Samiha Tahsin Medha
Dhaka University opened its doors to the students on 1 July, 1921, with only three faculties, namely the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Law. Over the years, the university has grown to be one of the best and largest places for higher education in Bangladesh. New departments have been established with the increasing number of students, and new faculties have been subsequently created to cater to the needs of the new departments.
The D-Unit of the university comprises different departments of 7 faculties, including the Faculty of Arts, Sciences, and Business Studies, and 5 institutions among the 12 institutions functioning under the executive and academic control of the university. Providing diverse subjects to choose from for higher studies, this unit of Dhaka University might open the doors to multifarious opportunities for a student.
Why D-unit of University of Dhaka?
- Provides the most wide-ranging options of subjects to choose from
- The University of Dhaka has some of the best faculties and most experienced teachers in the country to offer
- Students having Science, Humanities, Business Studies, Science Department of Madrasa board, Home Economics, Agricultural Science, Diploma in Business Studies, Diploma in Commerce and Business Management for HSC or equivalent examinations can sit for the admission test of D-Unit
- Wide-ranging research and post-graduation opportunities both at home and abroad
- Each year, the University of Dhaka administers over Tk 60 million in financial assistance, including educational loans based on merit and other criteria
- The rich, long-standing history and traditions of the university and its campus life
While conversing with Fahmida Rahman, a freshman doing her BSS (Hons.) in Sociology in the University of Dhaka, Fahmid told us about why she chose the D-Unit: “I’ve always wanted to leave the Science background because I had a keen fascination for Commerce or Business Studies. Although now I’m a student of social science. I chose the DU-D unit specifically because it is one of the best institutions of our country, which has the strongest social science faculty.”
Another student from the same department said, “Other universities offer similar disciplines to major on but the DU-D unit gives you a variety of options. Obtaining a higher merit position is important to keep your options flexible. DU lets you become a part of history and personally, I think this is one of the prime driving forces leading many to choose the D-unit.”
Faculties and subjects available
- Faculty of Arts
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- Department of Bengali
- Department of English
- Department of Arabic
- Department of Persian Language and Literature
- Department of Urdu
- Department of Sanskrit
- Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies
- Department of History
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of Islamic Studies
- Department of Islamic History & Culture
- Department of Information Science and Library Management
- Department of Theatre and Performance Studies
- Department of Linguistics
- Department of Music
- Department of World Religions and Culture
- Department of Dance
- Faculty of Social Science
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- Department of Economics
- Department of Political Science
- Department of International Relations
- Department of Sociology
- Department of Mass Communication & Journalism
- Department of Public Administration
- Department of Anthropology
- Department of Population Sciences
- Department of Peace and Conflict Studies
- Department of Women and Gender Studies
- Department of Development Studies
- Department of Television, Film and Photography
- Department of Criminology
- Department of Communication Disorders
- Department of Printing and Publication Studies
- Department of Japanese Studies
- Faculty of Business Studies
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- Department of Management
- Department of Accounting & Information Systems
- Department of Marketing
- Department of Finance
- Department of Banking and Insurance
- Department of Management Information Systems (MIS)
- Department of International Business
- Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management
- Department of Organization Strategy and Leadership
- Faculty of Law
- Department of Law
- Faculty of Sciences
- Department of Mathematics
- Department of Statistics
- Faculty of Biological Sciences
- Department of Psychology
- Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Department of Geography & Environment
- Institute of Health Economics
- Health Economics
- Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies
- Bachelor of Disaster Management
- Institute of Modern Languages
- BA Honours in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL);
- BA Honours in French Language and Culture (FLC);
- BA Honours in Chinese Language and Culture (CLC) and BA Honours in Japanese Language and Culture (JLC)
- Institute of Education and Research
- Bachelor of Education
- Institute of Social Welfare and Research
- Social Welfare
Post-Graduation Opportunities
The post-graduation opportunities depend on the faculty you have graduated from. Students graduating from the Business faculty mostly do their MBA and join the corporate world afterwards. Students of the Social Science faculty in that case might struggle a bit because they have too many options to choose from. They can enrol into a master’s program of their choice or do research on their desired subject at research centers available in or outside the country. If someone engages in productive voluntary work during graduation, it makes it easier for them to get into workplaces right after graduating. The same goes for the students of the Arts faculty. Students from any faculty can sit for the BCS exam.
