By- Akanksha Yadav

About BCA:

BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) is a 3-year undergraduate degree programme for students who want to gain knowledge about the basics of computer application and software development. This programme helps interested students in building their careers in computer applications. During the BCA programme, students get to learn about database management systems, operating systems, software engineering, web technology and languages such as C, C++, HTML, Java etc. 

This degree can be done in full-time or distance mode. Some universities offer this programme in distance mode also. 

After completing this programme, individuals can work as software developers, system analysts, web designers etc. Individuals can expect a salary of 3, 00,000 to INR 5,00,000 after graduation in this field. After gaining experience, the salary can go up from INR 14, 00,000 to INR 15, 00,000 per annum. 

As the IT industry is growing very fast in India, big IT companies are hiring computer graduates every month. This growth has created a lot of career opportunities for computer graduates. BCA provides a lot of opportunities to students who are interested in building their careers in the computer field. 

The duration of BCA:

The duration of BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) is a 3-year undergraduate programme. After completing graduation in this field, individuals can go for MCA (Master of Computer Applications) which is a master course in computer application. It is considered equivalent to B.Tech/ B.E. courses.

The eligibility criteria for BCA:

Before planning to take admission to any BCA college/institute, the students need to check the eligibility criteria of the course. He/should make sure whether he/she is eligible for the desired course or not. Candidates, who are planning to go for BCA, should fulfil the below-mentioned criteria.

• The student should have passed his/her class 12th examination or its equivalent with at least 50% marks including English from a recognized board in India.
• The student should have Mathematics subject as a compulsory subject in his/her class 12th. 
• In some colleges/institutes, there is no compulsion for Mathematics and English subjects in class 12th.
• The student should be a citizen of India. 
• The minimum age limit for some colleges/institutes is 18 years while there is no upper age limit needed for admission to BCA.

Subjects in BCA:

BCA is a 3-year UG programme. It is divided into 6 semesters. Every semester, students get to learn about different subjects related to computer applications. The list of subjects in each semester is mentioned below.

For semester 1:

• Hardware lab (CIA only)
• Creative English
• Foundational mathematics
• Statics for BCA
• Digital computer fundamentals
• Introduction to programming using C
• C programming lab
• PC software lab

For semester 2:

• Case tools lab (CIA only)
• Communicative English
• Basic discrete mathematics
• Operating systems
• Data structures
• Data structures lab
• Visual programming lab

For semester 3:

• Interpersonal communication
• introductory algebra
• Financial Accounting
• Software engineering
• Database management systems
• Object-oriented programming using C++
• C++ lab
• Oracle lab
• Domain lab (CIA only)

For semester 4:

• Professional English
• Financial management
• Programming in Java
• Java programming lab
• DBMS Project lab
• Web technology lab
• Language lab (CIA only)

For semester 5:

• Unix programming
• OOAD using UML
• User interface design
• Graphics and animation
• Python Programming
• Business intelligence
• Unix lab
• Web designing project
• Graphics and animation lab
• Python programming lab
• Business intelligence lab

For semester 6:

• Design and analysis of algorithms
• Client-server computing
• Computer architecture
• Cloud computing
• Multimedia applications
• Introduction to soft computing
• Advanced database management system

Career opportunities after BCA:

As the IT industry is rapidly increasing, the demand for computer graduates is also increasing with it. Many top companies are hiring computer graduates every year. With a BCA degree, individuals can find lucrative job opportunities in the private and public sectors. After completing BCA, he/she can work as

• System engineer
• Software Tester
• Web developer
• System administrator
• Software Developer
• Junior programmer

Top companies recruiting BCA graduates:

Here is a list of companies that recruit BCA graduates every year for their organization.

• HCL
• IBM
• Oracle
• Infosys
• TCS
• Accenture
• NIIT
• Wipro
• Capgemini and many more

Other than these companies, every year Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Army and Indian Navy also hire computer professionals for their IT departments.

 

Top Universities/colleges offering BCA:

In India, there are many BCA colleges/institutes available. Some of the most famous BCA colleges/institutes are mentioned below.

• Christ University, Bangalore
• Loyola College, Chennai
• Presidency College, Bangalore
• Symbiosis institute of computer studies and research, Pune
• Vivekananda institute of professional studies (VIPS), New Delhi
• VIT, Vellore
• Lovely Professional University, Punjab
• Madras Christian College, Chennai
• Amity University, Noida
• Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad University of Technology, Bidhannagar
• St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad
• I.T.S. College Mohan nagar, Ghaziabad