Which universities in UK offer a degree in sports education? Im an excellent sportsman and would like to pursue a career in this field. Surinder Singh, Chandigarh

Brunel University, UK offers a number of bachelors programmes in sports. Study its academic curriculum to see if it matches your requirement. Today sports is a multi-million dollar industry and there are ample employment opportunities. Best of luck!

After completing postgraduation in sociology, what are my career prospects?
Zarine Mehta, Pune

Other than teaching and research, you could work in government, NGOs and market research (qualitative research) or as a research analyst, survey researcher, urban planner or demographer.

Im in second year B.Sc (nautical science). After a few years of working in the navy I want to quit and get a land job. Would you advise an MBA in shipping/port management?
Debashish Mukherjee, Kolkata

MBA is not a requirement for on-shore shipping-related careers. However, if you are looking for a career in fields other than shipping, MBA certification will be helpful. Your work experience in the merchant navy will stand you in good stead for appointment to the managerial cadre of shipping companies.

Ive opted for maths and information technology in class XII (commerce). With this choice of subjects will I be able to pursue a career in the aviation industry?
Sridhar Pillai, Cochin

The booming aviation industry offers a variety of career options ranging from ground/customer services, cabin crew, ticketing and reservation to flying and corporate management. Cabin crew positions require individuals with at least a Plus Two school leaving certificate or preferably a hotel management degree/diploma. Physical and personality attributes are also important in qualifying as cabin crew. Ticketing and reservation staff need to have a basic post class XII travel diploma or IATA qualifications, though a bachelors degree and IATA diploma is preferred.

To qualify as a pilot you need to study physics and maths in class XII in addition to fulfilling medical criteria set by DGCA (www.dgca.nic.in). The option of becoming a pilot is not in line with your academic background, but all the others are. After graduation you could find work in the junior management/executive cadre of an airline. But studying for an MBA will help you up the corporate ladder faster.

Im a good maths and biology student and would like to enroll in a biotechnology degree programme after class XII (science). Whats the difference between a B.Sc and B.Tech (biotechnology) and BE/B.Tech (biomedical engineering)? Can I seek admission into M.Tech (biotech/bio-medical) after B.Sc?
Geeta Reddy, Chennai

The best biotech study programmes are the four-year B.Tech or five-year integrated M.Tech (biotechnology) of reputable universities. A B.Sc needs to be supplemented by a Masters degree to qualify you for the best jobs in the biotech industry. You are not eligible to enroll for M.Tech biotechnology after B.Sc, but can do so after acquiring M.Sc qualification in the subject. Some universities such as Pune offer a five-year integrated M.Sc biotech programme and a six-year M.Tech to Plus Two (science) graduates.

As regards biomedical engineers, their work covers a wide range of activities such as developing/designing/manufacturing artificial organs (hearing aids, cardiac pacemakers, artificial kidneys and hearts), automated patient monitoring systems (for diagnosis or in intensive care), laser systems for eye surgery, automated delivery of insulin, and application of expert systems and artificial intelligence to clinical decision-making. Students interested in biomedical engineering need to have cleared biology in Plus Two.
Some universities/institutions offering B.Tech biotechnology entertain applications from students with Plus Two physics, chemistry and biology combination. Theres a great future in this field.

After completing a B.Sc in biotechnology, I want to do an M.Sc in food technology. Please advise.
Shalini Das, Ahmedabad

M.Sc food technology study programmes are offered by several agricultural universities including University of Mysore, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Cheluvemba Mansion, Mysore 570 020 (www.cftri.com). You can also study food technology as a subject while reading for a diploma in dietetics and nutrition.

Apart from teaching, what are my career options after B.Sc (botany)?
Ajay Puri, New Delhi

You could pursue a Ph D programme related to a subject in botany after completing your Masters programme. This would qualify you for research positions in botany. You could apply for a Birbal Sahni Research associateship or a Birbal Sahni Research scholarship. Write to the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow (www.bsip.res.in or www.bsip-india.org). Similar opportunities are also offered by the National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow (www.nbri-lko.org) and other institutions approved by CSIR (www.csirhrdg.res.in).

After acquiring an M.Sc in botany you could also apply for admission into the advanced diploma programme in bioinformatics offered by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (www.jnu.ac.in) and a few other universities. Another option is the one-year postgrad diploma in natural resource management offered by the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun (www.icfre.org). Yet another alternative is the one-year full-time residential post Masters course in natural resource management (M.Phil equivalent) of the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal (www.iifm.org).

Pursuing a postgrad diploma in agri-business and plantation management at the Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore (www.iipmb. com); MBA biotechnology; writing the Indian Forest Service Exam, are other options.