University of Hyderabad

Admission

The University is primarily a post-graduate research university. UoH conducts its own entrance examinations for all courses during the months of May-June each year and interviews in the month of May annually. The University offers Integrated M.Sc, M.A, MSc, M.F.A, M.Tech, M.B.A, M.C.A, M.Phil and Ph.D degrees. Admissions to UoH are highly competitive. The University follows the positive-discrimination reservation system as per University Grants Commission of India guidelines.

School of Mathematics and Statistics

The School offers facilities for intensive training and research in the basic areas of Mathematics (including Applied Mathematics), Statistics and Operations Research (OR).

School of Physics

The School of Physics has developed high quality teaching programmes at the M.Sc. and M.Tech. levels. The School has research programme to train Ph.D. scholars and conducts research in the areas of condensed matter physics, high energy physics, non-linear optics, quantum optics and laser physics, solid state physics and materials science and electronic science. The areas of research include superconductivity, magnetism, phase transitions, critical phenomena, glasses and ceramics, liquid crystals, thin films, ion-solid interactions, semiconductors and super lattices, nanostructured materials, low-dimensional systems, localisation, percolation, molecular dynamics, neural networks, quantum field theory, quantum chromo dynamics, CP violation, heavy quarks, non-linear dynamics, quantum computing, stochastic-quantisation, modern quantum optics including Femto second laser experiments and theory, VLSI and Signal processing, ferroelectrics and microwave devices.

School of Chemistry

The School of Chemistry admits students to the M.Sc. and Ph.D. Programmes. The emphasis at the curricular level is to give a broad coverage of all branches of chemistry in keeping with the interdisciplinary nature of the subject today.

The M.Sc. degree course has no specialisation; however students take elective courses and a research project in a chosen area in the IV semester. This gives students completing the M.Sc. degree course freedom to take up research in a variety of specialised fields which range from the intersections of chemistry with biology on the one hand and with physics on the other. Within the mainstream, there is an emphasis on areas such as synthetic, supramolecular and materials chemistry, bio-organic and medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry and chemical physics, and a wide variety of subjects within the inorganic domain.

School of Life Sciences

The School of Life Sciences has been established with an emphasis on interdisciplinary teaching and research in modern biology.

The School consists of four Departments:

1. Department of Biochemistry
2. Department of Plant Sciences
3. Department of Animal Biology
4. Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics

Each of the departments offers M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes of study.

School of Humanities

School of Humanities comprises the following Departments, Centres and Cells:

1. Department of English
2. Department of Philosophy
3. Department of Hindi
4. Department of Telugu
5. Department of Urdu
6. Department of Sanskrit Studies
7. Centre for Applied Linguistics and Translation Studies
8. Centre for Comparative Literature
9. Centre for English Language Studies (CELS)
10. Human Values Cell
11. Centre for Endangered Languages & Mother Tongue Studies
12. Centre for Dalit and Adivasi studies and Translation

The School of Humanities is founded on the conviction that the Humanities give purpose, direction and value to education and to life, and that they are no less important to society than scientific and technological disciplines. The School aims at providing a centre of common awareness and a sense of human responsibility, making the University more than a complex of specialist departments. In addition, it is committed to the achievement of academic and linguistic excellence, creativity and all-round development of students. The courses offered in the School reflect these objectives and concerns.

School of Social Sciences

The School of Social Sciences comprises the following Departments and Centres:

1. Department of History
2. Department of Political Science
3. Department of Sociology
4. Department of Anthropology
5. Centre for Regional Studies
6. Centre for Folk Culture Studies
7. Centre for the Study of Indian Diaspora
8. Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy
9. Centre for Knowledge Culture and Innovation Studies
10. Centre for Human Rights
11. Centre for Gandhian Economic Thought
12. Centre for Ambedkar Studies

Among these, the Departments of Political Science and Sociology have been recognised by the University Grants Commission for the Special Assistance Programme.

