How multi-disciplinary programs enable students to keep pace with the industry

Expansive minors provide students with an opportunity to supplement their learning with subjects outside their major areas

The Department of Applied Sciences, UPES, offers multidisciplinary and technological M.Sc. programs. It has been designed to keep pace with the newly emerging trends in academia and industry. The M.Sc. curriculum has four major components: core courses (conventional subjects from Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics), program electives, which a student may choose depending on his/her area of interest, dissertation and a minor, which encompasses a wide variety of related fields of study to prepare the students for the industry.

“The hallmark of our M.Sc. program”, said Dr. Sanjiv Singh, Associate Dean, Applied Science and Head, Department of Mathematics, “has been in-depth conventional and high-end technological learning, which has been made possible thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of UPES. These programs require a capstone project or senior thesis before graduation. Seminars, tutoring centres, and peer-led clubs offer additional opportunities for networking and classwork assistance.” In the M.Sc. Mathematics program, along with conventional mathematics courses and program electives, the students will have an opportunity to take minors such as data analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics of self-driving vehicles and block-chain.

Dr. Bhawna Lamba, Head, Department of Chemistry, said, “At the graduate level, students typically spend two years expanding their background in the core area before focusing on independent research under professor mentorship. Students are expected to attend several informal seminars to hear peers, professors, and experts present papers on current research topics.” “These programs,” she added, “have a strong focus on academics, research and industries.”

Dr. Santosh Dubey, Head, Department of Physics, explicates that the idea behind offering expansive minors is to provide the students with an opportunity to supplement their learning with subjects outside their major areas. He said, “An M.Sc. with minor will help students to be ready for future jobs in the industry as well as pursue a career in research and academia. The courses in the minor bucket have been chosen to equip students with various technological tools and knowhow so that after completion of their degree with the minor, they become ready for both industries as well as academia.” In Physics, he further added, along with conventional Physics courses and program electives, the students will be trained in scientific computation, data analytics, IoT, AI and ML.

According to Dr. Dubey, data-driven AI models, along with the hybrid models based on physical concepts can be used to understand/explain systems, which are very complex like the outcome of particle physics experiments, mysteries of quantum physics, extra-terrestrial events like the collision of black holes, weather forecasting, solid-state physics, etc. 

Dr. Lamba, while explaining the innovative course structure, said, “The curriculum has been designed in a way to keep pace with the requirements and emerging trends in academia, industry and research area. Dissertation has been an integral part of our M.Sc. curriculum. It will help students to apply their learning in solving some real research problems.”

In addition to the conventional courses and program electives, the minors offered are those that add value to the knowledge and expertise such as catalysis and catalyst design, material engineering, pharmaceutical chemistry and disaster management, she added.