Top PG Science choice: Chemistry

While the faculty members attributed the popularity of the subject to better opportunities both in the country and abroad,students already undertaking the course said that the subject leaves wider scope after completion of post-graduation.

“After completing an MSc in Chemistry,a candidate has more placement opportunities in places like pharmaceutical companies than those who hold an MSc in Maths or Physics. As the pharmaceutical industry is coming up in a major way in the country,students will have better prospects in the future too,” said Head of Department Prof Paramjeet Singh.

Foreseeing better opportunities in research laboratories,most of the students in the Department also undertake research programmes.

The various Science faculty members at Panjab University (PU) pointed to another trend that is being witnessed — the return of basic subjects like Physics,Chemistry,Mathematics,Biology over specialised ones. Once popular specialised or professional courses like Microbiology,Biochemistry,Bioinformatics,Human Genomics,Biophysics and Microbial Biotechnology are losing their popularity over basic subjects.

“Completing a post-graduation in simple Chemistry or Physics certainly has better opportunities over specialised ones that limits the scope only to one particular field. Even for teaching,which is preferred by students as most of them undertake a PhD in the department after clearing NET,there are more vacancies for Chemistry than Biochemistry or Industrial Chemistry,” noted Prof Ganga Ram Chaudhary of the Chemistry department.