After completing my BE (electronics and communication) degree programme next year, I would like to study for an MBA. What specialisation should I choose? Would you recommend an MBA in operations?
Nikhil Raghavan, Chennai
As an engineering graduate you are eligible for admission into the MBA programme of any B-school country-wide. Specialisations offered include marketing, human resources, systems, finance, etc. Engineering graduates also have the option of studying for business management programmes offered by the B-schools of IITs, IIITs, IIITM-Gwalior, National Institutes of Technology, and NITIE, Mumbai.
Specialising in operations is a good idea as there’s great demand for well qualified operations managers proficient in product creation and development, purchase, plant organisation, produc-tion efficiency, quality control and inventory management. Your focus should be on getting admission into a reputed B-school and choosing a specialisation that suits your academic aptitude and personality.
I’m in second year B.Sc and want to join the Indian Air Force after graduation. Please advise.
Shilpa Kolhatkar, Pune
The short service commission (women) programme of the Indian Air Force is open to unmarried female Indian citizens who graduate in any discipline with maths and physics at 10+2 level, and are between 19-23 years of age (upper age limit is relaxed by three years for holders of commercial pilot licences). Selection is through a Services Selection Board interview and medical examination. There’s no entry point right now for women after Plus Two into the IAF.
After class XII (commerce) I want to qualify as a company secretary (CS). What are the eligibility requirements and job prospects?
Sridhar Reddy, Bangalore
The CS study programme can be pursued in three stages after class XII: foundation (five papers), intermediate (eight papers) and final (nine papers). The course is conducted through correspondence and online by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (www.icsi.edu) with provision for attending coaching classes.
After clearing the intermediate/final examination, a student has to undergo 16 months of training as an articled clerk prior to becoming a qualified company secretary. Company secretaries are required by all companies with paid up capital of Rs.2 crore or more, by government and have the option of professional practice. Globalisation and the process of comprehensive economic cooperation have set in motion mutual recognition agreements between ICSI and institutes governing the profession in numerous countries. This has created global opportunities for qualified company secretaries.
I want to know about undergraduate animation study programmes available. Please advise.
Sheena Singh, Mumbai
Degree programmes in animation are offered inter alia by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (www.nid.edu); Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, in alliance with Arena Animation (www.arena-multimedia.com or www.msuniversityorg.in); IGNOU and MAAC (www.maacindia.com); Tilak Maharashtra University, Pune; Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nasik and Picasso Animation College, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai (www.picasso.in).
I’m in class XII (science) and interested in a career in aeronautical engin-eering. Which colleges offer this subject?
Arun Chawla, New Delhi
Some of the well-known colleges offering B.Tech degree programmes in aeronautical engineering are Punjab Engineering College University of Technology, Chandigarh (www.pec. ac.in); Anna University, Chennai (www.annauniv.edu); Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (www.jntu.ac.in); Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Technology, Valsad (affiliated with Gujarat University, http://www.svitvasad.ac.in/default.asp): Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai (www.hindustan univ.com); Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Secunderabad (http://www.iare.ac.in/) and Manipal Institute of Technology (www.admission. manipal.edu). You could also study electronics/telecom/electrical/ electronics and communication/instrumentation/computer science and engineering to achieve your goal.
What are my job prospects if I enrol in a BMM (bachelor of mass media) degree after Plus Two? Which colleges offer this study programme?
Siddharth Mehta, Ahmedabad
The three-year BBM qualifies students for careers in advertising or journalism. There is no formal ranking of BMM colleges as rankings are usually associated with analysis of campus placement records. Although BMM qualifies graduates for jobs in journalism and advertising, these are primarily obtained through individual effort and initiatives. A complete list of colleges offering BMM courses is available on the website of the University of Mumbai (www.mu.ac.in) as well as other universities. To better your employment prospects a post-graduate programme in communications management/mass communications/allied disciplines is advisable.
I’m in final year B.Com. What further study options are available to commerce graduates? What courses do you recommend?
Ravi Nair, Trivandrum
There are many options available to you. You could sign up for an MBA diploma/degree programme for which you have to write entrance tests such as CAT, XAT, MAT and CET. However, right now you should just concentrate on your final year of B.Com and graduate with a high percentage.
Other than MBA, you could also pursue the three-year LLB, postgraduate courses in journalism/mass communi-cation/advertising or tourism, film-making, computer applications, chartered accountancy, cost and works accountancy, company secretary, library science etc. You have to make the effort to shortlist study choices in sync with your aptitude and personality. Thereafter you must select reputed colleges offering those degrees.