Sister Nivedita University aims to revolutionise architecture education in India

Students can build a promising career for themselves by enrolling for the architecture courses at Sister Nivedita University.

The university aims to transform the future of architectural education in eastern India with its two inaugural programmes — Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) and Bachelor of Planning (BPlan). 

The two undergraduate courses being launched by the School of Architecture and Planning (SAP) at Sister Nivedita University (SNU) will boast top-notch faculty, state-of-the-art technology and a well-rounded curriculum.

India has seen rapid infrastructure development in the past two decades and thus a well-tailored programme in architecture is much sought after. The department’s motto has been to educate students with essential, critical, and industry-based practical knowledge.

The five-year Bachelor of Architecture programme is designed to critically examine subjects ranging from architectural design studios to architectural history and cultural studies, ergonomics to building structures and construction technologies, computer graphics to environmental studies and climatology. The 10-semester course will include a design thesis in the final semester along with a six-month period of professional architectural training to ensure graduates have relevant industry experience.

The four-year Bachelor of Planning programme has been developed to meet the growing demand for urban planners in India. It provides students with an industry-based curriculum centred around basic design theories, techniques and concepts. The course is spread over eight semesters during which students would attain proficiency in designing and managing projects of all magnitudes from micro-level unit design to the macro-level regional development planning supplemented with 12 weeks of off-campus professional work in a planning office. 

Housed in a campus with world-class infrastructure and facilities, both courses are designed for students to develop out-of-the-box ideas to address contemporary issues with innovative solutions. 

The School of Architecture and Planning at SNU proposes to carve into its curriculum educational tours that will allow students to analyse various styles of architecture prevalent across the country. Both programmes provide pertinent course-work that ensures students graduate with a professional portfolio. Students will wrap up the courses with a design thesis in their final semesters, where they will be trained in research methodology, surveys, analysis and presentations. 

Model-making and skill development workshops, design studios, design software, audio-visual lectures and presentations, visits to construction sites, primary and secondary research and learning through conferences and workshops are some of the pedagogic methods adopted by the institution to ensure students receive a well-rounded learning experience. The university focuses on GIS software, which allows students to analyse socio-economic data that will play an important role in their careers. 

Graduates can take up jobs in multi-disciplinary teams in urban planning, development and management, housing, transport planning, infrastructure planning, environmental planning, conservation planning or other related disciplines, to serve in various professional capacities in planning, development and management agencies in the public sector as well as private consultancy organisations.

“I am confident about the success of these two courses. The first-year batch of students will be the ambassadors of this department and will evolve along with us,” said Manish Chakraborty, director of the School of Architecture and Planning at SNU.

The school is approved by the Council of Architecture, New Delhi, and Indian Town Planning Institute, New Delhi, and aims to evolve into a centre of excellence in eastern India.