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A COMPLETE GUIDE TO HuEls.
YASH SABOO | NAMAN gUPTA
Inside out team
AARUSHI ROY
AAryan raj jindal
devansh sharma
ishika kadam
ishpreet singh sood
Vinayak s
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A quick guide
From here onwards, your courses will be of two types:
Compulsory Disciplinary Courses (CDCs): Courses which are
essential on the final transcript to graduate. These are
basically compulsory courses which you don't have much
choice about. CDCs are pretty much fixed in terms of the
courses present in a certain semester. The only flexibility
one gets in these is choosing the lecture/tutorial/lab hours
and in terms of repeating the course in any later semester.
Electives: These are courses, which need to be done in
particular quotas, to earn the minimum number of credits to
graduate.Electives are to be taken in a particular amount.
There is no restraint in choosing whichever electives you
want and in whichever semester you want.
Electives are divided into the following three categories:
1) Humanities Electives (HuEls): Almost all the courses in the
timetable which have the code starting with GS or HSS fall
under this category. These electives are important as they bring
a different perspective in the otherwise monotonous
science/engineering curriculum. Some people use it to simply
boost their grades while others use it to learn something new
or important. It's an individual's choice as to what he wants to
take.
Minimum quota: 3 courses (or 8 units)
If you take more than 3 HuEls, they will be counted as Open
electives. At least 3 HuEls need to be completed by the end of
3-1, to avoid a backlog being written on their grade sheet.
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2) Discipline Electives (DEls): These courses are mentioned in
the branch handout of each branch. These are usually the
courses which include a more practical oriented topic to study.
Minimum quota: 4 courses per branch for single degree
students. Depending upon their discipline, dualites are
expected to do between 9-10 DELs. Apart from these, they also
need to satisfy the DEL requirements of their engineering
discipline. If more than the required number of DELs are taken
up, the additional courses would be counted as open electives.
3) Open Electives (OpEls): Any course offered, other than your
CDCs (and first-year courses) fall under Open Electives. For
example, CS courses like DSA (Data, Structures and Algorithm)
and OOP (Object Oriented Programming), and Finance Courses
like DRM ( Derivatives and Risk Management), Fundamental
Finance, and SAPM (Security Analysis and Portfolio
Management) are some popularly taken OpEls taken by the
students of different branches. Dualites have no minimum
requirement on the number of OpEls. However for single degree
students, the minimum quota is 5 courses.
A general concern, how to fill 5 courses when you don't want to
take courses from other branches?
An answer, take up more than 4 DEls and more than 3 HuEls or
do a minor.
Now, a few other terms which might come in handy.
1) Project type courses (SoP, LoP, DoP, Special Projects): These
are courses which are done under a faculty member as a
research project. You don't have fixed classes for this, but most
of the teachers do fix a weekly meeting time. Applying for this
starts with informally asking a teacher having the same
research interest as yours, or asking a teacher whose teaching
methods you like.
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Once they approve you as their research student, you can later
apply on ID and later on ARCD during the semester registration.
The end motive of these courses is to get an experience in
research of the particular discipline. These will fall under HuEl,
DEl, or OpEls depending on the department under whom the
project is taken. All the types of project type courses mostly
have the same end motive.
2) Minor: This is an academic flexibility that lets a student get a
minor degree along with his/her major degree(s). This will
mostly fill your OpEls quota, as any minor contains at least 5
courses. In the case of a Humanities minor, a few courses might
be taken as HuEls (unless the quota is full) and others as OpEls.
Applications for minors start at the end of 2-2.
The minor courses offered last year were: Data Science, Finance,
Film & Media, Physics , Philosophy, Economics & Politics.
RESOURCES
Drive Link
Compiled by STUDENT UNION.
Youtube Playlist
Indtroductory videos about HuEls offered.
By Rishabh Jain
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Applied Philosophy (GS F312)
About: Pre mid sem content in this course focuses on the
philosophical ideologies of famous philosophers and how
philosophy evolved with time throughout different eras. The
study is purely philosophical till midsem. Post mid sem
topics are exciting and cover modern-day problems from a
philosophical standpoint. The classes are interactive and
give food for thought. Almost 20-25 mins of the total 50 min
classes are kept aside for general discussion on the day's
topic
Grading: Grading is average with a B expected in av+(3,4) But
range of marks for a grade is very less. In evaluatives,
averages are very high and nearly touch the highest marks.