Research Centers for the related subjects
There are 56 research centers at this university, providing facilities of different kinds of research during and after graduation. Some of the research centers available for the departments under D-Unit are:
- Bureau of Economics Research
- Bureau of Business Research
- Dev Center of Philosophical Studies
- Center for Advanced Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
- Centre for Advanced Research in Social Sciences
- Disaster Research Training and Management Centre
- Archives and Historical Research Center
- Center for Development and Policy Research
- Center for Advanced Research in Arts and Social Sciences (CARASS)
- Center for Education, Research and Training
- Center for Development and Institutional Studies
- Center for Cultural Studies in Bangladesh
- Dr. Serajul Haque Center for Islamic Research
- Center for Corporate Governance and Finance Studies
- Center for Buddhist Heritage and Culture
- Center for Arabic Teaching, Training and Research (CATTR)
- Arts Computer Center.
Admission exam format
The entrance exam of D-Unit is divided into two parts: Multiple choice questions for 75 marks and a written exam for 45 marks, which makes a total of 120 marks.
Total number of seats:
- Science 1097
- Humanities53
- Business studies 410
Total: 1560
Marks distribution for the MCQ exam
- Bangla/ Advanced English*
Marks: 16 × 1.25 = 20
- English
Marks: 16 × 1.25 = 20
- General Knowledge
Marks: 28 × 1.25 = 35
Total: 75
*Students who have passed A levels will answer Advanced English
Marks distribution for written exam
- Bangla/ Advanced English*
Marks: 15
- English
Marks: 15
- General knowledge
Marks: 15
Total: 45
*Students who have passed A levels will answer Advanced English
How to prepare for the admission exam
It’s pretty clear from the exam format that anyone who wants to ace the exam must have proper preparations on three subjects- Bangla, English and General Knowledge. Here are some of the tips given by the students who are currently studying in this university:
- General knowledge is a major part of this exam. Memorising vast amounts of information can get very difficult and might be boring for some, but since there is no alternative, divide your time wisely and mix up your topics to reduce the monotony.
- Read newspapers regularly and stay updated on current affairs.
- Have a strong grip over your Bangla and English preparation so that you can concentrate on general knowledge just before the exam.
- Take practice tests that will help you discover your strengths and weaknesses, and manage your time wisely during the test.
- The sooner you start preparing yourself for the admission exams, the better you will do. So start preparing yourself for the admission period from the very beginning of your higher secondary studies by knowing your interests and skills, and fixing a target to aim for after considering everything.
- The HSC or equivalent examination is also very important to make sure that you meet the minimum requirements needed to apply for the DU D-Unit.
By the time we grow up, we get rid of our endless childhood dreams and desires and try to form a grounded idea of what we really want to do in life. It is very important to know about the subjects, opportunities, requirements, fees, and scholarship opportunities to choose the right institute for your higher education. It is also important to prepare and apply for multiple universities considering the risks of uncertainty. It is wise to prepare for universities which require similar subjects because preparing for more than one completely different field is as ambitious and difficult as it sounds.
Here’s what Anika Anjum, currently doing her BSS (Hons.) in Sociology in the University of Dhaka had to say about studying in the D-Unit: “My suggestion to anyone who wants to study in DU is — know if you really want to study here. Know what subjects D-Unit offers and see if you’re willing to study. Many people waste their precious time preparing for D-Unit not knowing the subjects and regret it later on. DU and D-Unit have a lot of setbacks and a lot of people won’t tell you about them. Make sure you know it, and then make a decision. And if you’re willing to work for changing society, definitely become a part of the DU Social Science Faculty.”
Here’s where you will find the official notices and details about the university admission process:
Official website of Dhaka University: https://www.du.ac.bd/
Financial aid and scholarships:
https://www.du.ac.bd/footer_widget/footer_widget_item/financial_aid
Admission notice for D-Unit:
https://admission.eis.du.ac.bd/index.php?act=information/get_notices/gha