The full form of MS is Master of Science. Often, students misunderstand MS as M.Sc. in India. While M.Sc. is an academic postgraduate (PG) degree in Science, MS is more of a professional degree.
However, it is a postgraduate program as well but can be pursued after taking the NET exam as well. Several other countries other than India such as the United States of America also use the acronym M.S. for the Master of Science course.
A Master of Science is a master's or postgraduate (PG) professional degree in scientific studies or related subjects.
Usually, students who have done their bachelor's in science via undergraduate (UG) science courses such as B.Sc. are eligible to pursue MS. Additionally, they can pursue M.Sc. for further studies as well.
The Master of Science (MS) degree covers a wide sphere of varied topics. However, unlike the course of Master of Arts (MA Humanities), all these MS courses aim towards the specific subjects of engineering, medical science, and other sciences.
Further, the Master of Science (MS) course provides students with great professional opportunities. Generally, via a Ms course, a student can pursue the career of a research scientist, assistant professor, etc.
Notably, the common part of pursuing a Master of Science (MS) from any college or university in any country involves preparing or writing a research thesis. Evidently, marks are given to students in the final exams based on this research thesis. Consequently, this also impacts the final result of the students.
Moreover, the type and format of the research thesis as well as the job opportunities in the field of Master of Science (MS) depends hugely upon the type of subject specialization.
What is MS? What is its scope in India?
MS is the acronym for Master of Science. It is a professional masters or PG (Post-graduate) degree course in India.
On a wider spectrum, the Master of Science (MS) incorporates all scientific studies of various subjects at a more professional level. However, there is a specialization for various subfields within the subject of science on which the Master of Science (MS) majorly focuses.
Significantly, a Master of Science (MS) is a postgraduate (PG) course in scientific subjects that aims at providing a piece of more deep and specialized knowledge in a particular chosen field of science.
Several national or central, state, and private universities and colleges of the country offer the MS course to eligible candidates for further/higher studies.
Notably, students who wish to pursue a postgraduate (PG) or master's degree in engineering are required to do an M.E. or M.Tech. degree, and not MS. On the other hand, students who pursue subject specializations in various other science subjects need to pursue an MS degree course.
To put it in simpler words, if you are doing electrical or any other specific engineering, then it will be called an M.E. (Master of Engineering) or M.Tech. (Master of Technology). Whereas if you pursue a course in (say) Physics, you will be doing an MS course (Master of Science).
Furthermore, an MS.Engg. or Master of Science in Engineering degree is also offered to interested students in India. Ms.Engg. is a degree of research in engineering.
However, it is not exactly the same as a Ph.D. in Engineering. Instead, the MS course is kept in line with the M.Phil. (Master of Philosophy) course in science and humanities.
Additionally, several IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) in India also offer a research-oriented PG program to students. Notably, it is an MS (PG) postgraduate degree course. It includes several research programs and techniques unlike the usual PG degrees in Science that do not include research or thesis writing at all.
Further, several IISERs in India also offer an MS degree course in Science. IISERs are considered one of the best institutes in the country.
Consequently, it explains the expanse of MS courses as postgraduate (PG) courses in India.
In addition, several universities in India also offer an integrated PG degree course in Science. In this, students start as undergraduates (UG) in an undergraduate program/course in Science. Then, it leads to a postgraduate or PG degree course in Science.
Eligibility to pursue a Master of Science
The Master of Science (MS) course has a wide scope of study that involves various sub-fields related to science. Generally, a person who has an undergraduate (UG) degree in scientific courses such as B.Sc. is eligible to pursue a Master of Science (MS) PG course in their desired sub-field.
Interested students get admission to the Master of Science (MS) courses based on the entrance exams conducted.
Specifically to get admission to the Master of Science or MS course in the science domain, a requirement of a minimum of 50-60 percent marks is there in the undergraduate (UG) course. This is in addition to an optimum score achieved in the GATE exam.
A number of prestigious research-oriented science colleges of the country provide admission to students in MS courses. This is in various fields and is based on their GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) marks.
Besides GATE scores of students, universities/colleges also accept the marks of exams like CSIR, UGC NET, or NBHM.
