BCA+MCA (Integrated): Course Details, Admission, Eligibility, Fees
The BCA MCA course is a five years integrated course offered by various institutes in India and it is is designed to prepare students to face the different challenges one faces in the IT industry through excellent teaching methods and research-oriented programs. BCA MCA graduates can look for job opportunities in software development, web design, systems management, quality assurance, and software testing. An MCA BCA graduate can work in IT companies big and small in various roles.
BCA + MCA Course Details
| Degree | Integrated Degree |
| Full Form | Bachelor of Computer Applications - Master of Computer Applications |
| Duration | 5 Years |
| Age | 17- 22 Years |
| Minimum Percentage | 50% required in 10+2 examinations |
| Average Fees | ₹90K - 7 LPA |
| Average Salary | INR 2 - 9 LPA [Source: Payscale] |
| Employment Roles | Software Developer, Systems Administrator, Entrepreneur, Computer Scientist, System analyst, Quality Analyst/manual Testing, Performance Test Engineer |
About BCA MCA
According to Wikipedia, computer applications are "An application, or application program," a software program that runs on your computer. Web browsers, e-mail programs, word processors, games, and utilities are all applications." The BCA MCA course focuses on providing theoretical and practical training to students in the IT field. The course highlights the latest programming languages and tools to develop better and faster applications. India's job scope for the BCA MCA integrated course is ample in the country's booming IT sector. Some of the BCA MCA subjects are algorithm development & introduction to programming (using C & C++), introduction to web development-I (JAVA script and HTML), communication skill-I, data structure, object-oriented programming concept, introduction to a web development tool.
Table of Contents
- BCA MCA Eligibility Criteria
- BCA MCA Admission Process
- Popular BCA MCA Entrance Exams
- Top BCA MCA Colleges
- Why Choose BCA MCA?
- BCA MCA Fees Structure
- BCA MCA Syllabus and Subjects
- Preparation Tips for BCA MCA
- Scope of Higher Education for BCA MCA
- BCA MCA Salary
- BCA MCA Career Options
- Skills to Excel
Eligibility Criteria for BCA MCA
The admission for BCA MCA is based on the criteria where the aspirant must have passed Class XII from a recognized board. The aspirant must have studied mathematics, computer science, or information technology as Class XII subjects and must have scored at least 50% marks in Class XII.
How To Get Admission for BCA MCA?
Admission to the BCA MCA course is made in two ways. Students are admitted to the college through a merit quota based on their national and state-wise entrance exam scores. According to the college a student chooses and which category they belong to, does the cut-off vary.
The colleges announce their cut-off marks after the students have attended the entrance examination, and the results are declared to start with the admission process. Mentioned below are the steps that one should go through to get admission:
How to Apply?
Aspirants can apply for colleges online or offline. For online registration, students must visit the official website of the colleges they want admission to and start the application process by filling in their details like their name, phone number, course they are interested in, and other necessary information.
Students must visit the respective college and fill out the application form by attaching the required documents for offline registration.
Selection Process
Once you're selected, there may be a final round of group discussion or personal interview before admitting the student to the college. It varies from college to college.
Popular Entrance Exams for BCA MCA
There are many entrance exams held across the country, some at the national level and some at state levels. Below is a list of some of the most common and popular entrance exams for BCA MCA:
A Quick Glance at the BCA MCA Entrance Exams
The entrance exam eligibility criteria are entirely dependent on the conduction body; hence, it varies. But here is a standard structure to the popular entrance exams that one call follow:
- The joint entrance exam is held in pen and paper mode.
- The question paper is divided into three sections, namely Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics/ Biology.
- The mathematics paper will carry 75 questions; the paper for Physics and Chemistry will have 40 questions.
Top 10 BCA MCA Colleges in India
There are various government and private institutes that students can choose from depending on fees, location, etc. Below is the list of the 10 best BCA MCA colleges in the country:
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Top colleges for BCA MCA |
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Fee Structure for BCA MCA
Many factors affect the BCA MCA course fees, like the kind of institute, the institute's ranking, and the merit/ scholarship earned by the student. Private colleges have a much higher fee structure as opposed to government-based institutes. On average, the course fee for the BCA MCA program ranges somewhere between INR 90K - 7 LPA.
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Colleges |
Fees Structure (Total) |
|
Guru Nanak Dev University, [GNDU] Amritsar |
INR 4.20 Lakhs |
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Sharda University, Greater Noida |
INR 6.9 Lakhs |
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MATS University, [MATSU] Raipur |
INR 94K |
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GD Goenka University, [GDGU] Gurgaon |
INR 5.50 Lakhs |
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Mewar University, [MU] Chittorgarh |
INR 2.40 Lakhs |
Syllabus and Subjects for BCA MCA
The BCA & MCA course syllabus is vast as it is taught in 5 years and covers both BCA and MCA degree courses' syllabus. Students study the BCA program topics in the first three years of the course, and study the MCA subjects as the syllabus advances to the fourth year.
The syllabus of BCA & MCA may vary slightly for the different institutes. However, most of the topics are almost similar. Some of the subjects of the BCA MCA course are:
- Fundamentals of Computer & C Programming
- Communication Skill
- Basic Electronics
- Digital Logic
- Graph Theory
- Artificial intelligence
Read More about BCA MCA Syllabus and Subjects
Why Choose BCA MCA?
The aspirants pursuing BCA MCA can find lucrative career growth in various private as well as government-based industries. BCA MCA provides higher career growth and high-paying jobs in government and private-based companies. The answer to "Why choose BCA MCA?" can be made simpler by breaking it down to the following three short questions:
What is BCA MCA?
