A Job After MA in EVS (Environmental Studies)

I am very passionate about the environment, especially forests and wildlife. I am a first year economics honours student. I want to do conservation-related field work. After a lot of research, I could not find a course for which I am eligible. I qualify for MA environmental studies (EVS) but do not know whether I will get a job after that. The salary is not my primary concern. Please help me. - Srishti Bhatia.

With an increase in environmental awareness, there are a growing number of jobs in government organisations and the private sector that can range from environment education and awareness and research to working directly with organisations, both national and international involved in environment protection and preservation, public health and water and waste management.

Various consultancies, too, deal with environmental impact assessment for industries and the government. Scientists question the ecological viability of large projects which may inevitably alter the course of rivers and damage aquatic life and forests.

There is tremendous scope for research and development in this field, particularly in maintaining the ecological balance, biodiversity and wasteland management.

The different areas of specialisation are water management, pollution control, waste management, agriculture, environment engineering and so on.

You can consider a post-graduate degree in environmental studies, or a course in sustainable development that covers issues concerning environmental conservation and management.

Institutes offering such programmes include:

• University School of Environment Management, GGS Indraprastha University, Kashmere Gate, Delhi - 110006, www.ipu.ac.in/usem
• TERI University, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi - 110070, www.teriuniversity.ac.in
• If you wish to concentrate on forestry management, you may consider the two-year PG diploma in forestry management offered by the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal. www.iifm.org

I am pursuing my BCom. I want to apply for a master's in finance to California State University next year. How do I complete the 16-years-of education criterion without wasting a year? - Ruchika.

Each institution in the United States of America has its own admission requirements. Most would require you to be a graduate, with 16 years of study, for a Master's programme. However, there are some institutes that accept students based on other criteria, even if they do not have the requisite 16 years of education.

Do check the college website for its eligibility requirements. Most universities look at your Class X, XII, graduation, GRE and possibly the TOEFL scores, too, along with the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation and so on.

Websites such as www.collegeboard.com and www.usnews.com give listings of colleges and universities, their ratings, costs of study, funding, and admission requirements and other details. While checking out the institutions, you should think about the campus location, the facilities, number of international (including Indian) students, as well as the likely cost of education.

If you need to complete 16 years of study, you could consider enrolling for a one-year PG diploma course in finance offered by many universities.

 

I scored 45 per cent in my BBA. What are the job and study options open to me?
- Zakir Husain.

It is obvious that you got into a course that you are not suited for, and have not explored the fields you could be good at. The important thing is to look at what interests you and what you are most suitable for, in terms of your aptitude and personality.

Your BBA qualification may be useful in fields such as retail management and logistics and supply chain management, which is a growing sector. Retail management is associated with the retailing business of departmental stores and shopping malls. In this career, you can work in sales and marketing, operation, concept and design, buying and merchandising or administration.

Logistics and supply chain management, too, is related to retail management. It involves ensuring that goods required by a consumer or an end user in a store or distribution outlet are available at the time they are required. Work involves monitoring the stock levels, placing orders and managing the supply chain of products, whatever they may be whether food stuff, clothes, or even engineering goods. There are certificate, diploma and degree courses in retail, or supply chain management for students at all levels, if you have the interest and aptitude to work in this field.

There are also a host of other options for you, from computers, food service, travel and hospitality, depending on your interest and skills. If you are interested in computers, even a basic-level course can train you to handle data processing, data entry and operations, for which no specialist qualifications are required, except for typing skills. With some further training you could also move into programming jobs, where you would be responsible for writing and testing programmes and assisting users during the implementation phase.

If you are interested in the hospitality and food service areas, you can take up courses in bakery/confectionery, food and beverage service, front office operations, etc at Food Craft Institutes, which would qualify you for jobs in the catering and hotel industry, as well as courses in canning and food preservation for work in the food processing industry, in soft drinks factories, in the food packing industry, and in hotels and catering establishments.

If you have good communication and people skills, then you can find many opportunities in travel and tourism.

Various institutes offer short job-oriented courses in air travel, fares, ticketing, airlines, travel agency and tour operation management which equip students to work in travel agencies, airlines, courier and cargo organisations and companies requiring a range of travel services. So build on what you are good at, and I am sure you will be able to make a good career.

 

Author: Usha Albuquerque (HT Horizons)

Date: 8th October, 2010

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