Learning Outcome

Arabic

Today, the Arabic language is the 5th most spoken language in the world and is also among the United Nations (UN) sixth official languages. It is spoken by well over 400 million people spread across more than 24 countries of the world.

The scope of learning the Arabic language will put the students in a better light of interacting and blending positively into the Arabic culture - relating easily with millions of Arabs across the globe. Student's ability to understand and speak Arabic will open doors to countless opportunities for students. Presently, there is a lot of demand for Arabic language speakers. For instance, many companies are on the lookout for Arabic speakers in the KPO, BPO, Aviation, Tourism sectors all over India. The reason is that most of the companies are involved in colossal business dealings with the Gulf region.

After learning Arabic, Students can work as a professional Faculty, Trainer, Teacher, Translator, Interpreter, Proofreader, Editor, Researcher, Content writer, either on Government or at any non government organizations. It was introduced in Indian Civil Services examination in 1963 for the first time. And it became an optional subject to be taken at the preliminary stage of the test from there onwards.

Learning the Arabic language will help the students in their academic pursuits. By studying Arabic our students gain complete knowledge of reading formal classical as well as modern Arabic, which will undoubtedly assist students in their academic research and career. They can produce well-researched written works using appropriate evidence-based argument, logical structure, correct grammar and proper references. Our explicit objective is to promot higher education and learning in the field and with successive batches of students regularly attending classes and completing the course, this target has been satisfactorily met by the Department. Our students attend different universities and earn master degree in Arabic. Arabic is being taught in more than 50 universities like JNU, University of Delhi, BHU, Jamia Millia Islamia, Calcutta University, Mumbai University, Bangalore University, Osmania University,Allahbad University Aliah University etc.

The Department is committed to the vision and mission of the College and takes special care to teach students from minority communities and other weaker sections.

Bengali

The Department of Bengali runs Undergraduate Courses in Bengali under the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS). As per the Syllabi of the courses, approved by the University of Calcutta, we offer both Core Courses and General Elective Courses, and also offer Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC) in Bengali language to all undergraduate students of the college. The students of Bengali Language and Literature will acquire the knowledge of Bengali grammar, history of Bengali literature and at the same time they will be familiar with the cultural history of the Bengal through various texts. In the syllabi a special importance has been given on expertise development with Skill Enhancement Course (SEC). Such emphasis will increase the possibility of success in media, script writing, teaching, theatre, recitation, cinema and other sectors in future.

English

The Department runs Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses in English under the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS), teaching a syllabi mandated by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The new system divides the curriculum in modular forms for the duration of the semesters running six months each, thus making the process of transferring credits (grades) easier for a student. Since the semester system has widespread international acceptance, it also facilitates the recognition of academic credits everywhere.

Both at the Undergraduate and the Postgraduate levels, the Department offers a bouquet of Core Courses and General Elective Courses, and also offers Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC) in English language to all Undergraduate students of the college in  Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences and Commerce Streams.

The upgraded syllabi of the B.A. and M.A. courses in English, taught by the Department, not only covers British Literature, but also American Literature, Indian Literature in Translation etc. This give the students a wide exposure to the literatures of the world, as well as critical theories covering the most recent trends in different fields in literature and cultural studies.

Both at the B.A. and the M.A. levels, there is a special emphasis on language acquisition, with Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC) in B.A. level and English Language  Teaching (ELT) modules in M.A. level, with papers focused on applied Linguistics. Such emphasis naturally enhances the students’ language skills and improves general employability in teaching, media, Information Technology (IT) and other sectors.

Sanskrit

Students of Sanskrit hons will be able to read, understand, write and speak Sanskrit. They would acquire the knowledge of Sanskrit grammar, literature, history of literature, Indian philosophy, Veda, Vedang, Vedic literature, dharmasatra, arthasastra, nitisatra and inscriptions. They will also acquire the initial knowledge of indian civilisation and culture through sanskrit texts. They will be capable of studying Vedic and classical Sanskrit literature. They will be able to understand the ultimate goal of life.

They would prepare for UPSC WBES and translation jobs. After passing their PG they can apply for teaching jobs in schools, colleges and universities.

History

Any subject of study needs justification and its advocates must explain why it is worth attention. Most widely accepted disciplines - History being certainly one of them - attract some people who simply like the information and modes of thought involved. But persons less spontaneously drawn to the subject need to know what the purpose is.

