What is Genetic Engineering?: Course Fees 2025, Subjects, Top Colleges, Admissions

Genetic Engineering is inevitable in enhancing the quality of human life. This revolutionary field deals with issues like nutrition and food supply in agriculture, tackling diseases when it comes to public health, and approaching novel solutions for the betterment of society.

By making use of Engineering principles and scientific research, genetic engineers are working with DNA structures that are also often called the very blueprints of life. This pathbreaking field is allowing us to change the nature of living beings by editing those structures and the genes contained within them.

Courses in Genetic Engg. are offered at the UG, PG, and doctorate levels in India. The course duration varies on the basis of the level at which you're studying the course. For BTech Genetic Engineering, the general time span is 4 years in India, while for M Tech Genetic Engg., you need to invest 2 years. You can also consider going for a PhD degree in the field that takes around 3 to 6 years to complete.

Some of the top colleges offering courses in Genetic Engineering are as follows:

• Lovely Professional University
• SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
• Shoolini University
• Sharda School of Engineering and Technology
• Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai
• Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore

Genetic Engineering is a niche field and not many colleges offer courses for the same. But, you can definitely look up a few top college options for Genetic Engineering courses in Tamil Nadu as given here:

Note: This information is taken from the official website and can vary.

Well, yes. The Genetic Engineering course syllabus focuses on both theoretical learning and practical components, which include hands-on lab sessions and informative workshops, so that you learn about the Genetic Engineering techniques, gene therapy, drug formulation, and other practical applications to excel in the professional world.

Not at all. The Genetic Engineering syllabus differs on the basis of the college and course level. Each college follows a particular curriculum structure as decided by the university officials before the academic session starts, including some core subjects, specialised programme electives, internships, lab work, and projects. While a few core subjects might share some similarity across top colleges, programme electives are quite different, which you can take up based on your interests and future relevancy.

The starting Genetic Engineering courses salary in India is around INR 5 LPA to INR 7 LPA, which may differ on the basis of the academic records, skill set, internship experience (if any), job role, recruiter, market demand, and the company location. The earning potential will increase with experience, as the field has immense scope for revolutionizing medicine and transforming the picture of agriculture and the food industry.

For studying UG courses in Genetic Engg., you should get at least 50 to 60% marks in the Physics, Chemistry, Math/Biology subjects in Class 12 boards. For PG courses, you must have completed B.E/BTech in a relevant field with 55% marks. It is mostly offered as a specialisation at the postgraduate level.
A few colleges also offer PhD programs in Genetic Engineering for which you must hold a master's degree in Genetic Engg., Biotechnology Engineering, or a related field with at least 55 to 60% marks. Further, you also need to give relevant entrance exams for getting admission to the course at best colleges in India.
Rest, you can check the respective college websites for accurate information to have a hassel-free admission process.

You should start by meeting the eligibility criteria for Genetic Engg. courses at various levels. Further, you need to give relevant entrance tests for admission and get excellent marks in the same to grab a seat at popular colleges.

It is very important to fill out the college application forms before the registration window gets closed. After the exam results are out and you've got your marks, you need to apply for the college counselling process.

You must go to the college for counseling where you'll be given a seat according to your rank and marks in the same. After seat allotment, you need to go the college and pay the Genetic Engineering course fee to get your seat confirmed.

You can find the list of basic documents needed for getting admission to courses in Genetic Engineering given here:

• PG Mark Sheet with at least 55 to 60% marks (For Ph.D.)
• UG Mark Sheet with at least 55% marks (For M Tech)
• Class 12 Mark Sheet with 50 to 60% marks in PCM/PCB/PCMB
• Class 10 Certificate (may be needed)
• Entrance Exam Result and Admit Card photocopy
• A Valid Identity Proof like Aadhar, PAN, etc.
• Reserved Category Certificate (if applicable)
• College Migration or Character Certificates (may be needed)
• Recent Passport-size Photos

Hi,

Here's a snapshot showing how to become a Genetic Engineer after class 12th:

• Bachelor's degree: Pursue a BSc or BTech in Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering, or a related field with strong foundational courses in physics, chemistry, and mathematics/biology.
• Master's degree (optional): Consider a Master's in Genetic Engineering or a specialised field like medical genetics or plant biotechnology for deeper knowledge and career advancement.

Hope it resolves your query !

The admission process for Genetic Engineering courses can easily take around 3 to 6 months to complete from entrance exams to final seat allotment. This is because each college has its own admission guidelines for giving admission to students. Some important formalities include entrance exams, college applications, results, cutoffs, college counseling, seat allotment, course fee payment, and final admission.

