Science is the second most picked subject by secondary school students after arts. This subject remains a favourite among the school goers in India for various reasons one of which is acclaimed professions within the field. The career opportunities in this field are endless. Gone are the days when people only sought to become an Engineer or a Doctor after taking up science. Today we are looking at the vast scientific field of Artificial Intelligence, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Aerospace Medicine, Robotics etc. The subject and the field of the study lands people to one of the highest paying jobs.
After taking up science in eleventh standard and studying the fundamentals of science for two years students seek the fields of study they are interested in. A plethora of courses awaits students after class 12th science and here we have listed down the career paths students can take.
Medical/Medicine
It is one of the most pursued fields of study in India as well as one of the most competitive. The number of aspirants going after the medicine degree MBBS alone is reported to be around 15 lakh each year (for 80,055 NMC recognised seats). In addition to this close to around 8000 students fly abroad to pursue medicine every year. However the medical field includes all studies related to healthcare, pharmaceutical and other biotech related science study so the number of students in these fields are far imaginable. The basic subjects needed to enter the medicine line are Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Here is the further breakdown of courses in the field of medicine.
● MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery): It is a medical course pursued by anyone aspiring to become a doctor or practice in the medical field. A professional degree to be pursued for 5 years and 6 months (including 1 year mandatory internship in a hospital). Starting salary of a practicing doctor ranges from Rs 30K – 50K per month, after gaining experience of a few years a doctor’s pay goes up to Rs 8 Lac – 10 Lac per annum.
● BDS (Bachelor of Dentals Surgery): It is a medical course pursued by anyone aspiring to become a Dentist, a professional study of dental surgery. The course duration of BDS is 5 years (4 years of academics with 1 year internship). Average salary of a dentist in India is around Rs 4 Lac – 8 Lac per annum.
● BVSc. AH (Bachelor of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry): It is a medical course which deals with the diagnostics and treatment of diseases on animals. This professional course is to be pursued for 5 and a half years. The average salary of a veterinary doctor is around Rs 5 Lac per annum.
● BSc. Bachelor of Science: It is an undergraduate degree which acts as a foundation for any discipline of science a student wants to pursue. The course usually runs for three years and can be pursued in various disciplines like Physics, Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Biotechnology, Agriculture, Environment science, Forensic Science etc.
Engineering
It is another vast and one of the most sought after fields of education within science. Afterall India has the largest number of engineering institutes as a result of which the largest number of engineers in the world. According to reports apparently this year alone i.e. in 2021 India will produce 1 million engineers. Competitiveness when it comes to pursuing engineering is equal to that in the medical field. Reports suggest that each year around 150,000 engineering aspirants appear for JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) to get admission in the country’s top engineering colleges such as IITs and NITS. Other than that around more than 1 million students apply for various entrance exams to get admission in the best of the best engineering colleges.
Some of the most opted engineering courses in India are:
● Mechanical Engineering: It is a branch of engineering which deals with design, manufacturing and maintenance of mechanical systems by combining engineering physics and mathematical principles. The average salary of a Mechanical Engineer in India is around Rs 4 Lac per annum.
● Electrical Engineering: It is a branch of engineering which deals with systems which use electricity, electromagnetics and electronics. Especially the study of their design and application. The average salary of an Electrical Engineer in India is around Rs 4 Lac per annum.
● Computer Engineering: It is a branch of engineering that deals with design and development of computer hardware and software by incorporating electrical engineering. The average salary of a computer engineer is Rs 5 Lac per annum.
● Civil Engineering: Civil Engineering is a branch of Engineering which deals with the design, construction and maintenance of the physical (manmade) as well as the naturally built environment. The average salary of a civil engineer in India is around Rs 4 Lac per annum.
● Chemical Engineering: It is a branch of engineering which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants i.e. these engineers study and develop economic-commercial processes to change raw materials into products used by us. The average salary of a chemical engineer is around Rs 5 Lac per annum.
● Marine Engineering: This branch of engineering deals with the design, development and maintenance of equipment used by marine vessels and those used at sea. The average salary of a Marine Engineer ranges from Rs 6 Lac – 9 Lac per annum.
● Aerospace Engineering: This discipline of engineering has two major branches: Aeronautical Engineering and Astronautical Engineering. It basically deals with the design, development, manufacturing and maintenance of aircrafts, missiles, spacecrafts etc. The average salary of an Aerospace Engineer is around Rs 8 Lac per annum.
