What are my career prospects after I complete postgraduation in economics?
Neena Kamat, Bangalore

Postgraduates in economics have numerous career options. They can teach in colleges, universities, business schools and other institutions of higher learning. Those with a flair for the written word can find work in business and financial journalism. Moreover economics postgrads are welcomed by financial and credit rating agencies, consultancies and private banks as also apex financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), IDBI, NABARD, SEBI and others. RBI conducts a competitive examination for recruitment of Research Officers Grade ‘B’ in its department of economic analysis and policy. Moreover the Indian Economic Service Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (www.upsc.gov.in) is open to postgraduates in economics. Economists could also find employment in international organisations such as the World Bank, the IMF (International Monetary Fund), and the United Nations.

I’m in class XI and keen on a career in chartered accountancy. Please advise.
Sridhar Pillai, Trivandrum

According to new rules for CA training, students who have completed their class X school leaving exam can enroll for the Common Proficiency Test (CPT). Thereafter they can register for practical training after clearing CPT and Plus Two. Practical training continues simultaneously for a period of three and a half years even as you study for your bachelor’s degree. The CA study programme is offered through postal tuition with the option of classroom teaching.

I’m in my second year engineering degree programme and would like to seek admission into an IIM. Should I start preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT) right away?
Siddharth Chawla, New Delhi

Yes, it’s advisable to start preparing right away. Enhance your vocabulary, comprehension and English usage skills by reading books and magazines. However this should be done in your spare time as you must perform well in your engineering exam. From the third year, start practising for the analytical and quantitative sections of CAT. As an engineer, you could also aim for postgraduate programmes in management offered by the IIT schools of management, NITIE (www.nitie.edu), and IITM Gwalior (www.iiitm.ac.in).

I’m an artistically inclined engineering graduate and would like to enroll for a postgraduate programme in design. Which institutes offer the Master’s programme?
Nikhil Rao, Chennai

You could apply for the postgraduate programme in design of the IITs (Kanpur, Delhi and Mumbai) or of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (www.nid.edu). The IITs offer postgrad degrees in industrial design/ visual communication design, while NID offers Masters programmes in industrial, new media, software and user interface design and information and digital design.

You need to top the common entrance examination for design (CEED) for admission into the two-year Master of design offered by the IITs in Bombay, Delhi, and Kanpur and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. CEED is scheduled to be held on January 21 next year. The NID entrance exam is also held in January.

I’m a pharma student and would like detailed information on the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER).
Nilima Chatterjee, Kolkata

NIPER’s address is sector 67, SAS Nagar (Mohali) 160 062. This national postgrad institute offers courses such as MS (Pharm)/ M.Pharm/M.Tech (Pharm)/ MBA (Pharm) in medicinal chemistry, natural products, pharmaceutical analysis, pharmacology and toxicology, pharmaceutics, biotech-nology, pharmaceutical technology, pharmacy practice, pharmacoinformatics and pharmaceutical management as also a Ph D programme. To qualify for the Master’s degree programmes, you should have completed B.Tech (pharma) and have written GATE. For M.Sc in pharmacoinformatics and MBA (pharm), you don’t need a GATE score.

I’m working as a primary school teacher with my B.Sc and B.Ed qualifications. I would like to further my prospects in the teaching field. Should I do M.Sc or M.Ed through correspondence?
Anjali Chavan, Pune

M.Ed is a better bet if you want to continue teaching. After acquiring an M.Ed, your career prospects will improve as you will qualify for senior positions in school administration and management. You could also teach in a teacher’s training college or college of education. At least a dozen universities offer M.Ed by distance education. However Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Dnyangangotri, Near Gangapur Dam, Nashik 422222, is convenient for you to attend contact sessions (an important part of correspondence courses).

I’m in second year B.Sc and would like to do astrophysics and particle physics research at the postgraduate level. Please advise.
Deepak Shah, Ahmedabad

Particle physics is a branch of physics that deals with the properties and behaviour of elementary particles. Astrophysics is the study of the physical nature of stars, galaxies and the universe. To pursue a career in physics research, first bag a Master’s degree in physics and enroll for a Ph D. The IITs and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore are among the premier institutes to target for Ph D.

The joint entrance screening test is the route to Ph D in physics at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore; the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai; Institute of Plasma Research, Gandhigram; Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune; Harish Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad; National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Pune; Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad; Raman Research Institute, Bangalore. Also look out for research opportunities at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.