Aptech, Apple's computer's arm for undergraduate education, have tied up with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to offer a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) degree. The degree will be awarded directly by the IGNOU and Aptech will provide study centres for the course. Fully recognised by all government and semi-government organisations, the degree might prove to be the right qualification for specialised computer-related jobs in the government sector like those of computer programmers, systems analysts and system managers.

``Being an open university having centres even in the remotest corners of the country, IGNOU takes the help of partner institutions. Aptech is the one of those 30 agencies which help us by providing study centres and an infrastructure comprising a good faculty, teaching aides and additional computer time,'' says Professor M M Pant, director, School of Information and Computer Sciences at IGNOU.

``The degree would provide an avenue to undergraduate students to learn computer skills at a time when being computer literate is steadily finding a place in advertisements listing the desired qualifications for most designations. Also, a specialised degree recognised by the government could pave the way for a Masters in Computer Applications (MCA), which IGNOU is already offering,'' informs Neeti Saxena, senior consultant with Aptech.

An added advantage is the fact that a student who has completed a BCA from IGNOU does not need to go through the first and second semesters of the MCA.

The price charged by Aptech for the course is a steep Rs 72,000 for three years, which could be paid in instalments by the students. The university, on the other hand, gets only Rs 13,000 (Rs 900 at the time of admission and two instalments of Rs 4,000 and Rs 8,000 in the second and the third year respectively).

The syllabi for the course have been designed by the university, which has also imposed strict norms for the faculty at the study centres. The minimum requirement for being a member of the BCA faculty is a MCA or a M Tech.``As the enrollment increases in the computer courses offered by IGNOU, the computer time for every student decreases in inverse proportion. Therefore, the study centres are a natural choice. But the high fee charged by Aptech is a bit too much for the add-ons which they provide -- like more computer time and teaching facilities. But it may prove very helpful in shaping up a better all-round graduate with Aptech providing the knowledge of the latest innovations in software and programming,'' feels Avaneesh Kumar, pursuing an MCA at the university.

In the first year, the students would study English, humanities and social sciences besides learning mathematical branches like Calculus and Algebra. In the second year, they would go into the nitty-gritty of data structures through `C' and Pascal and would also do a foundation course in science and technology. In the final year, they would learn the intricacies of data communication and network, software engineering and relational data base management systems (RDMBS).

A computer programmer could earn anything between Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,000. A step above him would be the systems analyst who earns anything in the vicinity of Rs 10,000 and above. Then there is the systems manager, whose pay packet begins from around Rs 15,000. Though hoping for a job of a programme analyst, or systems analyst just on the basis of a bachelors degree could be overreaching, it certainly would be the right launching pad for a career in computing.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.