by As per the eligibility criteria norms for the B.Tech or B.E programs in Computer Applications, the applicant should have compulsory subjects such as Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics in the 12th standard examination. However, if applying to the Bachelor in Computer Applications (BCA) course, there is no such requirement. Even if the applicant has a Commerce or Arts background, they are eligible to apply for the BCA program. However, other basic eligibility criteria that are requisites for the BCA course is studied in the following details.
- The applicant can be from any discipline: Arts, Science, or Commerce
- He/she must clear the 12th standard exam, scoring 45% aggregate marks and having English as one of the compulsory subjects
- The aspirant has to be an Indian National
- The admission process of some universities is merit-based, depending on their scores in the 12th standard exams. And other universities admit pupils on the basis of their performance in the entrance exam and personal interview.
- Although, some universities have their own entrance examinations for admitting students.
BCA: Admission Process
In India, there are several institutes that propose the BCA program; also, they have their own eligibility norms to offer admissions. Likewise, as part of the application process of some universities, they admit pupils on the basis of their marks in the 12th standard exam. And for admission in other universities, the students have to qualify for personal interviews and entrance exams. More so, some universities conduct their own entrance examinations.
Also, there are some institutes where students can get lateral entry to the BCA course. Lateral entry refers to direct admissions in the second year of the BCA program. For lateral entry to the BCA course, the candidate has to clear the 12th standard examination, as well as a 6-month computer course. Moreover, students who have a 3-year diploma in Information Technology (IT) from the State Board of Technical Education can apply. During the months of May and June, the application process for the BCA courses commences. To apply to any institute, you should fill the application form in different modes: offline or online.
BCA: Entrance Examination
The entrance exam for admission to the BCA program consists of an objective-type questionnaire. Besides, the syllabus is as per the 12th standard subjects.
The various BCA entrance examinations are listed in the following details.
- KIITEE BCA
- AIMA UGAT
- CET (GGSIPU) BCA
- LUCSAT BCA
There are many universities that hold BCA entrance exams, as seen below.
- Symbiosis University
- Banaras Hindu University
- Punjab University
- Indira Gandhi National Open University
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
- Christ University in Bangalore
BCA: Course Curriculum
The BCA course curriculum is inclusive of subjects such as object-oriented programming, core programming languages, data structure, networking, database, software engineering, development, and web scripting – among others.
Also, after successful completion of the BCA course, the graduates can pursue advanced studies in Computer Science and Information Technology. Further, the course curriculum of both courses, BCA and B.Tech in Computer Science or Information Technology are similar.
BCA: Specializations
The BCA course offers a host of specializations, as seen in the following details.
- Internet Technologies
- Computer Graphics
- Animation
- Personal Information Management
- Accounting Applications
- Music & Video Processing
- Programming Languages
- Word Processing
- Systems Analysis
- Database Management
BCA: India’s Premier Colleges Offering the Course
Some of the country’s best colleges that offer the BCA course are as follows:
- Institute of Management Studies in Noida
- Christ University in Bangalore
- Birla Institute of Technology in Ranchi
- Madras Christian College in Chennai
- Department of Computer Applications at SRM University in Chennai
- St. Joseph’s College in Bangalore
- Presidency College in Bengaluru
- Symbiosis Institute of Computer Science and Research
- University College-Kurukshetra in, Kurukshetra
BCA: Options Available
Post completion of the BCA course, the pupils can avail a range of options. All the same, the BCA graduates can go for higher studies or apply to jobs in IT companies.
Higher Studies
BCA graduates can pursue higher studies; they can avail the following courses.
Master in Computer Applications (MCA)
After completing the BCA course, you can opt for the Masters in Computer Applications (MCA) program which is a postgraduate-level course. The MCA program equips the pupils with advanced knowledge and skills in Computer Applications. Even so, there is the MCA entrance exam that the aspirants have to appear for if they want to be eligible for the MCA course.
MBA
To pursue higher studies after the BCA course, there is an MBA program that you can apply for. In fact, a considerable percentage of BCA graduates opt for the MBA course. However, for admission in the MBA program, you have to appear for the MBA entrance exams – including MAT, XAT, and CAT.
CCNP or CCNA Certifications
Cisco Certified Network Professionals (CCNP) are IT professionals who have completed the intermediate-level CISCO certification. Also, the CCNP certifications are created by CISCO systems. To become a Network Administrator / Engineer or Network Operations Specialist, you can apply for the CISCO certifications.
The Cisco career certifications cover 8 areas of professional certifications:
- Collaboration
- Wireless
- Cloud
- Data Centre
- Service Provider
- Security
- Routing & Switching
- Design
- BCA: Career Prospects
Due to the rapid growth of the IT industry, the demand for BCA graduates is rising. Indeed, they can apply for jobs in both public and private sector companies.
Private Companies
There are several IT companies that hire BCA graduates such as Wipro, Infosys, IBM, and Oracle. They can work in roles such as web developer, software tester, systems engineer, software developer, junior programmer, and system administrator.
Government Sector
Computer professionals are needed in the IT departments of government agencies as well. In fact, the Indian Navy, Indian Army, and Indian Air Force employ a large number of BCA graduates.
BCA: Job Profiles
BCA graduates can work in the following job roles.
System Engineer: System developers have to evaluate, test, and develop personal computers, circuits, and software.
Programmer in Software Development Companies: As a programmer, you have to write code for software. Also, you have to work in various computer languages – such as Python, C, Lisp, Java, C#, C++, COBOL, and Assembly.
Web Developer: Web developers specialize in World Wide Web applications. They, also, develop and maintain websites. More so, they should have knowledge of JavaScript, PHP, CSS, HTML/XHTML. Indeed, there are web designing companies and digital marketing ones that recruit web developers.
Software Developer: Software developers are needed to develop software for facilitating people to perform tasks in an efficient manner. In fact, these professionals have to maintain, test, and install the software.
