St. Francis College For Women

They were young, underdressed and scared for their life. It all happened so fast. One minute they are dozing peacefully in their classes, and the next minute the world is rushing past. Running faster, skidding at the turns, they tumble into courtyards, streak through corridors and occasionally duck into toilets. Who are these girls? And why do they run?

They run from a placid little nun who strolls amicably behind, holding nothing more menacing than a piece of paper. What she will do when she catches up with the students - and she always catches up with the students - is write down their names, inform them patiently of the college's dress code, and then give them the rest of the day, or even the rest of the month, off. Attendance and dress code are two things you do not mess with at St. Francis.

Accused of being one of the most popular girl's college in the city, St. Francis is a place that habors great pride and great resentment within its student community. Pride because the quality of instruction here is extremely good, especially if commerce is your chosen field. Pride because you meet some of the strangest and most wonderful creatures here, faculty and canteen boy included. Pride because your college, unlike certain other colleges we won't name here, does not lock its gates, and you're free to leave anytime you want. It's a good thing to know.

Resentment because discipline is of average convent standards, i. e. draconian. Resentment because many self-satisfied high school toppers will find the competition unrelenting. Resentment because you are occasionally made to sit through a Human Values class where you might be forced to sing a song.

Academics is a huge deal here, and you will be expected to stay on the ball in every one of your electives, but there's plenty to do outside class as well. Apart from Kalankarna, the annual cultural festival in December, there is a fairly alive dramatics circle, a quiz club, and Arthashastra, another annual event organised by the commerce students' club.

The student's choir is an enthusiatic lot, and other talents like dance and drama get an airing at IIT Mumbai's Mood Indigo every year. More than one sport is played on the state-level, and both the National Service Scheme and the National Cadet Corps recruit heavily here.

Speaking of recruitments, there are usually a couple of good companies (Juno, Deloitte & Touche, Google, D E Shaw etc.) visiting every year to snap up students for entry-level positions in accounting, data-processing and banking. A decent enough deal if you're looking to work for a couple of years before you do your Master's. Post-graduate courses in Human Resource Management, Insurance and Counselling for students of psychology, are also popular.

B Com Professional is a common choice for commerce students, and the relatively new Bachelors in Mass Communications is yet to find its feet. As for formal recognition, St. Francis has a five-star rating by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), and its faculty has earned it the title of College With Potential For Excellence from the UGC, making it only one of three colleges in the city with that distinction.

The college canteen is good for an hour or so, but most students prefer to adopt a spot on the stairs or the rocks nearby to sit around at. The campus is scattered with so many different forms of student life that it's difficult to put your finger on a definite 'Francis type'. From budding activists to aspiring models, from AIESECers to Young Christian Students, from the frighteningly tuned in to the reassuringly spaced out - they're all here. And they all have something to say about that dress code.

Post Graduate Degree Programmes

1. M. Sc. Organic Chemistry
2. M. Sc. Mathematics
3. M. Sc. Microbiology
4. M. Sc. Computer Science
5. M. Com
6. M. Sc. Finance
7. Masters in Mass Communication (M.M.C)

B.A. Course Combinations

1. Economics / Public Administration / Political Science
2. Economics / Public Administration / Social Management
3. History / Literature / Political Science
4. History / Public Administration / Political Science
5. Mass Communication / Literature / Political Science
6. Mass Communication / Literature / Social Management
7. Psychology / Literature / Political Science
8. Psychology / Public Administration / Political Science

B.Sc. Course Combinations

1. Biochemistry / Chemistry / Computer Applications
2. Biotechnology / Chemistry / Zoology
3. Botany / Zoology / Chemistry
4. Mathematics / Biochemistry / Chemistry
5. Mathematics / Biochemistry / Computer Applications
6. Mathematics / Electronics / Computer Science
7. Mathematics / Physics / Chemistry
8. Mathematics / Physics / Computer Science
9. Mathematics / Statistics / Computer Science
10. Microbiology / Biochemistry / Chemistry
11. Microbiology / Biotechnology / Chemistry
12. Microbiology / Botany / Chemistry

B. Com. Course Combinations

1. Computers
2. International Business
3. General
4. Professionals

B.M.S

1. Bachelor of Management Studies

Post Graduate Diploma Programmes

1. Human Resource Management
2. Psychological Counseling Skills
3. Health and Wellness Management