Rajshahi University - Faculties

Faculties

The university's 53 departments are organized into 9 faculties: Engineering, Arts, Law, Science, Medicine, Business Studies, Social Sciences, Life and Earth Sciences, and Agriculture. The Arts and the Law faculties are the oldest in the university, both established in 1953, closely followed by the Faculty of Science (1956) and newly the Faculty of Engineering (2009). The university's departments represent the traditional studies in arts, commerce, sciences and engineering through programs in History, Languages and Linguistics, Economics, Business studies, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics (est.2002), Physics, Computer Science & Engineering, Chemistry, Statistics, Geology & Mining, Geography, Psychology, Zoology, Botany, etc. The university is increasingly emphasizing on more specialized programs such as Pharmacy, Biochemistry, Information and Communication Engineering (ICE)(est. 2000) or Genetics and breeding (est. 1996).

The Faculty of Engineering includes departments in Information and Communication Engineering (ICE)(est. 2000), Computer Science & Engineering, Applied Physics & Electronic Engineering, and Applied Chemistry & Chemical Engineering. In the late 1990 and 2000s, programs in computer engineering and communication engineering were introduced.The university used to have a separate engineering program through BIT (Bangladesh Institute of Technology) Rajshahi, which has become an independent university being renamed Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology in 2002.

The Faculty of Arts includes departments in languages and linguistics (Bengali, English, Arabic), historical studies (history, Islamic history and culture), philosophy and fine arts. In the late 1990s, programs in theater, music and folklore studies were introduced.

The Faculty of Social Science has programs in sociology, social work, anthropology, economics, political science and media-related studies.

The Faculty of Law consists only of the department of law.

The departments of finance and banking, management, marketing and accounting make up the Faculty of Business Studies. All facilities of these three faculties are located in the three arts buildings.

The four science buildings house the Faculty of Engineering, Science and the Faculty of Life and Earth Science. The former has programs in physics, applied physics & electronics, mathematics, statistics, computer science, chemistry, psychology, applied chemistry, material science, biochemistry, and information & communication engineering.
Prominent departments in the faculty of Life and Earth Sciences include zoology, botany, geography, pharmacy, and genetics & breeding; these are all housed in the third science building. Department of geology & mining is situated in the second science building.

Founded in 2000, the Faculty of Agriculture is the newest addition to the university, and was formed when a local agricultural college was absorbed into the university. The Faculty has programs in fisheries, genetic engineering, agronomy and veterinary sciences.

Faculty of Medicine is organized differently from other disciplines. Medical education is provided by seven medical colleges located around the Rajshahi Division. Though these colleges are autonomous to a large extent, the degrees are conferred by Rajshahi University. Rajshahi Medical College is the oldest medical college under administration of the university and is located a few miles west of the university campus along with a highly equipped large hospital.