MCA Syllabus and Subjects 2024

Save
Request a callback
Ask us

Mar 22, 2024 11:43AM IST

MCA Syllabus and Subjects Overview

The two to three-year MCA Syllabus gives a thorough knowledge about various facets of software development, programming languages, systems design and computer applications.

MCA 1st year syllabus lays the foundation for the following subject a basic understanding of C, Java, and Python programming languages, data structures and algorithms, operating system theory, database management system, computer organization and architecture, hardware and software pool together with maths and statistics

MCA 2nd year and 3rd year syllabus teaches subjects like software engineering, computer networks, machine learning, cloud computing, data science, and security. Experiential exposition is offered in programming language labs, DBMS, OS, AI, ML etc.

Students additionally build up priceless hands-on market experience through capstone projects, research seminars and summer internships at IT companies, which is required.

In second and third year, students can have 2-3 electives as per their interest also. Students are offered with the latest technologies in the elective options which include data analytics, robotics, blockchain, IoT, augmented reality, ethical hacking, mobile computing, information security, etc. Electives meet the individual topics of interest as well as career aspiration.

Furthermore, many institutes also provide specialised streams in Application Development, Data Science & Business Analytics, Cyber Security, Cloud Infrastructure & Services, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, and Computer Vision & IoT. Students can obtain an MCA degree with specialised certificates in their chosen specialisations to showcase advanced skills.

Show Less

MCA Syllabus and Subjects Overview
Master of Computer Applications Syllabus and Subjects Highlights
MCA Subjects
MCA Year Wise Syllabus
MCA Core and Elective Subjects
Specializations Offered In MCA
MCA Distance Program Syllabus and Subjects
MCA Entrance Exam Syllabus and Subjects
MCA Syllabus and Subjects for IGNOU
MCA Syllabus and Subjects for IPU (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi)
MCA Books
MCA Course Structure
FAQs about Master of Computer Applications Syllabus

Master of Computer Applications Syllabus and Subjects Highlights

Candidates can check the MCA syllabus and subject highlights from the table below.

Particulars	Details
Duration	Candidates from different streams- 3 years Candidates from BCA-2 years
MCA Course Fees	INR 30,000 to INR 2,00,000 on average
Core subjects	Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science Database Management System Object Oriented Programming Operating Systems Software Engineering Java Programming
Elective subject	Microprocessors Advanced-Data Structure and Algorithms Advanced Computer Architecture Web Based Programming Cloud Computing and IoT Compiler Design Wireless Networks
Specializations	Data Mining Internet of Things Artificial Intelligence Wireless And Mobile Networks Data Science Digital Marketing
Books	Object-Oriented Programming in C++ by Nabajyoti Barkakati Fundamentals of Data Structures by Horowitz and Sahani Computer Database Organization by James Martin Fundamentals of Computers by V Rajaraman Computers and C Programming by Bajpai, Kushwaha, Yadav C Programming by Balaguruswamy

Show Less

MCA Subjects

The Master of Computer Applications course includes basic MCA subjects such as coding, algorithms and organizing data. This gives students solid technical skills. They also learn about more complex MCA subjects like machine learning, computing on the internet and analyzing big amounts of information to prepare them for a career in technology ahead. Mathematics sharpens analytical reasoning. Management and communication courses impart critical soft skills. A strong mix of technical skills, deep understanding of math and knowledge about business is very important to do well in the fast-changing field of IT. In general, this complete education helps students do well in jobs related to IT.

Discrete Mathematical Structure
Computer Programming with C
Database Management System
Advanced Computer Architecture
Software Engineering & TQM
Unix and Shell Programming
Operation Research & Optimization Techniques
Operational Research
Organizational Behavior
Advanced Database Management Systems
Distributed Systems
Numerical and Scientific Computing
Software Project Management
Multimedia Technologies

Show Less

MCA Year Wise Syllabus

MCA 1st Year Syllabus

MCA 1st year syllabus involves two semesters i.e. semester I and II and below are the following details regarding the MCA semester-wise 1st year curriculum:

MCA 1st Semester Syllabus

The MCA subjects include elective and core subjects. Candidates can check the Semester Wise MCA subjects from the table below.

