Which one is better: FSc. or DAE?

 

What is FSc. (Faculty of Science)?

In Pakistan, a major education path starts after Grade/Class 10 which is also referred to as Matriculation. The first question which comes into the mind of every student or his parents is to get admission in a field which has lot of scope or prospects for career and job.

A typical path is to get admission in a government or private college to do FSc. (Faculty of Science) which is normally offered in Pre-Medical or Pre-Engineering disciplines. Now, a third option in the ICS is also available in science which includes the subject of computer in lieu of chemistry or biology. This program lasts for two years and there are separate annual examinations of part 1 and part 2.

Getting good marks in FSc. is considered important to get admissions in professional medical or engineering colleges and universities after these two years. The students who are good in their studies and get better marks opt for getting admission in professional medical or engineering institutions on the basis of their marks in FSc. and matric and written tests.

However, a large number of students who are not successful in getting admissions in these two career paths opt for other educational fields. Some students decide to do BSc. (Bachelor of Science) in science subjects while others go to Arts and Social Science disciplines by enrolling in BA programs (Bachelor of Arts) for further study.

 

What is DAE (Diploma of Associate Engineering)?

A Diploma of Associate Engineering is usually a three-year program after matriculation. It trains students in a specific technology discipline to enable them to enter into jobs after its completion. It is a technical qualification with an aim in mind to get job after its completion. The most popular DAE programs are in the disciplines of Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Computer/IT, Civil, Metallurgy, Chemical and Automobiles. However, the list is quite long and there are also DAE programs offered by various technical institutes or polytechnic colleges in Pakistan.

 

Differences between FSc. and DAE 

Some of the major differences between two educational paths are as follows:

Admission criteria: For getting admission in FSc. Pre-Medical or Pre-Engineering, a student needs to get good grades and marks in Matriculation. As competition is tough to get admissions in FSc. in government-run colleges, many of these have set certain marks criteria, which means that if a student has less marks than the criteria, he/she may not be able to get admission in a particular college. It is generally considered that only academically bright students opt for FSc. admissions. However, this may not mean that a student getting less marks cannot do FSc. In many private-run colleges, the marks criteria is low as they have to fill their classes with students.

On the other hand, it is rather easy to get admissions in polytechnic colleges or technical institutes as they do not have criteria of setting higher marks in matriculation examination to get admission into DAE. Some students who are interested in science subjects but are not able to get admission into FSc. programs due to lower marks opt for technical education.

Study Duration: In Pakistan, FSc. is of two-years duration and examinations of Part 1 and Part 2 are held separately. If a student is successful in Part 1, he does not have to study those courses again and only focuses on the courses and scheme of study of Part 2 in his second year.

DAE programs last for three-years duration. They have more courses than FSc. and also include practical training as part of studies.

Study focus: The study focus of FSc. is on theoretical aspects of various concepts in the branches of science. The subjects give orientation, history and application of concepts and demand students of learning and studying to pass the exams.

In DAE, focus is more on practical aspects of a concept. In other words, how to work with your hands to solve a problem in a field. There are of course theoretical components in DAE subjects but they train the students more for practical life.

Fees: In government-run colleges, fee structure of FSc. programs is reasonable and students from middle and lower middle class backgrounds are able to pay these fees without difficulty. However, private-run colleges charge hefty amount of fees from their students and it is not easy for anyone to gt enrolled in their programs.

The fees of DAE programs are also reasonable and students from lower income backgrounds are able to get admissions into their programs. However, these fees are not nominal due to theoretical and practical training imparted by these institutes and one has to manage its finances for studying in these institutions.

Job prospects: A very important question in anyone’s mind is to get job after education. FSc. or DAE are tertiary qualifications according to prevalent system in Pakistan. They are one step higher from secondary education (Matriculation) but lower than higher education (bachelor degrees).

After completing FSc in Pre-Medical or Pre-Engineering, a student may be able to get job at the beginner level in some organizations, however prospects are limited. FSc. is considered an intermediate qualification and many jobs have criteria of at least of a bachelor degree. Except in a few medical fields like laboratories, jobs for FSc. qualification are quite limited.

But a person with DAE qualification has more job prospects, as DAE is considered a complete qualification in itself. Many public and private sector organizations in their job advertisements demand that a candidate should have DAE in a field. In that sense, job prospects for DAE holders are much higher within and outside the country in comparison with FSc. holders.

 

Which one to opt: FSc. or DAE?

Following factors may decide which study path a student should take after his/her matriculation.

Study potential: This is a critical factor in deciding to do a FSc. or DAE. If a student is hardworking, holds good grades in matriculation, is inquisitive and takes interest in theoretical learning, it is better for him/her to opt for FSc. That student might be used to rigorous academic training and study discipline and can excel in his studies.

But, if a student studies casually and spends less time on studying every day, it is better for him to opt for DAE, as he will be exposed to theoretical as well as practical training to build his interest.

Personal circumstances: If a person has full support from his family to pursue studies for the next few years after matriculation, he/she should opt for FSc. and focus on his studies. There may not be pressure on him to complete studies at the earliest and contribute to financial well-being of his/her family.

However, not all families are financially blessed and many want their children to complete a tertiary qualification and get into job market to help lessen their financial burden. In that situation, DAE is the optimum qualification to get job and reap financial benefits for self and the family in a short period of time.