MCA: Full Form, Course, Fees, Eligibility, Career & More

Since we live in a “technology-centric world”, technology has become the most vital part of our daily lives. Today, Computer technology is aiding as a significant medium to connect people, gain knowledge and execute complex problems in the modern era.

Individuals, communities, government and organizations rely on digital tools like desktops, laptops and mobile devices to integrate the world innovate the majority of things and perform multiple operations like ordering food, entertainment, manage corporate activities, meetings & communication, education, transportation etc.

Moreover, today most companies have introduced separate IT departments to manage computers, networks and other technical areas of their businesses. For which demand for IT professionals is prognosticate to spike more in the upcoming years.

To continue ahead let’s look at all the aspects of an MCA degree including eligibility criteria, syllabus, specialization, future scope, major career opportunities, top recruiting companies and skills required to pursue an MCA course.

What is MCA (Master of Computer Applications)?

Designed to meet the shortage of qualified tech-savvy professionals in the IT sector, a Master of Computer Applications (MCA) degree is offered by many colleges in India. MCA is a full-time post graduate degree. Earlier the duration of the programme was for 3-years but in the 545th Meeting of the University Grant Commission (UGC) held in December 2019 course duration was updated to 2-years. Aspirants who are fascinated about diving deeper into the world of modern technology can undoubtedly opt for this course.

MCA Course allows students to specialize in Computer Applications and Information technology related subjects.

An MCA degree bestows candidates with multiple opportunities to perform a task with tools specialized to develop better and faster applications. It has adopted a dual approach of theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

However, due to the rapid technological advancement, a long-term career dwells in Computer Applications. Hence, MCA is amongst one of the most sought-after career advancement courses in recent times.

Areas of specialization in the MCA programme:

• Application Software Development
• Hardware Technology
• Database Administration
• Web Designing and Development
• Management Information Systems (MIS)
• Computer Networking
• Systems Engineering
• Data Mining and Warehousing
• Software Development
• Big Data
• Machine Learning
• Data Science
• Blockchain
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cloud Computing
• Deep Learning
• Natural Language Processing
• Pattern recognition
• Cryptography and Cyber Security etc.

Skill Set required in MCA professional:

• Passionate to gain advanced knowledge
• Have acquired strong technical skills
• Strong command over programming languages like C, C++, Java, .Net, etc.
• In-depth knowledge in theoretical aspects
• Awareness of latest trends, tools and technology
• Good communication, behavioural & programming skills

Scope of MCA in India

The present circumstances and acceptance of advanced technology have enforced the corporate world to undergo major transformations. According to a recent survey, In India, by 2030, around 9-13 %of the human workforce will be replaced by robots or automated machines.

To elaborate further, it’s for sure you must have come across these terms Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Machine Learning. But the majority of the students are unable to reach the right destination as they lack the understanding of these advanced professional courses. So, any candidate with computer knowledge and mathematical skills can go into these fields. They must have some preferred degrees such as Engineering, BCA, BSc (Computer Science) or MCA.

So, to experience a wave of the good scope of MCA in India, get yourself enrolled in one of the best institutes.

Career & Job Opportunities after MCA (Master of Computer Applications)

The Covid-19 pandemic has created an environment that is perfect to build a potential career in the IT industry. Candidates are getting themselves trained with the tech-based courses that are helping them in preparing themselves to bag high-paying career opportunities. A survey in Economics Times showcased a statistical report that mentioned that due to the drastically changing work environment, 26% of the total students enrolled for programming with Python training, 23% for digital marketing, and 22% students focused on learning web development. Ethical hacking and machine learning training also seems to gain popularity among students with 15% and 14% enrolments respectively. Hence, you can say that tech-based courses like B. Tech, BE, BCA, MCA and digital marketing training are dominating the corporate realm.

Now, let’s talk about career & job opportunities that aspirants are opting for after completion of the MCA course:

• Database Administrator
• Software Developer
• Data Scientist
• System Analyst
• Hardware Engineer
• IT Architect
• Web Designer & Developer
• Trouble-shooter
• Software Consultant
• Cloud Architect
• Cyber Security
• Big Data Analyst
• Machine Learning Experts
• Blockchain Developer
• Artificial Intelligence Experts
• Technical Writer
• Entrepreneurship
• Educatorsetc.