Core/Elective	Subject title	Subject Details
Core	Programming in C	Program design and analysis using the C programming language, basic data types and their operators, control structures, arrays, string, structs and unions, dynamic memory allocation, pointers and pointer arithmetic, and files.
	Computer Fundamentals	Logic gates, Boolean algebra, K-map, Map simplification, Combinational circuit Design, Sequential Circuit Design, Logic Design, Processor Control Logic Design, Digital Integrated circuits
	Data Structures	Classification of Data Structures, Tree and tree operations, Shortest path algorithm, Fundamentals of the Analysis of Algorithm Efficiency, Recursion
	Discrete Mathematics	Sets, Functions, Relations, Logic operators, normal forms, truth tables, Propositional and predicate calculus, Euclidean algorithms, Boolean Algebra, Fibonacci numbers
	Computer Architecture	Data representation – two’s complement, number system, Arithmetic operations using 2’s and 1’s complements, floating-point representation and arithmetic operations; Input output organisation –I/O verses memory bus, Isolated versus memory mapped I/O, Priority interrupts, DMA, I/O processors; Memory Organisation–RAM, ROM, Associative memory, Cache memory
	Numerical Methods	Data representation – Fixed-point numbers, Finite data representation; Floating-point numbers, Propagation of error, Root finding’ Newton’s methods, Gaussian numerical integration, Solution of systems of linear equations – matrix equation, method of triangular matrics, Gaussian elimination with pivoting, Jacobson and Gauss Seidel; Ordinary Differential equations – Euler method, Multi-step method, Runga-Kutta methods, System of differential equations.

MCA 2nd Semester Syllabus

Candidates can check the Semester-wise MCA syllabus from the table below.

MCA Syllabus Core/Elective	Subject title	Subject Details
Core	Database Management Systems	Database Architecture, Database Analysis, Database Design, Normalisation, Lossless Join Decomposition and Relational Algebra, Tuple and Domain Relational Calculus, Concurrency Control and Recovery Techniques, Advances in Database Systems and Technologies
	Computer Networks	Overview of Computer Network, Data Communication, , Nyquist theorem, Shannon’s formula, modulations, encoding schemes, ALOHA systems, Local Area Networks, Token Ring, Token Bus, FDDI, Routing, congestion control, Application Protocols – FTP, Email.
	Design and Analysis of Algorithms	Some efficient algorithms; Algorithm analysis: a Problem-solvingworst case and average case analysis, Recurrences and asymptotics; Algorithm design, Efficient data structures, amortized analysis, NP completeness
	Object Oriented Programming	The Key Attributes of Object-Oriented Programming, The Java Class Libraries, The Java Development Kit. Java’s Primitive Types, The Scope and Lifetime of Variables, Literals, Shorthand Assignments, operators, Type conversion in Assignments, Using Cast. Control Statements, Recursion, Inheritance Basics, Member Access and Inheritance
	Artificial Intelligence	Overview of AI, Problem solving, various search strategies,Introduction to logic programming, Knowledge representation, Conceptual dependency, Uncertain knowledge and reasoning, Hill Climbing, Simulated Annealing, Best First Search.
	Operating Systems	Overview, Operating System Structures, Computer System Structures, Process and Process Scheduling, CPU scheduling, Process Synchronisation, Paging, Segmentation, Virtual Memory, File System Allocation methods, Secondary Storage Scheduling and Management, Protection, Security

MCA 2nd Year Syllabus

MCA 2nd year syllabus involves two semesters i.e. semester III and IV and below are the following details regarding the MCA semester-wise 2nd year curriculum:

MCA 3rd Semester Syllabus

Candidates can check the Semester Wise MCA subjects from the table below.

