ACADEMIC PRINCIPLES
Hamdard University Bangladesh follows a model of higher education based on student-centered teaching and learning through integrated curricula to develop them as whole persons. The aim is to make students life-long learners with inquisitiveness for updating and acquiring knowledge and skills. The academic system consists of semesters, courses, credit hours, continuous evaluation, and letter grading. In keeping with its mission and goals, Hamdard University Bangladesh strives to ensure high academic standards by implementing well-designed curricula and reviewing curricula periodically and carefully selecting quality students and faculty, utilizing modern and effective instructional methods and aids. Both formative and summative evaluations of all pertinent activities are a common practice of the University.
SEMESTERS
There are two semesters in a year: Spring (March-August) and Fall (September-February). The duration of each semester is six months containing about 22 working weeks including holidays, mid- and term-final examinations. Corresponding to semester-system, new students are enrolled twice a year. In fact, students’ enrolment is an on-going event throughout the academic year. The University produces both annual and semester calendars. While the annual/ yearly calendar provides major events of the academic year, the semester calendar provides more details of the events likely to occur within the semester such as: deadlines for registration, change of departments, add/ drop courses, withdrawals, examinations, publication of results, holidays, etc.
COURSE CODE AND COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM
Course codes are quite straight forward taking the ‘beginning three letters’ of a department or acronyms of a department. Sometimes it is chosen from the name of a course instead of a department. For example:
| Department | First 3-letter/ Acronym |
| Business | BUS |
| English | ENG |
| Economics | ECO |
| Electrical & Electronic Engineering | EEE |
In this way, the three-digit numbering system can be exemplified for any department in the following manner:
| Year | Semester | Course | 3-digit-code
Semester 1 |
3-digit-code
Semester 2 |
| Year 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 111, 112, 113, 114, 115 | 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 |
| Year 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 211, 212, 213, 214, 215 | 221, 222, 223, 224, 225 |
| Year 3 | 1, 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 311, 312, 323, 324, 315 | 321, 322, 323, 324, 325 |
| Year 4 | 1, 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 411, 412, 413, 434, 415 | 421, 422, 423, 424, 425 |
| Year 5 | 1, 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | …. …. …. …. | …. …. …. …. |
| Year 6 | 1, 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | …. …. …. …. | …. …. …. …. |
Usually, the nomenclature of any course reflects both systems (Course Code and Numbering). For example, the first Course offered by the Department of English in the first semester of the first year is designated as: ENG 111: Bangla Language Skills.
The series from 111 … 425 are intended to indicate progressively more demanding content corresponding to the increased competence on the part of the students. Thus, ENG 311: English for Professional Purposes is a third year course (given in the first semester) assumes that a student registering in this course has already attended the first- and second-year courses in English.
COURSE LOAD
The total number of credit for a degree varies from department to department. Students will have to successfully complete the required number of credits for graduation as defined in his/ her department. A full-time student will be able to complete the program within four years. However, being medical program the duration of BUMS and BAMS is six years with one-year internship. Fee waivers, scholarships and academic honors are considered for full-time students only. Usually, to complete an undergrad program is four years from the date of first admission to the university. However, students may extend such period to six years in case of urgency.
CREDIT HOURS
In semester system, full-time students usually take 5 to 6 courses in each semester. Each course usually consists of 3 credit hours. To make up 3 credit hours, at least 45 hours of class time is required. That is, there has to be at least 45 sessions of 1 (academic) hour or 30 sessions of 1.5 hours over 22 weeks of the semester (an academic hour is defined as a 50-minute face-to-face/ video-conference/ on-line class with students). Lab-sessions are determined by the demand of the course and such credit hours are within the parameters of the respective program/ department.
STUDENT COUNSELLING
Each department has at least one student counselor from among the teachers. There may be several depending on the number of students in the department. The counselors help students select his/ her courses at the beginning of each semester. The student and counselor share the responsibility for successful completion of academic activities.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
The performance of the students is measured by ‘Criterion-Referenced-Tests—CRT.’ In fact, students are continuously evaluated throughout the semester by using class tests, quizzes, assignments, presentations, mid-term exams, etc. End of semester evaluation includes comprehensive final exams, submission of term papers/ thesis assignments/ project reports, presentations, etc. Students need to meet certain criteria given by course teachers and their success depends on to what extent they can attain those criteria. Numerical scores earned by students are cumulated and converted into letter grades at the end of each semester. The performance evaluation of the University commensurate with the policy suggested by the University Grants Commission Bangladesh as given below.
