Fatima College, Madurai

The Fatima College is located in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Madurai is one of the largest in the state, and long renowned for its pilgrimage sites. The college is run by the Catholic institution- Sisters of St. Joseph’s Society of Lyons. This body is spread over forty- eight countries in the world. The founder of the Fatima College was Sr. Rose Benedicte, a renowned educationist. This happened in the year 1953, when the college started off. It is affiliated to the Madurai Kamraj University (MKU), located in the same city. This affiliation to the MKU, ensures that the college meets the approval of the UGC (University Grants Commission).

The college has also been accredited by the NAAC (National Assessments and Accreditation Council), earning an A grade rating in it. A separate IQAC (Internal Quality Assurance Cell) has been created to this end, to ensure that all the terms of the NAAC are complied with. An AQAR (Annual Quality Assurance Report) gets generated to quantify the results. Some of the courses here, have also met the approval of the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education). The Fatima College has always believed in providing benefits to the broader society. The students here have likewise been instilled with such value.

And that is why the students of this college have been active participants in government schemes such as the UBA (Unnat Bharat Abhiyan). Under this, villages get adopted by some of the premier educational institutes in the country, who in turn will work for the former’s welfare. The college campus spans over an area of thirty- seven acres. At present, courses are on offer, here at the Madurai- based Fatima College, right from the UG till doctoral levels. At the undergrad level, the B.A. is offered in the areas of English, Tamil, Economics, History and in Journalism & Mass Communication. 

The B.A. in Sociology may be taken up, uniquely in a combo with Computer Applications. Likewise, the BSc. is offered for several courses in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Zoology, Information Technology (IT), Statistics and for Computer Science. Yet another one is the BSc. in Home Science with Food Bio Technology. The science students, here may also go for the BCA. The B. Com and the BBA are also two commerce- related areas now on offer. A lot of the courses mentioned here may be taken up under the self- supporting mode, while some are on offer under the aided programmes scheme. 

Similar courses options exist at the master’s level. One added programme is the MSW (Master’s in Social Work). At this stage, there are also two professional courses in the MCA and the MBA. Several diploma or certificate programmes also exist as options here at the Fatima College. These are meant for working professionals, seeking a skill upgrade, but not able to devote full working hours to any academic programme. Some of the areas in which options exist here, include- Creative Writing, E- Marketing, NGO Management, Tourism, E- Finance, Bio Medical Instrumentation, E- Commerce Applications, Domestic Appliances, Heritage Tourism, Presentation Skills, Computer Applications, Teaching Methodology, Speed Arithmetic, Spoken Hindi, Everyday English, Multimedia Flash, Hospital Management, Computational Mathematics, MS Office and a lot more. 

M. Phil and doctoral programmes may also be taken up here. These are highly research- oriented and field work- driven. The entire academics here at the Fatima College, Madurai (FCM) is run by a cohort of departments, each with expertise in its own area. These are for the areas in which the UG level courses are available in. In addition, there are the departments for the PG and diploma areas of Computer Applications and in Fashion Designing & Garment Construction respectively. In order to create better societal opportunities for women, this girls’ only college, has curated the Women Empowerment Animation and Training (WEAT) wing. It is a social wing, serving the purpose of enhancing women’s skill development. 

The campus has much to offer. There are hostel facilities for both boys and girls. Banking facilities with ATM are available in the campus’s vicinity. There is a sports field where cricket and football may be played. Facilities are also there for indoor sports. The gymnasium may also be used by all. A large auditorium is there to facilitate major events, at both intra and inter college level. The campus is Wi- Fi enabled. Science laboratories have the latest of equipment. A health centre is also there to cater to medical emergencies. Hygienic food is prepared at the college cafeteria. The college even has its own transport to ferry students to and from the campus. 

Research too plays a key role here. So, the library here is one of the best stocked within the region. Besides the physical books on display, it also provides digital access to en number of international academic journals for research and academic purposes. The campus placements have also been positively affected. Some of the key recruiters over the recent seasons have been the likes of- Wipro, TCS, Cognizant, McKinsey, Penguin Apparels, TIME and Vasan Eye Care, besides a few more. The college rankings have likewise gone good. The NIRF (National Institutional Rankings Framework) has place the FKM as the 27^th best in the country among college, for the year 2017.