Professionals can opt for the above-mentioned job profiles as part-time or full-time opportunities. Besides, a report published in India Today forecasted, “The overall gaming industry is expected to grow from INR 14,000 crore in 2019 to INR 62,000 crore by 2024”. This exponential growth of the gaming industry will capitalize on the overall Indian IT market and will open gates for countless career opportunities. One can specialize in domains like:

• Game Engineering
• Game Art
• Game Design
• Game Testing

Else MCA professionals are also eligible to apply in Government companies like:

• National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC)
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
• Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)
• Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited
• National Informatics Centre (NIC)
• Government of India
• Public Sector Banks
• State Government Departments
• BSNL
• Private Sector Banks
• Mobile Companies etc.

Given the constant rise in technological use in multiple sectors, pursuing a career as a qualified MCA graduate will help one to gain extremely lucrative opportunities.

What are Eligibility Criteria for MCA in India?

The eligibility criteria might differ from college to college. Let’s take an overview of the MCA course eligibility criteria:

Norm As Per AICTE

Passed BCA/ Bachelor Degree in Computer Science Engineering or equivalent Degree.

OR

 Passed B.Sc./ B.Com./ B.A. with Mathematics at 10+2 Level or at Graduation Level

Obtained at least 50% marks (45% marks in case of candidates belonging to reserved category) in the qualifying Examination

MCA Course Entrance Exams in India

If you talk about MCA entrance examinations, there are countless. They differ by National/State/University level. Here, we are listing the top common MCA course entrance examinations that are widely accepted across various institutes or colleges.

• Let’s take a glance at the common MCA entrance exams in India: –
• All India MCA Common Entrance Test (AIMCET)
• NIT MCA Common Entrance Test (NIMCET)
• Birla Institute of Technology (BIT MCA)
• West Bengal Joint Entrance Exam for Computer Applications (WB JECA)
• Delhi University MCA (DU MCA)
• Maharashtra MCA Common Entrance Test (MAH MCA CET)
• Banaras Hindu University PG Entrance Test (BHU PET)
• And other state-wise MCA Entrance Exams

What is the Admission Process for MCA Course?

To enrol for an MCA programme in any B-school or university, candidates have to undergo an MCA entrance test. In some cases, candidates need to apply for a National level entrance test or a State level entrance test.

Commonly there are two modes of admission procedures that candidates need to follow:

• Entrance Test- Candidates need to attend an entrance test. After the result declaration, eligible candidates are called upon for the counselling session. This process is conducted for seat allotment in the affiliated college or university for the MCA course with the required set of valid documents. Later, candidates are enrolled after a final allotment of seats.
• Direct Admission- Direct admissions are usually merit-based which are accepted after qualifying necessary examination. At times seats are also allotted via management quota.

What is MCA Curriculum & Syllabus?

The following is the MCA curriculum & syllabus focused and taught in most colleges in India throughout the course duration. While a few colleges might adopt minor variations in project work or practical and theory subjects, keeping the core of the syllabus constant.

The core topics outlined in the MCA curriculum & syllabus is listed below:

• Fundamentals of IT        
• Theory of Computation
• Linux Programming
• Programming in C           
• Computer Graphics        
• Software Testing
• Discrete Mathematics   
• Java Programming          
• Enterprise Computing with Java
• Computer Organization
• Data Communications and Networking 
• Data and File Structures               
• Design and Analysis of Algorithms
• Object-Oriented Programming in C++   
• Data Warehousing and Data Mining
• Operating Systems         
• Computer Networks
• Database Management Systems             
• Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
• Software Engineering   
• Web Technologies
• Big Data
• Machine Learning
• Data Science
• Blockchain
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cloud Computing
• Deep Learning
• Natural Language Processing
• Pattern recognition
• Cryptography and Cyber Security
• Project & Seminar

Types of Job profiles for MCA in India

An MCA degree opens exciting opportunities in multiple fields. Depending upon your aptitude, skill set, and interests you can explore and opt for a suitable profile in the private and public sectors.

The Top Job Profiles for MCA professionals in India:

• Application Developer
• Software Developer or Software Programmer
• Big Data Analyst
• Machine Learning Experts
• Blockchain Developer
• Artificial Intelligence Experts
• Hardware Engineer
• Cybersecurity and strategist
• Cloud Architect
• Cyber Robotics
• Data Scientist
• Web Designer or Developer
• Video Game Designing
• Software Consultant
• Online Tutoring
• Ethical Hacking
• Manual Testing
• Technical Writing
• Healthcare Information Technology

Why You Should Choose MCA?

