MSc Zoology: Admission 2024, Fees, Syllabus, Entrance Exam, Top Colleges, Career Scope

Master of Science in Zoology specialisation follows Science-related elements of Zoology. Zoology focuses on the study of Biology, Structure, and Behaviour of animals. It is a 2-year postgraduate degree programme that focuses on theoretical as well as research as part of the specialization.

Students who choose to do masters in zoology may see that there are many benefits of studying this program. Some of the benefits are:

• Diverse career options: An MSc Zoology graduates can find jobs in numerous sectors after graduation. They can work as professors of zoology, work as researchers, animal trainers, wildlife experts, etc. Jobs are available in both the private and public sectors.
• High salary: Due to the high number of job options available, the salary offered to candidates is also high. For fresh graduates, the salary ranges up to INR 2 LPA. The ultimate salary offered will depend on the caliber and experience of each candidate.
• Betterment of animals and humans: By studying the biology, anatomy, physiology, anatomy, etc. of animals, one can also begin to understand human beings. Observing an animal’s interaction with their environment is much like how humans interact. This in turn will help us make better choices and create better solutions for future human beings on earth.

Here is the comparison between MSc Biochemistry and MSc Zoology, on the basis of eligibility, admission process, course fees, focus areas, suitability, job options, and salary package.

There are various advantages and justifications for choosing to pursue an MSc in zoology. The curriculum of the M.Sc in Zoology covers the various roles, appearances, and behaviors of animal species. This knowledge is applied to comprehend animal biology and produce observations that support conclusions. This well-designed degree programme gives students practical experience in understanding various zoology and animal Science concepts.

There are more than 1,200 MSc Zoology colleges in India and the eligibility criteria of mostly colleges vary depending on their requirement. However, the minimum eligibility criteria is:

• To obtain a bachelor's degree in BSc Zoology or any relevant discipline,
• From a recognised university with at least 50% score.

You can opt for an MSc in Zoology without having a BSc in Zoology degree. However, the eligibility requirements remain the same. You have to be from a Science background with PCB/PCMB as your core subjects and with a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline. Having a BSc Zoology degree is not mandatory but definitely helps students set the foundation for their PG study.

Here's the idea of eligibility criteria for IGNOU MSc Zoology:

The eligibility criteria for the PU-CET (PG) exam, which stands for Panjab University Common Entrance Test for Postgraduate Courses, can vary depending on the specific course you are interested in. PU-CET (PG) is conducted by Panjab University for admission to various postgraduate programmes offered by the university. The following is the minimum eligibility criteria for PU-CET (PG) exam:

• Candidates must have completed a bachelor's degree in the relevant field or a related discipline from a recognised university or institution. The specific degree requirement may vary depending on the course.
• They must have secured a minimum aggregate of 50% in graduation
• In case of candidates have a Bachelor‘s degree in Modern Indian Languages (Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi (Gurmukhi Script) and/or in a Classical Language (Sanskrit/Persian/Arabic) from Panjab University or any other University recognised by the Syndicate, 50% aggregate will be calculated by taking into account the full percentage of marks in all the papers excluding the optional paper, English and the elective subject taken together, or
• The candidates must have passed the final examination conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, or England / Institute of Cost Accountants of India or Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of England / Institute of Company Secretaries of India, or
• The candidate holds a Diploma in Personnel Management and Labour Welfare or Diploma in Marketing Management with not less than 60% aggregate
• Executive experience of two years or above in a full-time job in a commercial or industrial establishment after having passed the qualifying examination

The MSc Zoology admission process may differ for every college. However, here is a basic idea of how the procedure is completed:

• There are two ways to apply for an MSc in Zoology: online and offline.
• Applicants must check the eligibility requirements on the admissions website. 
• Download the application form, fill it out, and include all pertinent information about their personal background and educational background. 
• Upon receipt of all applications, the admissions committee evaluates them and creates a merit list based on the applicant's prior academic standing or entrance exam results. (whichever is applicable).