Most of the engineering educational institutes shortlist candidates for admission to Genetic Engineering courses at various levels based on prominent entrance exam scores. Some of the top Genetic Engineering entrance exams in 2025 are:

• CUET PG
• UGC NET
• CSIR NET
• JEE Main
• GATE
• LPU NEST
• SRMJEEE

The time required for the Genetic Engineering entrance exam preparation basically depends on the specific exam that you're planning to appear for. In general, it is better to start your preparation as early as possible, at least 8 months before the final exam is tentatively scheduled to take place. This will give you enough time to cover the entire exam syllabus, practice last year' question papers, take mock tests, and do a thorough revision of the important topics to increase your chances of doing well and getting shortlisted for admission at top colleges.

The entrance tests for admission to Genetic Engg. courses are generally quite competitive and challenging. The difficulty level and competitiveness differs on the basis of the specific exam that you're sitting for at the national/state/college level, but in general, it requires a lot of hard work and preparation from your end to fare well and get an excellent rank and marks in the Genetic Engineering entrance exams.

Genetic Engineering could help us create more food, design new materials, treat diseases, and even improve the overall life span of people's lives. By manipulating the very building blocks of organisms, this field holds immense potential to transform medicine, agriculture, and even industrial processes.

Some key reasons for studying Genetic Engg. courses are given here:

Career Opportunities: Genetic engineers are working with DNA structures that are also often called the very blueprints of life. As a Genetic Engineer, you could work in research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, agricultural biotechnology companies, or pursue an advanced-level course in this field to become a leading researcher.

Good Earning Potential: You can easily get decent earning opportunities after completing a degree in this field, as top recruiters offer good salary packages to talented students with the required skill set because you can actually get involved in revolutionizing medicine and transforming the picture of agriculture, the two backbones of Indian society.

Contribution to Society: You can actually work at the forefront of bringing advancement in medicine via gene therapy and drug discovery, add more nutritional value to food crops, and ensure food security, etc. This will create a positive impact on society in general and lead to great results.

If you have a strong interest in healthcare, biology, and biotechnology, the BTech Genetic Engineering coursework will be an exciting journey for you. There are insightful classroom lectures, practical lab sessions, project work, and internships, which result in extreme potential for growth with increased earning opportunities and a respectable career. You can actually manipulate the genetic structure of organisms to achieve desired results, which sounds nothing less than extraordinary.

So, all of it depends on your interests, passions, and future plans in life. Think and decide wisely.

The BTech Genetic Engg. course does not just give you theory-based learning via classroom lectures; it also makes you learn the right set of skills to do well in the professional world that you grasp through lab classes, research projects, and industrial workshops. Some general yet important skills are given here for your reference:

• Bioinformatics and Data Analysis
• Knowledge of DNA Technology and Genetics
• Advanced techniques of Gene Manipulation
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Aptitude
• Statistical Methods of Gene Analysis

This is a quite subjective question, and the answer to this would differ from one person to another. You should have some clarity in mind regarding your career plans and interests. Both options have their own upsides. Opting for an M.Tech degree can be helpful if you wish to get advanced knowledge and enter into the research domain in the field of genetics, while taking up a job after completing a BTech degree in Genetic Engineering can also be a good option to become financially independent, with recruiters offering decent salaries to skilled and talented graduates.

The syllabus for Genetic Engg. courses vary on the basis of the course level and the college where you're studying the course. The syllabus has some core subjects along with interesting elective subject choices, which provide detailed knowledge about the field.

Some general core subjects covered in Genetic Engineering classes are given below:

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Genetic and Cytogenetics
• Immunology
• Plant Biotechnology
• Gene Manipulation and Genomics
• Bioprocess Engineering
• Bioseparation Technology

The Genetic Engg. syllabus is a mix of both core and elective subjects. You have to mandatorily study the core subjects in every semester as they are meant to provide a strong foundation for the discipline. On the other hand, when it comes to the elective subject choices, you can pick the subjects as per your interests, the ones you find easy going and align with your future plans.

Some popular electives offered in the Genetic Engineering syllabus are given below:

• Human Genetics
• Metabolic Engineering of Microbes
• Genetics of Crop Improvement
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Gene Therapy
• Functional Genomics
• Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases

Well, when it comes to the customization of the Genetic Engineering syllabus, it is important to understand that the curriculum varies on the basis of the course level and the college where you're studying the course. Further, there are core subject modules that are compulsory for you to study in every semester because they give a strong foundational base for the field, leaving no room for customization.

