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Admissions 2013

Philosophy under FYUP: Course Analysis

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Philosophy, the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, has been a core academic discipline for centuries to come now. With an increase in the percentage of young minds wanting to develop a thought process of their own and to learn how to do so, B.A (H) in Philosophy has become one of the most sought after courses in the University of Delhi. Available in most of DU’s most renowned colleges, like St. Stephens, Miranda House, Lady Shri Ram, Hindu etc., this course has seen a sudden hike in the number of takers. So here at DU Beat, we decided to analysis the changes made in this course with the advent of the new Four Year Undergraduate Program (FYUP).

The Course
Analysing the University’s undergraduate Philosophy course in particular, we can definitely see that the course has become more rigorous than its predecessor. The subjects introduced at a foundation level are ones unrelated to philosophy (with the exception of Philosophy, Psychology, Communication and Life Skills), but definitely help in understanding the subject better and help sharpen the student’s analytical skills. It also gives a subject like philosophy a more practical, hands-on approach; but alongside a core, theoretical subject like philosophy, it is deemed not required.

The Integrating Mind, Body and Heart course is a welcome addition as it is a core philosophical subject which aims at honing a student’s moralistic side. The applied courses include the likes of Aesthetics and Art Appreciation, Bio-ethics, Meditation and Today, Issues in Applied Ethics etc. These courses definitely help students understand the wide spread implication of a subject like this, but studying subjects like ‘Meditation’ and ‘Art appreciation’ makes the subject extremely stereotypical, and add fuel to the fire as students already question the vague nature of the subject. The winning factor of this new program is the emphasis on the understanding of concepts like Ethics, which people across on a daily basis in their student/work life.

Extra-curricular Activities
The revelation that extra-curricular activities would now hold credit is one of great joy for most students, as in a University like that of Delhi; most students come with the hopes of indulging in their choice of activities along with their studies.

Freedom of Choice
While students will now be able to make an informed choice about exactly what honours degree they’d like to pursue, there has also been certain curtailing of free choice, with the eleven foundation courses being compulsory along with one applied language course.

Exit Points
Under the FYUP, the mid course exit points provided after two years and three years respectively may also prove to be the easier way out for some. Giving young 18-19 year old students an open choice as to leave in 2-3 years makes it difficult for them to make career choices in their formative years.
Also, a subject like philosophy needs time to be studied and understood, but with the option of quitting; there is going to be a major increase in the drop-out rates of our country, making this course a not so feasible option.

Employability
The new FYUP has definitely made a traditionally academic subject like philosophy more market-friendly as the terminology of having a ‘professional degree’ now makes it easier for arts students to land jobs immediately after their under-graduation. Also, the study of various other humanities subjects alongside those of science enables graduates in philosophy to choose from a wider plethora of career options.

Final verdict
The FYUP has definitely changed the course structure of philosophy for the better by making it more practical in nature, but it definitely has definitely lessened the value of this subject as a core academically taught program. The success of this course can only be judged after we see the increase or decrease in the number of takers for this subject.

(For analysis of other courses click here)

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Admissions 2013

Bachelor of Management Studies: Course Analysis

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While BMS aspirants wait for the result of the entrance, we take a look at what you can expect out of the four year undergraduate programme in Management Studies.

BMS or Bachelor of Management Studies replaced three courses i.e. Bachelor of Business Studies, Bachelor of Business Economics and Bachelor of Financial and Investment Analysis. Under the FYUP, the course is now overlooked by the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University, a reputed institute for management education. However, studying BMS for a year will make you realize that the Faculty of Management Studies has nothing to do with it apart from its sole contribution being the redesigning of the syllabus and the scrapping of the interview that was followed earlier in the admission process.

BMS, like the three courses it replaced, is a course that is meant for students who wish to go beyond theoretical education. Since the admission is based on the Board marks, the entrance exam, it gives students an opportunity to study at reputed colleges in DU, even if their Board marks are on the lower side.

Here’s a look at some aspects of this relatively new course:

Syllabus
The syllabus for BMS is very similar to that of BBS, with certain elements from the syllabi of BBE and BFIA like Basic Econometrics and Financial Modeling and Derivatives added to it.

