For many students, science has always been the subject of attraction. The various fields of science have always been the focal point for them. And if these things arise a sense of excitement in you, you can choose to become a scientist. A scientist studies and gains knowledge and skills about different parts of physical or natural science.
Scientists involve themselves in different fields to explore and invent new things. Students having an interest in biology can become botanists. Those who find the history of earth interesting can become a geologist. Also, students who love the sea and underwater animals and plants can become a marine biologist. As you can see there are a lot of options in the science field becoming a scientist can definitely be very beneficial for a student. Let’s see about the courses to opt for, colleges and admissions, and also about the career options.
Courses to become a scientist:
If a student wants to be a scientist, preparing early is the best thing. After the 12th examination, they must think and wisely choose a field of specialization that they want to be a scientist. For a bachelor’s degree, a student can think about subjects like – Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Astronomy, Social sciences, etc. Also, students can choose different degrees like – B.Sc., B.Tech., B.Pharama, etc in specialized fields. After the completion of a bachelor’s degree, a student has to pursue a master’s degree in the same field.
A student can apply for a Ph.D. level after they have completed the master’s degree in the specialized fields. Also, if a student wants to be a scientist, especially NASA, they have to opt for science, technology, engineering, and Mathematics centered education.
Eligibility criteria to become a scientist:
A student completing their 10+2 final examination with a science background is eligible to apply for any science streams in UG courses. The students need to pass the exams from any recognized board with a satisfactory percentage. In some cases, the colleges arrange an entrance exam for admission which the candidates must pass.
And for further studies in PG courses, candidates must complete their bachelor’s degree in a science field with minimum percentage criteria. The other criteria are –
• Candidates should complete their bachelor’s degree with at least 60% marks.
• They must have various subjects in the science field.
• In PG courses, they must score a minimum of 65% in specialized scientific fields.
• Then they can opt for a Ph.D. degree in that particular subject.
Top colleges offering courses to become a scientist:
In India, there are a lot of well-known and reputed colleges providing the best quality of education in science fields. These courses help the students to pursue their dreams of becoming a scientist. Some of the best colleges regarding these courses are –
· Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
· Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER)
· National Institute of Technology (NIT)
· Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST)
· Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
· Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Admission process:
There are two different ways of the admission process. Some colleges take admission on the basis of the marks scored by a student in their 12th final exams in science subjects. While some colleges and universities hold their admission tests at the state or national level to select aspiring candidates.
Students who qualify for the entrance exams can get admission to the desired colleges. Some colleges take personal interviews or group discussions after the entrance tests. Institutes like – IITs take admission through JEE Mains and JEE Advanced exams which are held on a national level.
Career scope as a scientist:
As you can see there are a lot of areas of science that a student can explore. Becoming a scientist does not mean you have to only study physics or maths. If you love biology, you can pioneer a lot of new things related to nature. Some major roles that you can take as a career option as a scientist are –
Astronomer:
They study and explore new planets, stars, and galaxies. They observe keenly the movement of objects on our planet or from any other planets.
Botanist:
These scientists observe nature closely and discover about the structure, growth, evaluation, etc. about plants and flowers. A student loving biology can choose a career as a botanist. They can also go for various options under this field like – Chemical Biology, Plant Ecology, and Plant Taxonomy.
Geologist:
A geologist gathers knowledge about the Earth and other terrestrial planets. They examine different states of a matter, i.e., liquid, solid, and gaseous substance. Geologists study the Earth’s history. They also examine the tectonic movements, earthquakes, etc. to know about the matters of the Earth.
Microbiologist:
Microbiology is one of the important parts of science. Microbiologists deal with the evaluation of plants and animals. They study the organisms that are helpful and harmful to nature. Also, they work for the agricultural and industrial benefits.
There are many other options that a student can choose –
· Ethologist
· Agronomist
· Epidemiologist
· Meteorologist
· Paleontologist
· Marine Biologist
· Ecologist
· Food Scientist
· Seismologist
· Neuroscientists etc.
Salary as a scientist:
The salary that a scientist will get depends on a lot of things. For example – academic qualification, working experience, working area, organizations, and companies, etc. If a student gets hired in IITs or IISc as a scientist, they can earn up to Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 6 lakhs in a year for the initial days.
Other than these institutes, many other organizations and companies hire scientists for their benefit and give them a decent amount of salary at least starting from Rs. 60,000/-. Candidates can get jobs in some of these organizations –
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
• Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
• Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)
• Indian Association for Cultivation of Science (IACS)
• Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)
• National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)
• International Flavors & Fragrances India Ltd
So, we have discussed all the required details to become a scientist. Now it is your turn to make your dreams come true and pursue your desired field as a scientist. Because this field will always bring a sense of surprise knowing a lot of unknown facts about the world.
By Sayantika Mondal
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