PR: Expected range of 600-700(might vary)
2. APPR OF INDIAN MUSIC (HSS F223)
About: A lot about the history of Indian music is taught.
Various taals, scales are taught too. A bit hard for the
students who haven’t studied music before. Prior knowledge
of music would be helpful.
Grading: Lowest grade is B- , Av-->B , Av+20 should get you
A.
PR: Less than 20 students fill it. Easily available.
3. ASIAN CINEMAS AND CULTURES (HSS F368)
About: This course focuses on Asian cinemas and cultures
with a special emphasis on their cine-political histories,
cultural transactions and transnational aspects. These
media texts will be approached through analysis of the
contexts of their production, distribution and consumption
and through textual analysis.
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Evals/Grading: The course will familiarize the students with
the historical contexts of Asian cinemas from China, Hong
Kong, Taiwan and some other countries. It will introduce
some of the key recent movements, film genres and auteurs
from Asian cinemas
PR No.: Being a new course offered there is no prior
information about evaluatives and PR no.
4. Business Communication (GS F221)
About: It majorly focuses on the way of communication in
business like making presentations, GDs, and personal
interviews. All these activities are evaluative components. It
does not require too much mugging. If you are not sure
about opting HuEls or your interest, then you can choose
this. The course is lite. If you attend classes regularly then
you can easily ensure an A grade.
Grading: For evaluatives, majorly you will have to remember
the format (like TRW).Grading:- B on Av
PR No.: It remains available till 500-600 PR no. (approx), and
sometimes maybe more.
5. CINEMATIC ADAPTATION (HSS F325)
About: It would include components on various aspects like
various forms, role of literature, film history, story and plot,
character, theme, setting, point of view, incidents,
characters, dialogues, text – screenplay, elements of film,
theories, film production, film analysis, adaptation analysis
Grading: Grading is easy compared to other electives. You
will get B at Av
PR No.: This course is availabe upto to PR no 500.
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6. COPYWRITING (GS F344)
About: This course deals with the content writing aspects of
advertisements. Taught how to write slogans, scripts and
other content for ads and also to analyse different types of
ads. Ultra lite course. [2 UNITS]
Grading: 2 group assignments apart from the midsems and
the compre. Av+6 = B-. Av+35 = A-
PR No.: Usually selected in addition/substitution.
7. CREATIVE THINKING (GS F326)
About: This course is considered to be an academically lite
course. Prof is helpful and easy-going. Almost all the classes
include a sort of graded assignment. Various activities like
singing, photography, etc. can be explored in this course. It
focuses on creativity more than logical aspects. Good course
for a change from the hectic college life.
Evals/Grading: Grading is easy
PR No.: Usually high PR no. is required to register for this
course.
8. Critical analysis of Literature
and cinema (GS F322)
About: The course teaches you about different genres of
literature, basic concepts, and their origin and about their
evolution through the ages. Understanding the author’s ways
in their literature and understanding the deeper meanings
in forms of art such as cartoon drama etc. There will be
analysis of the technicalities of not so popular European
movies and decoding themes and the lighting of movies.
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Evaluation/grading: Almost all evaluatives are open book.
Need to be regular in class to get a good grade. Fair and
moderate grading B- expected at av. The professor who used
to take CALCI for seniors is not the professor who is incharge
of us so grading might vary significantly.
PR number: Again a heavy course and PR number usually
doesn't matter and the course stays open till the end
normally.
9. Cross Cultural Skills (HSS F227)
About: The course was pretty good. Prof. Pushp Lata is good
and encourages discussion a lot. You will learn about
different cultural models and how people have different
beliefs and ethics in different corners of the world. However
the professor stresses on attendance a lot and if you are
looking for a course where you don't go to classes and just
read on the last day then maybe it isn't for you. However the
classes are mostly discussions on topics and it will be the
litest period in the day.