Some topics, which were earlier simply a part of subjects in the 3 courses, are now full fledged papers under the new syllabus like Database Management System and Consumer Behaviour. BMS students will have to study a language under the new syllabus as an Applied Course.

Students can choose from the following subject areas for their DC II papers: Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, Management of Services, Management of Global Business and Tourism Management.

On one hand, this is a plus because the students have more choices now, as the old courses had less number of options for specialization. Moreover, students can choose a DC II paper from their second year. This gives the students an added advantage of studying a specialization subject for three years which was previously taught for only a year (final year).

However, though initially these six courses were meant exclusively for the students pursuing BMS, Delhi University revoked its decision and made it available for the students pursuing any course subject to the guidelines mentioned here. Therefore, the exclusivity that students pursuing BBS/BBE/BFIA had of specializing in a subject has been taken away from the course.

A bonus year
An extra year for BMS students, brings with it various opportunities. The 3 courses it has replaced have always laid emphasis on extra curricular activities. Students can intern for another summer and try their hand at working in different industries, start ups, NGOs and so on. Apart from that, it is another year full of B Plan competitions, Mock Stocks, B Quizzes etc. Those who wish to take up this course are usually inclined towards gaining practical exposure. With a bonus year, students can apply themselves in a much better way and hone such skills. Additionally, a student graduating after 4 years will be awarded an Honours degree, though 2 of the earlier courses were not Honours courses.

The exit options
The exit options might prove to be a boon for those students who aspire to be entrepreneurs. They can finish their graduation in 2 or 3 years and use the knowledge acquired to set up a business. This route is not for the faint hearted, of course. This option may also prove useful for students who plan to join their family’s business post graduation.

College Choices
Though BBS, BBE and BFIA were taught in 3, 10 and 1 college(s) respectively, BMS will be taught in only 6 colleges, namely:

Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (or CBS)
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College (DDUC)
Keshav Mahavidyala (KMV)
Bhimrao Ambedkar College (BRAC)
Maharaja Agrasen College (MAC)
College of Vocational Studies (CVS)

This move came as a surprise since reputed colleges like SGTB Khalsa, Gargi and SGGS College of Commerce were not given a green signal by the University to start this course. In all, 840 seats have been allotted to this course.

Based on the counseling sessions of last year, CBS was the first choice for most students. KMV and DDUC followed next, and were more or less equally popular. CVS too, saw many takers especially since they have 300 seats for this course. MAC and BRAC were the next options taken up by students.

Overall, the changes made were mostly positive, with fairly decent to good placements depending on the college, a myriad of extra curricular activities and a balance of theory and practical exposure.

 Tushar Diwan and Priyanka Banerjee

(For analysis of other courses click here)

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Admissions 2013

Commerce under FYUP: Course Analysis

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The University of Delhi has always been innovating and experimenting with the courses it offers. This time, however, the change is even more radical and in spite of millions of speculations, protests and uncertainty the University has carried out its four year undergraduate plan, which on the face of it, seems entirely different from all previous attempts.

Almost all the courses are divided into Discipline course, Foundation course and Integrating Mind, Body and Heart course. B.Com (Hons) likewise has eight semesters altogether with first two years dedicated to Diploma, 3 years offers bachelor degree and fourth year bachelor with honours degree.

Difference in topics
The syllabus includes the commerce component business laws, financial accounting and auditing, business mathematics and statistics, human resource management and financial management in Discipline 1. While new papers like corporate governance and social responsibility, industrial law and foreign exchange management have been introduced, papers like indirect tax have been dropped.Discipline 2, which comprises six papers, includes setting up a business, marketing for beginners, financial reporting and analysis, personal tax planning, investing in stock market and insurance and risk management. However, the optional papers like financial market, institutions and financial services, compensation management, corporate tax planning and business data processing found no place in the new structure.

Diluted or Enriched
A section of teachers has alleged dilution of the B.Com (H) course as full-fledged papers on indirect tax (VAT and service tax) and international business have been dropped. However, the mix of different subjects in Foundation and Discipline course seems quite promising in giving a more intensive touch to Commerce as a whole.

Knowledge- Theory or practical
The four year course, definitely, has more practical side than the previous three year system. With subjects like Setting up a Business, Marketing for Beginners, Financial Reporting & Analysis, Personal Tax Planning, Investing in Stock Market, Insurance & Risk Management in discipline 2 the students are expected to have more exposure to actual business and market condition.

