I’m in my final year BA degree programme and am interested in acting. Please give me information about FTII (Film & Television Institute of India), Pune. — Sarla Patil, Mumbai The Film & Television Institute of India, Pune offers a two-year postgraduate diploma in acting. Admissions are open to graduates through a FTII entrance examination followed by personal interview. The National School of Drama, New Delhi also offers a three-year full-time diploma course for graduates intending to make theatre their profession. Alternatively you could consider short-term courses provided by numerous local drama schools. The Center for Research in Art of Film and Television (CRAFT), Rohini, Delhi offers a full-time six-month course in acting and modeling. Veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares, Mumbai also offers three-month full-time courses. I’d like to qualify as an aeronautical engineer. Please advise. — John Revello, Panjim An aeronautical engineer designs, develops and tests aircraft, space vehicles and missiles by applying engineering principles and techniques. An aerospace engineer designs, develops, tests and helps produce commercial and military aircraft, missiles and spacecraft. It’s a specialised branch of engineering where only the best students are accepted. Employment is usually with research and development organisations, universities, defence services and other manufacturing industries. The Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh admits students in its BE programme through a common entrance test conducted by Punjab University. Anna University, Chennai offers a B.Tech (three years) programme in aeronautics to B.Sc degree holders. The IITs (Bombay, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Madras) offer four-year B.Tech programmes as well as a five-year integrated M.Tech (excluding Kanpur) in aerospace engineering. I’m interested in a career in archaeology and heritage management after acquiring a BA degree in history. Which institutes offer these programmes and what’s the scope in this career? — Nalini Patel, Mumbai The University of Mumbai offers a bachelor’s degree in heritage management but that’s not advisable because you will already be a history graduate. For a career in archaeology, you should pursue a Master’s degree in the subject. If you are interested in heritage management, consider a two-year Master’s in archaeology and heritage management or the two-year conservation, preservation and heritage management programme offered by the Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management. Graduates in any of the humanities or sciences are eligible for admission. While there is scope for jobs as heritage experts in India with so many heritage monuments to be taken care of, there are no assured placements. However, one could look for viable work options in research, writing, activism or publishing. I’m a BE (electronics) graduate and would like to do a Ph D in astrophysics. How do I go about it and what are the job prospects for an astrophysicist? — Narendra Rao, Bangalore Astrophysics is the study of the physical nature of stars, galaxies and the universe. Astronomers/astrophysicists find work in defence and space research organisations, with electrical and electronic equipment and search and navigation equipment manufacturers etc. They also tend to be employed by universities and large research and…
