CAREER INFORMATION: Five unconventional courses that you may not even know actually exist!

Ruchir Arora, Co- Founder, CollegeDekho helps you to take a quick look at the top five offbeat courses that one can pursue

After Class 12, students and parents look for courses which open up more job opportunities. Students prefer engineering, medical, science, hotel management courses since they feel that the employment scope in these courses is high. However, at the same time there are some unconventional courses where the demand for employment is equally high and the supply side of skilled professionals is less.

Several colleges and institutes have started offering these courses. A lot of students or parents simply don’t know much about it. So, this is a small effort to spread awareness amongst the students and parent community in the hope that many of them will benefit with this information in making their career choice.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning:

The main objective of B.Tech AI course is to produce students with a perfect understanding of the basics/ fundamentals of theory and practice of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. The graduates of B.Tech AI course meet the demands in the areas of AI and Machine Learning. As Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning are the future of India, there is a great demand for experts in this field. AI is being used extensively in healthcare, education, industrial sectors, ecommerce

Colleges in India :

Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad
IIIT, Hyderabad
Loyola College

Average starting salary: INR. 8-9 Lacs per annum.

2. Urban Planning:

Urban Planning course is also known as Town Planning course, which is usually offered by institutes that are affiliated to the ITPI (Institute of Town Planners of India). Institutes with the affiliation of the AICTE can also offer a course in Urban Planning. Most of the Indian colleges offer Master’s level course in Urban Planning, and it is offered as one of the courses in Masters of Planning (M.Plan)/ M.Arch/ M.Tech.

Colleges in India :

Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagapur
School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
Anna University, Chennai

Average starting salary: INR. 4-5 Lacs per annum.

3. Ethical Hacking:

Hacking, in general, is termed as the activity to gain unauthorized access to data in a computer system. When this activity is carried out with the knowledge and permission of the person whose data is being accessed as well as within the ambit of the legal framework, it is termed as ethical hacking. Despite being a lucrative career option for students, not many colleges and professional institutes offer courses in ethical hacking in India. Few universities that offer this course

Colleges in India :

Institute of Information Security, New Delhi
University of Madras
SRM University

Average starting salary: INR. 800-1000 per hour.

4. Sports Management

The sports industry in India has flourished over the years and offers ample career opportunities for aspirants who want to make a career in the sports management domain. With various Indian institutes now offering courses in this field, you can pursue this career and enhance your skills to get a good job in this field.

For those of you who are aspiring to make a career in this field will have to develop skills like planning, budgeting, organising, controlling, directing, leading and evaluating a sports activity or event. You may also be required to manage a sports team or institution. Some of the popular specialisations under Sports management include sports marketing, sports finance and business, sponsorship etc.

Colleges in India :

Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu
International Institute of Sports Management, Maharashtra
Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Science, New Delhi

Average starting salary: INR. 2.5 -3 Lacs per annum.

5. Food Flavorist/ Chemist:

Flavour is the sensory impression of food or other substance and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. Flavorists are chemists who create flavours for the food and other products and make food taste good. This job involves not just mixing various ingredients to create artificial and natural flavours; but also requires an in-depth knowledge of aroma chemicals, essential oils, plant extracts, etc. Research and development; experimentation is an important part of the job.

Food flavorists are employed mainly by industries, in food-processing and ingredient supply. They are also inducted by the tea, coffee and wine industry. Some flavourists work for food production companies, as also in flavour houses – companies that create flavours in a lab for numerous purposes.

Colleges in India: