University of Madras

Madras University or UNOM, a replica of London University, was founded in 1857 by the Indian government. Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, is where the university was set up. It falls under the category of a public university and comes under the state Govt. of Tamil Nadu. The chancellor of the university is the current governor of the state. The university has its accreditation to the NAAC with an A grade. It has also got the status of UPE (University with Potential for Excellence) by UGC. It has affiliations with not only NAAC and UGC but also with AIU and ACU. The university has more than 100 colleges affiliated with it. It got 39th position in the recently released NIRF University Rankings 2022.

Chennai University (as people call it after Madras city name changed to Chennai) offers many courses in the UG and PG programs through affiliated colleges and institutions. Many affiliated institutes also offer teaching and research activities and Ph.D. programs. In the teaching and research field, the university has around 18 government colleges/institutes on its 4 campuses. These institutes offer certificates, diplomas, and research programs to students. Humanities, Science, Management, and Arts are the major fields in which a student can opt for a degree. The university also has an institute where students can enroll in distance learning and education. It offers distance learning in Music, Vaishnavism, and Christian Studies. These courses offered by the university are unparalleled and every year plenty of students enroll in them. The university also admits foreign national students and helps them in assisting the visa process. The faculty at the university is also very rich in knowledge and experience. To give exposure to students, many guest lecturers and professors visit the campus. The teachers are very supportive and they prepare students to overcome career challenges.

The university is more than 150 years old with its rich history. It has produced many eminent scholars and talented leaders. Nobel laureate C. V. Raman, S Ramanujan, former presidents S Radhakrishnan, V. V. Giri, Neelam S Reddy, R. Venkataraman, and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is the most famous and notable alumni of this institution.

Madras University admits students to undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs. For UG admissions, students can apply online to the affiliated colleges. The students can submit the online application on the university website. The eligibility for admission into the affiliated departments is different for each course.

The university admits students to MA, MSc, MEd, MBA, M.Lib, and other PG programs every year. The students get admission based on the university entrance exam score. It takes students in regular and self-supportive courses at the PG level. The students should have completed their graduation as the basic eligibility criteria. On the basis of graduation marks and entrance scores, a student gets admission to his/her choice of program. For MBA and MCA programs, a student has to write a TANCET or any same-level entrance exam. The university decides the percentile criteria for admitting the student to these courses.

For Ph.D. programs, a student can apply twice a year via an online application. The candidate must submit a hard copy of their application with supporting documents. They have to submit it to the university department or college where he/she wishes to conduct research. The programs are either full-time or part-time, and students can opt as per their choice. They are also selected through an entrance exam conducted by the university. Students with UGC JRF, CSIR, or DBT can get admission at any time of the year. The smallest criteria for doing the Ph.D. are to have a master’s degree in the concerned subject with at least 60%.

Madras University offers many scholarships, endowments, and services to its students. There is a committee in the university that looks after the welfare of students belonging to weaker sections of society. The university also gives concessions to the SC/ST students in the different courses. They are given a 50% fee waiver on the tuition and labs fee. There is a provision of full scholarships to students who are physically challenged. They are provided with full scholarships in the PG Programs of the university. Other than SC/ST/MBC and Govt. Merit Scholarships there are also other different scholarships covered by the university. Rotary Club of Madras gives endowment scholarships to the students of all the departments. Other scholarships include the lions international endowment scholarship, Periyar Endowment Scholarship. To find out about the 20+ scholarships, students can visit the official website of the university and download the prospectus.

A complete fee is also waived for one poor student based on his performance and merit each year. His/her family income should be less than 2,00,000. Medals and prizes are also given to the students who have secured excellent grades in various exams conducted by the university. Candidates belonging to SAARC countries are also eligible to get a 40% scholarship on tuition fees. The university has also launched a scheme named Earn While You Learn for PG students and Ph.D. scholars. They can earn money by working in a laboratory, library, or as technical assistants. Scholars doing PhDs if they travel outside India are also given financial help.