Conventional postgraduate courses in Sambalpur University received an unusually high number of applications this year compared to previous years. Self-financed and professional courses, however, continued to evoke poor response.
The physics department with 32 seats received the highest 430 applications, compared to 258 in 2011 and 227 in 2010. Similarly, for 28 seats of chemistry department, there were 369 applications compared to 204 last year and 217 in 2010. Life science, English, political science, economics and sociology departments have also received a huge number of applications.
Aspirants for MSc in life science will face a tough competition. For the 32 seats in life science, 382 students have applied this year, compared to 210 in 2011 and 254 in 2010. PGDCA, which had received just four applications last year for 30 seats, has got 43 requests this year. Statistics department, which had just one applicant for its 16 seats last year, has received nine applications this year.
Except for law, the number of applicants have gone up in all other departments. Compared to 34 applicants for 24 LLB seats in 2010 and 43 applicants in 2011, the number went down to 17 this year. Overall, the number of applications for 578 regular PG courses went up to 2,676 this year, compared to 1,671 in 2011 and 1,851 in 2010.
Conversely, there were just 274 applicants for 282 self-financed courses this year. The number was 292 in 2010 and 224 in 2011. Only 27 students have applied for 40 seats of the executive MBA this year.
“Students realize it is better to do PG in a conventional subject compared to doing a professional degree in an unremarkable institution. Besides, job prospects of courses such as sociology and science subjects have improved. While NGOs and government schemes such as NREGA has jobs for sociology post graduates, shortage of science teachers have made science post graduates sought after in the teaching profession,” said the varsity’s postgraduate council chairman Sukadeba Naik.
Number of applications for other universities such as Utkal University and Berhampur University are yet to be revealed. However, authorities said applications for conventional subjects have increased in these varsities as well. “The number of applications has gone up across most departments,” said Uktal University PG council chairman P K Mishra.
