Experiences and Learning Design
Semester and Choice Based Credit System
The undergraduate programme runs on a semester system. The University runs four study periods in a year – the monsoon semester, the winter semester, the summer term and the Independent Study Period in December.
Courses are offered for a range of credits – 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 4. A one credit course meets for 15 hours in a semester. The academic calendar also allows for block courses (a course that occupies the entire day but for a short duration) as during the Foundation Programme periods or through the Independent Study Period every December.
The Choice Based Credit System (or CBCS) allows students to customize their education by choosing which courses they would like to take to meet their academic interest as well as the requirement of the programme and the major. It addition, it also allows a student to choose the sequence in which they would like to take certain courses while taking account of pre-requisites. It allows students to decide on their own semester -wise timetable to suit their activity schedules, choose sections and professors in whose class they would like to enroll, as well as choose courses across different Schools.
Take Courses with a Pass option
The University wants its students to take courses that are in their areas of interest or outside their own comfort zone to build a wide repertoire of learning. We encourage our students to take advanced courses that may cover material that is deep and perhaps difficult. The student can take six credits towards their undergraduate requirements to be taken on a Passed/Not Passed basis rather than for grades. Many students hesitate to take such courses as they are worried that performance in such courses will affect their grade point average.
Studio and Block Courses
Courses that deploy project based learning and those that are delivered intensely over a short period allow flexibility to learn by doing as well as from experts around the world and from the world of practice.
The Foundation Programme period and the Independent Study Period (ISP) provide for opportunities for Studio based and Block courses. Students are strongly encouraged to engage with block courses during the ISP.
Engagement with Society
The course, Engagement with Society, is a mandatory requirement that provides an opportunity to engage with the society and develop a sense of service. This is achieved through learning by embedding in the community immersion/voluntary service in a formal manner. We believe that that this will enrich students as individuals, develop empathy that will lead to a desire to work towards improving the life of others, and create meaningfulness in their pursuit of knowledge.
The Ahmedabad Learning Environment
The Ahmedabad Learning Environment
Ahmedabad University’s undergraduate programme stands out for its holistic learning environment. This learning environment has the following elements:
• A focus on student’s learning and outcomes
• Experiential learning & Interdisciplinary Learning (fusion of disciplines)
• Problem solving and team work that is curated in addition to building individual competencies
• Living the programme values
• We will focus on pedagogy and not sacrifice it for content
• Develop certain attitudinal shifts and habits amongst the campus community including depending on others and becoming reliable to others
• Develop an ability to integrate knowledge or learn to synthesize along with analysis and problem solving
• Research
• Embed learning into disciplines and through the system of knowledge of the major
• Mandatory Thesis/Capstone
Student Advising
One of the key differentiators at Ahmedabad would be Advising. CBCS requires personal advising so that the students are well informed while choosing their courses and majors. You will see two levels of advising: one by the Programme or Major Advisors and other by a faculty mentor, one on one. Part of the advising is standardized and all faculty may be educated through an induction programme/workshop on how to advise. All faculty will participate in Advising and hold office hours. It is also a way to know young students and help them grow with their aspirations.
One of the unique experiences of the undergraduate programme is the opportunity to engage with society and develop a sense of service. This is achieved through Learning by embedding in the community, i.e. immersion/voluntary service in a formal manner. We are confident that this will enrich students as individuals, developing empathy that is crucial in creating a desire to work towards improving the life of others, and meaningfulness in the pursuit of knowledge.