Bhubaneswar, June 6: The nail-biting wait for scorecards is over. With almost all the important results declared last week, students are now concentrating on making the right career move. For those who wish to go beyond the straitjacket of conventional courses, The Telegraph brings you some interesting choices that might be out of the box but will nevertheless ensure name and fame

Agribusiness management

The transformation of agriculture into a business activity has created a demand for professional management and use of modern technologies. Trained personnel are in demand.

Agribusiness management education is now a priority in the country and several state agricultural universities and agricultural institutes have added the two-year programme to their list of courses.

Where: Utkal University, Centre for Agri Management, Bhubaneswar, KIIT School of Rural Management, Bhubaneswar, Orissa University Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar.

Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree in agriculture science or allied subjects from a recognised university. Candidates are required to qualify MAT/ CAT/ XAT/ MANAGE or special entrance exams conducted by institutes offering the course.

Course fee: Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh.

Expertspeak: “After completing the course, students can apply for jobs in various organisations related to agri-inputs, agri-finance, farm products, cooperatives, commodity boards and NGOs.

“With practical interaction with corporates, students can emerge as enterprising managers with the desired skills to meet the growing demands of the related sectors,” said associate professor of agri-business management at OUAT, Samarendra Mohapatra.

 

Clinical psychology

Modern lifestyle has given way to stress and tension, with many people seeking professional help. Clinical psychology is the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of stress related and mental disorders.

Where: Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, offers a two-year MA in psychology (specialisation in clinical and counselling psychology).

Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree from any recognised university. Applicants are required to appear for entrance test conducted by the university.

Course fee: Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000.

Expertspeak: “This is one of the leading areas of psychology at present. People with mental illnesses and other difficulties need to be diagnosed properly and that is where clinical psychologists come to the rescue. With a specialisation in the subject, one can work in hospitals or set up their own clinics. They can also join as counsellors at educational institutes or in the NGO sector,” said Namita Mohanty, psychology professor at Utkal University.

 

Speech therapist

A speech therapist deals with the full range of human communication and its disorders, from an infant to the elderly. Several professional centres have come up in the capital that help curing speech-related disorders, particularly in children.

Where: The Institute of Health Sciences, Bhubaneswar, offers a four-year degree course in audiology and speech language pathology.

Eligibility: Plus Two degree from a recognised institution.

Course fee: Rs 80,000 to 1 lakh.

Expertspeak: “At present, this is the sixth best profession in the US. With neurological disorders and learning disabilities on the rise in India — one out of every 65 children suffers from autism or cerebral palsy — speech therapists are quite sought-after. After graduating, students get absorbed in hospitals and rehabilitation centres as speech therapists, speech audiologists, speech pathologists. They can even set up their own clinics,” said director of IHS, Satya Mohapatra.

 

Airline pilot

A career as an airline pilot is counted as one of the most enviable, prestigious and high paying jobs in the country.

Where: The Government Aviation Training Institute (Gati), Bhubaneswar, (on the premises of Biju Patnaik Airport) offers two programmes – Private Pilot License (PPL) for six months and a Commercial Pilot License lasting 18 to 22 months

Eligibility: For PPL, the minimum qualification is matriculation. For CPL, it is Plus Two with pass marks in physics and mathematics. Aspirants from non-science background can take provisional admission and appear for the two subjects through open school exam. A medical fitness certificate from a Director General Civil Aviation-approved doctor is compulsory.

Course fee: For PPL and CPL, it’s Rs 6 lakh and Rs 19 lakh, respectively. A candidate wishing to attend classes only and pursue flying elsewhere has to pay Rs 1.35 lakh.

Expertspeak: “One can be employed in the areas of airlines, corporate charters, coast guard, paramilitary, state government or public sector units,” said Gati chief manager Prabir Chakraverty.