Are you someone who is more fascinated about the stars and planets? You like to know more about the celestial bodies in our universe? Then you should take up the course of Cosmologist. This is a study related to the planets, moon, stars and all the celestial bodies. It can be a different subject for you to study and that will also create more interest on the subject. Your career is also going to be something different and unique from what everyone is pursuing these days. The study related to observing the celestial bodies and then further using their studies is called as Cosmology.
There are only a few colleges or universities in India that offer a course in Cosmology. But you have the best institutes that offer you the best education in this field. You just need to make sure that you clear the entrance exam for getting into the right college.
Who is Cosmologist?
A cosmologist is a scientist, who works on the celestial bodies, the origin of the universe and other related things. All the theories and mysteries that are related to the evaluation of the universal will be part of this study. It is basically a combination of Astrophysics and Physics. As a cosmologist, you will have to try all the possible options to find out the actual origin of the universe. As Cosmologist, you will have several career options and you will also be able to do a lot of things when you get the right job. But it is very important to make sure that you have good knowledge of physics and mathematics to make a better career in this field.
This article is for those who wish to become Cosmologists. We have provided some very useful information in this article that can help you understand the eligibility, admission process, some best colleges that offer Cosmology courses, Career options and the salary after you complete the Cosmology course and become a Cosmologist. So, continue reading the article if you are looking for all this information at one place.
Eligibility Criteria
Below is the eligibility criteria that you need to check before you apply for the course of cosmology. You need to make sure that you need all the eligibility criteria that is listed below.
- You should be at least 17 years old to apply for this course.
- Make sure that you have passed 10th standard with good marks.
- You should also have completed your 12th standard with good score.
- Make sure that you have Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as the main subjects.
Admission Process
If you meet all the points that mentioned in the eligibility criteria, then here is the process of admission into Cosmology course.
- The first step is to clear the JEE exam. This exam is divided to two parts – JEE mains and JEE advanced. You should first clear the JEE mains to be eligible for JEE Advanced. Clearing these two exams will help you to get admission in the course.
- Once you are done with the entrance test, you will have to take counseling, where you will be given a chance to choose a college from the list of available colleges. If you wish to get the best college, then it is very important to get the best rank as well. Without a good rank, it can be hard for you to complete this course from a reputed college in India.
- You will have to get admission into bachelor’s degree first. It is a course of three years or four years.
- After you are done with the bachelor’s degree, you need to get admission into the master’s degree, which is a course of two to three years.
- Then you need to go for PhD in Cosmology for better and in depth knowledge in the subject. This will also help you in making a better career.
Career Options after you become Cosmologist
When it comes to the career opportunities, you will have a number of options available for you. You need not have to worry at all. You will have job opportunities from both private and public sector as well. You just need to make sure that you are choosing the right path. You have many options like ISRO, Space Physics Laboratories, The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the space application center and much more.
When you just start your career, you will have to work along with the rest of the team and be part of their research. It is the existing team that is going to help you in sharpening your skills and to get to a level where you will be able to carry out research and studies on your own.
If you have completed your PhD, then you can either choose to work in a company or you can even start teaching at some university or college level as well. There will be number of opportunities from the colleges and universities if you are having good score in your PhD degree.
You will have to work for different kinds of organization which include non-commercial, commercial, testing and development laboratories, science parks, planetariums, observatories, and many others. So, it is important that you make sure which path would you like to follow when it comes to your career.
Duties of a Cosmologist
Here are some of the most important duties that are performed by the Cosmologists in India:
- You will have to monitor the astronomical bodies with the help of the telescope.
- You need to make a note of the data that is obtained through these observations.
- You should also be able to analyze the data that you have obtained and then create theories that will help others.
- You will also sometimes be part of software development that can be used for the analysis of the data that is obtained for several observations done by the other cosmologists.
There are some of the main duties, but apart from these, you will have to perform a lot more at the company or organization where you are working. So, you should never retain yourself for a few kinds of duties. You will have to work on different kinds of data that will help you gain more knowledge and experience while working on that data.
Areas where a Cosmologist is hired
Here are some of the major areas where you will get job opportunities in India. There will be several offers you after you complete the course, but there are some of the most common ones.
- Aerospace companies
- Astronomical equipment manufacturers
- Colleges and Universities teaching astronomy and cosmology
- NGOs and space application centers
- Observatories
- Physical laboratories
- Planetariums
- Space research organizations
Salary Structure
Knowing about the salary that you will be able to earn once you complete the Cosmology is very important. Everyone works to earn some income and when the income is good enough, you work towards it with more dedication. The salary for a cosmologist is also quite good and encouraging for the students. If you have just completed your cosmology course and get recruited, then your pay scale is going to be Rs 30,000 to RS 35,000 per month. But as you keep gaining experience you can get promoted or look for a better company where you get better pay. You can demand a pay scale of Rs 10,00,000 to Rs 12,00,000 per annum. So, it all depends on your experience.
Some best colleges for becoming Cosmologist in India
When looking for the best career options, you should also concentrate on the college that you are choosing. Not all the colleges or universities offer the best education and hence you will have to make sure that you get admission in one of the best universities or colleges. There are many different options available for you in India, but here are some of the best ones for you:
- Andhra University (AU), Vishakhapatnam
- Centre for Advanced Study in Astronomy
- Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore
- India Institutes of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum
- Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore
- Osmania University (OU), Hyderabad
- Physical Research laboratory, Ahmedabad
- Punjabi University, Patiala
- Raman Research Institute, Bangalore
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Pune
When you are looking for the best ones, you can choose a college from the above list. All the colleges and universities listed above are good and will offer you the best education possible.
This was some of the best information about how to become a Cosmologist in India. It is not going to be an easy journey for you, but if you just work hard in getting admission in the best college. Once your foundation for the career is strong, you will be able to make good career. You just need to go through all the details that are mentioned above to make sure that this is the best career option for you and then get started with the preparation.
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