In addition, the School has Human Rights Programme functioning under the auspices of Political Science Department and a Centre for Indian Diaspora. The School of Social Sciences also has an interdisciplinary Women’s Studies Cell which takes up research projects on gender issues. An Archival Cell with the support of the UGC is functioning under the auspices the Department of History for preservation of rare and valuable manuscripts. The Department of Anthropology has developed a museum as a teaching aid for students.

From the Academic Year 2007-2008 the School of Social Sciences is started a Five Year Integrated Programme in Social Sciences as a part of the Centre for Integrated Studies leading to master's degree in History, Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology. For the first three years the students admitted to the programme will do courses offered by various departments in the School and other schools in the University. At the end of three years students will branch out to departments of History, Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology after fulfilling the credit requirement, stipulated by the departments.

Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication

The Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication started functioning from 1988–89 and offers Masters-level courses in Dance, Theatre Arts, Painting and Communication and Ph.D. programmes in Communication, Theatre Arts, and Dance. The School consists of the following Departments

1. Department of Dance
2. Department of Theatre Arts
3. Department of Fine Arts
4. Department of Communication

The University is indebted to the family of Sarojini Naidu for the bequest by the late Padmaja Naidu of the "Golden Threshold", where the University started functioning. In recognition of this gesture, the University started this School by naming it after Sarojini Naidu to offer postgraduate and research programmes in the fields of arts and culture.

The School provides courses of study in the disciplines of, Dance, Theatre Arts, Painting and Sculpture and Communication. It seeks to enlarge the scope of the academic programme so as to include other areas of artistic endeavor like music. The broad objective of the teaching programme is not only to explore the evolution and forms of arts, but also to bring about an integrated approach to the study of creativity. An inter-disciplinary approach is incorporated in the syllabus. Apart from the core faculty, experts in various fields and guest faculty of national and international repute teach courses in the School.

Department of Communication

The Department of Communication, located within the prestigious Sarojini Naidu School Arts & Communication, has evolved over the last 20 years of its existence, into one of the leading institutions of higher learning in the field of communication and media studies in India. The Department offers programmes leading to Masters and Doctoral degrees.

The department offers a two-year M.A Communication. Students who join the programme can specialise in one of the three streams of specialisation:

1. Radio & Television
2. Print Journalism & New Media
3. Communication & Media Studies

The department also offers a Ph.D programme that is open to all M.A. Mass Communication & Journalism, Communication graduates conducting research in areas that cut across humanistic and social science methods.

UNESCO Chair on Community Media

Recognising the growing impact of the Community Radio phenomenon as a powerful medium of community engagement and empowerment, UNESCO has set up the first ever Chair on Community Media at the Department of Communication, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad, India. Established for an initial period of four years in 2011, the Chair will serve as a knowledge and resource centre delving into the various facets of Community Media.

Bol Hyderabad Community Radio Station

Bol Hyderabad 90.4 fm is the University of Hyderabad's Campus Radio Station which began operations from 15 August 2011. The range of the radio broadcast is around 15 kilometer radius around the campus covering areas of Tolichowki, Gopanapally, Hi-Tech City and Gachibowli areas of Hyderabad.

Teaching and Learning

The University follows the semester calendar beginning in mid-July and ending in early-May. About 90% of the students are residential. The Master's programme is usually of 2 years while the M.Phil and Ph.D programme are of 18 months and 5 years respectively.

The University follows the continuous assessment pattern, with 40% marks awarded through assignments spread out through the semester and 60% through semester-end examinations. Grading is on a 10.0 point scale, with D being the lowest passing grade, and A+ being the highest. The toppers post-graduate courses are awarded medals.

Research

The university is a public research university with high research activity in every department, awarding about 300 doctorates each year. The university receives research funding from UGC, CSIR, DST, DBT, FIST and other funding agencies. The university is known for high quality research output from faculty and students in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

National Institute of Animal Biotechnology

National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) is an autonomous institute under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India established in the campus of University of Hyderabad.

