After completing my BE (electronics and communication) degree next year, which postgraduate course would you recommend for boosting my career prospects?
Venkat Narayan, Chennai
Enroling in an M.Tech degree programme will qualify you for jobs in teaching and research, while an MBA will prepare you for a management career in industry.
I’m a qualified chartered accountant with two years work experience in the corporate sector. Am I eligible to enroll in a Ph D programme at an IIM or XLRI, Jamshedpur?
Srinivas Iyer, Bangalore
To qualify for the Ph D programmes offered by any of the IIMs and XLRI, you must have a Masters degree (any discipline) with a minimum average of 55 percent or a professional qualifi-cation such as CA, ICWA, CS with at least 55 percent, or a four-year/eight semesters bachelor’s degree. Thus, your CA qualification qualifies you to apply for a Ph D programme.
I’m a second year B.Com student specialising in banking and insurance. Should I enroll in a CA or ICWA course or concentrate on banking and insurance?
Neena Sabharwal, New Delhi
After graduation you could opt for a Masters degree or write bank-ing and insurance exams. Career prospects are good as the banking and insurance sector has enormous poten-tial for growth. Concentrate on this career and don’t fritter away your energies chasing a CA or ICWA qualification.
I’m a class XI student interested in making a career in biotechnology. Can I choose this subject as a specialisation in B.Sc or do I have to enroll in an engineering degree programme in biotechnology?
Nitin Rele, Pune
Biotechnology is offered as a specialisation in B.Sc as well as a BE degree programme. For admission into an engineering college, you have to write a common entrance exam with admission into the best colleges depending upon your performance in the test. On the other hand, for admission into a B.Sc programme you don’t have to write an entrance exam.
I’m a second year B.Com student keen on a career in financial planning. What are the available study options and career prospects?
Sheetal Desai, Ahmedabad
To qualify to write the certified Financial Planner (CFP) exami-nation, you need a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, but enrolment in a commerce, economics or accountancy programme at the undergrad level gives you an advantage. The Certified Finan-cial Planning Board is an independent professional regulatory organisation which licences those who pass the board’s exam. As a financial planner, your work involves advising clients on investment, wealth and estate planning, and risk management.
I’m in class XI (arts) and want to pursue a career in law. What are the job opportunities in this profession?
Amy Furtado, Panjim
After completion of Plus Two you should enroll in BA LLB, a five-year degree course. After graduation, you can practice in district or small sessions courts or work in a private law firm. If you specialise in corporate law, you can opt for private sector jobs.
I’m a computer science graduate interested in applying for an MS degree abroad. Please advise how best I can prepare for the GRE exam?
Siddharth Bhatia, Mumbai
You can refer to the Official Guide to GRE as well as Barron’s guide to the new GRE. More information on the new GRE pattern is available on www.gre.org. GRE and TOEFL scores that you should aim for are 320+ and 100+ respectively.
I’m interested in a career in journa-lism after completing my Plus Two next year. I also want to sign up for a course in legal journalism. Please advise.
Priya Chatterjee, Kolkata
You should enroll for a postgrad degree in mass communication to prepare for a career in journalism, but there’s no specialisation in legal journalism as it’s a niche area. If you’re very keen, you could also acquire an LLB degree and then apply to media corporates.
After completing B.Com next year, what are my postgraduate study options? My strengths are accounting, HR and economics.
Sanjeev Rao, Bangalore
You have several options. you could sign up for an MBA programme and specialise in HR or MA (economics) if you want to be an economist. If accountancy is your forte, sign up for CA or a Cost and Works Accountancy study programme.
I will graduate as an electronics and telecommunications engineer this year. However, I’ve realised my real interest is art and animation. What are the prospects of making use of both my telecom degree and animation skills?
Ravi Nair, Trivandrum
You could seek employment with companies involved in animation design. Professional training in animation is useful to land a job in a reputed company. Hence you could seek admission into the Masters in design programme with specialisation in visual communication design offered by the Industrial Design Centre, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076.
I will complete my B.Sc degree next year and am interested in enroling in a Masters in entrepreneurship programme. Which institutes offer this course?
Nilima Jain, Baroda
An entrepreneurship programme provides you with know-how to promote your own business. The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (www.ediindia.org); Nirma University, Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (www.imnu.ac.in); NMIMS University, Mumbai (www.nmims.edu); Pearl School of Business, Gurgaon (www.psbg.in) and SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai (www.spjimr.org) are some reputed institutes offering full-time entrepren-eurship and allied programmes at the postgraduate level.