GRADING SYSTEM
As per the cumulative total score of a student, s/ he may obtain any of the following grades:
| Numerical Grade | Letter grade | Grade Point |
| 80% – 100% | A+ | (4.00) |
| 75% < 79.99% | A | (3.75) |
| 70% < 74.99% | A- | (3.50) |
| 65% < 69.99% | B+ | (3.25) |
| 60% < 64.99% | B | (3.00) |
| 55% < 59.99% | B- | (2.75) |
| 50% < 54.99% | C+ | (2.50) |
| 45% < 49.99% | C | (2.25) |
| 40% < 44.99% | D | (2.00) |
| Less than 40% | F | Failure Grade |
Grades without numerical values are:
- P: Pass
- I: Incomplete
- W: Withdrawal
INCOMPLETE (I) GRADE
A student not appearing at the final exam of a course for whatever reasons will be assigned an Incomplete (I) grade. Getting an ‘I’ grade will enable the student to take that particular exam within the stipulated time given by the office of the Controller of Examinations (COE) paying appropriate fees. If the student fails to do so, her/ his ‘I’ grade will automatically be turned into an ‘F’ grade.
WITHDRAWAL (W)
Withdrawal ‘W’ is assigned to a student who withdraws from the course within the deadline for withdrawal. A student who withdraws after this deadline will earn the grade based on his performance before his withdrawal. Exception to this rule may be made on medical grounds and on other terms and conditions of the University.
GPA COMPUTATION
The Grade Point Average (GPA) is computed in the following manner:
Sum of (Grade points X Credit hours)
GPA = ———————————————–
Sum of Credit hours attempted
CGPA = Sum of GPA of 8 semesters divided by 8
GRADES REVIEW PROCEDURE
The Academic Council of the University administers the Grading Regulations and Reviews of Course Grades submitted by the Departments.
ACADEMIC PROGRESSION
Students should take the requisite number of courses and maintain satisfactory grades in the courses. They are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.00/ 4.00 (both semester and cumulative); otherwise the student will be put on probation during the following semester. Course grades B- and below can be improved in the next two consecutive semesters by paying the applicable exam fees. In case of ‘F’ grade, the student has to take the class in full with all requirements and exams. Students with a maximum of two F grades and with a minimum CGPA of 1.80 will be entitled to take this advantage.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Hamdard University Bangladesh is an independent, non-political and not-for-profit private academic institution. It gives top priority to maintain a healthy academic atmosphere on the campus. Students of Hamdard University Bangladesh are expected to cooperate to reach this goal to enhance their academic achievements, maintaining discipline, keeping the campus clean and being good neighbors and model of good citizens.
The academic rules and regulations for studying at Hamdard University Bangladesh provide detailed information concerning class attendance, examination guidelines, students’ outfit, disciplinary matters, etc. Students are advised to strictly abide by these rules and regulations.
CREDIT TRANSFER
Hamdard University Bangladesh (HUB) allows credit transfer from other recognized institutions or universities from home and abroad under the following guidelines:
- Credit transfer shall occur only from other recognized universities/ institutions from abroad and/ or from UGC/ government approved universities/ institutions situated in Bangladesh
- The maximum transfer of credit shall NOT exceed 40% of the total course-credits for a given degree—undergraduate or graduate program.
- All credit transfers shall be subject to the approval of the HUB Academic Council based on the recommendations made by the HUB Equivalence Committee.
- Credits requested for transfer shall have a minimum GPA of C+ for undergraduate (C+ = 2.5/ 4.0) and B for graduate level (B = 3.0/ 4.0).
- A student intending transfer of credits shall be a regular student at her/ his previous university/ institution where s/he has earned the credits.
- Part-time students are also allowed to transfer credits from their previous institutions, if applicable.
- Only unutilized (for another degree) credits (from other universities/ institutions shall be transferred to HUB.
METHODS AND MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTIONS
The University teaching meets the demand of the time by adopting present-day teaching methods and strategies including interactive teaching-learning, simulation, lab work, case analysis and field study. A special feature of the university teaching is workshop/ lab sessions designed to assist students in learning application of concepts (mostly activity-based education) and theories.
As mandated by UGC, the medium of instruction at this University is English. For better comprehension on the part of the freshman (new intakes/ students) a compulsory course in Basic English is offered in each new semester taught by the Department of English with the help of the University Language Laboratory.