(Commerce 2013 cut-offs)

Work Load- swell up?
The first year has 11 foundation subjects which the students have to take. There is no other way out. Naturally the work load has increased. However, the pressure on students will fluctuate with every semester. In addition the Foundation course offers subjects like Science and Life which a commerce student might not be interested in, which in turn increases the work load.

Co- curricular activities
With increased workload and diverse subjects, focus on extracurricular activities will demand greater effort and time. The students might face difficulty in coping up with these. In the second, third and fourth year however, one cultural activity has been made compulsory.

Multiple exit points
Many professors feel that multiple exit points will encourage dropping out and actually lead to greater inequity among students. If a student leaves after two years, it will be of little help to him as far as employment is concerned. With multiple exit points it is unclear how students will be accommodated in other colleges outside Delhi.

Final Verdict
Although the FYUP offers more choices and greater diversity, if we look closely, a student has little choice to make and most of foundation subjects might not prove to be worth it. However, if a student completes all the four year he/ she will have a better employment prospect. The study is in depth if we ignore the subjects which have been dropped.

(For analysis of other courses click here)

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Admissions 2013

Economics under FYUP: Course analysis

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With gallons of expectations and raging curiosity, prospective students are soon to set into the new academic environment of Delhi University that has swept amass every single person of this country with its mystified character. While dreamy eyed school pass-outs gallop their way into a luscious arena of modified milieu, here is a keynote to the economics four year undergraduate program at a glance.

The four year undergraduate program has adopted an application based analytical setting, that aims to provide students with skill based knowledge of the economic scenario along with striving to form a firm rooting conceptually of the subject.

The Course:

The first year accommodates two subjects, principles of economics and mathematical methods for economics-I. The former subject is structured to explore the subject matter of economics, the basics of demand and supply and an introduction to macroeconomics. The second semester shall continue to hone mathematical skills through knowledge of the second part of mathematical methods for economics along with introduction to statistics. The third semester shall introduce the first applied course being game theory, along with strengthening statistical roots and exploring subjects like microeconomics and introductory economics. Likewise in the fourth and fifth semester, students shall acquire knowledge of applied courses such as financial economics and public finance alongside study of the discipline courses that aim to develop practical and application skills of students. The sixth semester shall introduce in perspective the economic scenario that has prevailed in India and an applied course of environmental economics. The last two semesters are intended to refine the research skills of students. The students are envisioned to submit a dissertation in the final year which will carry 75 per cent of the weightage of marks.

(Economics 2013 cut-offs)

Co Curricular Activities:

The spread of the courses in the four years is a harmonious mix of aligned subjects that render scope for students to pursue co-curricular activities as well. In depth knowledge and scope for absorptive study is in fact an advantage of the change.

“I personally feel that the four year undergraduate program is a great opportunity for us as it enables us to explore other areas of interests through the system of applied courses and minor subjects while adding to our future prospects. Apart from that it provides us with 4 years of education which is an essential requirement to apply for higher studies in many countries” says Aakash Sahai, a contented prospective applicant for the course.

Employability:

The program essentially claims to improve employability through imparting skill based knowledge and an option to leave the course after two years with a diploma and after three years with a bachelor’s degree, but whether these can be competent enough compared to an honours degree when it comes to employability, is still a matter in disputed territory.

Nevertheless, the holistic approach adopted by the program is certainly a step in the right direction.

(For analysis of other courses click here)

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Admissions 2013

English under FYUP: Course analysis

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Here’s how the newly-introduced Four Year Undergraduate Programme is going to affect the students aspiring to study English literature and the course itself, at the University of Delhi:

Topics changed or added or removed
The number of papers for English Honours has been reduced from 23 to 20 that are included in the Discipline Courses1 (DC1). Choosing Popular Fiction or European Realism, Literary Theory or Modern European Drama has been done away with, and for good, since now the students have the opportunity to study varied literature. Choicelessness is definitely bliss here, especially for students who hope to study more and more literature.

Enriching or diluting?
With the addition of new material the course has definitely been enriched. There is a wider range in terms of the DC1 syllabus now.