MCA Syllabus Core/Elective	Subject title	Subject Details
Core	Software Engineering	Introduction, Software Process Models, Software Product and Process, Engineering, Requirements Data Flow Diagram, Requirement Specification, Requirement Validation Design- Concepts, Cohesion, Coupling, User Interface Design, Mapping Analysis to Design, Structure Charts, CASE Tools, Software Maintenance and Reengineering
Elective	Theoretical Computer Science	Mathematical reasoning; logic; methods of proof; sets, relations, function, Kleen’s theorem, Moore and Mealy models; Turing machine; Pushdown automata; Recursive and recursively enumerable sets models, recursive functions.
	Microprocessors	Basic Microprocessor architecture, memory systems for microprocessor, bus structure and memory maps, hardware and software interrupts, I/O systems Introduction to Intel family of microprocessor, 8085/8086 microprocessor - architecture, Instruction set, programming.
	Computer Graphics and Multimedia	Graphics devices – random scan and Raster-scan; Bresenahm’s circle drawing algorithm, generation of ellipses, 2-D graphics: polar coordinates, parametric functions, vectors, matrices operations; 3-D graphics:transformation- right handed coordinate system with vertical y-axis, matrices for translation, scalingrotation around axis
	Probability and Statistics	Probability – Conditional probability, Axioms, Bayes Theorem, Discrete RV – Binomial, random variables, geometric Poisson, Continuous RV, Hypothesis testing, Curve fitting, Methods of least Squares, Curvilinear, Multiple regression.
	Machine Learning	An overview of Machine learning Inductive learning, ID3, C4.5 Learning Concepts and rules from

MCA 4th Semester Syllabus

Candidates can check the Semester Wise MCA syllabus from the table below.

MCA Syllabus Core/Elective	Subject title	Subject Details
Core	Project	Students have to complete a project by designing a computer application using the knowledge gained during the previous three semesters.

Show Less

MCA Core and Elective Subjects

Typical Core MCA Subjects

The core MCA subjects have been listed in the table below.

MCA Subject title
Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science
Database Management System
Object Oriented Programming
Operating Systems
Software Engineering
Java Programming
Data Structures and Algorithms
Web Technologies
Data Analytics
Machine Learning
Computer Networks

Typical Elective MCA Subjects

The elective MCA subjects have been listed in the table below.

MCA Subject Title
Microprocessors
Advanced-Data Structure and Algorithms
Advanced Computer Architecture
Web Based Programming
Cloud Computing and IoT
Compiler Design
Wireless Networks
Parallel and Distributed Systems

Show Less

Specializations Offered In MCA

An MCA degree is the basic foundation for a career in the IT industry. A specialization can be chosen by students in addition to their standard MCA syllabus. Studying a specialization enables students to gain in-depth knowledge about a field of study that interests them. The following are a few of the MCA's specializations:

MCA Specialization	MCA Subjects
Data Mining	Data Processing Mining Frequent Patterns And Advanced Pattern Mining Classification Techniques Clustering Techniques Outlier Detection and Application
Internet of Things	IoT Introduction IoT Programming IoT Applications Network of Wireless Sensor Nodes MAC, Routing, and Transport Control in WSN
Artificial Intelligence	Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Local Search Algorithms Knowledge Representation Game Playing Natural Language Processing
Wireless And Mobile Networks	Wireless Telecommunications Systems and Networks Common Cellular System Components Wireless Network Architecture and Operation GSM and TDMA Technology CDMA Technology, CDPD and Edge Data Networks Wireless LAN/ PAN
Data Science	Data, Relations and preprocessing Correlation and Regression Association Rule Mining and Classification Clustering and Time Series Analysis Visualisation and Applications
Digital Marketing	Going Digital - The Evolution Of Marketing The Search For Success Search Engine Optimization Email Marketing And Social Media Marketing Web Analytics

Show Less

MCA Distance Program Syllabus and Subjects

While a standard MCA curriculum is often a two-year program, a distance MCA program is typically a three-year course that students can complete in six years. The conventional MCA syllabus applies to the distant MCA as well. In a distance MCA program, students can choose specializations to study their preferred subjects or to advance their professional profiles. The online MCA program offers flexibility in the areas of courses offered, course materials, and assessment formats. In contrast to a traditional course, the qualifying standards for admission to distance MCA programs are more flexible. Given below is the list of Distance MCA Programs-

MCA 1st Year Syllabus for Distance Program

Candidates can check the MCA 1st Year subjects divided into semesters 1 and 2 from the table below.