But whenever questions are asked about what we can learn from History, it invariably leads to Spanish Philosopher George Santayana's much quoted remark 'Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it'. In other words, learning important lessons from it should help us to avoid previous mistakes and misdeeds from happening again. History enables us to develop better understanding of the people and society we find ourselves in. Understanding of historical events and trends helps us to develop a much greater appreciation for current events. An exclusive reliance on current data would needlessly handicap us. For instance how can we evaluate war if the nation is at peace - unless we use historical materials? Major aspects of society's functioning like migration, missionary activities, military alliances etc. can not be set up as precise laboratory experiments. Consequently, data from the past often guides us to figure out why complex societies behave in a particular fashion. Moreover the past causes the present, and so the future. Whenever we try to find out why something happened, we have to look for factors that took shape earlier. Only through studying History we can grasp how things change and which elements of a society persists despite change.

Department of History of Maulana Azad College, Kolkata; always strives to ensure that following learning outcomes are being achieved at the undergraduate level - 1. Students shall be able to demonstrate thinking skills by analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating historical information from multiple sources. 2. They will develop the ability to differentiate between fact and fiction, while understanding that there may be more than one historical truth. 3. They will develop an informed familiarity with multiple cultures, general chronology of human existence. 4. They will produce well-researched written work primarily based on secondary literature, using appropriate evidence-based argument, logical structure, correct grammar and proper references. 5. They will develop the capacity to recognise the diversity, complexity and moral dilemmas inherent in the study of History.

Students of History, by studying different societies of the past and contemporary period, acquire a broad perspective and flexibility required in real life situations. A Graduate degree in History also improves basic writing and speaking skills - relevant for public and private sectors - whereas the capacity to identify, assess and explain trends is essential, although it does not lead directly to a specific job for most of the students. A history major can lead to diverse kinds of careers. Some of the more popular ones include civil service, all kinds of NGOs, research and the media; tourism, heritage consultancy and preservation; museum, libraries and achieves etc.

Philosophy

The curriculum primarily imbibes a deep and reflective awareness about the world and understanding of reality as discussed in Indian and Western tradition to equip them with a comprehensive world- view.

The discipline also instils moral values amidst students making them aware about social issues including moral obligations and rights as well.

The curriculum encourages social awareness, makes them aware about its problems, inculcates the spirit of identity and oneness with other members of the society, through clarification of fundamental concepts like society, community, association, institution, fostering an inner commitment to follow the secular spirit of the Indian Constitution.

The department sincerely follows the university curriculum, significance of knowing the inner state of mind with clarity, rationality, interpretation of dreams and the scientific process of learning all of which are essential to know one's own self.

The department is also committed towards inculcating awareness about man- nature relationship, and tries to focus on the urgent need to develop an ardent respect for nature.

Moreover, special classes especially for students who confront difficulties in understanding diverse and intricate problems of philosophy are being taken care of.

The department has felt the inner need to promote outreach programs beyond the confinement of class room teaching, and visits to the ancestral home of Swami Vivekananda, Hooghly, Bandel church which surely helps to promote a healthy student-teacher relationship.

The department in its venture to facilitate students with emerging newer problems arising in different branches of philosophy organise seminars, invites different experts and lecturers which inspire students to participate in student seminars.

Wall- magazines are regularly updated and supported - all of which bear ample evidence of a healthy learning environment.

Political Science

The Department was established in the 1960s for disseminating comprehensive knowledge about Political Science at the Graduation level. The explicit objective has been promoting higher education and learning in the field and with successive batches of students regularly attending classes and completing the course, this target has been satisfactorily met by the College and Department.

Some of the related learning outcomes for the students have been the following:

Understanding of Politics:

An in-depth empirical as well as qualitative understanding of the lively subject of politics for the students which helps them appreciate news reporting, political discussions and debates, domestic and international events.

Good Citizenship:

Inculcates good citizenship values in the students, making them aware of their rights and duties.

Values and Awareness:

The curriculum encourages gender sensitization, religious harmony and through different courses within the subject. Classroom discussions and invited lectures are organized for reinforcing these values. Certain courses on Indian Political History, harping on the ills and trauma of partition, the value of secularism are theoretically discussed to uphold the ethical standards for the students. Also, the student composition reflects two things very clearly; there is a substantial intake of female students every year (almost forty per cent). And, students from all religious communities are part of the classroom.

