Advice on Selecting Science degree courses in Sri Lankan National Universities

Ultimate goal of doing A/L examination in Science stream is to  enter into  Medical or Engineering Faculty. However if you are unable to get a good Z-score then you have to opt for science degree program.  Obtaining a degree from a national university will establish a solid foundation for your life and career. Different universities in Sri Lanka offer different courses in Basic and Applied Sciences.

These are some helpful hints in selecting a course suitable to you.

Old Universities vs newly established Universities

Oldest universities in the country are Colombo and Peradeniya which have a long history of teaching classical subjects such as botany, zoology, mathematics, physics, and chemistry; though they also now offer more applied courses. Universities of Sri Jayewardenepura and Kelaniya, which are also now more than 50 years old, offer more applied oriented courses. For example in University of Sri Jayewardenepura there are subjects like Forestry and Environmental Science, Polymer Science and Plant Bio-technology. In University of Kelaniya there’s a course on Environmental Conservation and Management. These subjects have been introduced in producing more employable graduates. Universities of Ruhuna, Jaffna and Eastern were also established in earlier days and now offer some attractive courses.

New universities established recently are Sabaragamuwa, Rajarata, Wayamba and Uwa Wellassa. In these places experienced academics staff may be few, but offer some innovative courses in specific areas such as Export Agriculture, Animal Science and Aquatic Resource Management. However these universities have modern physical resources and focus on producing graduates for Sri Lankan industry sector.  A student enters into this university can gain a competitive advantage over other undergraduates, because there are limited number of students per each course. Therefore more resources are available for students.

What are the academic quality assurances?

There is no ranking system for Sri Lankan universities. There is a quality assurance system of University Grants Commission, for National Universities, however sadly the results are not presented in friendly manner for prospective students to understand. However still  you can check details on the number of academics, students and so on.

Z-score reflects the demand for courses. This is a good indicator for comparing different courses . However some courses of newly established universities carry a comparatively lower Z-score value due to less awareness of these courses, which may turn into high demanding courses in near future.

Who will teach you?

Professional or academic qualifications of the faculty members will reflect the quality of delivery. Credibility of a faculty will depend on the caliber of staff members. If a Faculty has large number of PhD holders and Professors, with years of lecturing experience and research skills, they can assist in many ways in developing quality graduates.

In newly established universities there are predominantly fresh lecturers just after their degrees. They also have innovative teaching skills and better interaction with students. UGC statistics provide an overview of academic staff in Sri Lankan Universities.

Talk to undergraduates who follow the same course.

Students in universities may post their views here. ‘facebook ‘ is a good place to meet other students, for example there is a group by Forestry and Environment Science students of university of Sri Jayewardenepura. Search for those subjects and all Sri Lankan universities have separate facebook networks. Eg: University of Sri Jayewardenepura, University of Colombo.

What are the job prospects for graduates?

Sri Lankan job market is very small. Getting a degree will not assure you a suitable employment in that sector. However if you work hard on a particular academic discipline and become expert in the field then there will be more employment prospects. There are number of job opportunities for Sri Lankan graduates in emerging fields such as Environment, Live-Stock, Agriculture, Fisheries, computer science, IT, industrial chemistry and Manufacturing.

Almost all Science degrees in Sri Lankan Universities are conducted in English and they are recognized worldwide. Obtaining a degree will add a value to you and increase your employability. For any job, a degree holder will be recognized as smarter than other candidates. They have good personality and different skills like communication, interpersonal and presentation.

While following a degree course, you will have to work with people from different background and you will be able to understand different viewpoints in a particular area. This will enhance your ability to adapt into different environments and you will be a more mature person after your degree. Also the training you gather in lectures, practicals, field excursions, presentations and project assignments are important for any employment.  Employers today need graduates with multiple skills who can start with minimum training.

The university syllabi of many courses are now changed to suit the present day demands.  Also, as a part of their degree programme students get value addition through subjects like Communication skills, Languages, Management, Computer Studies, Personality development and Law.

With a basic degree you can join Customs, Scientific Service, Sri Lanka Administrative service, SLEAS (Education Administration). For some high ranking jobs in Sri Lanka and aboard minimum qualification is a basic degree. This is the case in both government and private sector.

Upon completion of Bachelor’s degree,  you can easily enroll for Masters in Sri Lankan or Foreign Universities. There are loads of scholarship opportunities to do MSc, MPhil and PhD programs in countries like USA, UK, Australia and Japan.

Location of the campus (Campus Life)

Some students prefer a university close to home. Selecting a university close to Colombo or major city will open up doing other classes in leisure time such as CIMA, Chartered Accountancy, IT, learning English etc. You can obtain Educational Student Loans for some of these courses from banks.  Also you can engage in part time work and provide tuition to school children.

A real ‘Campus life’ can be experienced by selecting a university far from your home town. Some universities have magnificent landscapes where you can enjoy the life to the best.  Peradeniya University is said to be most beautiful university in Sri Lanka. Other universities like Uwa-Wellasa, Sabaragamuwa and Sri Jayewardenepura also have some scenic locations. Colombo University is located in a congested area at heart of Colombo city, provide easy access for students.

Where can I find more information on different courses?

You can refer “Admission to undergraduate courses of the universities in Sri Lanka – Academic Year 2009 – 2010 – Based on GCE A/L Examination 2009″ or visit official web sites of universities.

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