MCA Syllabus Semester I	MCA Syllabus Semester II
Computer Organisation & Architecture	Data Communication & Computer Networks
Business Systems and Applications	Information Systems Analysis & Design
Computer Programming with C	Data Structures with C
Discrete Mathematical Structure	Database Management System I
Business English and Communication	Object-Oriented Programming With C++
Micro Programming & Architecture Lab	Data structure lab
Programming lab	Database lab
Business presentation and language lab	Object-Oriented Programming lab (C++)
MCA 2nd Year Syllabus for Distance Program
MCA Syllabus Semester III	MCA Syllabus Semester IV
Operating Systems and Systems Software	Software Engineering & TQM
Unix and Shell Programming	Graphics & Multimedia
Intelligent Systems	Database Management System II
Statistics and Numerical Techniques	Operation Research & Optimisation Techniques
Business Management	Environment and Ecology
Management Accounting	Software Project Management lab
Unix lab	Graphics & Multimedia Lab
Statistics and Numerical Analysis lab	Advanced Database lab
Accounting Systems lab	-
MCA 3rd Year Syllabus for Distance Program
MCA Syllabus Semester V	MCA Syllabus Semester VI
Elective 1: Distributed database management, Image Processing, Parallel Programming	Project Work
Elective 2: System Administration and Linux, Windows Programming With VB,	Seminar

Show Less

MCA Entrance Exam Syllabus and Subjects

There are numerous MCA entrance exams that are conducted to provide admission to MCA courses in different colleges across the country. A few of those MCA entrance exams are - NIT MCA Common Entrance Test (NIMCET), Banaras Hindu University Post Graduate Entrance Exam (BHU PET MCA), Joint Entrance for Masters of Computer Applications (JECA), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU MCA), Maharashtra Masters of Computer Applications Common Entrance Test (MAH MCA CET), BITSAT etc.

Candidates should go through the MCA entrance exam syllabus before taking the exam. We have provided the common syllabus below for better preparation:

MCA Syllabus Topics	MCA Syllabus
Mathematics	Algebra Set Theory Coordinate Geometry Calculus Differential Equations Vector Trigonometry Probability and Statistics Linear Programming
Analytical Ability and Logical Reasoning	Logical reasoning Quantitative reasoning
Computer Awareness	Computer Basics Data Representation Computer Architecture Computer Language Flow chart and Algorithm Fundamentals of Operating System Basics of Internet
General English	Use of articles and prepositions Idioms and phrases Synonyms Reading comprehension Expansion of an idea Sentence sequence (jumbled sentences) Completion of a sentence (with choices) Choice of an appropriate word to fill in the blanks (with options) Abridging sentences/paragraphs

Show Less

MCA Syllabus and Subjects for IGNOU

Candidates who are willing to pursue the course can check the list of semester wise MCA subjects from the table below.

MCA Semester 1 Subjects	MCA Semester 2 Subjects
Discrete Mathematics	Object-oriented Analysis and Design
Design and Analysis of Algorithms	Data Communication and Computer Networks
Professional Skills and Ethics	Data Warehousing and Data Mining
Software Engineering	Web Technologies
DAA and Web Design Lab	Computer Network and Data Mining Lab
Security and Cyber Laws	OOAD and Web Technologies Lab
Software engineering Lab	-
MCA Semester 3 Subjects	MCA Semester 4 Subjects
Accountancy and Financial Management	Mobile Computing
AI and Machine Learning	Digital Image Processing and Computer Vision
Cloud Computing and IoT	Project
Data Science and Big Data	-
Cloud and Data Science Lab	-
AI and Machine Learning Lab	-

Show Less

MCA Syllabus and Subjects for IPU (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi)

Candidates can check the MCA semester wise syllabus as per IPU from the following headers.