Minority and Weaker Students:

The Department is committed to the vision and mission of the College and takes special care to teach students from minority communities and other weaker sections. The Department has traditionally witnessed the admission of students of poorer sections in Central Calcutta, which forms the immediate surrounding of the College. To that end, the Department promotes inclusive education, providing equal opportunities to all.

Mature Learners:

Advanced and interested learners are encouraged by the Department to participate in debates, students' seminars in the College as well as in other institutions. This is very helpful in improving their communicative skills. They regularly contribute to Wall Magazines by writing their thoughts on a relevant issue.

Environmental Awareness:

Environmental awareness is specially inculcated among students of the Department by teaching them the history of environmental movements and its present dynamics. Separate assignments and examinations on Environmental Studies are conducted as a part of the Calcutta University academic calendar, which is compulsory for all students.

Outreach Programs:

The Department organizes interesting outreach programs for students as there is appreciation for learning beyond classrooms. These trips are usually visits to places of political relevance within the city like the Legislative Assembly.

E-Learning:

Since the initiatives by the MHRD for e-based learning, the Department has been committed to preparing study materials for students which can be made available online. Students are made aware of existing online Journals and E-Books during classroom discussions and encouraged to access them in the College Library.

Post-Graduation:

The Department prepares students for Post-Graduate courses in not just Political Science, but also History, International Relations, Sociology. Legal Studies, Public Administration, Comparative Politics. The courses of the Department are designed and imparted in a way which makes the students both interested, and capable of pursuing these subjects for their Masters.

Competitive Examinations:

The students are disciplined to appear for competitive examinations to enter into academic teaching like National Eligibility Test (NET) and State-Level National Eligibility test (SLET). The knowledge gained by them in the three years in crucial for their preparations.

The students are also prepared to undertake competitive courses such as Management and its related fields, Journalism and Law.

The students are aided with the study materials to prepare for Civil Services at the national (UPSC) and regional levels. They feel a competitive edge as prospective candidates due to a strong general knowledge in politics, as well as courses like Indian Political History and Movement, Indian Constitution, Comparative Government and Politics (Foreign Constitutions), International Relations and Public Administration.

Higher Research and Social Activities:

Students are capable of pursuing social science research with leading institutions in the country and abroad. Many find appealing academic satisfaction in pursuing field-work based research as the Course impresses upon them the significance of such work for micro-level research.

Students can also involve themselves with non-governmental organizations, contributing to society in a very meaningful way.

Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry gives a sincere effort for the overall nourishment of each and individual student according to their learning capacity in a healthy and friendly atmosphere. After successful completion of B.Sc. (Honours) in Chemistry under the CBCS Curriculum of the University of Calcutta, the departmental expectations regarding learning outcomes for the students may be categorized as follows:

Cognitive Development:

• Gradual development of an analytical mind to understand the fundamental scientific principles, especially in Chemical Science and their interrelation with other scientific domains, instead of mere memorizing discrete scientific facts.

Intellectual Development:

• Independent thinking ability to develop a testable hypothesis, conduct appropriate research experiments, compile raw data, recognize assumptions, limitations and sources of errors in experimental measurements and draw conclusions.

Scientific Skill Development:

• Rationalization of the information obtained from library, online and literature resources to solve chemical problems and ability to prepare logical and concise written reports, oral and poster presentations.

Employment Opportunities:

• Exposure to employment opportunities in diverse fields such as research, teaching, R&D, forensics, analytical laboratories, etc.

Microbiology

Microbiology was introduced in the UG curriculum of the University of Calcutta in the year 1997 as a job-oriented course keeping in mind the high demand of microbiologists at that time in a wide arena of industries spanning Biotechnology, dairy products, processed food and beverages, health, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, animal husbandry as well as other agro-industrial products. However, the trend started to shift as most of the students graduating from this discipline chose higher education as their career profiler and preferred taking competitive examinations like NET, GATE to enrol for Ph.D. programmes in research institutions across the country. The syllabus taught under the UG course has been moulded quite a few numbers of times accordingly to serve this dual objective of a job centric education as well as to cater the needs of an aspiring academician. It has been constituted with amalgamation from the four basic sciences - chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics and any student enrolling for the course is expected to live up to this interdisciplinary nature of the subject.

