I have a diploma in mechanical engineering and am working in a private company. I want to enrol in a BE distance learning programme. Please suggest universities which offer this option.
Surjit Bedi, New Delhi
You could opt for the distance engineering degree programmes offered by the Institution of Engineers (www.aimeindia.org); Institution of Mechanical Engineers (www.imeindia.in) or IGNOU’s open and flexible mode engineering (www.ignouviep.org) degree programme.
What are the career prospects of postgraduates in human rights?
Neeta Mehta, Mumbai
Work opportunities for human rights professionals are numer-ous. NGOs involved in human rights, civil liberties, disaster and emergency relief, child and bonded labour, drug abuse, conflict resolution and public interest litigation domains are desperate for qualified professionals. Moreover international organisations such as the United Nations, ILO, UNESCO, USAID, OXFAM, and Amnesty International also need human rights professionals. Other employment options are in correct-ional institutions dealing with juvenile delinquency and child abuse as well as in women reformation centres, prisons and homes for the under-privileged.
I’m a final year commerce student and keen on a career in sports manage-ment. Please recommend study programmes and career prospects.
Nikhil Iyer, Chennai
Although sports management is emerging as an attractive career option, there are few formal training programmes available in India. Most people involved in sports management are typically MBAs/marketing profess-ionals and allied disciplines personnel or sportspersons with deep knowledge of sports. Training in sports manage-ment is interdisciplinary as it encom-passes economics, accounting, market-ing, psychology, law and communication, with emphasis on strategic management of the sport’s business environment, public relations, media and event management.
The Naval Tata Centre of Excellence in Sports Management, IISWBM, Kolkata (www.iiswbm.edu); Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University, Chennai (www.tnpesu.org); Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education, Gwalior (www.lnipe. gov.in) and International Institute of Sports Management (IISM), Jai Hind College, Mumbai 400020 (www.iism world.com) are among institutions offering postgrad programmes in sports management. However an MBA degree is a broader qualification giving you the option of employment in other vocations if you change your mind.
I want to sign up for an MBA degree programme. Please advise.
Peter Colaco, Panjim
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum eligibility requirement for an MBA programme. Moreover most B-schools in India conduct a written aptitude test followed by group discussion and personal interview to cherry pick applicants. The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) conduct a Common Admission Test (CAT) every November to select students for admission into the country’s 11 IIMs. Several other B-schools also admit students on the basis of CAT scores.
Other popular B-school entrance tests are MHCET, XAT, MAT, IIFT, SNAP and JMET. Most B-schools abroad require students to complete at least two-three years of full-time work to qualify for admission into their MBA programmes.
Can I study chartered accountancy (CA) simultaneously with my current bachelor of media studies (BMS) degree programme? Later, will I be permitted to pursue my articled clerk’s training while in employment?
Dinesh Rao, Bangalore
You can sign up for the CA study programme conterminously while pursuing your undergrad studies, though ideally you should combine it with a B.Com degree programme as both have complementary content. Moreover a B.Com programme is less demanding in terms of classroom time as opposed to BMS which is more rigorous. The mandatory CA articleship (apprentice training) can commence only after completion of Professional Education-I and PE-II of the CA programme, by which time you will be in your final year of graduation. Hence, most aspiring accountants prefer to wholly complete their degree studies before signing up for an articleship.
With reference to the latter half of your question, articled clerks in accountancy firms are expected to work full-time for a minimum period of one year. This rules out the possibility of working elsewhere while articled.
I’m a second year B.Sc (physics and maths) student. I want to know about summer training courses in physics/astronomy.
Nalini Kelkar, Pune
The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore offers summer research fellowships in association with the department of science and technology and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi. Research options include the physical sciences (experimental and theoretical physics, astronomy and astrophysics). Students in the second and third year of B.Sc as well as first year M.Sc are eligible to apply. Selected students will get the opportunity to pursue a research project with faculty for two months during the April-July period at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) or JNCASR, Bangalore and several other selected institutions. Advertisements inviting applications are published in national dailies in end September every year.
I want to know about the online Certified Financial Planner (CFP) programme recently announced by TeamLease Services Pvt Ltd.
Raghu Murthy, Bangalore
On January 12 Teamlease Services, India’s largest staffing company, and its affiliate the Indian Institute of Job Training (IIJT) launched a special online training programme culminating in CFP certification. The programme is designed and delivered by financial planning experts via satellite. IIJT has two studios in Bangalore and Delhi that currently beam to 65 centres country-wide with plans to add 200 plus centres by mid-2011. Students are awarded CFP certification after 300 hours of training.