1st Year MCA Syllabus IPU

The semester wise MCA subjects for 1st year as per IPU, Delhi have been listed in the table below.

MCA Semester 1 Syllabus	MCA Semester 2 Syllabus
Introduction to Information Technology Discrete Mathematics Problem-Solving Using C Financial Accounting Digital Electronics Practicals	Data Structures Computer System Architecture Object Oriented Programming Computer Graphics Theory of Computation Practicals

2nd Year MCA Syllabus IPU

The semester wise MCA subjects for 2nd year as per Gas per IPU, Delhi have been listed in the table below.

MCA Semester 3 Syllabus	MCA Semester 4 Syllabus
Operating Systems Design and Analysis of Algorithms Database Management System Microprocessor Front-End Design Tools Practicals	Elective 1: Computer Networks Elective 2: Internet Technologies Software Engineering Java Programming Organizational Behaviour Computer Networks Practicals

Show Less

MCA Books

Candidates looking for the best MCA books are advised to keep certain points in mind before buying these books from a marketplace. (1) These books have to be written by some authorized authors. (2) The MCA books are required to cover the entire MCA syllabus. (3) These books should contain factual data. Books for the MCA syllabus include reference books to help students gain a broader understanding of important topics as well as coursebooks that the college has prescribed. Books from international publishers like Pearson and TMH are among them. A list of books to study for the MCA course is provided below:

MCA Subject	Book Title	Authors
Computational Mathematics	Discrete Mathematics with Applications Fundamental Approach to Discrete Mathematics	Thomas Koshy D.P. Acharjya, Sreekumar
Object Oriented Programming	The Complete Reference C++ Object Oriented Programming in C++	Herbert Schildt Robert Lafore
Operating Systems	Operating Systems Concepts An Introduction to Operating Systems	A Silberschatz, Peter B. Galvin and Greg Gagne H. M. Deitel
Software Engineering	Software Engineering Software Engineering Concepts Software Project Management in Practice	Ian Sommerville Richard Fairley Pankaj Jalote
Java Programming	Java The Complete Reference Core Java: Volume I - Fundamentals	Herbert Schildt Cay S. Horstmann
Database Management System	Database System Concepts Database Management System	Abraham Silberschatz, Henry Korth, S. Sudarshan Raghu Ramakrishnan, Johannes Gehrke
Data Structures and Algorithms	Data Structures - A Pseudocode Approach with C Design and Analysis of Algorithms	Richard F. Gilberg and Behrouz A. Forouzan S. Sridhar
Web Technologies	Fundamentals of Web Development PHP and MySQL Web Development	Randy Connolly, Ricardo Hoar Luke Welling, Laura Thomson
Computer Networks	TCP/IP Protocol Suite Computer Networks	Behrouz A. Forouzan Tannenbaum, A.S.
Internet of Things	Internet of Things – A hands-on approach Architecting the Internet of Things	Arshdeep Bahga, Vijay Madisetti Dieter Uckelmann, Mark Harrison, Michahelles, Florian
Machine Learning	Introduction to Machine Learning Machine Learning: A Probabilistic Perspective Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning	Ethem Alpaydin Kevin P. Murphy Christopher M. Bishop

Show Less

MCA Course Structure

The MCA 2 year course components are designed to equip students with not only an in-depth understanding of computer application potential, but also to acquire soft skills that will allow them to be an asset to the industry in the future.
The MCA program also includes seminars and industry projects in addition to lectures and lab practice.

A student's exposure to a workshop or seminar experience puts them closer to the realities of the computer application industry. The whole final semester of the MCA course syllabus is devoted to developing the candidate's pragmatic understanding through projects and seminars. The MCA course structure is provided below:

Particulars	MCA Course Structure
Semesters	6 semesters
Duration	2 Years or 3 Years
Subjects	Core subjects Elective subjects
Lab	Practical work/ Lab training
Projects	Individual Project Group Project
Others	Seminars Workshops

Show Less

FAQs about Master of Computer Applications Syllabus

What are the subjects in MCA?

