Education India, Colleges, Universities, Courses, Exams, Schools
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Degree Courses in India are amongst the most renowned and pursued one’s. University Courses in India, another name for the aforementioned, are by default understood as Degrees awarded by Universities. These are more than Degrees, these are routes to foreign grounds which put a wealthy value of intelligence and skills gained by academic education. This fact is substantiated by the ‘Brain Drain in India’. Indians have time and again proved their worthiness on foreign shores by acquiring noteworthy positions in almost all sectors. Any Foreign based company is willing to hire an Indian Engineer or a Scientist because they know that a good brain is going to profit them. Medical Courses in India and Engineering Courses in India are the most sought after. The popularity of degree courses in India can be easily observed in campuses of any Indian Universities. People of all nationalities prefer to pursue various academic courses in India because they are prestigious, accepted world over, have a lot of variety, no dearth of educational institutes in India and tend to be cheaper. What’s more any academic degree course not only educates, it also provides employment. Indian degree courses have emerged from the education system in India whose basis is the British education system. However, the foundation may have been laid by the Britishers but its foundation becomes oblivious by the vast array of disciplines in which the courses are offered; some of which are only available in India only.
Degree or University Courses in India can be categorised as:
Bachelor Degree Courses in India In simple terms Graduate Courses in India are the same as Bachelor Degree Courses in India. Undergraduate Courses in India is another name or these courses. This is simply because the students haven’t become Graduates whilst studying for the course. Bachelor Degree Courses in India don’t necessarily mean that they are meant for Unmarried candidates rather it denotes the term ‘Baccalaureate’ which originated from the 17th century Latin word ‘Baccalaureus’, meaning "Student with the first degree." Indian Graduate Courses can be pursued by only those candidate who have acquired Higher School Certificate (HSC) or in simple words, candidates who have cleared 10+2 (12th pass). Indian bachelors degree courses can be studied in a variety of academic streams like Arts, Science, Commerce etc. Graduate Courses are mostly of 3 years duration with certain exceptions. Bachelors courses lays foundation for one's desired path of career. Upon the completion of the Bachelors Course a candidate is known as Graduate and receives the Bachelor’s Degree in the stream he had opted for, e.g. B.A. Degree - Bachelor of Arts Degree means that a student has completed a Graduate Course in Arts. Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degrees are the most common courses pursued. Most of the Bachelors Course in India, especially the prestigious ones like M.B.A. require entrance examination to take admission in an institute.
Master Degree Courses in India
Master Degree Courses in India is another name or common name for Post Graduate Courses in India. These are known as ‘Post Graduate Courses’ because they can be pursued only ‘After Graduation’, that is why the term ‘Post Graduate’. As for the term ‘Masters’, it clearly indicates that it will provide an individual a mastery in a specific course of study which otherwise was not available at Graduate level of study. Indian Masters Degree Course provide a wider base of study in terms of academic disciplines, i.e. a B.A. degree holder can opt for M.A. in various streams of Arts, like M.A. in English, Punjabi and other subjects. Indian Post Graduate Courses therefore can be studied in even more variety of academic streams as compared to Under Graduate Courses. These courses are generally of 2 years duration, barring a few exceptions. In most cases, one can pursue Post Graduate Courses in only those streams which were taken during graduation. However there are certain exceptions, like a Science Graduate can pursue Post Graduation in Arts. In this manner, they provide flexibility of education, apart from the fact that they further expand the knowledge you already have through a deeper exploration of your chosen field of study. These also help in the advancement of one’s career. Upon the completion of the Masters Course, a candidate is known as Post Graduate and receives the Masters Degree in the stream he had opted for, e.g. M.A. Degree - Master of Arts Degree means that a student has completed a Graduate Course in Arts. With Entrance Examinations becoming the norm for almost all the courses, these courses also require entrance examinations and or an interviews as well.
Pre Doctorate Courses in India
Pre-Doctorate Courses in India are a type of Post Graduate Research Based Courses. Since these courses prepare a candidate for Doctorate Study, they are known as ‘Pre Doctorate’ i.e. ‘Before Doctorate’. They are also known as Master of Philosophy Courses in India as the these indulge in critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of knowledge. They are commonly known as M. Phil. Courses and are of 1-2 years in duration. M.Phil. Courses in India can be pursued only by those candidate who have acquired Post-Graduate Degree. Indian Pre-Doctorate Courses can be pursued in only One Discipline or One Subject. This Course requires one to complete a Thesis. Candidates who have completed a Pre-Doctorate Course acquire M.Phil. Degree and as such are known as Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.). M.Phil. course in India also require entrance examination and or an interview.
