Choice: TU/e or Southampton for Systems and Control

Hi everyone,

I am now having a troubling situation. I have both offers for Msc degree at Southampton (UK) and TU/e, and my major is systems and control. I am still waiting for the final answer from TUD, but if they don't accept me, I will have to choose between Southampton and TU/e.

I am sort of confused as both the two are pretty good I think. Southampton is the No. 1 in systems and control in the UK, but I will have to re-take the IELTS and the program is only one year. While for TU/e, my language test result is fine and the program is two-year long. However, TU/e seems not so good as Southampton (I don't know - but considering that Southampton is No. 1 in the UK). Ideally, I hope I could go to TUD, but it is good to consider the alternatives in early stage. Therefore, I very much look forward to hearing from you - any suggestions and advice would be highly appreciated.

Parcularly, I would like to know about the prospects of systems and control in both the Netherlands and the UK, how about the people with experience in this major? Are they more into practice or into academia (PhD)? How about the prospects in both of these two routes?

Thanks much in advance.

If the program in Southampton is only one year, the rank doesn't matter that much, because you are only going to take some courses there. Even if you have some research project, it is some kind of naive
In TU/e, the program emphasises intership more than in UK universities. It will be helpful if you want to go to industy. Of course you can choose some theoretic topic, if you want to do Phd.