We, at Maulana Azad College, strive to empower our students with the dynamism to choose their career path wisely and decide according to their wish and capability since they come from households of diverse socio-economic backgrounds. A student graduating from this department by default gets enrolled at a post-graduation course either in Microbiology itself or in a similar or related subject. However, having said that, the student also has to put his/her part to secure a PG seat at a reputed place. Over the last few years, students with above par merit are also getting admitted in integrated Ph.D. programmes being offered by reputed research Institutes like IISC (Bangalore), NCBS/TIFR (Bangalore/Mumbai), IACS (Kolkata), Bose Institute (Kolkata) etc. Thereafter, most of them are qualifying National Entrance examinations and opting for PhD. programmes and taking up professional careers either as academicians or scientists. Students who are not able to meet the standards of higher merit, are also absorbed occasionally in smaller biotech and pharmaceutical factories after their graduation or in more lucrative places such as the Spice Board of India after their post-graduation. The recent introduction of the CBCS module has seen quite a few numbers of alterations being made in the syllabus such as introduction of a few skill based learning courses to make it more job centred. Besides conventional education, the faculty members also put their very best to engage the students time to time in various co-curricular activities like participation in workshops and hands-on programmes, seminars, presentations, objective oriented excursions such as industry and institute visits and short term research projects all of which add to their credentials at higher rungs of their academic hierarchy. The department is one of the beneficiaries of the DBT STAR College status and most of these activities are aided by DBT. Over the years, students of all batches have fostered in the homely ambience of the Department where faculties have taken care of their interpersonal needs and tried to ensure that they reach their fullest academic potential.

Zoology

Zoology is a broad field of research that includes studying animals in their natural habitats to assess behaviors, living conditions and interactions with other wildlife. Medical researchers need to understand health problems before they can develop ways to treat them. Some diseases and health problems involve processes that can only be studied in a living organism. Animals are necessary to medical research when it is impractical or unethical to use humans. Monitoring animal health and preventing animal disease outbreaks is vital to the economy and safety of the country's food supply. Production of healthy livestock helps to ensure a safe food supply and keep consumer prices stable. Zoologists observe and sometimes conduct experiments on animals, either in the wild or in a controlled setting (such as a zoo or a laboratory). Zoology is important for many reasons. For one, the study of animals and communities provides insight into how "life" works, and, consequently, how we work

Here are the reasons why zoology matters so much:

To Appreciate Nature

Once you study the life cycles and food chain, you'll have a better understanding of nature's handiworks.

To Understand Animals

If you consider their nature and habitats, it will be clear that they become threats only when people interfere with their activities.

To Understand the Importance of Preservation

When you study animal life you learn of their habits, food and behaviour. You'll see that they are all integrated.

Zoology (along with Botany and Chemistry) is the ideal subject to understand life and living. It includes almost all aspects of life, especially the relationship among the various organisms. Students will be able to use the evidence of comparative biology to explain how the theory of evolution offers the only scientific explanation for the unity and diversity of life on earth. They will be able to use specific examples to explicate how descent with modification has shaped animal morphology, physiology, life history, and behavior and explain how organisms function at the level of the gene, genome, cell, tissue, organ and organ-system. Drawing upon this knowledge, they will be able to give specific examples of the physiological adaptations.

Students will be able to apply the scientific method to questions in biology by formulating testable hypotheses, gathering data that address these hypotheses, and analyzing those data to assess the degree to which their scientific work supports their hypotheses. 2. Students will be able to present scientific hypotheses and data both orally and in writing in the formats that are used by practicing scientists. 3. Students will be able to access the primary literature, identify relevant works for a particular topic, and evaluate the scientific content of these works. 4. Students will be able to apply fundamental mathematical tools (statistics, calculus) and physical principles (physics, chemistry) to the analysis of relevant biological situations. 5. Students will be able to identify the major groups of organisms with an emphasis on animals and be able to classify them within a phylogenetic framework. Students will be able to compare and contrast the characteristics of animals that differentiate them from other forms of life. 6. Students will be able to use the evidence of comparative biology to explain how the theory of evolution offers the only scientific explanation for the unity and diversity of life on earth. They will be able to use specific examples to explicate how descent with modification has shaped animal morphology, physiology, life history, and behavior. 7. Students will be able to explain how organisms function at the level of the gene, genome, cell, tissue, organ and organ-system. Drawing upon this knowledge, they will be able to give specific examples of the physiological adaptations, development, reproduction and behavior of different forms of life. 8. Students will be able to explicate the ecological interconnectedness of life on earth by tracing energy and nutrient flows through the environment. They will be able to relate the physical features of the environment to the structure of populations, communities, and ecosystems. 9. Students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in the experimental techniques and methods of analysis appropriate for their area of specialization within biology.