Business Courses
Fortunately students who are from the science background can also venture into business studies. Because of this they can easily transition from one career to another even if they have graduated from any of the core fields of science. Students from science background these days transit to business and other backgrounds as early as after completing their Class 12th. Business degrees have become extremely popular nowadays as a result of which more and more people from all educational backgrounds are getting enrolled into various Business courses.
Some of the most sought after business courses are:
● BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration): It is a three year undergraduate course where students learn the fundamentals of business & management both in theory and practical along with gaining essential business skills. After graduation BBA jobs start at an average salary of Rs 2 Lac per annum.
● MBA (Master of Business Administration): MBA is a two year postgraduate degree program which equips students with all the quintessential tools of Business Administration. It is a programme designed to educate students with the required knowledge and skill set in Management and Corporate. After completion of MBA the average base pay starts from around Rs 8 Lac per annum.
● Marketing Management: It deals with application of marketing methods, strategies and techniques to achieve an organization’s goals. Average salary of a marketing manager in India is around Rs 8 Lac per annum.
● International Business Management: This is a trade between or across countries i.e trade of goods/services/technology/capital/knowledge. This cross-border transaction usually involves two or more countries. On an average an International Business manager is paid upto Rs 12 Lac per annum.
● Financial Management: It refers to applying the principles of management to the financial assets of a business or the strategic management of financial undertakings of a business through planning, organizing, directing and controlling. The average salary of a Financial Manager in India is around Rs 9 Lac per annum.
Arts/Humanities
Humanities is a vast field of study which includes all the facets of human society and culture. Students from science backgrounds can branch out to subjects of humanities and expand their career. Disregarding the reasons behind change in career paths the opportunities in the arts field are endless. It goes from design to writing to filmmaking, law, research, linguistics, visual arts, creative development and countless others. Students who studied science during the final two years of their highSchool can either start with an undergraduate in an Arts subject or change their career paths after graduation.
Some of the most opted courses in Arts are:
BA (Bachelor of Arts): It is a three year undergraduate degree which deals with the fundamentals of majors subjects of humanities, liberal arts and social sciences. You can specialize in any subjects among the variety like Sociology, Mass communication & Journalism, Political Science, Anthropology, History, Geography, Environmental Science etc. After completion of graduation the basic average pay BA graduates starts with is around Rs 4 Lac per annum.
B.A. L.L.B: It is a 5 year integrated course, bachelor of Arts in any discipline along with Bachelor of Legislative Law. Students interested in law can apply for this course straight after 12th or after graduation. Average salary of a BA LLB professional is around RS 3-6 Lac per annum.
Hospitality Management: It is a three year undergraduate course which imparts the fundamental knowledge and art of hotel management and catering skills. There are a wide range of specializations within the field of hospitality including Hotel Management, Food & Beverage, Tourism, Aviation, Event Management etc. Hospitality Management jobs start at an average pay of around Rs 4 Lac per annum.
Film & Television: It is usually a three year undergraduate course that deals with the study of film, television, radio, new media including the pre-production, production and post production. The study delves deeper into the understanding of cinema and its aspects. Film & television itself opens a wide door of career opportunities. After the completion of the course freshers are usually paid around Rs 3 Lac per annum.
BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications): It is a three year undergraduate degree programme which deals with the study of programming languages and development of applications. It is usually put at a similar standard to that of a B.Tech (Computer Science and information technology). BCA graduates start working at an average salary of Rs 2 lakhs per annum.
Graphics Design and Animation: This discipline deals with developing 2D and 3D designs using various computer softwares. It is a creatively driven discipline. Graphic designers and animators start working at an average salary of Rs 3 lac per annum.
Interior Design: Interior Design is the science and art of creating safe functional spaces and also applying aesthetics. It is a process of designing in which technical and aesthetical mechanisms are applied. It is a dexterous profession which includes research, space planning, construction management, site inspections, programming, communicating with the stakeholders of a project and execution of design.The average salary of an Interior designer in India is around Rs 3 Lac per annum.
Civil Services
Civil services also commonly known as UPSC (Union Public Service Commision) is a national level examination conducted to recruit top-class civil servants in india. The examination acts as a selection process for various civil services of Government of India including IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian police Service), IFS (Indian Foregin Service). UPSC is conducted in a three tiered examination – Prelims (two objective papers General Studies I and General Studies II), Mains (Nine papers of conventional type) and Interview (personality test). Candidates who are a graduate from any recognised university in any discipline are eligible for civil services examination. Apart from this, there are various other eligibility criterias which should be checked through the official upsc website before applying.