Evals/Grading: Mid sem, compre, Assignment - Poster(this
component varies), The grading is moderate.
PR No.: Usually stays open till the end.
10. CULTURAL STUDIES (GS F242)
About: It gives an introduction to the history of the
discipline of cultural studies.This course also includes
essays on postcolonialism,nationalism, science, visual
culture, minority studies. It helps us in developing an
understanding of both the metropolitan and the Indian
perspective on cultural studies. This course also helps us to
visualize these topics from a global perspective.
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11. DYN OF SOCIAL CHANGE (GS F231)
About: This course gives a detailed insight into the nature of
society, social institutions, concept and nature of
socio-cultural change and various other sociological aspects
of everyday life. The course also teaches about caste,
religion and its history, class divide, patriarchy and forms of
government such as liberalism, capitalism, theories of Karl
Marx. You may find this course very interesting if you have
been into history, society trends, etc.
Evals/Grading: : Point to point answers are required in this
course. Your own notes or notes from seniors should suffice
for the same. The course structure involves 2 quizzes, 1
midsem and 1 compre. You may get a B grade at Av for this
course. Getting A- is easy and if you study diligently through
the year, then getting A is not tough.
PR No.: You need a good PR No. for this course, usually
within 600, as it is a pretty sought after course.
12. Environ Dev & Climate Change (GS F212)
About: Course content is very limited, one book only. It may
become boring at some stages because the instructor just
reads the book.The course exactly talks about what its name
tells, i.e., environmental issues. The English used in the book
is difficult. If you have a really good command of the
language then you can opt for it. Lots of mugging required.
Evals/Grading: B/B- on Av.Evaluation for '19 batch (in 2-1):-
Total 2 assignments (research based) + 3 quizzes + Compre
(No Midsem)
PR No.: It remains available till the last slot during
registration.
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13. Gandhian Thoughts (HSS F345)
About: This course revolves around Gandhi’s life and
ideologies. You would study from his own work namely- My
Experiments with Truth, Satyagraha in South Africa and Hind
Swaraj. This course also discusses metaphysical convictions,
ethical principles, Gandhi and religion, political thought,
economic thought, social reforms, untouchability, Gandhi
and Muslims, Gandhi and women, Gandhi and Marx; his
nonviolent state, Gandhism after Gandhi. Gandhian
Thoughts as a Huel is hectic and the course content will be
rigorous. There are also multiple time-consuming
assignments in it. This course is interesting and interactive
but will demand hard work.
Evals/Grading: For evaluation pattern, there is midsem+
compre+ SSA. An SSA is a self-study assignment, which has
two components. The written component is where we
choose a topic at the start of the sem and have to write a
2500 word essays on it by the end of the sem. The oral
component is after submission of the written component,
where the prof has a GD/interview type discussion about our
topic. The course is pretty competitive so not many get As,
A-s. For example- in a class of 45 he'd give 12 As, 12A-s etc.
There are fixed brackets. But last sem very few people had
registered (around 15 people) so the grading was a little
unpredictable. Otherwise grading is lenient.
PR No.: It doesn’t close mostly. Hence one can avail this
course at any PR number.
14. human resource development (HSS F328)
About: Overall you get to learn about the uses of HRD
Programs and how the HRD in any company functions, its
need and development over time
Evals/Grading: Only midsem and compre with few
assignment. Very narrow range of marks in all evaluatives
leading to grade being totally compre dependent. Av ----> B.
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15. International relations (HSS F346)
About: This course deals with the causes and repercussions
of wars that have taken place till date, the establishment
and functions of the UN, various theories of World
Politics--realism, liberalism etc, international law, world
economic crisis and the subject pretty much deals with the
international law from the 1900s. You should take this only if
you are interested in the course. The classes are very
interactive and in addition, Veena Ramchandran ma’am
teaches well. Even if you don't know the subject, she will
explain it from scratch. You just have to have some interest
in international relations, some politics, need to stay
updated with what is happening around the world.
Evals/Grading: Paper pattern usually consists of long answer
questions like 20 markers and then you have to write the
answers in your words, as ma’am has taught in the
class.Grading as well as marking is moderate. In the online
sem, 3 students got A and 5 students got A-. Average grading
varies between B and B-. The difference in marks is very
less.
