<p>Hi,
I am trying to decide between Energy and Resources Group in UC Berkeley and Energy and Earth Resources in UT Austin.</p>
<p>While both programs are interdisciplinary, they are also quite different in nature. I applied to both because some aspects of both really attracted me.
What attracted me to both was their interdisciplinary nature and the chance to study and learn about many aspects of the same field.
I am interested in the energy field. My interest however extends beyond oil and petroleum and more into renewables, nuclear and basically going into learning about the energy needs and mixes of the human society and how to make the situation better.
In short, I want to work in the energy field as I find it very interesting, but I want to work towards bridging the gap between energy use and environmental benefit.
I would like to work in Not for profit think tanks or maybe in consulting firms working in the renewable sector or even in international organisations such as the UNDP, UNEP or World Bank.</p>
<p>Both programs seem to offer the opportunity to me to do the same but in different ways and I am confused about which one to go for.</p>
<p>While I love the program in Berkeley, it is a VERY expensive school. I am an Indian, so as an international student I will already have a heavy burden of paying back my student loan. On top of that, I am not very sure about what kind of salary I would get once I am done with the program. Could anyone please give me some sort of idea about what kinds of jobs an MS graduate from this program could get with what kind of salaries?</p>
<p>The program at UT Austin is very energy-centered and Texas is the energy capital of the US so it seems to make sense to learn about the energy industry from there. It is also quite cheap. Relative to Berkeley anyway. However, would opting for UT Austin relegate me to only the oil and petroleum industry and to Texas? I don’t want to work for big oil.</p>
<p>Berkeley is a bigger brand name than Austin is, but does that really matter in the long run?</p>
<p>Keeping in mind the kind of work I want to do, and the differences of both programs could someone please guide me a bit. I’m quite confused.</p>
<p>I’ll take my own decision in the end, but I could really use some opinions.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance to whoever takes the time out to help me out a bit with this.</p>
<p>UC Berkeley or UT Austin? I don’t know, but here are my thoughts:</p>
<p>Prestige: Berkeley has more. How much more, I don’t know.</p>
<p>Money: Beyond the fact that UT Austin is much cheaper for you, UT Austin also seems like a much richer school. I believe they get oil money, whereas Berkeley is suffering from the California budget problems. I’m not sure how much this affects you though.</p>
<p>Energy research: I think UT Austin also has the edge for energy research. Here’s what a professor of mine said of UT Austin when I applied to both universities last year: “Energy research is the top priority for growth and new programs right now, and because of historical ties to the oil industry, UT is one of the top places for work on energy systems as well as basic technologies, with work on renewable energy (PV, etc.) being the natural evolution of these activities.” To answer your question of whether going to UT would relegate you to the oil industry, I highly doubt it (however, I don’t know what the Energy and Earth Resources group does exactly - it sounds like oil).</p>
<p>I’ve got no idea, but it seems like your question is one that many people struggle with: money or prestige? Honestly, I don’t know what you should do, and chances are you’ll never know either. So make the best guess you can. Good luck!</p>
<p>As an international, it is impossible for anyone on cc to offer much advice. The fact is that your employment options in the US are severely limited post graduation. Non-profit work is not that easy to come by. Despite the President’s intentions, green jobs aren’t sitting out there begging for applicants. IMO, working for the big international agencies is better attempted by making connections at a school in the northeast, preferably and Ivy or Georgetown. </p>
<p>That being said, Cal’s prestige is huge internationally. It will definitely carry you farther than most other US colleges. Whether it is worth 2x the price over Texas, is something you will have to grapple with.</p>
<p>Thank you for your replies everyone!! I appreciate your opinions and thoughts and will definitely keep them in mind as I make a decision.
If anyone has anything more to add or anything, please do so.
Thanks again!</p>