Home Science is often termed as Family and Community Science. It is a multidisciplinary course that deals with the basic healthcare, child development, and management of family & community. The course focuses on understanding the basics of human physiology, microbiology, nutrition, child development, clothing, interior decoration, and family relations about community living.
The home science colleges offer both arts and science degrees in home science and its specialized areas. There are bachelor, master’s, doctorate, certificate, and diploma courses offered by the home science colleges. Admission into these courses is based on the entrance exam and a merit basis. The candidates will have to fulfil the eligibility criteria to apply. There are various government home science colleges in India, whose course fees range from INR 1,500 to INR 50,000 per annum.
After completion of the course, the candidates can find jobs in various areas like the food industry, healthcare, apparel, resource management, corporate firms, etc. Some of the jobs available for them are nutritionist, child care expert, marriage family therapist, cook, textile design, etc. The average salary the graduates can earn is around INR 2 - 6 lakh per annum.
- Why Study Home Science?
- Top Government Home Science Colleges
- Home Science: Syllabus
- Home Science: Admission Process
4.2 Entrance Exams
5.1 Job Profiles
Why Study Home Science?
- It is a field of study that provides job opportunities in a wide variety of areas.
- It integrates elements of sciences, social sciences, and technology, that enhance the quality of human life. It aims at improving the individual’s dynamic relationship with families, communities, and societies as a whole.
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It enhances skills and awareness about food nutrition, hygiene, clothing, family management, child care, and child development.
Home Science: Top Government Colleges
Some of the top government colleges that offer home science courses have been mentioned in the table below. The institutes mentioned have been ranked by NIRF 2020.
| NIRF Ranking 2020 | Institute Name | Annual Course Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi | INR 6,720 |
| 17 | Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh | INR 93,720 |
| 19 | Andhra University, Visakhapatnam | INR 64,966 |
| 30 | Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam | INR 3,280 |
| 32 | Lady Irwin College, New Delhi | INR 29,645 |
| 38 | Sri Venkateswara University, Tripura | INR 12,760 |
| 40 | Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram | - |
| 41 | Queen Mary’s College, Chennai | INR 1,532 |
| 54 | Calicut University, Calicut | INR 2,520 |
| 86 | Government Home Science College, Chennai | INR 87,060 |
| 99 | Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra | INR 10,030 |
Home Science: Syllabus
Home science is a multidisciplinary field of study that is a mix-up of both arts and science. They offer both BA/ MA and BSc/ MSc degrees.
Given below are the subjects that are generally taught for undergraduate courses:
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| Environmental Science or English Communication | Fundamentals of Nutrition and Food Science (Theory and Practical) |
| Resource management (Theory and Practical) | Life Span Development I (Theory and Practical) |
| Fashion Studies (Theory and Practical) | Fundamentals of Textile (Theory and Practical) |
| Communication and Extension (Theory and Practical) | English Communication |
| Applied Chemistry (Theory and Practical) | - |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| Physical Sciences (Theory and Practical) | Life Science (Theory and Practical) |
| Life Span Development II (Theory and Practical) | Personal Finance Consumer Science (Theory and Practical) |
| Nutrition for Family (Theory and Practical) | Communication System Social Change (Theory and Practical) |
| Sociology | SEC 2 (Theory and Practical) |
| SEC I (Sociology of working with families and communities) | |
| Semester V | Semester VI |
| SEC 3 (Overview of Indian Economy) | SEC 4 (Human Physiology) |
| DSE 1A (Theory and Practical) (Nutritional Biochemistry) | DSE 1B (Public Nutrition and Dietetics) |
| DSE 2A (Children with Disabilities) | DSE 2B (Child Rights and Gender empowerment) |
| DSE 3A (Communication for Development) | DSE 3B (Extension Management) |
Given below are the subjects that are generally taught for postgraduate courses:
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| Research Methods | Statistics and Computer Application |
| Extension Management and Media Production | Apparel Design and Construction |
| Clinical and Therapeutic Nutrition | Maternal and Child Nutrition |
| Child and Human Rights | Curriculum for Early Years |
| Entrepreneurship Management/Textile Design | Advertising and Marketing |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| Scientific Writing | Environment Management |
| Development Communication | Communication Technologies in Extension |
| Nutrition for Health and Fitness | Advance Apparel and Fashion Design |
| Advanced Studies in Human Development | Care and Children with Disabilities and Illness |
| Housing for Family Living | Residential Interior Space Design |
| - | Dissertation |
Home Science: Admission Process
- The admission into the UG home science courses is merit-based. The candidates clearing the minimum cut-off of the institute will be selected for admission.
- The admission into the PG home science courses is based on entrance exams. The candidates scoring above the minimum cut-off will be called for further processing.
- The admission into the doctorate courses is also based on entrance exams. But if the candidates have appeared in exams like NET, then they will be exempted from the institute level entrance exam. They will be evaluated based on the NET scores.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for Home Science courses, the candidates should have the following eligibility criteria:
- For UG courses, like BSc Home Science, the candidates should have completed 10+2 in any stream with a minimum of 50% aggregate.
- For PG courses, like MSc Home Science, the candidates should have a bachelor's degree in Home Science, Food Science, Biology, Nutrition, Dietetics, Microbiology, Clinical Biochemistry, Life Sciences, BAMS, BNYS, or any other related field. They should have scored a minimum aggregate of 45% from a recognized institute.