Furthermore, students who lack the needed eligibility in any of these MS courses can still get admission if they have a minimum of 80 percent score, that is above CGPA 8, in B.Tech. from any one of the IITs of the country.
Moreover, for several other Ms degree courses that are in other domains than Science (eg. Management), the eligibility differs.
Additionally, a Master of Science (MS) is an advanced or professional course of study. Its duration varies for a period ranging from 1 and a half years to 4 years.
MS Course Specializations
Master of Science (MS) courses are available in varied specializations. It includes various subfields of subjects such as science, technology, and management.
These specializations are instrumental in ensuring a secure career in the desired field. The major specializations in MS (Master of Science) courses include the following:
- Master of Science in Biological Science
- Master of Science in Software Engineering
- Master of Science in Automobile Engineering
- Master of Science in Manufacturing Management
- Master of Science in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE)
- Master of Science in Quality Management
- Master of Science in Software Systems
- Master of Science in Computer Science Engineering (CSE)
- Master of Science in Computational Linguistics (CL)
- Master of Science in Computational Natural Sciences (CNS)
- Master of Science in Civil Engineering
- Master of Science IT (MS IT) in Building Science
- Master of Science in Metallurgical and Material Engineering
- Master of Science in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology
- Master of Science in Consultancy Management
Professional Career in MS course
A Master of Science (MS) is a professional degree that provides its students with an opportunity to research, unlike other PG courses in science. As a result, this ensures a wide sphere of job and career opportunities for MS graduates.
Students can build successful careers based on their learning and performance in the MS course.
In various Government research institutions of the country, as well as its colleges and universities, and private companies, students who have a Master of Science (MS) degree are often found to secure high-paying jobs.
Some of the most common job opportunities under a Master of Science (MS) include,
Research Scientist and Research Fellow
By pursuing a Master of Science in a particular field, a student can become a research scientist in that field.
A research scientist is a postdoctoral student with the freedom to pursue work in different capacities such as a professor, etc. He/she works in the R&D (Research and Development) department of an institute/company to deeply research specific topics and draw inferences from them.
Notably, the annual average salary of a research scientist is around INR 6.45 Lakhs.
On the other hand, a research fellow is a person who is hired by institutions, firms, and organizations to assist research scientists in their work. Moreover, private organizations also sometimes hire a research fellow to do some research.
Management Consultant
Besides the prestigious career of a research scientist, an MS course student can also become a management consultant.
The payment (Salary) of the profession of a management consultant and research scientist may differ. However, there are both high-paid and high-esteemed job profiles in the country.
Assistant Professor/Professor
Furthermore, students pursuing an MS degree course also have the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. in their field of study. This is instrumental in helping students to become scientists. It also provides an opportunity to become a professor of their specialized subject of study.
An Assistant Professor is considered a high-income job in the prestigious colleges/universities of the country. The job of an assistant professor includes research and teaching.
Lecturer
A lecturer is a graduate (UGT) and postgraduate (PGT) teacher who is appointed in various state and central universities of the country. Though, to become a lecturer, one must qualify for the NET exam.
The payment (Salary) to a lecturer is made in guidance with the government rules.
Frequently Asked Questions on Full form of the MS course
. Which is better, MS or MSc?
Usually, it depends on the desires and aims of a student to conclude which course is better. For a person wanting to pursue a general postgraduate (PG) degree course in science, M.Sc. is better. Conversely, for those who hope for a more professional and advanced course in scientific studies, MS will prove to be better.
. What is the acronym for Master of Science?
As a matter of fact, both MS and MSc stand for Master of Science. Conversely, both M.Sc. and MS are acronyms for Master of Science. However, while M.Sc. is a master's (PG) degree course in science, MS is a more advanced (professional) PG degree course in Science.
. What does a Master of Science degree used for?
MS or Master of Science is an advanced postgraduate (PG) degree course in science. It provides its students with a number of varied opportunities to build their careers via MS. A Master of Science (MS) degree is used to carry out research as a research fellow or scientist. Additionally, it provides students an opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. (Doctorate).