Institute of Life Sciences

Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) also known as Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences is a research organisation founded through a public–private partnership initiative in the year 2004. The partners in the making of ILS are

Incorporated as a not-for-profit company, ILS has been accorded recognition as a Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) by the Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.

C R Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science

The C R Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (AIMSCS) has been set up with the objective of promoting research and advanced studies in mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science and allied subjects. The University of Hyderabad and AIMSCS will jointly undertake collaboration in research, teaching, consultancy work and extension activities in the subjects of Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science and allied subjects.

Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia

The Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia (AMDISA) is a SAARC-recognised body. The association was established on the initiative of leading management Schools in the SAARC region and is located on the University of Hyderabad Campus in Gachibowli. AMDISA promotes management education and Management Development in the SAARC region and publishes the South Asian Journal Of Management. The mission of AMDISA is to network management schools and management development centres; to promote partnerships between the schools, leading managers, and policy administrators; and to enhance the quality and effectiveness of management education and development in South Asia. The permanent secretariat is located on the University of Hyderabad campus and is headed by an executive director. The secretariat is built on 2 acres of land, obtained from the university. The conceptual design of AMDISA's secretariat complex is representative of the SAARC spirit, with seven rooms networked into a central dome. The design envisages the seven rooms as representing the culture of each of the SAARC nations. While the secretariat serves the membership and initiates activity planning, its activities are hosted by member institutions in different countries of South Asia.

Library

The university library is a central facility to support teaching and research activities of the University. This present library building was inaugurated by his Excellency late Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, the then Vice President of India, on 21 October 1988 and named after late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The Library is connected to Campus Network. The library also created learning environment by establishing Online Public Access Catalog (WebOPAC), OPAC Searching Area, Internet browsing area, Laptop zone with Wi-Fi facility, specialised workstations & software for visually-challenged students and by facilitating electronic resources, search services/tools.

Indira Gandhi Memorial library is the first automated university library in the country. The library serves as a resources station to all scholars and has a print collection around four Lakhs that include monographs, text books, back volumes of journals, theses / dissertations, CDs/DVDs. It subscribes around 500 print journals in various disciplines of the university and provides access to more than 25000 e-resources including e-books. It also comprises a reading room which is accessible round-the-clock for the benefit of the students.

Rankings

The University has been recognised by University Grants Commission as a "University of Excellence". The University ranks amongst the top ten Universities in the country. It has been re-accredited with the highest grade of A and a CGPA of 3.72/4.00 by NAAC (in its third cycle) in 2014. It has received the PURSE award granted by the Prime Minister of India.

UoH has consistently been ranked high in India on the Nature Index, which "tracks the affiliations of high-quality scientific articles". In the monthly updated index, UoH has consistently been the top ranked Indian university (barring IITs and research only institutes). It ranks above most individual IITs, IISERs, and TIFR and CSIR laboratories.

QS World University Rankings 2015 subject-wise lists ranked UoH Department of English among the top 250, and the School of Chemistry among the top 400 globally.

UoH was ranked the best university in south India by careers360 in 2012, and among the top 15 institutes in India in 2014.

UoH was named by QS World University Rankings among the top 10 universities in India in 2013, faring among the top few in research indicators in India and the BRICS category.

In 2013, the Times Higher Education reported UoH as the tenth best institution in India.

In 2012, the University was ranked seventh, ahead of the Indian Institute of Science, by India Today.

Using Scopus research publications data for ten years, from 1999 to 2008, UoH was ranked the top research university in India (please note that this survey includes only varsities and not institutes like IITs and IISc).

The Integrated Master's Programme

College for Integrated Studies (CIS) was established in the year 2006 to offer 5-year Integrated master's degree courses. The Centre offers 5-year integrated master's degree courses in Science, Humanities and Social Science subjects. The five-year Integrated M.A. (I.M.A.) and M.Sc. (I.M.Sc.) courses of the University of Hyderabad are trans-disciplinary programmes with core and elective subjects.