Doctorate Degree Courses in India
Doctorate Courses in India are those Courses which are Advanced Academic Courses. These Courses can be pursued by only those candidates who have completed their M.Phil. Course or Masters Degree Course as per an institute’s policy. These Courses require mostly Thesis work and very less course-work. Indian Doctorate Degree Courses are generally of 2-3 years duration. The terminology of this Course is known as Ph.D. which means 'Doctor of Philosophy'. It is known so because it indulges in the critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of knowledge. These Course are the ‘End of the Line Courses’ as they are the Highest Academic Courses in any education system. For certain prestigious universities one can pursue these courses after qualifying the all India level examination such as ‘National Eligibility Test for Lectureship (NET) conducted by ‘University Grants Commission'. After clearing the test, the short-listed candidates may be required to appear for interview by the available supervisor / guide.
Dual Degree Courses in India
As the term itself suggests ‘Twin Degree Courses in India’. In even more simple form Dual Degree Programs in India are the ones that offer 2 Degrees in a Single Course of Study in a shorter span of time. For example – B. Tech.- M. Tech. Dual Degree Course requires only 5 years of education whereas, if these were to be pursued individually they would require 6 years of study (4 for B. Tech. + 2 for M. Tech.) This saves a candidate a year and plus two degrees. Because of their dual nature they are known as Double Degree Courses in India. Dual Degree Course in India are also Interdisciplinary. For example - B. Tech.-M.B.A. (Dual Degree) Programme integrates technology with management concepts and practices for effective decision making. The dual degree programs were introduced by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) with an aim to encourage research among under-graduate students. The main aim of the course is to make students more research oriented and take up further research in the branch of their study. Dual Degree Courses in India are the result of changes in the education system in Foreign Education systems where Dual Degree Courses are a decade old. These are available in plenty of numbers here. Many Indian students went abroad to study these special courses, taking cue from this, Indian Universities started offering these. Thus it, benefitted the students and the national exchequer. Similar to Dual Degree Courses, there are Integrated Courses in India. For example – there is 5 Years Integrated Programmes, Bachelor's in Technology (B Tech) and Master's in Technology; and B Tech and Master's in Business Administration, in three areas — computer science and engineering, telecommunication and engineering and electronics engineering. The difference between the aforesaid mentioned courses and the dual degree courses is that in an Integrated Course one gets both the degrees at once. On the other hand, in dual degree course one acquires bachelor level degree after 4 years and the master level degree after 1 year more. Also, in Dual Degree Course both the faculties teaching the course go with their regular schedule and complete the desired course in the same span of time. But in an Integrated Course, the faculties have to co-operate with each other in order to complete the course in the given span of time.
Distance Degree Courses in India
The term ‘Distance Learning’ is self explanatory i.e. ‘Learning done from a Distance’. Elaborately speaking, these courses are those whose education is conducted through correspondence, i.e. lectures, notes or literature delivered through post, T.V., video cassettes, CD’s, DVD’s, internet etc. In various set-ups there are study centres where students can attend a limited number of classes on weekly, monthly, yearly basis etc. These are also known as Distance Education Courses in India or Correspondence Courses in India. It is not a one sided affair as there is exchange of teaching material between a student and teacher / institution who are geographically remote from each other. Distance Degree Courses in India are very popular as these provide one a comfort level of studying at one's own pace and will. These are mostly pursued by working professionals who do not have the time to go for regular classes. However, these Courses have lesser value than the Regular Courses. The Universities which provide these Courses are known as 'Open Universities'.
Course Specialisations in India
There are various specialisations offered in Academic Institutions. These specialisations are based on various academic disciplines. The benefit of these specialisations is that one can pick one's specialisation as per one's desire or one's ability.
Course Specialisations can be divided into:
Diploma Courses in India
Diploma is a document issued by an educational institution certifying the successful completion of a skill-based course of study. A course for a Diploma involves training a candidate for specific field of study. The syllabus of a Diploma is more practical oriented and less focussed on academic and theoretical knowledge. Since they have a specific focus, they cover a lesser duration of study; most of the commonly pursued Diplomas involve 1-2 year of study. This is the reason why Diplomas are mostly pursued by candidates who want to get employed in shortest possible time. A Diploma can be granted to a candidate by any Private Educational or Vocational Institution or Polytechnic. It is not restricted to just University or College for grant of degree. Polytechnics offer higher-level diplomas, known as ‘Advanced’ or ‘Post Diplomas’, based on the completion of a diploma program or a bachelor degree. A Diploma is considered as a ‘Lesser Cousin of Degree’, primarily because a Diploma doesn’t hold as much esteem as a Degree does, especially in the corporate world. Diplomas are considered inferior to degrees. This point of view is largely attributed to the mindset of larger populace which considers that a course studied for a lesser duration and especially those one’s which are offered by Private Educational Institutes, Vocational Institutions or Polytechnics are inferior. Though it is not absolute truth, Diplomas have their own advantages and the outlook towards Diplomas is becoming positive. This aspect can be backed by firms which, apart from educational qualifications consider the performance and attitude as barometers during recruitment or promotion. Though the scenario is changing but the conventional wisdom still lingers as in the upper reaches of the management ladder, having a degree has enormous weightage even against experience. Inspite of all the ills of a Diploma, the academic standards for granting a Diploma are usually regulated as stringently as those for a Bachelor's Degree with the result being that the number of such 'diplomas' are now considered for entering graduate school. A diploma is specific in rank than a Bachelor's degree of that discipline but equivalent to general degree in that discipline e.g. Diploma in Engineering of Electronics Engineering is rated differently than Bachelor of Technology in Electronics Engineering but is equivalent to Bachelor of Science in Electronics. Also Diploma is concentrated for the area of study e.g. Diploma in Engineering of Electronics Engineering may be in Advanced Communication Systems (ACS) or Integrated Circuits (IC) or Industrial Electronics (IE). Diplomas are almost similar to a bachelor’s degree in the sense that it is a document of achievement. In this sense an Advanced Diploma falls in between bachelors and master's degree.
