Your Expert Opinion Needed for Aspiring Professionals

[xomidhan]

Dear Esteemed Counsellors,

We hope this message finds you well.

We are reaching out to seek your valuable guidance on behalf of individuals aspiring to diverse career paths. Your expertise and insights are highly appreciated to help address the attached queries.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could share your knowledge or consult with specialists in the respective fields to provide a comprehensive response to these inquiries. Thank you for your time and assistance

Thanks & Regards,

Xomidhan QHT

[xomidhan]

Dear Counsellors,

We are reaching out to request your input on the career-related questions listed below. Your guidance will be valuable in helping individuals better understand and navigate their career options.

If needed, please feel free to consult with subject matter experts to provide accurate and well-informed responses.

1.      I am a computer science graduate interested in AI but I’m currently working in a different domain. How can I shift to AI, and what courses should I take?
2.      I’m in Class XII (Commerce, without Maths) and interested in digital marketing. How can I start this career early?
3.      I am a hotel management student and I love food styling and food photography. How can I make this a career?
4.      I am currently doing B.Sc. (Physics), but I am deeply interested in science communication and writing. What should I do?
5.      I want to work in wildlife conservation. I am in Class XII (PCB). What’s the path ahead?
6.      I love writing songs and poems. I’m a college student studying economics. Can I make a career in songwriting or lyricism?
7.      I want to become a professional chess player. I am in Class IX and have been playing since childhood. What are the next steps?
8.      I'm a BBA student interested in launching my own fashion brand. How do I begin?
9.      I’m a Class VII student who loves video games. Can I build a career in game development?
10.   I am currently fourteen and working on a novel as well as a poetry anthology. I expect them both to be finished by the end of this year. How do I get them published? I also want to carve out a career from my writing. Please advise. 
11.   I dream of studying at IISC Bangalore, and to pursue a research degree in Mathematics, and further study at Oxford University. Please guide me.
12.   Hi, I have taken humanities with IP (Informatics Practices ). Can I go for cyber security ? What are the steps do I have to do ? What are the degree requirements? Please let me know.

Thank you for your time and support.

[Salik M. Borbora]

 

Hello QHT,

I am happy to answer  Query No. 11 from the list of questions.

Please find it below:

11. I dream of studying at IISC Bangalore, and to pursue a research degree in Mathematics, and further study at Oxford University. Please guide me.

Ans: Hello, Thank you for writing to us!

The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore provides several programs wherein one can obtain a research degree in mathematics. Essentially, there are three research degrees that can be pursued in Mathematics at IISc. Let us dissect them in detail:

1.  At the undergraduate level, IISc runs the 4-year Bachelor of Science (Research Programme). If you intend to join IISc after your 10+2, this is the course you would be aiming for. Under this program, during the first three semesters (1.5 years),  students are taught the fundamentals of scientific, mathematical and engineering sciences. Subsequently, the students can opt for a specialization in six distinct disciplines, one of which is Mathematics. As of 2025, the selection to the course is based on the merit list of one of the following examinations:

a. JEE(Advanced) 2025
b. IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2025

More relevant details can be found here: https://bs-ug.iisc.ac.in/info_brochure.html

2. If you have completed your Bachelors, you could opt for the Integrated Ph.D. program in the department. As of 2025, the selection to the program is based on scores in the JAM exam. Based on the rank in the said exam, the prospective candidates are called for interviews and thereafter selected.
To have an idea of the cut offs in the JAM exams, details can be viewed here:
https://iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Int-PhD-Cutoff.pdf

3. If you have completed your Masters, you could opt for a Ph.D, at IISc. To apply for the program, one must have cleared one of the following exams,  CSIR-UGC NET for JRF, or UGC-NET for JRF, or GATE, or the NBHM  Screening Test; or must hold an INSPIRE Ph.D. fellowship. The prospective candidates who have qualified the tests must apply to the IISc and await a call from the institute wherein he/ she is further evaluated across a series of interviews (usually two rounds for most departments). Please note that one has to qualify the said tests (barring INSPIRE PH.D.) with a higher rank as not everyone who has qualified the exam is called for an interview.

Additional eligibility details and ways to apply is published in the IISc website and the important dates for a calendar year can be gauged from the 2025 notification here:
https://iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Detailed-Admissions-Notice-2025-26.pdf

Please note that admission to all the aforementioned programs require qualification in the additional national level tests which are conducted by separate organizations and the candidate must appear and qualify in them to apply at IISc.


For a degree at Oxford university, one can opt for the two courses: the 3-year BA or the 4-year MMath. The details for the courses can be found here:

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/mathematics

Students are expected to have high grades in their Class 12 exams and they are required to pass the Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT), and an interview, before they are offered a place to study at Oxford.

For a D.Phil. in Mathematics at Oxford, one needs to have appreciable performances in their undergraduate studies. The application portal for the course can be accessed here:
https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/study-here/postgraduate-study/doctor-philosophy-dphil

At any given time, it is helpful to contact the university website or volunteers/ ambassadors from the university (could be Indian students in Oxford volunteers) who might help you with additional minute details in terms of preparing your application for any specific program.

Please note that there is also an option to complete one's studies until Ph.D. in a specific area of interest in Mathematics from a certain part of the world and then opt for postdoctoral training in specific institutes such as IISc, Oxford etc.

Please let us know if there are any specific questions.

Best wishes,

Salik M. Borbora, Ph.D. (he/him)
Postdoctoral Researcher, 
University of Cambridge, UK

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[Manjit Nath]

I will take 11.

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