Anil Pradhan's Review On Jadavpur University - [JU], Kolkata

I took the Jadavpur University Department of English (JUDE) MA Admission Test 2015 in order to secure a place at the department. My score was 58.5 and rank 12 in the merit list. I opted for JU because it is the best university for post graduate education and research in Kolkata, the state of West Bengal and is also rated as the best arts and humanities institute in India.

The environment of academic research is very competitive and encouraging at the university. The course assignments, seminar papers and semester assessments provide students with an ability to perform well in a research background. The electives offered every semester range across various research issues and interests, and there are at least 10 choices to chose from every semester.

JUDE doesn't provide direct internships but provides opportunities to get involved with internships from time to time. The internship opportunities range mostly in the fields of journalism, NGO work, and even as research assistants for academic projects. Many national dailies like Times of India, The Statesman, The Telegraph, etc. accept students for internship.

The JU Faculty of Arts Placement Cell is very active in providing placement opportunities. Companies like ABP, Viacom18, Star, etc. have hired postgraduates from the department. In the technology faculty, global companies like Google, IBM, Facebook, TCS, etc hire students with an average pay scale of Rs. 30,000-50,000 per month. Recently, the highest package offered touched Rs. 1 crore per year, offered by Google.

JU organises two major fests during the academic year apart from numerous departmental events around the year. Sanskriti is the Faculty of Arts fest and is one of the most famous cultural fests in the institution circle of Kolkata. Srijan is the Techology-Management fest which is also well known for its vibrancy. Both of the fests sees participants from institutions from all over the state and the country.

The fee structure for the Arts and Science Faculties is pretty reasonable and affordable. The average fees for both the undergraduate and postgraduate level students vary within the range of Rs 3000 per year. The low fees make education at JU feasible for all students regardless of their economic background.

JU provides several financial assistance opportunities for meritorious students with humble economic backgrounds. Concession is fees is provide d to upto 10% of the total students. There are also several stipends provided to needy students. There are also financial assistance available to ST/SC and Physically Handicapped students.

The hostel and mess facilities at JU is efficient and accessible. There are many hostels for around 2000 university students, which charge reasonable fees not exceeding Rs 3000 per month. The food provided at the canteen is subsidised and of good quality. Food for a whole day can be availed at a cost as less as Rs. 150. The hostels and canteens are maintained well and hygiene is taken care of.

The exam structure is very student friendly and efficient. The semester system allows comprehensive sustained assessments with enough time for preparation and study. Both the internal assessments and the end-semester exams are conducted in a manner which provides the students with a sense of confidence and not tension.

I got admission at JU through the Department of English MA Admission Test 2015. It was conducted by the department itself and has always been the most competitive admission test for entry into an MA in English course in East India. The notification for admission was released online around April-May and the application form was to be filled online too. The admission test was conducted at the department itself.

The faculty at JUDE and other departments have expertise on a varied range of research interests. The quality of teaching and research conducted by the professors is of a high standard matching that of national and international expectations. Many of the faculty members have been educated and/or have research and teaching experience from abroad, including universities like that of Oxford.