Diploma programmes are popular as can be seen from the number of students that apply for such courses. Diploma courses not only help the students but the industry as well. Degree education is sometimes not sufficient to meet the skills required in the business, it is here that short diploma courses teach and equip candidates with necessary skill set needed at the jobs today. In modern times almost all the colleges are offering diploma programmes in sectors like management, healthcare, fashion, travel, medicine, media, communications, computers, hardware etc. Moreover these are easily available in various educational modes like part-time diploma courses, distance learning diploma courses, online diploma courses and so on. One of the leading institutes which provides Diploma Programmes in distance learning mode is IGNOU, many other state universities have also started offering diploma programmes. The popularity of the Diplomas’ can also be attributed to the fact that they are they are short in duration, require lesser percentage of marks, no or less entrance test, cheaper, accessible to rural populace but more importantly they can provide immediate employment upon the completion of the course. Diplomas are most beneficial to women as it provides employment opportunities in jobs which suit their basic nature like home interiors, tailoring etc.
What's the difference between Diploma and Degree?
Diploma and Degree are conferred to a candidate on the successful completion of an educational course. But their similarities end here only, as there are several differences between both and based on the differences these cannot be used interchangeably.
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Diploma |
Degree |
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A course for a Diploma is focused on providing training and qualification in a particular business or trade. The curriculum of a diploma stresses more on practical skill and less of academic and theoretical knowledge. Some of these may involve apprenticeships and on-the job training as part of the diploma course. For example - a student pursuing a Diploma in Accounting may involve training the person in Book Keeping. The curriculum will not involve subjects like business etiquette or statistics.
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A course for a Degree is focussed on providing study of academics. The curriculum of a degree stresses more on theoretical overview of several subjects and a particular subject that a candidate is interested in, career wise and academic wise. Typically, that one subject is called a ‘Major’ or ‘Specialization’ whereas other subjects are called ‘Minors’ or ‘Electives’. For example – a candidate, interested in pursuing a degree in Accounting, the course will involve several other subjects that may come in use for a career in accounting such as mathematics, statistics, business etiquette and commercial law. |
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The duration of most of the Diplomas is 1-2 years. |
The duration of most courses for a Degree is about 3-4 years of duration. |
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A Diploma can be granted to a candidate by any Private Educational or Vocational Institution or Polytechnic. |
A degree is generally conferred to a person by an Accredited or Recognized University |
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Diplomas mostly provide Profession based subjects like cooking, hotel management, nursing, basic carpentry and engineering skills and so on. |
Programs for a Degree are available in different and varied subjects and not restricted to professional ones. |
Academic Certificate and Certificate Program
An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests. Certificate is a Qualification attained in Secondary Education and qualifications in Higher Education. The document may present dates of attendance and student status (full-time or part-time) by term. Certificate Program is a course of study which either prepares an individual to complete a specific task or educate them about one particular aspect of a certain desired field. Certificate programs usually have very short duration like a few hours or those which are of less than one year in duration. These are like crash courses meant for quick update or gain skills needed to acquire a job or progress in a particular job. Certificate programs or courses are quite popular as they come in handy whenever the need requires and they focus just on a specific skill set. One can acquire these whilst pursuing a Diploma or Degree; here Certificate Programs act as Supplement for one’s career.
Certificate courses have another major advantage – if one is dissatisfied with one’s Degree or has mood of Career Change, he/she can go for the required program. Certificate programs are especially beneficial for those who are looking to enhance their resumes without attending college full time. Earning a certificate allows them to expand their skill set while still working. But one should consult or seek information on whether one is pursuing the appropriate course, one which will really help him in his cause instead of ‘Just Jumping the Gun’. Certificate Programs are the most abundant and varied course as they are skill based and almost all the spheres of our lives require some skill or the other, from child rearing to old age care. What’s more, some require just basic schooling to pursue a certain certificate program. The importance of a Certificate Courses or Program depends upon one’s profession and at times it might turn out to be better than a Degree or Diploma. Sometimes a candidate needs just to be trained in specific areas rather than pursue Tag-Along subjects as can be witnessed in the case of Degrees. Example if one wants to study just certain aspects of Software, he will have to study extra topics if he takes the Degree Path before specialising in his desired field.
Some of the Certificate Courses in India
Major Academic Degrees List and Academic Degree Abbreviations