PR No: It doesn’t close mostly. Hence one can avail of this
course at any PR number.
16. INTRO TO CONFLICT managemenT (GS F311)
About: As the name suggests, this course gives details about
various methods used in resolving conflicts. You need to
regularly attend classes. Writing long answers, is
recommended
Evals/Grading: Midsem and compres are easy to score.
Grading is lenient. You may get a B grade on Av + 1 / 2.
PR No.: You will get this course on any PR No.
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17. Intro to gender studies (BITS F385)
About: This is an interesting but rigorous course. It deals
with topics revolving around feminism and the lgbtq+
community. This Huel is advisable for those who have a
strong command of the English language. Your grades are
directly proportional to your writing skills.
Evals/Grading: Only a term paper is there. Evaluations are
more of a subjective type like essays etc. are asked.The
grading is moderate to tough. In the previous sem, from a
class of 50 students, 4 got A. Av grade--> B- (online) ; Av
grade --> C (offline)
PR No.: It doesn’t close mostly. Hence one can avail of this
course at any PR number.
18. Introduction to Mass Comm (GS F223)
About: This course introduces us to the mass media and
journalism. The instructor conducts GDs which makes the
course very much interactive. PR/ publicity techniques are a
part of the course. It is very beneficial for interviews,
improving speaking skills.
Evals/Grading: No need to attend all the classes but it is
advised to be regular to get an easy A/A-
PR No.: It is expected to remain available upto 600-700 PR no
19. Introductory Philosophy (HSS F235)
About: It is a pretty interesting course. It begins with
discussions about many western philosophers. We are
supposed to learn each of their ideologies. You'll have to
remember some stuff here, but it's still interesting.The
second part of the course covers the Indian philosophy
counterparts.One more thing that you might want to
consider is that the lectures can be monotonous for some
people.
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Evaluation/grading: Two quizzes and one assignment, apart
from midsem, compre.The evaluation is okayish. Ma'am
expects all the relevant points for a good score.You get B- on
the avg. Grading is usually along the lines where only the top
10% get an A.
PR No.: This happens to be one of the popular HuEls, so
class strength is usually above 70.Having said that, Mid range
PRs should be sufficient.
20. INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY (GS F232)
About: This course deals with the development of
psychology as a science - nature and characteristics of
psychological tests, nature and evaluation techniques of
intelligence and personality, modifications of behaviour
through learning, etc. It gives you a new perspective on the
human mind and mindset. It teaches a systematic and
scientific way of analysing and comprehending basic human
behaviour as well as a rudimentary understanding of the
subject of psychology and its applications in the world.
Evals/Grading: This course involves quite a lot of heavy
assignments. Grading in this course is strict. You may get a
B- grade at av.
PR No.: You will get this course at any PR No. This course is
not seeked by many people.
21. LANGUAGE LAB PRACTISE (GS F222)
About: It is a Humanities/Open Lab course in English and
has 3- hour sessions twice a week. One of the most SAC
courses BITS can offer where you can easily score an A with
the least effort.The evaluation components cover the simple
technicalities of the language such as phonology, word spell,
and grammatical correctness.
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There is no compre, no homework, only
evaluative assignments that are conducted during the class
itself. Being a D2 core course, the number of seats available
to other group students might be less than 10 but it is a CG
saver.
Evals/Grading: Easy
22. Main trends in Indian history (HSS F233)
About: The Course is heavier in comparison to the efforts
required to get a good grade but can be quite enjoyable for
people who are interested in the topic. It covers pre-
independence era topics and attending classes regularly
goes a long way. Classes are interesting and enjoyable if you
are keen to learn about history in general and the faculties
are very engaging as well.
Evals/Grading: Post-mid sem there is an assignment which is
why the course is considered heavy as the assignment
requires research and even though there is enough time to
complete the assignment if your sem is packed, time can be
hard to find.The grading is moderate.
PR No.: Similar to CALCI since the course is heavier and
usually open till the end.