- For admission into the Doctorate courses in home science, the candidates should have completed their master’s degree with a minimum aggregate of 45% - 50%, from a recognized university. They will also have to appear for exams like NET, SET, and AILET.
Entrance Exams
The UG admissions are usually based on merit, but the PG admissions are based on entrance tests. Some of the entrance tests available for admission into the home science courses are mentioned below:
- BHU-PET: It is a university entrance test conducted by the Banaras Hindu University for admission into the PG courses offered by the institute. The admission into the master courses in home science is also through this exam. It is an offline exam of 120 minutes that consists of MCQ-type questions.
- MGU-CAT: It is a university-level entrance test conducted by Mahatma Gandhi University for admission into various postgraduate courses offered by the institute. It offers MA, MSc, MEd, LLM, and MTTM courses.
- AMU Entrance Test: It is a university-level admission test conducted by the Aligarh Muslim University. The institute conducts departmental tests for admission into various PG courses.
Home Science: Jobs & Placements
- The home science career opens up a wide variety of opportunities. Home science graduates can find employment in areas like Production Industry, Healthcare Industry, Teaching & Research, Textile & Clothing, and Resource Management.
- The graduates can work for the betterment of society by taking up jobs as family counsellors, child development specialists, nutrition experts, etc.
- They can be self-employed and start their own business in the food preservation industry, textile and clothing industry, etc.
- They can also work for corporate firms for resource management, personal relation, customer care, etc.
Job Profiles
Home science offers job options in different areas. Some of the jobs that these graduates can find are explained below:
| Job Profile | Description | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Nutritionist | Nutritionists study the conditions of an individual and recommend diets accordingly. They offer dietary plans to individuals dealing with chronic diseases, obesity, diabetes, etc. They can be self-employed or work in schools, hospitals, and clinics, ensuring that the meal offerings meet the general health needs. | INR 2,98,870 |
| Child Care Specialist | They are professionals who supervise and care for children. They help children build good habits and assist them in their homework. They are employed at daycare centres, preschools or work independently for the families whose parents are at work. | INR 5,24,400 |
| Marriage Family Therapist | Their work is to provide counselling services to individuals, marital and family to solve issues between them. They interview their clients, collect information and case history about them and help to diagnose and treat cognitive, affective, behavioural, and emotional disorders in the marriage and family system. | INR 5,87,610 |
| Cook | Cooks usually work in restaurants under the head chef. Their work is to prepare dishes with speed and precision from beginning to end. They also prepare stocks, clean and restock the inventory. | INR 2,39,647 |
| Textile Designer | Their work is to create two-dimensional designs that can be used in the production of knit, weave, and printed fabrics or textile products. The design for interiors like soft furnishing and carpets or fabrics for fashion. | INR 4,17,512 |
FAQs
Ques. What are the self-employment opportunities after graduation in home science courses?
Ans. Home science is a multidisciplinary course that offers basic knowledge in areas of nutrition, apparel, human development, resource management, etc. Therefore they can use this knowledge and skills to build up businesses like bakeries & confectionery, fashion boutiques, catering businesses, child care centres, grooming centres, health care centres, etc.
Ques. What is the scope of home science?
Ans. Home science graduates can find employment in areas like Production Industry, Healthcare Industry, Teaching & Research, Textile & Clothing, and Resource Management.
Ques. What is the most popular for home science?
Ans. Among home science courses the BSc course is the most popular. The BA course is also very popular among the students.
Ques. What are the specializations offered for the home science course?
Ans. Home science offers specialization in 5 areas: Food & Nutrition, Fabric & Apparel Science, Human Development, Resource Management, and Communication & Extension.
Ques. Is home science easy?
Ans. Home science is considered to be the easiest course. The course deals with the science of homemaking and more. Some of the jobs available for the graduates are nutritionist, child care expert, marriage family therapist, cook, textile design, etc
Ques. How much do the fees of government and private home science colleges differ?
Ans. The difference between the fees of government and private colleges are very varied. Private colleges tend to be a bit more expensive than government colleges.
Ques. What are the pros of home science courses?
Ans. The pros of studying home science are explained below:
- It provides job options in a variety of fields.
- There are a wide variety of options for specializations.
- The graduates can use these skills and become self-employed.
Ques. What are the cons of home science courses?
Ans. Cons of studying home science are given below
- There is scope only for the science students.
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This is a field only for the creative-oriented person.
Ques. Is Home Science an art or science?
Ans. Home science is a scientific course that deals with the study of life skills. The course is a unique blend of arts and science that teaches the students a little of everything.
Ques. Can I study home science after the 10th?
Ans. Candidates applying for bachelors or masters must have passed their 12th or bachelors respectively with the required marks.
The students can, however, take up vocational or certificate courses in Cutting, Tailoring & Dress Making, Beauty Culture, Bakery & Confectionary, Preservation of Fruits & Vegetables, Catering Management, Nutrition and Food Science, Food Processing, Laundry Services, Early Childhood Care and Education, Indian Embroidery, Toy Making and Joyful Learning, Play Centre Management, Housekeeping, Elderly Care, Community Health, Rural Health for Women (Gram Sakhi), Homeopathic Dispensing, Security Service, Yoga, Radiography (DRX), and more.
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