If admission is merit-based, a high score at the undergraduate level is required. The candidate should meet the minimum cut-off prescribed by the college. Colleges advertise when seats are available and when admission season opens up. All the latest admission advertisements must be viewed regularly.
For admission through entrance examinations, going through the undergraduate course material in Zoology as well as general knowledge, latest news, and basic mathematics is recommended. Most colleges hold a personal interview round which students who have cleared the entrance examinations are invited.

Candidates must prepare diligently for this round. Preparations must be started at least 6 months before the examination date to make time to cover all material.

Besides doing a job in a Zoology-related field, one can opt to do research-based programs or study for competitive examinations like civil services. There are government jobs in zoology where an M.Sc Zoology degree would be useful. 

Some of the further study options available for MSc Zoology graduates are:

• PhD: PhD or research-based programs are the highest level of educational degree one can get. The candidates get to do research on a topic of their choice and complete it within 3 to 5 years. Admission to PhD programs is based on entrance examinations. Upon completion of the program, one can get employed as a professor.
• Management courses: Another popular choice after completing MSc Zoology is a management course. Management courses are designed to prepare future managers and entrepreneurs of the economy. Admission is through a competitive exam like CAT or MAT or XAT. Doing an MBA can help to get higher positions in the hierarchy and also increases the pay scale.

The CUET PG exam difficulty level is depicted in the range of moderate to high. CUET PG examination is conducted into various streams and master's subjects, therefore it is difficult to say the difficulty level of the examination subject wise. However, the difficulty level of the exam varies from subject to subject. 

The difficulty level of the exam also differs from subject to subject. As compared to the other national level entrance exam like IIT JAM, ISI Admission Test, GATE-B, IISER Entrance exam, JEST, NEST examination, the level of CUET PG examination is comparatively low-level. Candidates can expect the high difficulty level of the examination in comparison to State level entrance examinations like- GNDU, UPCATET, SHIATS, MCAER-CET, RUASAT, OUAT.

The Common Post Graduate Entrance Test (CPGET) is an entrance exam conducted by Osmania University. Candidates can secure admission to various PG, PGD (postgraduate diploma) courses and five-year integrated courses which are offered by Osmania, Telangana, Mahatma Gandhi and Palamuru Universities by giving this entrance exam. It was named Osmania University Common Entrance Test )OUCET) first but is now recognised as CPGET by the Osmania University. However, it is still commonly referred to as OUCET.

The University of Rajasthan Admission Test for Postgraduate Courses (URATPG) is an entrance examination conducted by the University of Rajasthan (also known as the Rajasthan University) for admission to various postgraduate programs offered by the university. URATPG is an important step in the admission process for students seeking to pursue postgraduate studies in fields such as arts, science, commerce, and other disciplines.

For PU CET (PG) preparation, it's essential to refer to the official PU CET PG syllabus and guidelines provided by Panjab University. Additionally, candidates can use a combination of standard reference books and study materials to enhance their preparation. Here are some general recommendations, but keep in mind that the relevance of specific books may depend on the course you are applying for:

1. General Knowledge:

   • Manorama Yearbook
   • Lucent's General Knowledge
   • Pratiyogita Darpan

2. Reasoning:

   • A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal
   • Analytical Reasoning by M.K. Pandey

3. Data Interpretation:

   • Quantitative Aptitude by R.S. Aggarwal
   • Fast Track Objective Arithmetic by Rajesh Verma
   • Class 11th and 12th NCERT Mathematics textbooks

4. Verbal Ability:

   • High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
   • Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis

5. Domain Knowledge:

   • Refer to standard textbooks and study materials related to your specific postgraduate course. This may include university-recommended books or those commonly used in undergraduate studies for your field.

