After graduating in biotechnology in 2014, I want to pursue a postgraduate degree in environmental law in the US. Meanwhile I want to sign up for a part-time correspondence course. Please advise.
Navin Kelkar, Pune
Admission into a graduate law programme in the US will depend on your scores in the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), TOEFL, your undergraduate academic record and Statement of Purpose. Therefore focus on graduating with an excellent average, build a portfolio of extra-curricular activities and work towards getting an above-average score in LSAT. To practice law in the US, graduates must also pass the Bar examination and fulfill other requirements mandated by the state in which they wish to work. Any environment-related work experience/projects will of course add depth to your statement of purpose and admission application. IGNOU (www.ignou.ac.in) and Karnataka State Open University, Mysore offer short-term/part-time courses in environment studies for undergraduates.
Which are India’s premier design institutes and what programmes do they offer?
Neeta Chandran, Bangalore
There’s a virtual consensus that the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad — an internationally acclaimed institution offering under-graduate and postgrad courses in industrial, communication, textile, apparel and lifestyle accessory design, IT integrated design, retail management — is India’s #1 design institute. Next in the pecking order is the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) which has 15 centres across the country and offers graduate programmes in fashion and textile design, fashion communication etc and postgraduate programmes in management and design. Other reputed institutes of industrial and other design are MIT Institute of Design, Pune; Srishti School of Design, Bangalore; Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune; Department of Industrial Design, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Every institute conducts its own entrance examination.
I’m in class X and dream of a career in journalism. My parents, however, want me to opt for the science stream in Plus Two. Please advise.
Sanjeev Chhadha, New Delhi
Reading science subjects in Plus Two is not a disqualification for journ-alism as you could specialise as a sciences journalist after graduation in the science stream, although liberal arts and humanities is the usual background of journalists. I suggest you write a careers aptitude test. This will help you make an informed decision. Journalism offers bright prospects especially with the electronic media booming.
I would like to know about the five-year integrated programme in social sciences offered by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
Rajan Narayan, Chennai
TISS offers its five-year integrated social sciences programme in its Guwahati, Hyderabad and Tuljapur campuses. This is an interdisciplinary course covering social, economic, political, cultural, social, psychological and environment subjects. You will also study mathematics and foundation courses in biological, physical and chemical sciences and languages in addition to philosophy of research, research methodology, logic and history. In many ways, the course is structured like the liberal arts programmes offered by American universities.
However, this is not a rigid five-year programme. After completion of the third year, you can exit with BA in social sciences, or press on for a Masters degree. You can download the brochure from www.campus.tiss.edu.
I’m a second year B.Sc student. After graduation I want to enroll in a sports management study programme in India or abroad. Please advise.
Ivan Lobo, Panjim
I suggest you intern with a sports management or related company to evaluate if this is the right career for you. If you are not too sure, opt for a general management programme which will offer you greater choice. Sports management study programmes are offered in India by the International Institute of Sports Management (IISM); Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management; Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Science; and Alagappa University. In the UK, City University, King’s College, Aston University, Bath, Exeter, Manc-hester and Loughborough universities offer sports management programmes. However none of these universities guarantee jobs to foreign students.
I’m keen on a career in the armed forces and am planning to write the NDA exam after completing class XII (science) in 2014. In case I don’t clear the exam, I want to go through the Combined Defence Services route. To qualify, should I sign up for a B.Com or BCA undergraduate degree programme?
Ajay Singh, Chandigarh
A B.Com or BCA degree will qualify you to write the Combined Defence Services Exam (CDSE). You can enter the Indian Army or Air Force (though not the navy) with these subjects. The Combined Defence Ser-vices Exam is conducted twice a year (February and August) by the Union Public Service Commission to admit cadets into the Indian Army and Indian Air Force.
The eligibility criteria are: For IMA (Indian Military Academy), unmarried males with BE/bachelor’s degree in any discipline; for the Air Force Academy, it’s unmarried males with a BE/ bachelor’s degree, and physics and maths in 10+2. For the Naval Academy, unmarried males with BE/B.Sc (physics and maths) are eligible to apply. Selection is on the basis of a written exam followed by a SSB (Services Selection Board) test and interview.
Which foreign universities offer postgraduate courses in financial economics?
Siddharth Roy, Kolkata
Among the reputed institutions offering this subject are University of Warwick (M.Sc in finance and economics); University of Manchester and City University (M.Sc in financial economics) in the UK, and Bond and Monash universities in Australia. Finance professionals are in great demand and a foreign qualification will certainly add value to your resumé.