Financial Assistance for Students

Apart from fellowships from various government agencies (including UGC and CSIR JRF, SRF, RGNF, and MANF), the university tries to provide financial assistance to some masters students and all graduate students. Up to 600 masters students receive a monthly stipend of INR 750. All MPhil students receive a monthly stipend of INR 5000 for 18 months. PhD scholars receive a monthly stipend of INR 8000. MTech students receive stipends between 8000-12000, depending on their stream of study. There are several other sources of financial assistance, including those for physically challenged, university rank holders, single girl children, and those provided by certain Indian states. (all financial assistance schemes are for Indian students only)

SIP: The Study in India Programme

The University of Hyderabad’s Study in India Programme (SIP) for foreign students began as a small experimental summer initiative where students from the University of Pittsburgh took nine credits over nine weeks in the summer of 1998. Since then, SIP has grown in leaps and bounds and has gone from hosting eight students in its debut year to nearly 200 in the most recent academic year. The University Grants Commission (UGC), a governmental organisation in India tasked with determining and maintaining standards for university education, has hailed the Study in India Programme as a model initiative and has encouraged other universities in India to emulate the program’s approach. SIP’s strength is its flexibility and willing to innovate to meet the needs of universities and study abroad consortia. SIP has created specialised, tailor-made programs for partners such as Dartmouth College, Duke University and the Nordic Centre in India—a consortium of 15 Nordic universities. Students can apply on their own, through their home schools, or through study abroad consortia that are SIP partners.

In 2014 the SIP Programme has been selected for IIE Andrew Heiskell Award. Thirteen Campuses in the world have been recognised for their Outstanding International Initiatives. UoH is the only University from Asia to be recognised.

Centre for Distance and Virtual Learning

The University of Hyderabad started offering Post Graduate Diploma Programmes through distance mode since 1994. The target groups identified for these Programmes are (a) In service personnel looking forward to improve their skills and knowledge to enable to go up in the ladder in their own organisation or elsewhere and (b) Fresh graduate intending to improve their chances of employments on successful completion of these programmes.

Academic Staff College

Established in 1987 as a major initiative in augmenting quality in Higher Education, the UGC promoted 66 Academic Staff Colleges. The Academic Staff College of University of Hyderabad is a constituent unit of the University offering Orientation, Refresher and need-based courses for Assistant Professors / Associate Professors working in Universities and Colleges.

It is an important academic wing of the University. Apart from the training programmes for teachers, the Academic Staff College conducts Professional Development Programmes for Principals and Administrators. The faculty is also taking up the teaching assignments and research guidance in their respective departments. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) Peer Review Committee from Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) visited Academic Staff College during 19 – 21 January 2012 for peer reviewing of its activities and accredited this Academic Staff College, University of Hyderabad as ranked no. 4 in India.

Placement Guidance and Advisory Bureau

The Placement Guidance and Advisory Bureau (PGAB) publicises information about employment opportunities and makes information available about higher education in India and other countries.

Placement talks are arranged and facilities are provided for Campus interviews. Every School has a faculty placement coordinator and the student placement coordinators help in the placement process which is coordinated by the PGAB.

A large number of students have been able to secure good jobs through the placement in some of the reputed multinational companies, Govt. agencies, etc.

Hostels, Canteens and Recreational Centres

There are 21 hostels (13 for men and 8 for women) for students to stay in. The Tagore International House caters to international students. There are two shopping complexes; one at the North campus and one situated at the South Campus. Also, there are four canteens viz. the student's canteen, Goodwill Canteen, a canteen adjacent to the Administration block and one situated inside the School of Life Sciences.

There are four multipurpose auditoriums within the campus. The DST auditorium is the largest with a capacity of 700 used mainly for cultural events, seminars, public talks and screening of documentaries and movies. The CV Raman Auditorium with a capacity of 200 is located inside the Science complex which serves as a conference and seminar hall. The BR Ambedkar auditorium is mainly used for cultural events, public talks, debates and other events. There is another auditorium located inside the Humanities block.