After the hard hit of Covid-19, the IT sector has roared out for evolutionary job profiles like never before. Giants in the corporates are constantly seeking highly experienced and knowledgeable MCA professionals who can adopt the changing working pattern, skills and policies of the current corporate system.

Thereby, the MCA course comes into the picture, where the technology-based professional degree announces a high rate of security and career advancement. Apart from job security, here are the few benefits you should know hidden behind the MCA course.

Some of the top reasons you should know before pursuing an MCA degree:

• Most trending degree in the IT industry
• Industry-demanded specialization
• Placement in reputed organizations
• Tremendous scope to work outside India
• Assists to gain a wide range of technical skills
• Opportunity to explore different Job Profiles & Avenues
• Versatile degree enhancing knowledge
• Never Go Out of Demand
• Better networking prospects
• Earn a high compensation

Wish you an exciting academic journey & a fantastic corporate life!

How to get Admission to a Good MCA College?

Due to the rising competition, getting admission to the best MCA college in today’s time has become very critical. However, if admitted to one of the good colleges the next moment you can observe a candidate surrounded by several dilemmas.

Will I be able to opt for my most-favoured specialization?

Will the faculty members deliver the kind of knowledge that I am looking for?

How is the placement record? And the list continues….

To put a stop to all your queries here is a set of tips that you should consider before taking admission to a good MCA college:

• Consider the basic parameters such as infrastructure facilities, accolades, accreditations and approvals, teaching patterns and most important placement collaborations & records.
• After you are done with thorough research on the shortlisted colleges or universities gather information about their admission process.
• Survey on the exams conducted and accordingly apply for them.
• Once you gain a complete idea about the pattern of selection, start preparing for the MCA entrance exams of the respective college or university.

Wish you Good Luck with Admissions!

Fee structure for MCA Course

Several factors impact the fee structure of MCA course across India, comprehends the availability of world-class infrastructure & facilities, financial aid from the State or the Central Government, residential accommodations, extra-curricular activities and pedagogy.

Following is the fee structure of an MCA course:

• The average MCA course fee incurred in a private college ranges between INR 30,000 to INR 2,00,000, lakhs per year.
• Whereas for government colleges, the average course fee can range between INR 1,500 to INR 30,000 lakhs per year.

MCA: Top Companies & Recruiters in India

In recent times, a growing number of government sector agencies have shifted their operations to modern electronic methods over the traditional paper-pen method. For which they are consistently hiring well-versed candidates with a professional degree in the tech-based domain. On the other hand, private hiring companies have spiked their recruitment process to pick the most ideal candidate in the market. Therefore, you can observe MCA job profiles are gaining momentum in the country and worldwide.

Top Government and Private recruiters in India hiring MCA professionals are:

• NTPC
• GAIL
• BHEL
• Cognizant
• IBM
• American Express
• HP
• Syntel
• Accenture
• Infosys
• Wipro
• TCS
• HCL

What is the Average Salary of MCA Graduates?

The starting salary for MCA graduates depends upon the talent, expertise and roles & responsibilities. It differs from individual to individual. But, generally, the average salary of an MCA graduate ranges around ₹7,89,324 per annum.

*Source- PayScale

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• Rich integration of academic and industry experience
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• Regular exposure to live projects and internships
• Best corporate interface and placement in the top multinational companies

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FAQs

1. What is the course duration of MCA?

Earlier the duration of the programme was for 3-years but in the 545th Meeting of the University Grant Commission (UGC) held in December 2019 course duration was updated to 2-years.

1. How are MCA course admissions going on because of Covid-19?

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, presently most of the MCA Entrance Examinations dates are being postponed. And a few colleges have announced admission enrolment based on the student’s aggregate UG score.

1. Is the MCA course equal to B.Tech?

MCA is a PG course and B. Tech graduates are eligible for MCA course.

1. Is it necessary to appear in an entrance exam to get admission into the MCA?

The list of MCA entrance exams is countless. They differ by National/State/University level. Some of the colleges or universities accept direct admission, some accept merit-based marks and a few have their college or university-based MCA entrance exams.