The credit for the outstanding achievements in the arena of IT (information technology) by Indians and even hundreds of foreigners who studied in India goes to an exclusive academic qualification. Indeed, the seeds for the name and fame earned by them at home as well as abroad were sown at the universities where they obtained their graduation and post-graduation degree scrolls. So much so, the trend still continues, surely for all times to come.
As for the degree scroll, it is the MCA, acronym for Master of Computer Application. This PG degree has paved the way to chalk out a challenging and yet a prosperous career in the design, development, applications and maintenance of hardware and also software packages. Considering the bright prospects, there is a constant rush of aspirants for this course. Apart from engineering graduates, students from other streams too can pursue this course. There have been scores of instances in which MBAs and even professionals have sought admission in different institutions to obtain an MCA.
The aspirant candidates must note that this qualification is recognised only from those institutions approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) or accredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA). They must clarify and confirm on-the-campus facilities in pursuing this course since it involves very highly rated computer systems with appropriate software programmes.
In this course, one studies core subjects ranging from Operating Systems, Computer Networks, Databases, Unix System Programming and Mathematics to Professional Communication, Management and Ethics. In addition to these subjects, the students are trained in the fields of Systems Designing, Application Software Development, Enterprise Resource Planning, Computer Networks, System Administration, Web Designing and Development, Database Administration, Parallel and Vector Processing, Data Mining and Warehousing among others.
For instance, the Dehradun-based DIT University is one of the best mca lateral entry colleges. The School of Computer Application established in 1998 is deemed as the strength and excellence of this institution. Interestingly, this university also conducts a 2-year MCA lateral course. Students pursuing the regular MCA undergo in-house training in the corporate sector or an industrial house during the 6th semester of their course.
Simultaneously, the MCA scholars are encouraged to learn and inculcate the spirit of discipline, devotion, truth and confidence. Well-equipped labs provide ample opportunities for the students in reinforcing their knowledge in a specific area of computing. They also undertake projects of in-depth research for analytical solutions through computer applications.
A competent MCA has several options to chalk out a career that is almost evergreen around the world. These are:
- Software Programmer
- Software Tester
- Software Engineer
- Software Developer
- System Analyst
- Software Application Architect
- Software Consultant
Apart from the above, there exists ample scope for lucrative jobs in the fields of hardware systems and networking, research and development, services and application support in banking and non-banking financial institutions among others.
After MCA, the scholarly inclined student can further enrich the academic assets with a doctorate qualification leading to PhD.
