Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bengaluru Courses and Fees

Course: Urban Fellows Programme

The UFP is a scholarship-based, ten-month, full-time, residential, inter-disciplinary fellowship at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bengaluru. The UFP seeks to equip, nurture and prepare a new generation of graduates and young professionals committed to the common good, who can become change-makers, team players, original thinkers, reflective practitioners, entrepreneurs and thought leaders to address India’s complex urban challenges.

The UFP combines classroom-based teaching, site-based applied learning, work in live projects, and external internships to introduce learners to diverse forms of urban practice.

Through the UFP, Fellows understand issues of urbanisation in India and the global south; learn from practice; develop skills necessary to tackle key urban issues in India; build an inter-disciplinary foundation; network with thought leaders and change makers; and learn from a diverse and experienced faculty.

The Fellowship consists of seven key Learning Elements:

The Commons: The Commons is where Fellows understand the different approaches, systems, aspects and components that make up the Urban. It is also where Fellows from different disciplinary backgrounds learn a common new vocabulary and a set of conceptual perspectives to think about the Urban.

Elective Modules: Electives build on concepts and skills taught in the Commons and allow learners to create their own trajectory through the UFP by focusing on particular sectors and focus areas they want to develop. Fellows can choose four of ten to twelve elective courses that will enable them to understand, engage and grapple with contemporary urban debates.

Applied Practica and Projects: The Practica are term-length, site-based applied learning modules. They draw on real-life cases and working problems situated in the city. The Practica enables the Fellows to integrate theory with practice as well as to deploy the skills and concepts learned in the classroom to imagine and develop appropriate, innovative and sustainable solutions for the Indian context.

The Fellows are also placed with different projects’ teams within IIHS. This enables real-time application of the theory and skills they learn during the Fellowship.

Exposure Visit: Through a series of field-based exposure trips in cities of different sizes and types, the Fellows are exposed to complex problems in the real world. They observe, diagnose and conceptualise solutions to real life problems in both small towns as well as in larger, million-plus cities in India. In each of these cities, they meet with a range of stakeholders including government officials, business leaders and civil society organisations, among others.

Master Classes: Masterclasses provide Fellows with opportunities to meet thought-leaders and practitioners from India and across the world, to learn about their work and the challenges they face as practitioners in different disciplines and domains. These close interactions help Fellows learn about diverse ethical, political, and material complexities while practicing in urban contexts.

Skill Labs: Through the UFP, Fellows are equipped with the most appropriate technical, analytical and professional skills that are taught through a series of labs, as well as through assignments and the Practica and Projects.

Internship: UFP guarantees a two-month internship for all Fellows in order to facilitate the transition from classroom learning to the complex world of work and practice. Internships are offered in government departments and public institutions, private firms and practices, social movements, non-governmental organisations, research think-tanks, development sector organisations and planning and design firms, among others.

Fees:

Tuition fee for the UFP 2021-22 costs is Rs 2 lacs for the entire programme, payable in three installments over the year. This fee includes all costs of travel for the UFP on exposure visits as well as expenditure on local and inter-city travel for UFP practica and applied projects.

The UFP is committed to providing scholarships to all candidates that receive admission, who are unable to pay the programme tuition, after a review of their financial needs. The programme is thus need- blind. Your selection and admission into the programme will not be affected by your ability to pay.

In addition to scholarships that cover tuition fees, there are a limited number of stipends available to cover daily living expenses for candidates with significant financial need. Applicants wishing to be considered for this will have a chance to indicate so in the admission forms.