MCA – Full form, Eligibility Criteria, Admission 2024, Fee Structure, and Top Colleges

MCA is a postgraduate degree course that is popular among students after completing their bachelor’s degree. MCA course duration is two years, which is further divided into four semesters. The MCA full form is Master of Computer Application.

There are various specialisations in which the MCA degree is offered. The few MCA specialisations are –

• Hardware Technology

• Management Information System

• Application Software

• Data Analytics

• Data Science

• Mobile Computing

• Cloud Computing

• Cyber Security

• Artificial Intelligence

• Troubleshooting

• Software Development

• Application Software

• Networking

• Systems Development

• Systems Management

• Internet working

In India, the most desirable MCA specialisations as per market demand are Hardware Technology, Management Information Systems, Application Software, Mobile Computing, and Cloud Computing. There are various top institutions that offer these MCA specialisations.

The top colleges offering MCA courses include NIT Trichy, Amity University - Noida, VIT Vellore, and Christ University. These colleges may grant admission to MCA courses either based on merit or scores obtained in the entrance examination.

There are multiple entrance examinations for MCA admission. The national-level entrance test solely conducted for admission to the MCA course is NIMCET, which is conducted by the National Institute of Technology. Other state and university-level entrance tests for MCA admission include MAH MCA CET, TANCET MCA, OJEE, LUCSAT, WB JECA, AP ICET, etc.

The average fees of MCA courses in government and private colleges in India stand between INR 4 to INR 7 Lakhs. The approximate annual salary package of MCA graduates in India ranges from INR 5 to INR 6 LPA. The top recruiters of MCA graduates in India are TCS, Wipro, IBM, Capgemini, Computer Sciences Corporation, Cognizant, HCL, Hewlett-Packard, and Accenture.

Table of Content

MCA Course Highlights

MCA Eligibility Criteria

Before applying for MCA admission at any institution, the candidate must go through the MCA eligibility criteria decided by the particular institution. The general MCA eligibility criteria are mentioned below –

• Aspirants must have completed the 12th from any recognised board with a Science stream.

• The aspirant must hold a bachelor’s degree in BSc/ BCA/ BTech/ BE.

• The candidate must have scored an aggregate of 45% - 50% in the bachelor’s degree program.

• A score on the entrance test may be required for admission to certain institutions.

• In some colleges, candidates must be asked for work experience in their respective fields.

MCA Entrance Examinations

Numerous entrance tests are conducted for MCA admission at national, state, and university levels. The most popular entrance examination for MCA admission conducted on the national level is NIMCET. NIMCET is conducted by the National Institute of Technology once a year. NIMCET full form is NIT MCA Common Entrance Test. Other than NIMSET, other few popular entrance tests for MCA admission are –

• MAH MCA CET (Maharashtra MCA Common Entrance Test)

• TANCET MCA (Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test for MCA)

• OJEE (Odisha Joint Entrance Examination)

• LUCSAT (Lucknow University Computer Science Admission Test)

• WB JECA (West Bengal Joint Entrance Exam for Computer Application)

• AP ICET (Andhra Pradesh Integrated Common Entrance Test)

MCA Admission Procedure

The MCA admission procedure is either based on merit or entrance examination score. Both the methods are mentioned below in detail –

Top Colleges/ Universities offering MCA Course

The top colleges offering MCA degree in India are –

• Parul University

• Amity University

• Delhi University

• JNU

• Lovely Professional University

• National Institute of Technology, Warangal (NIT Warangal)

• Chandigarh University

• Christ University

• NIT Trichy

• NIT Jamshedpur

• Birla Institute of Technology Jaipur

• Graphic Era (Deemed to be University)

• Manipal University Online

• SRM University

• VIT Vellore

• Andhra University

• Loyola College

• MNNIT Allahabad

• Presidency College

• PSG College of Arts and Science

• Annamalai University

• Anurag University logo

• Bennett University

MCA Syllabus/ MCA Subjects

The MCA syllabus and subjects are –

MCA Syllabus First Year

MCA Syllabus Second Year

MCA Course Fees

The MCA course fees in top government and private colleges in India are mentioned in the table below –

MCA Career Prospects

The following are the few career prospects for MCA graduates in India –

• Academics

• Computer hardware engineer

• Software Developer

• Web Developer

• Consultant

• Data Scientist

• Technical writer

• Business Analyst

• Database Engineer

• Database Administrator

• Network Engineer

• Trouble shooter

• Designer

• Cloud Engineer

• Tester

• Cyber security

• Quality Assurance Analyst

• Entrepreneur

• System Analyst

• Project Manager

• Hacker

• App developer

MCA Salary in India

On average, an MCA graduate can earn upto 10 Lakhs in India with years of experience and a good skill set. For freshers, this number is comparatively low. The table below gives the information regarding MCA salary in India –

MCA Top Recruiters

FAQs about MCA Course

Ques – MCA vs MSc, which is a better career choice?

Answer – Among MCA and MSc, MCA is a better career choice as it provides you with more career scope and skills for rapid growth.

Ques – MCA vs BTech, which is the better course to pursue?

Answer – The MCA and BTech are both completely different courses to pursue. While the MCA is a postgraduate degree in Computer Application, BTech is an undergraduate degree course that can be pursued after completing 12th.

Ques – Can I pursue MCA after BSc?

Answer – Yes, you can pursue a Master of Computer Application after completing a BSc degree.

Ques – Can I pursue an MCA after BCom?

Answer – Yes, you can pursue the MCA degree after completing the bachelor’s degree in commerce (BCom).

Ques – What is MCA full form?

Answer – The MCA full form is Master of Computer Application.

Ques – MBA or MCA, which is a better postgraduate course to pursue?

Answer – MBA and MCA are both completing different PG courses. The MBA course has a more business management-oriented curriculum, while the MCA degree is focused on technical study.

Ques – What is the MCA course duration?

Answer – The MCA course duration is two years, which is further divided into four semesters.

Ques – What is the average salary of MCA graduates in India?

Answer – The average salary of MCA graduates in India is INR 5 to INR 6 LPA.

Ques – What are the various entrance examinations conducted for MCA admission?

Answer – The various entrance examinations conducted for the MCA admission are NIMCET, MAH MCA CET, TANCET MCA, OJEE, LUCSAT, WB JECA, AP ICET, etc.

Ques – Which are the top recruiters of MCA graduates in India?

Answer – The top recruiters of MCA graduates in India are TCS, IBM, Capgemini, Wipro, Computer Sciences Corporation, Cognizant, HCL, Hewlett-Packard, Accenture, and TATA Indicom.

Ques – Which are the top institutions for pursuing an MCA degree in India?

Answer – The top institutions offering MCA degrees in India are NIT Jamshedpur, NIT Trichy, Banaras Hindu University, NIT Warangal, VIT Vellore, and Amity University – Noida.

Ques – What are the popular job profiles for MCA graduates?

Answer – The popular job profiles for MCA graduates are Software Application Architect, App Developer, Web Developer, Business Analyst, Web Designer, and Software Consultant.