Master of Science (M.Sc): Career Scope, Courses, Admission, Jobs

Candidates who are passionate about science and aspire to build a career in research and academia, then pursuing a M.Sc. program can be a great career choice.

A master of science (M.Sc) is a postgraduate degree that offers specialization in various scientific, technical, healthcare and applied sciences disciplines.

Candidates who have completed their bachelor’s in science are eligible to pursue M.Sc programs. It is a 2 year program offered by various universities and colleges in India.

A degree in M.Sc offers great career opportunities in both government sector and private sector.  Candidates can work in the research organization like ISRO, DRDO, public sector units (PSU’s) like BHEL, Coal India, Power Grid, NTPC etc.

In this article, we will explore career in master of science (M.Sc). Learn about courses, eligibility criteria, career scope, job opportunities etc.

M.Sc Course Details

M.Sc. (Master of Science) is a postgraduate degree that provide specialization in various fields these include applied sciences, Computer Science, IT, Agriculture, Medical Sciences and Statistics etc.

The M.Sc is a 2 years degree program and is ideal for students who want to specialize in a particular subject and pursue careers in research, academia, industry or government sectors.

Also Check – Top Science Courses After 12th

Here is the complete overview of the M.Sc program in India.

Top M.Sc Programs

The M.Sc programs are offered in multipe specialization. Candidates can choose the specialization as per their interest and eligibility.

Core Science Disciplines

• M.Sc. Physics
• M.Sc. Chemistry
• M.Sc. Mathematics
• M.Sc. Biology

Computer Science and IT

• M.Sc. Computer Science
• M.Sc. Data Science
• M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
• M.Sc. Cybersecurity

Health and Medical Sciences

• M.Sc. Clinical Research
• M.Sc. Forensic Science
• M.Sc. Pharmacology
• M.Sc. Food Science & Nutrition

Statistics & Financial Sciences

• M.Sc. Statistics
• M.Sc. Actuarial Science
• M.Sc. Economics

Life Sciences & Biotechnology

• M.Sc. Biotechnology
• M.Sc. Microbiology
• M.Sc. Biochemistry
• M.Sc. Bioinformatics

Scope of Master of Science (M.Sc)

Candidates who wants to make their career in academics and research can pursue master degree in science after their graduation.

M.Sc program is high in demand and graduates can find rewarding career opportunities in research, healthcare, technology, financials etc.

The scope of M.Sc is very much demanding & you can gain a respectable job in this area after completing the programme with good grades.

There are various specializations that one can pursue in M.Sc programme. In each and every specialization, opportunities are available in Medicine, chemical, petrochemical & Polymer industries.

After passing master degree in science, candidates can go for a research study in top organizations such as BAARC, ISRO etc. Graduates can also work in a government & private sectors in various technical & non-technical posts.

Eligibility Criteria

Students will get admission into the Master of Science (M.Sc) programme after completing their bachelor degree. For admission in to the M.Sc programme, candidates are required to meet the eligibility criteria:

Candidates must have completed their bachelor’s degree (Bachelor in Science (B.Sc) or equivalent in a relevant subject from a recognized univerity.

Students have to secure minimum 50 to 60 % marks in the qualifying examination. The percentage criteria in the qualifying examination varies with university.

Candidates have to qualify the entrance exam accepted by the university for admision to their M.Sc program.

Age limit criteria are not applicable to this course, anyone can study this course after they finish their graduation or even at a later stage.

Admission Process

For admission in M.Sc students are required to clear the entrance test. Some universities provide admission without any entrance exams i.e. on the basis of academic performance and personal interview.

Top colleges like IITs, NITs and IISC and various other central universities conduct entrance exam for admission to their M.Sc programs.

Entrance Exams

Here is the list of popular entrance exams for admission to M.Sc programs:

• Common University Entrance Test for Post Graduate (CUET PG 2025)
• Indian Institute of Technology – Joint Admission Test (IIT JAM 2025)
• Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Entrance Exam (IPU CET 2025)
• Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST 2025)
• JNU CEEB
• WBJEE JENPAS-PG
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS PG 2025) exam
• Indira Gandhi National Open University Entrance Exam (IGNOU 2025)

Top Colleges for M.Sc

In India, the top colleges to pursue M.Sc programs are:

• Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
• Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
• Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
• Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati
• Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
• National Institute of Technology, Rourkela
• National Institute of Technology, Karnataka
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences
• Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
• Jadavpur University
• Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)

Career & Job Opportunities

An M.Sc degree holder can work in various fields like education, defense, public sector, automotive and aerospace industries, healthcare, materials, technology, computing, energy and information technology.

Most of the M.Sc graduates look for opportunities in scientific research and academia. Candidates can work as a scientist in the leading organization like ISRO, CSIR, DRDO, BARC etc.

Candidates can also opt for teaching roles in universities and colleges as a lecturer after qualifying NET examination.

Corporate job opportunities are also open for the graduates as they can find multiple opportunities in healthcare, biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals companies.

The top companies like Sun Pharma, Biocon, Pfizer, Dr Reddy hire science graduates for various roles like Biochemist, Microbiologist, Clinical Research Associate.

Candidates completing their M.Sc in Computer Science or any similar specilization can find jobs in IT and tech companies like TCS, Infosys, Microsoft, Amazon and Google.

Job Areas

After completing your degree, you can work in various organizations and companies. A list of the job area where you can work after post graduation in science are:

• Banks
• Government Sector
• Private Sector
• Railways
• Teaching
• Research
• NTPC
• ONGC
• HPCL
• ISRO
• BAARC
• BHEL

Job Profile

• Research Assistant
• Lab Technician
• Scientist
• Field Officer
• Manager
• Professor
• Researcher and accountant
• Statistician
• Quantitative Developer
• Assistant Professor
• Junior Software Engineer

Recruiters

• GlaxoSmithKline
• Cipla
• Ranbaxy
• GAIL
• ONGC
• HDFC
• ICICI
• Oracle
• Wipro
• Infosys
• HCL

Salary & PayScale

The salary after completing M.Sc program varies based on the specialization, industry, job role and work location. In general, a M.Sc degree holder can earn an average salary of Rs.35 to Rs.60 thousand per month in India.

The salary also depend upon the candidates specialization and graduating college. Students graduating from the top ranked universities like IITs, IISc are offered a handsome salary packages.

The salary offered by the IT companies are generally in the range ₹4 – 12 LPA. Candidates opting for public sector jobs such as research scientist, lecturer are paid around ₹5-10 LPA as a starting salary.

In Biotechnology, healthcare and Pharmaceuticals companies, the starting salary is anywhere between ₹4 – 6 LPA.

Books & Study Materials

Best books for M.Sc students are listed here:

• Classical Mechanics by H.Goldstein, Narosa
• Inorganic Chemistry by Shriver and Atkins
• Principle of Mathematical Analysis by Walter Rudin
• IT Business Partnerships: A Field Guide: Paving the Way for Business and Technology Convergence by Joseph Topinka
• Zoology – A Complete Guide by Dr. Anita Sehgal
• A Manual of Botany by Bahadur, R Acharik

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