Your Counsellor Replies

Your Counsellor RepliesI‚ll be awarded my B.Pharm degree in 2008 and would like to pursue a career in clinical research. Which institutions offer programmes in this subject and what are my career prospects after postgraduation?Geeta Ramachandran, ChennaiWith the clinical trials industry doubling its revenue every two years, career prospects in this field are fabulous. According to the US-based consultancy firm McKinsey & Co, India‚s clinical research sector has the potential to become a billion dollar industry. The Institute of Clinical Research, India (ICRI), Dehra Dun offers a two-year Master‚s in clinical research to B.Pharm graduates, among others. An autonomous institution, ICRI is affiliated to the Dr. MGR Deemed University, Chennai, which is accredited by the government of India and UGC. ICRI also has a centre in Mumbai which offers a one-year postgraduate diploma programme in clinical research and trials management. You could also consider the part-time certificate in clinical research offered by the Bioinformatics Centre, University of Pune. However pursuing an M.Pharm will also help you land a good job in clinical research.I‚m in my final year B.Com and expect to acquire a first class degree. I‚m interested in a career in banking. How do I apply for a job as a bank officer? What are the eligibility requirements? Also when are the exams held?Nalini Sawant, PuneSeveral private as well as public sector banks invite first class graduates to apply for bank officers‚ posts through advertisements in prominent newspapers. There‚s no specific schedule for examinations. Websites of private banks will give you an idea of their requirements, while public sector banks notify the date of the Bank Probationary Officers examination in prominent newspapers.I‚m a postgraduate in environment science and have been working in this field for the past few years. I‚m interested in pursuing a course in disaster/ safety management through distance education. Which institutes/ universities offer this programme?Ravi Narayan, BangaloreThe Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU, www.ignou. ac.in), and the Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical and Technological Sciences, Tadong (www.sikkimmanipal.net), in association with the Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment (www.ecology.edu/iiee/courses.htm) offer M.Sc qualifications in disaster mitigation through distance learning. The Disaster Management Center, 432 North Lake Street, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA also offers a self-study correspondence course in international disaster/ emergency management (http://dmc.engr.wisc.edu/courses/index.html).I‚ll be writing my Plus Two exam (science) this year and would like to pursue a career in biotechnology. Which degree programme has better prospects ‚ a B.Sc in biotechnology or B.Tech in biotechnology?Neeta Puri, New DelhiA B.Sc (biotechnology) should be supplemented with an M.Sc in the subject to improve your career prospects, while a B.Tech qualification may directly lead to good job openings. However ultimately, it‚s the reputation of the institution from which you graduate and the quality of your performance that will determine entry level prospects. If you secure admission into an established institution for B.Tech (biotech), you should go for it.You can also enroll in B.Sc (biotechnology) or any other biological science bachelor‚s degree programme and then compete for admission into the M.Sc (biotech) programme of a reputed university. You also have the option to apply for the five-year integrated M.Sc (biotechnology) programme offered by some universities including Pune. Admission into M.Sc (biotechnology) is through the Combined Biotechnology Entrance Examination conducted every May by JNU, New Delhi (www.jnu.ac.in). Look out for this notification in February.Is the Common Admission Test (CAT) score valid for two years? I‚m in second year B.Com and want to write CAT right away.Ravi D‚Souza, PanjimYourCAT score is valid for only one calendar year. Hence if you wish to apply for the MBA programme of the IIMs and other B-schools, you will have to write CAT during your final year. I‚ll be writing my class XII (science) exam this year and am interested in a career in architecture. Could you enlighten me about the NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture) and MASA (Maharashtra Association of Schools of Architecture) test?Farouk Batliwala, MumbaiNATA is conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Architecture (NIASA), the academic unit of the Council of Architecture, for admission into the first year B.Arch programme offered by all unaided institutes and participating aided institutes in India. For details log on to www.niasa.org or www.nata.in. Details of the MASA aptitude test in Maharashtra are available on www.maharch.org. Please keep track of the notifications for these tests in prominent local newspapers. Also visit www.dte.org.in for details of admission into architecture programmes offered by colleges in Maharashtra.I‚m interested in a career in commercial art. I want to apply for admission into the J.J. School of Arts, Bombay or the National Institute of Design at Ahmedabad. Please advise.Rajiv Sabharwal, MumbaiAdmission into the J.J. School of Arts and the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Arts in Mumbai is open to students from arts, science and commerce streams. Selection is based on Plus Two exam scores, Intermediate Grade Drawing Exam grades and an aptitude test. Students with Plus Two qualifications in any stream are eligible to apply for admission into undergrad programmes in design at NID (www.nid.edu). Admission is based on performance in an entrance test conducted in January every year (admission notification advertised in October the previous year). Those who clear the written examination are called for studio tests at NID around April. After this a final admission interview is held.