Bachelor of Computer Application and Master of Computer Application is an integrated degree course where the students get a dual degree of BCA MCA. The course syllabus consists of computer programming, database management system, accounting, financial management, C++, computational structures, physics, mathematics, etc. The course is usually for five years, during which the students learn the basics of computer application.
Some institutions offer a four years course. The duration depends on the institution. It provides students with all the basic knowledge about computers and its system, which is necessary for a job in an IT firm. There are various options at the disposal of BCA MCA aspirants. Computer Science allows one to explore software engineering, systems engineering, computer security, animation programmer, or engineer and research.
What Does a BCA MCA Professional Do?
The IT industry is multiplying, and with this, the demand for BCA MCA graduates is increasing every passing day. BCA MCA graduates have good job prospects both in the government and private sector companies. Let's dive deep into some of the job profiles of a BCA MCA graduate and their standard functions:
- App Developer: App developers are individuals designing, building, and maintaining a mobile application for android, iOS, windows, blackberry platforms, etc.
- Web Designer/Developer: Web developers/designers are mainly responsible for constructing a website. With a creative mind and well-versed software skills, these individuals develop and design World Wide Web applications, HTML, Photoshop, Flash, etc.
- Ethical Hacker: Ethical hackers are experts who access a network or computer system on behalf of its owner to uncover security vulnerabilities that a malicious hacker could exploit.
- Hardware Engineer: Hardware engineers install and test systems to ensure the proper functioning of the internet. These folks are also involved in the testing and production of hardware equipment.
Reasons Why BCA MCA Can Fetch You a Rewarding Career?
BCA MCA means BCA course with the MCA and MCA stretched for five years. That means the student will complete their graduation and masters in 5 years. Once the student completes their higher secondary, they can enroll in this integrated course and complete their graduation and master's degree at one go.
The advantage of such an integrated course is:
- The student doesn't need to sit for a separate entrance examination after completing their graduation to be eligible for MCA.
- This course is suitable for aspirants who wish to become software developers in India or abroad.
- This course is also helpful in making the career of students in designing embedded systems and compilers. Students can choose their favorite genre or specialization area in the final year of the course.
- Aspirants can get jobs specific to their area of specialization in MCA. The purpose of offering the BCA MCA course is to bridge the gap between industry needs and academics.
- With the fast growth of the dynamic IT industry, the demand for computer professionals has grown manifolds. With digitalization becoming the trend, the career growth and job prospects for BCA MCA graduates are immense.
Aspirants interested in developing a solid academic base in computer applications and its usage can pursue a BCA MCA course.
Read More about BCA MCA Jobs
Preparation Tips for BCA MCA
Below are some preparation tips made by our experts for aspirants who want to pursue B.Tech in BCA MCA:
- Be Thorough with the Syllabus: Before any planning, students should know their syllabus correctly and then move to create daily table time for preparation. By understanding the syllabus, the students will learn all of the topics and units that have to be studied, which will help them plan and prepare themselves for the examination.
- Plan a Proper Timetable: Make sure to maintain a strict routine daily and avoid random or weekend preparation sessions. Consistency is most important here. Plan study hours accordingly by dividing sections as per the time in hand.
- Make sure to Study Daily: Once the students are done planning to take the test, they have to ensure that they have a set timetable for every day and ensure that they meet their daily study target.
Scope For Higher Education for BCA MCA
After completing the BCA MCA integrated course, a student can do ME (Computer Science & Engineering). One can also opt for a Ph.D. as well as post-MCA. With the MCA degree, a Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) score is needed.
Salary of a BCA MCA
The salary after completing BCA MCA is quite good. They get lucrative pay in the IT sector since it is such a booming sector. According to Payscale, the average starting salary after completing BCA MCA salary ranges from INR 2 - 9 LPA in India.
Read More about BCA MCA Salary
Career Options After BCA MCA
Ample opportunities are available for aspirants who complete the five years BCA MCA course. Today's time are a technologically advanced age; there are many opportunities in the IT industry waiting for BCA MCA graduates. The BCA MCA graduates from India get well-paid jobs in foreign countries. There are several research-based jobs in computer languages and applications available for those who have finished this course. Also, there are software research-based jobs and core sector jobs that require a BCA MCA graduate. There are other jobs in computer research that have applications of the computer language and the same development.
Some of the job roles offered to BCA MCA graduates are:
- Software Developer
- Software Publisher
- Software Application Architect
- Software Consultant
- Hardware Engineer
- Web Designer/Web Developer
- Senior Technical Consultant
- Project Manager
Skills That Make You The Best BCA MCA Graduate
BCA MCA graduates can get into government and private enterprises. The skills that make one the best BCA MCA professionals are listed below:
- Communication Skill
- Creative
- Flexible
- Quick decision-makers
Top Computer Entrance Exams
FAQs
⭐Can we do MCA after BSc?
Yes, it is good to do MCA after B.Sc because the B.Sc degree adds to the value of an aspirant and makes him or her more employable. After completing MCA, one can get a job as a software engineer or software tester
⭐Can a BCom graduate do MCA?
Yes, you are eligible to join MCA after completing your B.Com with computer applications. The eligibility criteria call for any graduate with an undergraduate course from a UGC approved college or university.
⭐Can I do MTech after MCA?
Yes, it is a good idea. MCA and BCA together are equivalent to B.Tech. It improves the knowledge set of the aspirant and can help the aspirant pursue higher studies or help him or her to improve employability opportunities.