I am a Plus Two student interested in a career in art direction. What are my options?
— Rajesh Singh, Delhi
A bachelor’s degree in fine arts, digital media or visual communication will give you a good foundation for a career in art direction. Depending on your area of interest, you could opt for any of these subjects at the undergraduate level. However, for a successful career in art direction you need to acquire proficiency in design software packages such as Adobe Photoshop, user interface design, HTML, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe creative suite, and Cascading Style Sheets, plus acquire knowledge of photography and typefaces. During your undergrad years, it’s important for you to maintain a portfolio of your work.
I have just completed class XII (PCM) and want to study spatial design. What is the scope of a career in spatial design?
— Seepie Singh, Bhopal
Spatial design is a new discipline that transcends the boundaries of traditional design specialisms such as architecture, landscape, interior and service design. Spatial designers study how people move and interact in their living spaces, and design buildings and environments to suit their lifestyles. Employment opportunities are in interior/building design firms, theatre, film, television and digital design, furniture and products design and teaching postgraduate students.
I’m interested in teaching after I graduate in science next year. What qualifications do I need to teach in a school/college?
— Sunita Desai, Mumbai
The eligibility requirement to qualify as a school teacher varies according to the level/age of students you teach. The minimum qualification for any school teacher is a B.Ed degree. However, to teach higher secondary school students, a postgraduate qualification together with a B.Ed is required. Moreover, you need to clear the teacher eligibility test before you can teach in any school.
To qualify as a college/university lecturer, you need a postgraduate degree (with a minimum 55 percent average), clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) and enroll in an M.Phil or Ph D programme. Under UGC regulations, only postgrads who have cleared NET are eligible to teach undergraduates. The best option is to sign up for a full-time B.Ed degree and start teaching in a school. Coterminously, you can sign up for an online M.Sc degree programme.
I want to pursue a career in geology after completing Plus Two. Which universities in India offer study programmes in this vocation?
— Ayushman Mehta, Bangalore
Geology is an earth science which includes the study of mineralogy, natural structures, geomorphology, paleontology and geological engineering. Almost all major universities host geology departments and most colleges offer undergrad and postgrad degree programmes in the subject. Among the most reputed are the IITs (Mumbai, Kharagpur, Roorkee, Dhanbad and Bhubaneswar); St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai; TIFR, Mumbai; Indian Institute of Geo-Magnetism, Mumbai; Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad; National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad and National Institute of Oceanography, Goa.
I am a class XII science student interested in journalism. What are the skill-sets required? Also please suggest colleges which offer study programmes in journalism.
— Tayyaba Rehman, Jammu
Journalism is essentially about the collection and dissemination of news through the print and electronic media. While print journalists work as editors, sub-editors, reporters, columnists etc in newspapers, magazines and journals, electronic journalists work as researchers, reporters, content writers, editors, correspondents and anchors in radio, television and online media. This profession requires passion and commitment to work long hours. A successful journalist must possess good writing and editing skills.
Among the top-ranked colleges which offer undergrad programmes in journalism are Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi; Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and Christ University, Bangalore.
I am a class XII science student interested in corporate law. Please suggest universities in India which offer the integrated five-year BALLB study programme.
— Darpan Changrani, Nashik
Among institutions that offer the five-year integrated law programme through the common law admission test (CLAT) are Gujarat National Law University; NLU, Jodhpur; Chanakya NLU, Patna; NLU, Odisha; NLSIU, Bangalore and NALSAR, Hyderabad. Colleges which conduct their own entrance exams include Symbiosis, Christ and Amity law schools.
I want to pursue undergraduate studies in biotechnology in the UK after I complete my Plus Two (science) next year. Do I need to write the GRE or TOEFL exams to qualify?
— Venkat Raman, Chennai
GRE is a requirement of most universities in the US for admission into postgrad programmes. For admission into undergraduate degree programmes in the UK, you are required to write TOEFL. You should aim for a distinction in Plus Two to secure admission into top-ranked British universities. The universities of Westminster and Nottingham offer reputed bachelor’s degree programmes in biotechnology.