Having said that, there are program electives that you can choose based on your interests and understanding, the ones that are easy to understand and fun to explore, leaving some scope for customization.

There are less than 10 private Genetic Engineering colleges in India at present. A list of a few of the best ones along with the tuition fee is given below:

Genetic Engg. is a growing field at present and therefore, you'll find less colleges offering courses in the field. As far as the government colleges for Genetic Engineering courses are concerned, there is only one college, DAVV- Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (Indore),  which offers MSc in Genetic Engineering with a tuition fee of approximately INR 1.07 lakh.

The tuition fee for Genetic Engg. varies from one college to another. The average Genetic Engineering tuition fee is approximately INR 3 lakh to INR 10 lakh. Other than the tuition fee, extra charges like for hostel accommodation, admission application, semester exam registration, and lab work also apply, for which you should definitely check the respective college websites for precise information.

You can explore a plethora of earning opportunities with top recruiters offering healthy salary packages in the healthcare, pharmaceuticals, research, and agriculture domains. You can find some top career options given here:

• Genetic Engineer
• Biotechnologist
• Bioinformatics Specialist
• Research Scientist
• Medical Writer
• Molecular Biologist
• Agricultural Geneticist
• Quality Control Specialist

Hi,

Genetic Engineering field has high growth potential in wide sectors:

• Agriculture: Developing pest-resistant, high-yield crops for food security.
• Healthcare: Gene therapy for genetic diseases, personalized medicine.
• Pharmaceuticals: Producing life-saving drugs and vaccines.
• Industry: Biofuels, bioremediation, and other sustainable technologies.
• Research and development: A growing hub for cutting-edge research in genomics.

With rising investments and increasing awareness, the scope of genetic engineering in India is impactful and expanding.

Hope it cleared your doubt !

The salary of a Genetic Engineer in India varies greatly on the basis of several pointers, including:

• Experience:
  • Freshers: Around INR 4 LPA
  • 1-3 years: INR 5 - 7 LPA
  • 5+ years: INR 8 - 12 LPA+
• Education: Masters or PhD holders typically earn more.
• Specialization: Some areas like medical genetics may offer higher salaries.
• Location: Salaries are generally higher in major cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi.
• Employer: Multinational companies and research institutions may pay more than smaller firms.

Ultimately, the "better" choice depends on your individual interests and career goals. Refer to the table below for more the comparison analysis:

In short:

• Genetic engineering: Offers a specialised career path with high earning potential but may have fewer job openings. Ideal for those passionate about manipulating genes and its direct impact.
• Biotechnology: Provides a broader range of career options and potentially more job opportunities. Suitable for those interested in applying biological principles across various fields.

The skills required to pursue Genetic Engineering courses are as follows:

Hi,

The table below is pointing out Genetic Engineering's potential to upgrade healthcare, food production, and sustainability while highlighting concerns about safety, ethics, and equitable access.

Refer to the table below for more details:

Hope it goes well with your query !

Hi,

Below are the things you can do in 10th grade to prepare for a future in genetic engineering:

• Focus on subjects like biology, chemistry, and mathematics.
• Closely study the concepts like DNA, genes, heredity, and cell structure.
• Read popular Science books and articles on genetics and biotechnology to have a wide opinion.
• Practice critical thinking and problem-solving- It often involves working with difficult problems and finding innovative solutions.
• Improve your research skills. Learn how to explore credible scientific information and analyze data.
• Consider taking coding classes. Basic programming skills can be valuable for bioinformatics, that is used to analyse genetic data.
• Network with professionals.
• Participate in Science competitions. 

Hope it resolves your doubt !

Hi,

For a good foundation in genetic engineering, you can consider below mentioned subjects in class 11:

Mandatory:

• Biology: This is the building brick for genetics, entailing essential concepts like DNA structure, gene expression, and inheritance.
• Chemistry: Basically you need a strong understanding of chemical reactions and molecules, especially those involved in biological processes.
• Mathematics: Statistics and calculus are used in analyzing genetic data and modeling biological systems.

Highly recommended:

• Physics: While it is not directly related to genetics, but it provides a valued foundation for understanding the physical principles that are related to biological processes.
• Computer Science or Informatics: Basic programming skills are highly important in genetic engineering, especially for bioinformatics and data analysis.

Hope it resolved your query !