League and other higher education institutions in the United States, Harrisburg University in Harrisburg, PA, is a 10-year old fledgling. But it is using that newness to spring forward with innovative programs targeting foreign students. Its latest success is an international initiative launched a year ago targeting Indian students and landing a bonanza that it hopes to grow in coming years.
Today, this university has 980 registered students and 604 of them Indian, concentrated in its science, technology, engineering and math or STEM programs. Officials say Indian students find the competitive cost of a STEM education, especially one focused on Information Technology, not only more affordable, but also one that allows them to be gainfully employed while studying in the U.S. Of the 1,900 new applicants for next year, 1,300 are from India, including some already on an F1 visa who want to transfer to Harrisburg University.
“Our programs seem to fit with their interests and the needs of Indian and U.S. employers,” Eric Darr, president of the university, told Desi Talk. Working within Department of Homeland Security guidelines, Darr said, the university was able to take advantage of some aspects of the program such as practical training under the F1 visa. It costs $32,000 for a two-year Masters program with 6 credits earned in every semester of the 6-semester study period. Students get to study in “executive fashion- coming in every four weeks to Harrisburg for face-to-face interaction with faculty, studying the remainder of the time online, all the time working with various multinational like Walmart, eBay or Microsoft etc. “So our students live throughout the U.S., for instance in Triangle Park, North Carolina, Austin, Texas, Silicon Valley,” Darr says.
Established 10 years ago, the university found it hard going in the first few years developing a brand image. “I wanted to find a competitive space with our world class faculty. China did not pan out so well, according to President of Harrisburg U, and focused its vision on drafting Indian students. That international outreach program was a bonanza going by the figures. While 604 Indian students are currently enrolled, another 600 are waiting in the wings to join in January and February.
A majority of the students hailing from Hyderabad was merely a function of the Indian recruiters who signed up to bring in students – a majority of the recruiters were based in Hyderabad, according to Doug Firestone, senior vice president of the university. Firestone is going to India in the first week of February, this time to Gujarat, where the university sees further potential for recruiting students. The university also hopes to attract visiting faculty from India to supplement what they offer in Pennsylvania.
Small Pennsylvania University Cashes in on Indian Students |
