What is it that students look for when they apply for higher studies? The question gains weightage as the percentage of students opting for post-graduation (PG) is not sky-high in the country. A look at the ongoing PG admissions to Bangalore University reveals some startling and not-so-surprising trends.
The observations made are from the list of subjects students have to choose from, which includes 27 Science, four Commerce and 16 Arts courses. In addition, the varsity is offering PG courses in law and education-related subjects.
Starting with the results of counselling to the faculty of Commerce, which was held first, M.Com (Master of Commerce) appears to top the charts with 680 students opting for it. Master of Finance Accounting (MFA) is the other contender for the top spot. According to K. Eresi, Chairman of the University's PG Admissions Committee, M. Com is almost competing with MBA (Master of Business Administration). “Most students choosing to do M.Com are looking for teaching jobs or research-based jobs,” he explained.
The sudden spurt in interest for teaching appears to be the wide availability of lecturer posts. About a year ago, the State Government had called for close to 700 posts for lecturers. However, many posts remained vacant due to lack of qualified personnel, as the qualifications required have gone up. M.Com will brighten their chances in giving it a shot, some believe.
MFA, on the other hand, is considered a super specialisation course. Two other courses – International Business and Tourism Administration – did not have much demand. Prof. Eresi said the increased number of private colleges offering the courses is the reason for the fall in demand in the University. However, he said the private colleges too did not have much luck filling up the seats.
Science and Arts
Under the faculty of Science, the adage “old is gold” turned out to be true. For, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics remained the students' favourites. Biochemistry, Botany and to some extent Zoology were the other in-demand courses, apart from Microbiology and Biotechnology.
For the faculty of Arts, the number of applications is considerable. The order of popularity stood like this: Economics, Social Work, History, Sociology, Political Science and Kannada.
The M.Ed course has been receiving a positive response, said Prof. Eresi, so much so that the ratio of seats to applicants is 1:4. He attributed this to the mushrooming of colleges offering B.Ed courses.
On the other hand, the demand for the Physical Education course remained cold, with a ratio of two applicants per seat. “But the demand for general education teachers is also far higher than for physical education teachers,” Prof. Eresi said. “For example, if a college requires 20 Commerce teachers, it will still require only one Physical Education teacher.”
While most applicants for Commerce and Science courses cited teaching and research to be their next step forward, Arts remained a tricky stream. “Many of those applying for Arts are from the rural areas. Therefore, medium of instruction comes in the way. Also, earlier, students would study Arts to become poets or litterateurs. Now they just want jobs,” explained Prof. Eresi. Dedicated students, however, opt for the civil services after completing M.A.
No transgenders, still
Though the University has been lauded for reserving quotas for transgenders and Kashmiri migrants under the supernumerary quota, seats in these two categories remain unfilled. The lack of educational facilities at the lower level for transgenders has proven to be the main deterrent.
Centralised admissions
Prof. Eresi said that the process of centralised admissions of the University has ensured transparency in the process, as well as more options for the students. “The main advantage for students is that they can apply for eight different courses at once. For those who are not sure of what they want to pursue, or what they are good at, this works out to be beneficial. For, they are given ranks according to the marks they have scored in each of the subjects.” “In the end, we are not giving seats; you are taking them. We are only protecting merit,” he signed off.