24. MASS MEDIA & CONTENT DESign (GS F321)
About: Basic web development (HTML & CSS) is taught along
with Microsoft Word which includes formatting and
designing. Mass media includes types of journalism, teaches
the ways news is covered. Essence of video creation, video
editing, script writing of movies. Writing ads and making
campaign posters. Theoretical aspect constitutes about 30%
of the course and questions related to it are tricky. Marks for
attendance too.
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Evals/Grading : Asked to make a website(6 web pages) in 2
hours, design a suicide prevention campaign. Or asked to
write a script and make advertisements. Overall grading
normal Av---->B.
PR No.: 550 should be able to get this course in normal
registration.
25. Modern Political Concepts (GS F211)
About: ModPol is not something related to Indian Politics or
even Modern Politics. In that you will study some classic
theories which define politics or governments, Rousseau,
Plato and similar theories. You will discuss realism and other
theories as well. It's not something whose application you
find in everyday life.
Grading: B/B- on av, but the thing is average is not far
behind CT. For example in midsems there was roughly 6
marks difference between av and CT.
26. Musicology an introduction (HSS F329)
About: 80 percent of the course is Indian classical music
theory covering topics like raag, taal, lay (rhythm),saptak
(octave) and other stuff. The rest 20 percent comprises of
topics like the intrinsic connection between music and
Indian culture and traditions, origin of music, biographies of
musicians like Tansen, Mozart and things like the
philosophy, psychology of music
Evals/Grading: All the theory exams are easy. On the other
hand, there's a practical exam as well, which is really
challenging for a person with no experience in music. Things
like note identification, taal identification, layakari
identification and demonstration of different layakaries of
some taal are asked. Grading is easy you get B at Av.
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27. ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (hsS F323)
About: This course teaches about the specific psychology
found in an industrial organisation. It is similar to
Introductory Psychology, although it is a slightly more
advanced course. While Intro to Psych is not a pre-requisite,
it is recommended. This course can be good if you are
planning for an MBA.
Evals/Grading: The course includes 3 quizzes (of 30%
weightage) consisting of objective questions. . In mid sem &
compres, the format of the questions asked is long answer/
essay type. You are given situation based questions and you
have to apply course concepts to the situations. Grading is
tough in this course. You will get a C grade at Av. and a B
grade at Av+20.
PR No.: You will get this course at any PR No.
28. PRINT & AUDIO VISUAL ADVER (GS F224)
About: This course teaches about the various dimensions of
advertising. The classes are usually fun and interactive and
you will get in-depth knowledge about the advertising
industry. The course will make you well versed with poster
making, television ad making, radio ad making, etc. It is a
highly recommended course and regarded as one of the
most interesting HUELs. By the end of the course, you will
have a fair idea about how the advertising, Indu works and
various marketing strategies involved in the same.
Evals/Grading: The course includes several assignments of
lesser weightage where you can easily score and boost your
grades.Grading is pretty lenient. You may get a B grade at Av
+2 / 3. Attending classes regularly is recommended if you are
aiming for an A.
PR No.: You may get this course at any PR No. as there are
200+ seats in this course. However, if you fail to get a seat
during registration, then you may get one during
addition/substitution.
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29. Professional Ethics (HSS F343)
About: It's purely theoretical and all about ethics in different
spheres, such as women's issues, engineering, management,
business, global ethical issues etc. Kumar Neeraj Sachdev
teaches very well. The slides are very good and to the point.
He expects your answers to be within the scope of what has
been taught in class and mentioned in slides only. Going by
that should be enough to score well in the subject.
Evals/Grading: The general trend is midsems: 3 questions for
20 marks each and Compre: 4 questions for 20m each.
Expect a case study question/eval which he gives in class
and we've to write and upload within the class time. In this,
you have to apply the philosophical school of thought
you’ve studied in current scenarios/situations. There is also
1 take-home assignment of 3-4 pages graded for 20 marks.
