Your Counsellor RepliesI am an economics graduate and would like to do a postgraduate degree at the Delhi School of Economics (DSE). Please advise.Priti Rao, MangaloreFor admission into the MA (economics) programme of DSE, University of Delhi, you need to have a BA (Hons) economics degree with at least 50 percent average (in the case of universities where the BA (Hons) economics degree includes subjects other than economics, 75 percent in economics is required); or have obtained 55 percent or more in M.Com, B.Com (Hons), business economics and MA/ BA (Hons) in history or sociology; or 60 percent plus in MA/ BA (Hons) in agricultural economics, business studies, computer applications, mathematics, operational research and statistics. There is an entrance test which requires familiarity with the curriculum of the BA (economics) honours programme of Delhi University. There are two options for the entrance test; one for economics honours students and another for graduates/ postgra-duates of other disciplines. The entrance test is usually a mix of multiple choice and analytical questions. Visit http://www.econdse.org/ for more information.I‚m in third year B.Com and am interested in a career in human resource development (HRD). Which colleges offer this course?Sheila D‚Souza, PanjimMost business management institutes offer this specialisation as part of their MBA/ MMS progra-mmes. The Tata Institute of Social Sciences is reputed for its MA in personnel management and industrial relations. After completion of Plus Two (science) next year, I would like to pursue a career in aircraft maintenance engineering (AME). Is this as good as any other engineering degree? Avinash Puri, New DelhiUnlike other engineering streams, AME training does not end with the award of a degree or diploma. The first step involves studying the syllabus prescribed by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) at approved institutions. After completion of the prescribed syllabus and training, an application for the award of an AME licence is forwarded to DGCA who sanctions it after verification and examination. AMEs find employment with various airlines or airline maintenance workshops in the government, public and private corporate sectors. They may also work in aircraft manufacturing/ assembly units. Pay scales vary but you could start with around Rs.10,000 per month as a trainee.I‚ll be completing my B.Sc (maths) in 2007. What career options are available to me after graduation?Venkat Narayan, BangaloreMathematicians are in great demand in the banking, finance and insurance industries. Applied mathematicians work in insurance, finance, medical, social and agricultural research, using mathematical modelling and computational models to solve practical problems. They also work as computer programmers, systems analysts in productivity monitoring and quality control. However, these career choices are open only after postgraduation. Other options are MCA (Master of computer applications), actuarial science, MBA (accountancy) and allied programmes, teaching degree (B.Ed), library and information science (BLibSc) etc.I‚m a Plus Two (science) student and am interested in a career in space sciences. Please advise.Anil Chatterjee, KolkataYou should enroll for an aeronautical/ aerospace engineering degree programme. The IITs, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and Anna University, Chennai offer this study programme. Given that the competition for admission in these institutions of excellence is intense, you should first acquire a physics, maths/ space science postgraduate degree from a reputed university. With a postgraduate degree in physics/ maths, you will be well qualified for admission into a space science programme at the doctoral (research) level. Space science related careers are also open to those with training in applied physics, electronics, computer science optics and mechanical engineering. The University of Pune has excellent postgraduate (M.Sc) programmes in the space sciences. Gujarat University, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380 009 offers a one-year postgrad diploma in space science after M.Sc (physics) or BE in electronics. But if your performance in physics and maths in Plus Two is not above average, you should consider other career choices.Please provide information about institutes offering B.Tech or BE in biotechnology, their eligibility criteria and career prospects. Nalini Das, MumbaiAfter completion of Plus Two or equivalent with physics, chemistry, biology and maths, you are eligible for admission into the four-year B.Tech/ BE biotech programme. The Indian Institutes of Technology; Anna University, Chennai (www.annauniv. edu); Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore (www.vit.ac.in) are among the better known institutions offering this programme. In Maharashtra, the Kolhapur Institute of Technology‚s College of Engineering, Shivaji University (www.kitcoek.org) offers a programme in biotech engineering. Biotechnologists are usually employed in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and in agriculture. I‚m a Plus Two science student and would like to pursue an engineering degree in a US university. Which are the top ten universities in the US and what exams do I need to write?Ajay Mehta, AhmedabadAccording toUS News & World Report 2005 rankings, the top ten universities in the US for engineering are MIT; Stanford; University of California, Berkeley; California Institute of Technology; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Carnegie Mellon, Purdue and Cornell universities.When researching these universities, evaluate their programme content in detail and make your decision based upon your specific needs. Most of these universities require you to write SAT I and II (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and Test of English as a Foreign Language.