Structure
The semester system will not be affected due to FYUP. Two semesters annually, much like the three-year system, with the addition of another year and two more semesters. In English, syllabus has been shuffled, new topics added and existing syllabus has been clubbed together.

More practical or theoretical now?
Through the Applied Courses, there is scope for a more practical knowledge rather than the theoretical study of DC1 and DC2. Class presentations and discussions, if conducted properly, regularly and for everybody, will surely help the students in fields outside the theoretical realm of the course that is English Honours.

Affect on students
Covering all the topics within the stipulated time might turn out to be a Herculean task, leaving behind only those students who can handle the pressure and time crunch.

Exit points
The option of leaving the course after two years will produce a large number of students who will not have a proper degree or qualification in terms of employability. It cannot be determined whether a person who has studied English literature for only two years might be able to land up a good job; the chances do not seem very appealing.

Employability
Expansion of the course will definitely be able to help students of English in gaining better jobs, provided that the student covers all four years of the course.

Final verdict
FYUP has taken the University with a storm, and the results can be determined only after four years have passed. Although it is felt that more time and discussions should have been spent on the Programme, many feel that FYUP is good for the students. The development of the syllabus has been done within few weeks, with not enough consideration given to how the colleges are going to manage faculty, time and space. Since this is how the system going to be now, we hope it turns out for the best.

(For analysis of other courses click here)

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Admissions 2013

Political Science under FYUP: Course analysis

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The University of Delhi has been through a lot in the past two years. The shift from an annual system to a semester mode has been quick, tremendous, and a whole new experience – just the way all change has ever taken place. And just while we were all settling in, the University is going to see yet another new way of life – the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP). Through this article, we look at how it has affected the Political Science course offered by the University.

The Course
Analysing the University’s undergraduate Political Science course in particular, the first thing that strikes a person is that in the foundation year, there are very few subjects (out of eleven) that would be vaguely related to political science – namely Governance and Citizenship, Indian History and Culture, Environment and public health, Geographic and socio- economic diversity. While courses like IT, Mathematics and Literature may help enhance vocational skills, they have very little to do with the subject itself.

The structure of the course has obviously changed, and the university has tried to make it more comprehensive by introducing twenty major subjects (Discipline Course 1) related to the students’ particular subject of interest, six minor subjects (Discipline Course 2) for additional information and knowledge, and four skill based Applied Subjects. While this well defined way of functioning will give students an in depth research perspective to political science, the fear of reading material being too short (as laid down by the university) to provide greater understanding – especially in a research driven subject like political science – is quickly seeping in. Yet, many feel that the course may become more practical, with all knowledge being coupled with important skill based learning.

Mind Body and Heart Courses and ECA
Some also see this as a way of making Political Science a less rigorous course, with co curricular activity being given importance, along with skill building and overall development with courses like Mind Body and Soul. But the essence of a research driven subject, the idea of creating a generation of academics who understand in depth political theory and have the potential to lead revolutions is slowly diminishing.

Freedom of Choice
While students will now be able to make an informed choice about exactly what honours degree they’d like to pursue, there has also been certain curtailing of free choice, with the eleven foundation courses being compulsory along with one applied language course. These courses like Information Technology, Science and Life, Business, Entrepreneurship, and Management are from varied streams and may not really equip a student studying Political Science.

(Political Science 2013 Cut-offs)

Exit Points
Under the FYUP, the mid course exit points provided after two years and three years respectively may also prove to be the easier way out for some. Fear is that it would serve to the disadvantage of students from underprivileged backgrounds and women students. Since the first year is only a foundation year, these exit points in a course like political science may lead to graduates with half baked knowledge on concepts that are built over time –like theories of politics, international relations and global politics, governments and constitutions.

Employability
Amidst all protests and petitions against the FYUP was the Vice Chancellors argument of the new system improving employability and placement patterns of the university. For a subject like political science, whose scope is so diverse, students would benefit more from quality education than from unguaranteed, but apparently easy jobs.

Final verdict
Like every course, Political Science too, has been affected by the FYUP –for the better in some ways, and for worse in others. The final verdict, though, can only be given after this batch of students completes their graduation. Ruin or reform, this change is finally taking place despite protest from a substantial part of the university, and each course can only accept it and make it work for itself.

(For analysis of other courses click here)

Illustration Credit: Bidisha Mandal

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