Assignments are easy as the prof himself expects you to
reference 75% of the material from the stuff taught in class
like slides, etc. All exams are open book in an online sem.It
has an easy to moderate grading. The highest marks in an
assignment of 20 are 16. For compre the highest marks are in
the range of 45-50 out of 60. People end up being in the
same range, so a 1-2 marks difference can land you a
different grade. To score an A make sure you’re av+2 or 3 in
all components as av is usually 3 or 4 lesser than the highest
score. At Av --> B- (offline sem). Av+2 was B, but the range
from B to A- and from A- to A was huge (online sem)
PR No.: One can expect to avail this Huel in the first
semester till 200-250 whereas in the second semester it’s
open till 300.
30. Science tech & modernity (BITS F214)
About: The course content is not very interesting, but then it
isn't very boring as well.
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Evals/Grading: Tests are based on whatever is taught in
class, so attending classes and making notes is important.
Slides are not provided but the recordings are made
available on calendar. It is not recommended to watch all
the recordings just before the exam, since questions are
based more on understanding than on rote learning. Compre
was completely application based. B- at Av and B at Av+4/5.
31. SOCIAL INFORMATICS (HSS F247)
About: This course involves various relations between
human and technology. Explores how Information
Technology influences and impacts the society around us
and and also how society influences the IT field. A project to
be submitted( individually or in a group depending on the
number of students enrolled in the course). Not a tough
course, can rely on watching lectures only for evaluative
purposes.
Evals/Grading: Evaluation includes midsem, compre and a
semester project which involves research. Grading is like
other huels. Avg gives B.
PR No.: Middle to low PR numbers get this course.
32. Srimad Bhagavad Gita (HSS F334)
About: This is a really interesting course with a great
learning experience. This course covers Bhagavad Gita
briefly and focuses on the teachings of Shri Lord Krishna.
You don't need to remember any sholka/mantra. You have to
be regular, sincere and make notes in each class. You have to
be particular in writing answers as the prof expects you to
write what is taught in class. No mugging is required as
everything is quite conceptual.
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Evals/Grading: After almost every class you'll have a
question which is reflective of that class. It can be of 2-4
marks. During online classes a google form would be
circulated after each class which was graded. There are also
2 course quizzes which are MCQ and short answer format.
There are also a lot of assignments to be done. av+1 --> B
(offline), A at av+13 in midsem (online), MGPA= 7.8-7.9
(grading wise one of the best courses, you just have to be
sincere). Av is very high usually and variance is less
PR No.: You should get this HuEl till 800 (offline), otherwise
at around 600.
33. Symbolic logic (HSS F236)
About: Sym Log covers the basics of first order logic. It
focuses mostly on deductive reasoning. It starts from
Aristotelian Logic and then moves to Modern Logic. The
course is to an extent covered in Discrete Maths. Also CS
students cannot take the course in their 2-1 due to Logic in
CS.It's an easy course and it can be preferred by those who
have problems in writing long answers (most of the HuEls
demand detailed answers/opinions in the exams)
Evals/Grading: Last sem there was 1 report and 1 quiz along
with mid sem and compre as the evaluation components.As
a lot of people opted for CLR grade, everyone had mixed
feelings about the grading. I guess, it was B at av and A was
given to relatively less students. A was given at av+25 but av
was high. It was around 130 for those who gave Compre.
PR No.: The course is one of the most sought after courses.
Somewhere around 500 PR but it has closed at around 350 in
the past.
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34. TECH IN SOCIAL RESEARCH (GS F331)
About: It involves conducting surveys, designing
questionnaires followed by writing reports based on the
data collected from the surveys. Requires continuous effort
and is highly competitive as very few students opt for it.
Essential to be in the good books of the prof; it affects the
grading. Usually involves working on a project and
performing a study on a topic sometimes with other
students, depending on the class strength. High effort
course and grading is a bit dicey. Prof is good if genuinely
interested in the project.
Evaluation: Midsem( Abstract,intro and lit review of report);
Compre and 40% wieghtage for the final report.Av---->B.
Av+9 got A-. 6 got A out of a total of 25.
PR No.: Middle PR numbers get this course easily.
35. DEVELOPMENT THEORIES (GS F213)
About: Development thinking from ‘classical’ development
ideas to alternative and post development theories . It
describes the link between the current world order and the
Development goals of the developing countries. It talks
about develpoment at global and local levels and examines
the practice in contemporary times. There will be many film
screenings and presentations and the course is very
interactive.
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