In the MCA course, we study many important topics for a job in computer applications. The main subjects are programming in C language, mathematics that is specific and not continuous, how to manage databases, programming with Unix and Shell systems, learning about software engineering along with Total Quality Management (TQM), researching operations and methods to make them best as possible. Advanced studies on managing databases better are also there beside multimedia technology skills. These subjects provide a comprehensive understanding of software development, database management, and computer systems.

What is the MCA Syllabus?

MCA Syllabus spans two to three years and includes four or six semesters depending on your graduation degree. MCA Syllabus covers core subjects like Programming in C, Data Structures, Computer Networks, Database Management Systems, Operating Systems, etc. along with elective subjects for specialisation. All these wide ranging subjects are related to the field of IT, programming, mathematics, and application development.

What is the NIMCET Syllabus?

The NIMCET Syllabus in 2024 has different subjects such as General English, which looks at simple grammar rules, vocabulary and understanding comprehensions. There is also Analytical Ability and Logical Reasoning that tests how you think about situations with logic. Mathematics includes areas like Trigonometry and Calculus . For Computer Awareness, it teaches about how data is shown and fundamental things about computers. This test will have 120 questions where you choose the right answer from several options given; these questions are split among all these mentioned subjects.

What are the MCA Subjects in 1st year?

MCA 1st year subjects usually cover major topics like Basics of Computers & New Technologies, Mathematics for Computing, C Language Problem Solving Techniques, How Computers are Organised, Design of Computer Systems and Effective Communication Skills. These courses lay the groundwork in understanding how computers work, how to code and communicate well which is important for jobs in the IT field. The syllabus is designed to provide students with essential knowledge and abilities required for the profession.

What is the IGNOU MCA Syllabus?

The IGNOU MCA Syllabus contains important topics such as Algorithm Design and Analysis, Discrete Maths, Software Engineering Sciences, Skills for Professionals, Communication of Data, Object-Oriented Studies, Technologies on the Web. Also included are subjects like Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing among others. The IGNOU MCA Syllabus emphasises both theory-based learning and practical abilities within the field of computer science. It uses a system of credits, having 80 in total that are divided among different theoretical courses, practical sessions and one project.

Is MCA a 2 year course?

Yes, MCA is a two-year course for BCA/ B.Sc/ BTech graduates only. For graduates from other streams, MCA is a three-year postgraduate course in India.

What is the MCA salary?

The average annual MCA salary for fresh graduates ranges from INR 4,50,000 to INR 6,00,000. Per month MCA salary for freshers in India ranges from INR 35,000 to INR 45,000. Senior professionals with more than 3 years of experience can earn an average annual salary of INR 8,00,000 to INR 12,00,000.

What is the MCA subject list?

MCA subject list contains core topics such as Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science, Database Management System, Object-Oriented Programming, Operating Systems and Software Engineering are part of the MCA subject list. Additionally included: Java Programming; Data Structures and Algorithms; Web Technologies - these delve into advanced concepts like Data Analytics or Machine Learning. As for MCA elective subjects, they range from Advanced Database Management Systems to Operational Research – Numerical and Scientific Computing also makes an appearance along with Distributed Systems. Furthermore—Software Project Management is a viable choice as well as Multimedia Technologies.

Is MCA easy to pass?

It depends on the institute from where you are pursuing your MCA course. Some colleges/ universities have a very rigorous curriculum along with practicals and internships that requires you to have full focus and hard work to pass all semesters, whereas, some institutions have a comparatively relaxed syllabi for the course with more theory focus and less practical emphasis which gives students opportunity to pass easily if less of a hard work.

Is MCA in demand?

Yes, the rapid digitalization of businesses and the escalating need for tech-savvy professionals have placed MCA in high demand. Particularly sought after are specialisations like Data Science, Cybersecurity, Web Development AI, and Mobile App Development. Various industries such as finance, healthcare e-commerce, and tech startups eagerly provide lucrative positions to MCA graduates; these may include opportunities in software development network engineering cybersecurity - among many others.

Show Less