Ashoka University offers a multidisciplinary undergraduate programme, in the interest of exposing students to many different perspectives in and out of the classroom. Students are not expected to declare their Major until the middle of the second year. This is to ensure that they get plenty of time to try out various possibilities, to pursue extra-curricular and co-curricular interests, to discover new passions, and perhaps to change the trajectory of their lives.
Students enrolled at Ashoka University can choose their Major from a total of 12 pure or 9 interdisciplinary options. Students can also pick Minors from among 21 disciplines and concentration from among 19 disciplines on offer. Over the duration of their undergraduate programme, it is mandatory for students to undertake 9 Foundation Courses and 2 Co-curricular Courses.
Structure and Curriculum
To graduate with a Bachelor’s degree from Ashoka University, students must pass courses that are broadly divided into three categories – Foundation Courses, Major Courses (including Interdisciplinary Majors) and Co-Curricular Courses. Each course carries credit points, and in order to earn their degree at the end of three years, students pursuing a pure major need to have accumulated a minimum of 100 credits, students pursuing an interdisciplinary major a minimum of 116 credits.
The course divisions and credits pure majors need to acquire within three years are as follows:
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9 Foundation Courses (36 credits)
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12 Major Courses (48 credits) * , **
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2 Co-Curricular Courses (4 credits)
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Other (Elective, Minor, Concentration) (12 credits)
*Students working towards an approved Interdisciplinary Major must take a minimum of 16 (64 credits) courses – i.e. four courses more than what is required for a pure Major.
**Some departments have implemented additional requirements such as a higher number of required Major Courses. Students should consult the website of the respective programme or inquire with the respective department to ensure that they are aware of the requirements specific to their Major.
Students can also take additional courses during the three years. A number of Minors are also offered at Ashoka. To qualify for a Minor, students must take 6 courses (24 credits) in a programme outside their field of Major specialisation.
For details regarding the more specific requirements students must meet (e.g. the kinds of courses students must take to qualify for a Minor), please consult the website of the respective academic programmes.