6. Practice Papers and Mock Tests:

   • PU CET (PG) previous years' question papers and sample papers provided by Panjab University
   • PU CET (PG) mock test series available online

An entrance exam at the all-Indian level called the Central University Entrance Test (Postgraduate), or CUET PG, is conducted for admission to postgraduate studies in Central and participating Universities. After the application form is made available, NTA will release the syllabus for each paper in the CUET PG 2024. The undergraduate level is represented in the syllabus. The CUET PG 2024 syllabus's subjects and chapters differ from subject to subject; you may view the complete schedule on the official website. Candidates taking the CUET PG 2024 exam must plan ahead and aspire to score well in order to qualify.

Molecular Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Biostatistics, Functions and Structure of Invertebrates, Immunology and Biotechnology, Environment and Ecological Evolution are the core MSc Zoology subjects.
Marine Biology, Applied Entomology, Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Applied Microbiology, Animal Migration and Behaviour Due to Global Warming, and Applied Entomology are the elective subjects in the course curriculum.

In MSc Zoology course curriculum, a few lab subjects are also included: 

• Preparation of single cell suspension from bone marrow and spleen (spleenocytes) of mice.
• Cell counting and viability testing of the spleenocytes prepared.
• Preparation and study of phagocytosis by spleen/peritoneal macrophages 
• Macrophage functional analysis by: a)Phagocytosis, b) Nitric oxide estimation
• DNA quantification and purity of DNA.
• Restriction enzyme digestion of plasmid DNA.
• Purification of DNA from an agarose gel.
• Vector and insert ligation. 

Most of the institutes do not have a proper syllabus set for their entrance examinations. Some of the expected topics are mentioned below:

• Biomolecules: structure, organization, and role
• Cell Structure and function
• Cell Signalling
• Immunology
• Genetics
• Animal and Plant Physiology
• Ecology

It is not very tough to take MSc Zoology exams. The entrance examinations cover the material taught in the graduation level of B.Sc. Zoology program. So, candidates holding bachelor's in zoology can clear it only by studying their course topics.

• It would be beneficial to look at the previous question papers, to get an idea of the exam you are applying. 
• Solving model test papers can help to practice and check the amount of preparation done.

No, IITs generally offer Engineering and technology-based programs and Zoology is a discipline of Biology. IITs offer programs like MSc Mathematics,  Chemical Engineering,  Aerospace Engineering, BTech, etc.

More than 1,200 colleges are offering MSc Zoology and out of them, most colleges offer great placement opportunities to students. Here are some options you can look for:

Note: The information is sourced from the official body and may vary.

At Thakur College of Science and Commerce, in total 20 seats are available for admission to M.Sc. Zoology. The students shall make sure that they meet the specified eligibility criteria before filling out the application form. The minimum qualification required is the candidate must have passed a three year B.Sc. degree with atleast 50% aggregate marks at external examination or its equivalent degree from any other UGC recognised university. The selection criteria for the course is merit based. The course is offered in a full time mode and the duration of this course is 4 semesters spread over 2 years.

Your future will be shaped by the career you select, so it's critical to think carefully about a variety of factors, including "What is the scope after doing an M.Sc. in zoology?" "How many job opportunities are there after an M.Sc. in zoology?" and "What is the salary after an M.Sc. in zoology?" The following is a list of a few of the factors:

• Future scope Salary,
• Entitlements,
• Terms & Conditions
• Job Market Outlook
• Company Culture,
• and History Employee Benefits

Pharmaceutical, Food Industry, Breweries, Biotechnology, Public Utilities Petroleum, mining forest, Education, NGOs, and Agriculture are the main recruiting sectors for Zoology jobs in India.

The "better" test depends on your specific needs and goals. Both TOEFL and IELTS are widely accepted English proficiency tests, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

The TOEFL exam is widely accepted in all the universities present in major study-abroad destinations such as the USA, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The mode of the TOEFL exam is computer-based and it focuses more on the academic English. The exam takes 2 hours to complete in which it assesses all four skills of the test taker namely - speaking, listening, reading and writing.  

