FAQ Academics | Avantika University

FAQs - Academics

What is liberal education?

Liberal education focuses on providing the skills and perspectives to students, which are considered an essential part of leading an ethical and purposeful life. Essentially, liberal education incorporates breadth and depth across multiple disciplines. Typically, students have an option to select from a variety of courses in different disciplines and declare their dedicated course of study after exploring their interests.

What is the meant by interdisciplinary education?

Interdisciplinary education gives students the opportunity to break-free from traditional educational patterns and gives them the freedom to choose what they want to study. Education at Avantika gives students the much-needed opportunity to understand where their interest areas lie in the Foundation year and then choose if they want to study core disciplines or choose from other fields to make their own specialization.

Do students have to declare their specialization at the time of admission?

No, the selection takes place at the start of third semester after the completion of the mandatory Foundation course.

How viable is it to pursue two core specialization at the same time?

It is very much viable to pursue multiple specializations at the same time and the same can be realized by selecting the elective courses accordingly.For Example – A Product Design student can select all electives from User Experience Design to have dual specialization.

What is the process of course registration at Avantika?

Course registration is mandatory to be done at the start of every semester by the students which is facilitated by an online process. The students after duly completing the online course registration process, need to submit signed print-out of the form in the Student’s Office. Students who do not complete this process are not allowed to attend the class until course registration is done.

What is the nature of collaboration with partner institutions?

Avantika has collaborated with global universities such as Aalto University - Design Factory Global Network, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Tel Aviv University, Universidade de Brasilia, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, BRNO University of Technology, Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, for Hi-tech lab complex, curriculum design, research collaborations, faculty exchange as well as student exchange programs. Apart from this, we have collaborated with various Industry partners and facilitated various association with different organizations for the academic upliftment of the programs. To know more, please click here

What is the learner to faculty ratio at Avantika?

The learner to faculty ratio at Avantika is 1:10.

What are the timings of classes in the University?

The regular time table is 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. However, the academic rigour expects the students to put in extra hours in studios, labs and workshops for completing their projects. The University will as such be open 24*7.

There will be times when the classes might be conducted beyond the stipulated hours or on holidays and weekends especially by industry or foreign faculty.

Should students bring their own laptops?

Students must carry their own laptops to campus when they move in. Almost all courses require constant use of laptops in the form of preparation for assignments and exams.

Can students travel back home during weekends?

We strongly discourage students going back home on weekends but yes in genuine cases the same can be considered. It also depends on the work assignments of the students, usually students stay engaged in various activities inside the campus, and hence require time for such activities also.

Will the University’s academic timetable permit students to undergo training in a sport or extracurricular activity outside the campus?

The course is rigorous and undergoing training outside campus will be difficult for students.

How many hours of academic work does a student have to put-in in a week?

On an average, the students put in 30 hours of work per week. However, they are expected to put in equal number of hours for completing their assignments and projects.

If a student is not so good at a particular subject, how and how often can he approach a professor to work on his or skills in the area?

The students may approach their professors anytime, just by informing them on prior basis so that even the faculties may adjust their schedule accordingly.

Do students have the options to pursue extra-curricular and co-curricular activities?

Yes, the students are in fact encouraged to participate in activities apart from the Academics. There are various sports events and internal clubs that engage students in various activities of their interest.

Is the Avantika degree recognised by education institutions abroad?

Avantika is a State Private University established by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, through an Act of State Legislature and is approved by UGC. Obviously, the degree is recognized by education institutions abroad.

Will the faculty member help me to decide my specialization at the end of Foundation year?

Faculties at Avantika act as student’s mentors and their involvement in the student’s academic journey is quite prominent as a guiding light. On the basis of continuous assessment, the faculty keeps track of the student’s areas of strengths and weaknesses and throughout guide them accordingly.

Can I change in the major and minor specialization combination?

There is an opportunity to change the major and minor declarations till Semester 4, i.e. end year 2 and take new major or minors provided the prerequisites of the new major and minor are already met.

What sort of industry exposure is given to the students at Avantika?

Avantika University’s educational model puts due emphasis in giving industry-oriented exposure to its students. The Industry Relations cell works rigorously to provide industry-oriented input to the young learners by means of Internships, Expert Sessions on campus, Industry visits etc. It is precedented that the students get internship opportunities in the Industry from 2nd semester onwards. Apart from this, every Friday, experts from various domains conduct workshops and sessions to update and upgrade the student’s knowledge bank and keep them abreast with industry requirements.

What are the clubs available at Avantika?

Avantika University runs various clubs that are led and operated by the students along with mentors to guide them.

Rangnaad Club: For students interested in cultural activities like Art, Dance, Music, Sculpture etc

Robotics Club: For students interested in designing and prototyping robots.

Coding Club: For students interested in mastering various coding languages.

Cycling Club: For students who love cycling and exploring.

Toastmasters Club: For students interested in being great communicators and leaders.

Take 2 - The movie club: For students who love to get experiences from stories.

Photography Club: For students, who love capturing moments and nature.

Can the parents be in touch with the faculties at campus?

Yes.

What is the minimum graduation credit requirement?

The minimum graduation credit requirement is 160 credits.

What is the minimum attendance requirement?

Ideally 100% attendance is expected from the students. But to account for approved leave of absence (for instance, representing the University in State/ National/ International Competitions/ Events/ Conference etc.) and/ or other contingencies like medical emergencies, the attendance requirement shall be minimum 75%.

What is capstone project and how many can I take?

Capstone Project is the culmination of all the academic projects. It is a semester-long project which can be carried out either individually or in groups in Industry, Design Studios or in the university under the mentorship of a faculty. The project enables the student to synthesize all his learnings into a tangible outcome.

What is the scope of curriculum innovation at Avantika?

Curriculum innovation is somethings which distinguishes Avantika from the rest. The Academic council and Board of Studies consists of distinguished intellectuals from Industry and various fields of academics who continuously provide their inputs about the new trends in academics and changes in Industry requirements. Basis these suggestions, the curriculum of Avantika finds its mould and runs parallelly with the ever-changing trends in education.

What is the essence of practical based learning at Avantika?

Practical-based learning at Avantika is far from conventional. All the courses are formulated in tandem with the industry requirements and emphasizes on practical-application of concepts rather than old- school theoretical classroom sessions. With the availability of hi-tech workshops, labs, and various studios, the students indulge into practical session where they work hands-on to understand concepts and their practical application. Learn-by-doing is a core concept of education here and the students are continually assessed on the basis of their tangible outputs.

How is course work assessed at Avantika?

Education at Avantika is far from conventional and this applies equally to the assessment process. As part of practical-based learning education pedagogy, the students work on assignments and projects for all their courses and are assessed on a continuous basis. Some courses might also have written examinations as well to test the theoretical concepts of the students. At the end of the semester, the students represent their semester-long work which is assessed by internal and external jury members.

What are the placement opportunities at Avantika?

The education model of Avantika nurtures young minds not just to be future Designers or Engineers but enlightened individuals who bring about positive changes in the society. The education model which complements Design-thinking and liberal education encourages practical learning with a breadth of industry-oriented touch-ups. This readies students with not 4 years of education but industry experience and life-long lessons to cherish. Individuals at Avantika will be moulded such that they start something of their own but yes the industry collaboration of Avantika and it’s parent body, MIT Pune will definitely back the students as far as placements are concerned.

How would you describe Avantika University’s International Relations?

Avantika is in collaboration with various international universities and keeps on expanding its international relations. To read more about the International tie-ups, please click here.