I want to pursue a gems and jewellery course in a reputed college/university in the US. Please advise.
— Deepak Shah, Baroda
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) offers study programmes in gemology, jewellery and design. The GIA School of Business (2003), a unique school teaching real-world business principles specific to the gems and jewellery industry, offers online and on-campus degree courses. Write to GIA headquarters in California or e-mail eduinfa@gia.edu for more information. You could also search the Internet for other options and check out GIA India, which offers gemology and diamond grading courses and the Gemological Institute of India, Mumbai.
After completing my final CA exam in India, is it advisable to pursue CPA (Certified Public Accountant) certification in the US?
— Sunil Kulkarni, Pune
CPA deals with the accounting and taxation structures of the US and consequently will not help your accounting practice in India. CPA has value only if you plan to work with organisations which need to conform with US accountancy protocols.
I am keen on studying law after Plus Two. Please advise.
— Manish Agarwal, Nagpur
The legal profession is now entering a boom period with a large number of American-style law firms springing up in the larger cities. This development has sharply reduced the ‘waiting period’ of new lawyers.
You could enroll in a five-year course in law for a BA.LLB degree directly after your Plus Two. This course is available in many universities including the premier National Law School of India University, Bangalore. You need a minimum of 45 percent average in all subjects to be eligible to write the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) for admission into 19 premier law schools in the country. Other institutes offering law degree courses in Maharashtra are the Shivaji University of Pune and Nagpur University.
A postgraduate in library and information science, I am currently working in a self-financed engineering college as assistant librarian. I now want to sign up for a degree/diploma course in library automation. Which institutions offer distance education programmes in the subject?
— Subhash Sharma, Kurukshetra
Distance education library science programmes are offered by the B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad; Annamalai University; Kakatiya University, Warangal; University of Madras and IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University), Delhi. Check out their websites or write to them for information about library automation programmes.
I’m a final year engineering student interested to write the CAT next year. Please advise.
— Cyrul Patel, Mumbai
The Common Admission Test (CAT) for admission into the country’s top-ranked B-schools is advertised in the month of August and held in November or early December in 140 centres across the country. The examination is of the objective type with multiple-choice questions.
The usual areas tested are verbal ability; reading comprehension (in the English language); quantitative aptitude; analytical reasoning and data interpretation. CAT is used for selecting candidates for postgraduate courses in management at 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), the premier ones being Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Indore, Kozhikode and Lucknow. Around 110 other management institutes also use CAT scores to shortlist candidates for admission into their MBA programmes. The advantage therefore, is that by writing CAT, you can apply for admission into 125 management institutes. To purchase previous CAT papers, application form and bulletin, you need to budget Rs.1,800 (Rs.900 for SC/ST candidates).
After completing my BE (Mech) degree, I wish to be employed as a trainee marine engineer. Please advise.
— Aditya Desai, Ahmedabad
The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) selects trainee marine engineers on the basis of performance in its entrance exam. The exam tests candidates’ technical knowledge, English language skills, quantitative maths, aptitude and reasoning capability. Question papers are bilingual (Hindi and English). Top performers in the written test are shortlisted for interview and medical test and a final selection is made from among them. SCI’s medical officer determines health and physical fitness for sea service as per STCW 95 medical standards.
I am interested to enroll in an MBA programme abroad. Please advise.
— Steven D’Souza, Panjim
To be admitted into a respectable postgrad business management study programme abroad, a good GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) score is usually required. Also, for every international student, the TOEFL score is always important since it establishes an applicant’s proficiency in English usage.
For writing GMAT, at least 16 years of education in India is required. You will have to budget 12-15 months (preferably 18 months) for researching and shortlisting institutions for a suitable MBA programme, exploring admission requirements, seeking financial aid options and scheduling the GMAT and TOEFL exams. Writing your Statement of Purpose, collecting teacher recommendations etc are other mandatory requirements.