Why Science?
From science experiments to coding workshops in schools, STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) initiatives are at the forefront of the education conversation. But why is the teaching of science so important? It is prioritized because scientific thoughts, methods, and inquiry seep into our everyday decisions. Also, it is human nature to solve problems, whether they arise out of curiosity or necessity. And teaching and learning methods are integral to keeping the inquisitiveness alive.
We can observe applications all around us. It is embodied in the systems of roads, lights, and other infrastructures designed by city planners and civil engineers, and the smartphone in our hand, which is a marvel of computer engineering. Scientific processes are inherent in the trees that turn sunlight into stored energy and produce oxygen, and also in our own internal biology and bodily functions.
Therefore, science is much more than memorization of facts, theory, and formulas. It is up to the educators to make young learners think about science as more than an academic discipline. In the classrooms, science should be portrayed as something that helps them acquire skills and discover truths. This approach is key to creating an engaged student community.
What To Do After 12th Science?
1. Medicine
The medical field encompasses everything from diagnostic practice to other related activities undertaken across the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotech-based industries. If you have studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology (PCB) at the 10+2 level, you can think about the following courses:
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Bachelor of Pharmacy
Bachelor of Medical Lab Technology
Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry (BVSc. AH)
Physiotherapy (BPT) or Occupational Therapy (BOT)
B.Tech/BE in Biotechnology
B.Sc. in Agriculture and Environment Science
B.Sc. Home Science/Forensic Science
Diploma courses in operation theatre technology, medical laboratory, x-ray technology, etc.
If you have a bio-math combination of subjects, various interdisciplinary options open besides basic sciences and its allied fields, including the following:
Biomedical engineering
Healthcare data mining
Cognitive neuroscience and artificial intelligence
Nanotechnology
Robotics
Internet of things and smart wearable technology
Those with PCBM students who are not interested in these medical occupations can also go for architecture, computer application, and pilot training, etc.
2. Engineering
The engineering profession offers a vast range of career options after 12th science. Some of them are listed below:
Mechanical Engineers: They apply principles of physics and mathematics to design, produce, and operate machinery.
Electrical and Electronics Engineers: They are responsible for designing, building, testing, and supervising the manufacture of electrical systems and electronic equipment, such as electric motors, navigation, and communication systems.
Computer Engineers: Their work is concerned with computer programming, software development, mobile, and web applications.
Civil Engineers: They conceive, supervise, and maintain infrastructure projects in the public and private sectors, including buildings, dams, bridges, airports, water supply, and sewage systems.
Chemical Engineers: They design and develop chemical manufacturing processes. These skilled experts solve problems related to production or use of chemicals, drugs, fuel, food, and other products.
Aerospace Engineers: They take on specialized areas of aircraft and spacecraft development.
Marine Engineers: They are in charge of the internal systems of ships, oil rigs, and other overseas structures.
With continued digital transformation, we are also observing a shift in the knowledge-orientation across academia. Today, colleges and universities are offering job-centric courses that allow participants to upskill while gaining industry exposure. These programs are also available in online formats with unique opportunities to undertake projects.
You can supplement your B.Tech. education with certifications in emerging technologies like data science, artificial intelligence, blockchain, software development, etc. The Advanced Certification in Machine Learning by IIT Madras is a prime example of such qualifications. Some online postgraduate degrees provide dual credentials – for instance, Master of Science in Data Science accredited by IIIT-Bangalore and the Liverpool John Moores University.
According to the global research and advisory firm Gartner, about two million AI-related jobs will be created in the tech industry by 2025. So, the demand for data analysts, systems engineers, cloud engineers, ML specialists, cybersecurity experts, and others will cross into the positive territory in the foreseeable future.
3. Business
Traditionally, commerce stream jobs revolved around Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, Chartered Financial Analyst, Actuarial Science, Banking, etc. Although these career choices remain popular to this day, they now have the company of other lucrative professions. We have mentioned a few of them below:
Business management
Product management
Advertising and sales management
Business and data analysis
Digital marketing
Human resource development
Management consultancy
Science graduates can pursue these career paths by combining their technical and conceptual strengths with an understanding of the business world. Leading institutions and industry experts have come together to facilitate this transition via job-oriented courses. Let us take a glance at some of these master’s level credentials.
PG Program in Management (specialization in sales and digital marketing) by IMT Ghaziabad
Product Management Certification Program by Duke CE faculty and industry experts
PG Certification in Digital Marketing and Communication certified by MICA and Facebook
Master of Science in Data Science accredited by IIIT Bangalore & LJMU (providing five specializations and global access)
Business Analytics Certification and other related diploma courses
Online education has many advantages, from lower investment requirements to flexibility in learning. You can complement your undergraduate degree with the above qualifications to attain a competitive advantage in the job market. The academic and practical exposure can also contribute to your overall personality development, helping you to get a promotion and salary raise.
4. Humanities
Science students can go into diverse careers, even in humanities and the arts. The roles that explore such connections are commonly known as STEAM jobs. Here is a list of some popular trans-disciplinary fields:
Product Designing
Graphic Designing
Fashion Technology
Media/Journalism
Animation Filmmaking
Photography
Video Creation and Editing
Sound Engineering
HR Training, School Teaching, etc.
Another emerging humanities-centric job profile is that of techno-legal advisors and government relations experts. These individuals explain the functionality and uses of innovations like drones, driverless automobiles, robots, 3D printers, etc. and navigate conversations with different stakeholders to implement these technologies.
If you are interested in creative domains, you will have to integrate the arts—humanities, linguistics, visual arts, design thinking, soft skills—to conventional scientific disciplines. Moreover, research suggests that future employers would prefer talent with multiple capabilities that fit together.
Additionally, it is vital to incorporate activity-based approaches in training successful candidates for these jobs. For example, a PG certification digital marketing can help you master things like content marketing and SEO while refining your knowledge of branding and public relations. If you are a science teacher or professor, you can glean insights about how to integrate social media into your classroom.
With a product management course, product designers can become well-versed in building effective roadmaps – covering everything from user research to prototyping and analysis.
Some students may want to jump up the career ladder with a management degree. There exist several online programs to assist this personal and professional growth. For instance, top international institutes like the Deakin Business School and the Liverpool Business School offer online MBAs in collaboration with upGrad. Check out the best MBA courses.
Where can science education take you?
You will apply the things you learn in a classroom to our life and work, utilizing your scientific competence and expertise in different roles. So, let us look at the general transferable skills of an education in science.
Constructing a hypothesis, i.e., combining a scientific question with research
Finding answers and substantiating those answers via experimentation
Evaluating the results to draw conclusions
Communicating evidence-based explanations
This process can help develop critical thinking skills that will come in handy for every other subject. Your analytical abilities will also percolate into how you handle challenges in any of the career options after 12th science that you take up.
In this article, we explained how scientific thought and inquiry pervade our everyday decision-making. We also delved into the different areas where students can apply this learning, from the traditional fields of medicine and engineering to business and the arts. In this day and age, career trajectories are also influenced by how we adapt and grow with the changing environment. So, it is essential to stay curious and sharpen our tools from time to time.
Since students have a broad scope of opportunities before them, it can seem daunting to decide what to do after 12th science. But with the above information, you can identify where your interests lie and move towards a profession of your choice!