On the other hand, the IELTS exam covers modeules from both academic English and general training English. However, the IELTS exam format differ entirely from that of the TOEFL exam. The IELTS exam takes a total of 3 hours to get completed in two different sittings. Students have to take the speaking section (11-14 minutes, with a real examiner) of the test up to 7 days either before or after taking the main IELTS exam in which the reading, listening and writing skills are assessed in the time frame of 2 hours and 44 minutes. 

The other main points of difference between the IELTS and TOEFL exams are given below. Students can choose the exam that suits them the best based on the following and above-mentioned information. 

A Duolingo English Test score of 120 or above is generally considered good. However, the best Duolingo score depends on the university requirements to which you are applying.

A score equal to or above 120 often meets the English proficiency requirements of many universities and institutions worldwide. It may be possible that some institutions might have higher requirements.

The IELTS exam is difficult for candidates who come unprepared to take the exam. IELTS test takers looking to take the IELTS exam are required to focus on speaking, listening, writing and reading skills in the English language.

Candidates who practice speaking English regularly will find the IELTS English-speaking section easy. In the IELTS listening section, candidates are required to listen to what is being said and then answer the questions. Many people find the listening section tough especially if they have not come prepared.

The IELTS writing section requires candidates to complete two writing tasks in under an hour. Candidates are required to complete Writing Task 1 in 20 minutes and Writing Task 2 in 40 minutes and also fulfil the word count. In the reading section, candidates are required to answer 40 questions in one hour and the vocabulary skills of the candidate are assessed.

The ETS recently announced a major change in the GRE Exam Pattern. According to the latest GRE test pattern, there will be analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning topics in the exam to assess the skills of students. The duration of the updated GRE exam format is 1 hour and 58 minutes only. 

Here is the updated duration of GRE exam sections.

• GRE Analytical Writing- 30 Minutes
• GRE Quantitative Reasoning - 41 Minutes
• GRE Verbal Reasoning- 47 Minutes 

To prepare according to the new pattern, students need to create a strategy from scratch. Also, they can explore the GRE Study Plan for Beginners to get help in creating a preparation plan.

Students with observant minds and curiosity towards animals can choose to pursue an MSc in Zoology. Other than this, there are certain qualities that they must possess to make it big in the industry. Some of the most necessary skills for a successful MSc zoology are mentioned in the table below:

• Observation skills
• Research skills
• Knowledge of Biology
• Reading skills
• Interest in Animal Biology
• Critical thinking skills
• Interest in Science
• Communication skills

An undergraduate education in the fundamentals of animal behaviour, physiology, evolution, and ecology can be obtained with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology. It equips students for entry-level positions in Science education, conservation, wildlife management, and research support. Usually, it takes three to four years to finish the BSc. 

With more advanced, specialised coursework and independent research, an MSc in Zoology expands on a BSc. It enables students to specialize in a particular field of Zoology and equips them for careers in research, management, or postgraduate study. After earning a BSc, the MSc normally takes 1-2 years to complete. 

In general, the MSc is thought to be more advanced and can lead to greater opportunities in academics, research, and specialised zoological fields. However, the BSc may be sufficient for many entry-level positions in the zoology workforce.

Forensic Laboratories, Animal Clinics, Aquariums, Agrochemical Companies are some of the widely popular recruiting agencies in the field of MSc Zoology. These recruiters hire candidates with the relevant skills and knowledge having the desire to learn so that they can be offered their well deserved opportunities to help them rise in their careers.

MSc Zoology and MSc Botany are two distinct fields of study within the realm of biological sciences. Both programs provide students with a deeper understanding of the natural world, focusing on different aspects of the plant and animal kingdoms. 

Candidates can look at the table below to know the comparison between the two.

Experts do advise the aspiring students to opt for a PG degree such as an MSc for zoology course as the candidates who complete their graduation are known to have more wider options available for future with high incomes as compared to graduate degree holders. PG degrees regardless of any course, open a gateway to new lucrative opportunities