M.Sc. IT: Eligibility, Course details & Career Scope

Last Updated on August 10, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) is an Undergraduate program. In the case of students in India, many of them prefer to take an M.Sc. (Master of Science) after completing the B.Sc. program. Technically, even BE/B Tech, BCA as well as B.Com. (Computer Applications and Information Technology) students are also eligible to pursue this M.Sc. program. In this article, we will analyze this program.

We will check out basic course details related to M.Sc. IT, eligibility criteria to get admission, scope associated with this field, advantages of doing this course, and job opportunities available after finishing this program.

First of all, let us check out the basic course details. We will see details like- course duration, fundamental topics covered, important subjects taught, etc.

M.Sc. IT- basic course details

It is a 2 years long Post Graduate Degree program. During these 2 years, students are given both theoretical as well as practical knowledge in the field of IT (Information Technology).

Like in the case of B.Sc. IT, the semester system has followed this case too! The 2 years are divided into 4 semesters. Students have to face different sets of subjects and four sets of external examinations during these 4 semesters.

Like in B.Sc. important topics covered in M.Sc. IT also revolves around Information Technology, Programming, Database Management, Project Management, OS, Information Security, Software Engineering, E-Governance concepts, etc. But I must say that the course material is much more advanced when compared to B.Sc. IT program.

Let us check out the main subjects being taught in each one of the 4 semesters-

M.Sc. IT 1st-semester subjects

1. Object Oriented Programming using Visual C++– Important topics covered- Introduction to Object Oriented Programming, Introduction to Visual C++, Menu Environment, Text and Fonts Handling, Serialization and Message Handling Mechanism.
2. Web Technology Concepts– Important topics covered- PHP, Flow control, Arrays, HTML and PHP Forms, String Manipulation, Writing functions, Managing data, Session control and Cookies, File Management System, XML, AJAX with PHP.
3. RDMS & Advanced Database Administration– Important topics covered- SQL Server Programming tools, SQL Server Database, Data Integrity, Managing, and Manipulating Data, SQL Server Locks, SQL Server Monitoring and Tuning, Backup and Restore, Database security.
4. OS and Network Management– Important topics covered- Operating System tasks, Network OS, Introduction to Networks.

M.Sc. IT 2nd-semester subjects

In the case of many Institutes, once a student reaches 2nd semester of M.Sc. IT program, he/she will have to select a group and study the topics of the selected group. The common groups are- .Net and C#, Core Java, Graphics and Multimedia, and last – Networking Fundamentals.

1. Linux Administration and Linux Networking– Important topics covered- Linux basics and Shell programming, Linux System Administration, Linux System Configuration, and Linux Networking.
2. E-Governance Applications and Services– Important topics covered- Introduction to E-Governance, E-Governance Services, E-Governance Laws.
3. Geographical Information Systems– Important topics covered- Data Display and Querying, Spatial Concepts, Map Analysis, Network Analysis, GPS (Global Positioning System), Remote Sensing, and Uses of GIS.

Apart from the above-mentioned subjects, students will also have to deal with the subjects from the group that they selected, in the form of ‘group papers’.

M.Sc. IT 3rd-semester subjects

1. Data Warehousing and Data Mining Applications– Important topics covered- Data Warehouse, Data Marts, Online Analytical Transactional Processes, ETL, Data Mining, Data Mining Techniques, WEKA Environment.
2. Advanced Software Engineering– Important topics covered- Object Oriented Design, Object Oriented Testing, Software Engineering, Object Oriented Analysis.
3. Mobile Computing– Important topics covered- Wireless Transmission, Medium Access Control, Mobile IP, Wireless IPs, Wireless Telecommunication Networks, Messaging Services, Mobile Transport Layer and Mobile Computing.

Apart from the above-mentioned subjects, students also have to deal with Group papers, based on the selection of the Group that they made during the 2nd semester.

M.Sc. IT 4th-semester subjects

In the last and final semester, students have to primarily deal with Industrial Project Work. Normally, it is the Department in the Institute that makes arrangements for this Project work.

Eligibility Criteria

Since this is a PG course, in order to pursue it, students must possess Bachelor’s Degree (minimum 3 years long course) from a recognized University/Institute. Minimum marks criteria also exist, but it varies from one University/Institute to another!

Those who want admission to M.Sc. IT program should also have Bachelor’s Degree in the same discipline (or relevant discipline). Some examples are- B.Sc. IT Degree, BE/B Tech IT Degree, B Com in Computer Science or IT, etc.

Advantages of pursuing this course

Doing M.Sc. increases the qualifications of a student. Also, it boosts skills! The group selection routine ensures that students specialize in a particular discipline. This specialization will help find better jobs in that respective field.

Also, M.Sc. Degree paves the way for students to pursue programs like Ph.D. and thus build a career in the lucrative Research & Development sector.

Scope, Salary, and Job Opportunities

This is the age of skill building. The more skills you have, employers will value you more! M.Sc. program naturally enhances the skills of Graduates and thus opens new doors of opportunities for them.

After the program, one will be able to find jobs in the Private as well as Government sectors. Teaching is also a good profession that one may take up after a combination of B.Sc. and M.Sc. programs! The average starting salary is around 20-35k Rupees per month.

Recruiters are often the same as it was in the case of B.Sc. IT graduates- IT Industry, Telecom Sector, Consultancy Services, E-Commerce giants, etc. But, thanks to the PG Degree, M.Sc. folks will have an edge over their B.Sc. counterparts, when it comes to job interviews!

Vishnu Nambiar

I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.

I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.