National Service Scheme Cell (NSS)

In connection with 'Gandhi Jayanti Week' Celebrations National Service Scheme (NSS) Cell, organises Peace March, Orientation Programmes, Tree plantation etc. during the first week of October every year.

Student's Union

Major student organisations on the campus include ASA (Ambedkar Students' Association), DSU (Dalit Students' Union), BSF (Bahujan Students' Front), TSA (Telangana Students' Association), ABVP (Akhila Bharathiya Vidyarthi Parishad), NSUI (National Students' Union of India), SFI (Students' Federation of India).

The Student's Union is elected annually, with elections being conducted by the students themselves, following the guidelines set by the Lyngdoh Committee. The Students' Union includes a President, Vice-President, General Secretary, Joint Secretary, Sports Secretary and Cultural Secretary. The elections are held during the month of September every year.

Student activities

The elected Student's Union conducts various sports and cultural events for the students over the academic year.

Nari's Knight Cup

The first of such event is the Nari's Cricket Knight Cup. The tournament is named in memory of an Ex-student Mr.Narayan Reddy (Nari) who met with an unfortunate death in the campus premises. Initially, a few friends of Mr.Narayan Reddy started this 5-over a side tournament with 9 players per side. However, the Student's Union took over the responsibility of conducting the Knight Cup later. The tournament is conducted under floodlights at the Open-Air auditorium.

Senthil Balraj Cricket Night Cup

The Senthil Balraj Cricket Night cup was initiated in February, 2011 by the then Students' Union in memory of Senthil and Balraj. This cricket night cup is unique in the sense that it is open to only the registered students and employees of the University while the Nari's Knight Cup is open to Alumni's as well as the students of the University. However, the format of both the competitions remains the same.

Football Night Cup

The Football Night cup is the third in the series of Night cups conducted by the Student's Union. The tournament is usually conducted in the last week of February every year. This is a 7-a-side tournament with a total match duration of 30 mins.

Basketball and Volleyball Night cup

The Union also conducts Basketball and Volleyball night cups every year in the month of March.

Cultural Festival

Sukoon (सुकून, meaning peace)is the annual cultural festival of the University organised by the Students' Union during the month of March where students from colleges all over Hyderabad participate. The 3-day event includes various literary and other recreational events like 'Mr.& Ms.Sukoon Competition', Rangoli, Shayari, Quiz, Antaakshari, Debate in English-Telugu-Hindi-Urdu, Dance, Singing, Spot Painting, Treasure Hunt etc. Traditional dance and music performance are also an integral part of the festival. Esteemed artistes such as Warsi Brothers, Telangana Troop etc. have been invited over the past years. The penultimate night is reserved for the Rock Show. Bands like Underground Authority, Motherjane, Taksha, Divine Connection etc. have performed during the past 5 years. The festival concludes with the DJ night.

Entrepreneurship Development Cell

The university has an ED Cell, located in the Management Block of the university, that has nurtured startups. Some of them include.

Campus nature

The university campus has a large area under forest cover, with two perennial and three seasonal lakes. It is home to 734 plant, 10 mammal, 15 reptile and 159 bird species (at last count). Notable animals include spotted deer, hares, peacocks, porcupines and wild boar.

A study, which ranged over three decades (1990-2010), reported that of the plants present on campus, 315 species were used in traditional Indian medicine. 39 species of plants belong to the group that face the threat of extinction. These listings were the result of field studies done on campus by students and faculty members.

The university has plans to preserve area under forest cover and wetlands by creating a bio reserve.

Police Attack on Students

On 22 March 2016, students peacefully protested against the Vice Chancellor, Appa Rao, and demanded justice for Rohith Vemula. This protest turned violent, and 25 students plus 2 faculty members were arrested by police. All of them were granted bail on 28 March by the Metropolitan Magistrate at Miyapur court.

Notable alumni, faculty, and staff