About Stella Maris College, Chennai

   Stella Maris College, founded on 15 August 1947 is an institution of higher education for women in Chennai, India. The College is a Catholic minority institution established and run by the Society of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM), a religious congregation founded by Blessed Mary of the Passion (Helene de Chappotin) in Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu in 1877. The initiatives of the College arise from a sound philosophy of life based on faith in God and the contemporary reality of a pluralistic Indian society that is challenged by global ideologies and cultures.

   Stella Maris was granted permanent recognition in 1951.  The college is affiliated to the University of Madras and is partly residential. 

    Beginning in a small one-storey building on 15 August 1947, with an enrollment of 32 students in Santhome, Mylapore, Stella Maris College, relocated to its present campus later in 1960.  In ‘The Cloisters’ on Cathedral Road, Chennai, the college has at present over 5,500 students from diverse communities, backgrounds and nations, housed in large buildings on the campus.

   Additionally, it was the first women's college in Madras to offer M.A. degree courses in English, Economics, and Fine Arts. The following few decades saw tremendous growth and development in the college with several firsts and distinctions. The college was one of the few chosen to start the pilot project of the National Service Scheme in 1968. A spacious library was erected on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the college in 1972 and occupies a place of pride on the campus as well as in Chennai.

    From 1978 onwards there was a shift in the admission policy, keeping in mind the thrust of the college towards social justice. Becoming conscious of the growing need for academic freedom, the college became Autonomous in 1987 and has 19 Undergraduate and 12 Postgraduate programs. Research programs such as M.Phil., PhD, and Postgraduate Diploma courses are also part of the academic curriculum.

   The 1990s saw the college offering several new job-oriented courses as well as additional sections for the departments of B.Com. and Mathematics. On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee, the St. Clare's Centre - a four-story building that houses the Administrative offices, an Audio-Visual room, Computer Laboratories, and several Classrooms - was erected. With ten years of experiential learning processes behind it, the college restructured its system of education by introducing a credit-based system in 1997, offering many new academic programmes that encourage interdisciplinary associations.

   Coaching for the civil services exams was launched in November 2009. Stella Maris also conducts coaching classes for both faculty and students who are preparing to appear for the NET and SLET exams.

   As of 2014, the college has undertaken around twelve environmental initiatives including light-emitting diode cluster lights, solar-powered streetlights, source segregation, vermi-composting, and waste water recycling plant. In January 2014, the college opted for green energy with the installation of a 50-kilo watt roof-top solar power plant on its campus. The plant, installed by Omega Natural Polarity Private Limited at a cost of several million, has 200 solar panels and caters to six percent of the total power requirement on the campus, powering lights and fans in the college.

   Stella Maris College has the unique credit of having initiated Bachelor's degrees in Western Music and History of Fine Arts, as well as Master's degrees in Social Work and Indian Music.  The college is recognized as an ‘A’ Grade college by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). Stella Maris College aims to promote education and empower women to face the challenges of life with courage. In 2021, the college has been ranked 58th in the college category by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) while, in 2020, the college was ranked at 64th in the same category.

   The vision of the college is to build a vibrant and inclusive learning community in a Culture of Excellence sustained by a Sound Value System that promotes responsible citizenship and effects social change.

   Stella Maris College is on a mission to empower young women to face the challenges of life with Courage and Commitment, to be builders of a Humane and a just Society, and to promote a learning community in which everyone feel part of the collaborative high quality educational process which is value-based and leads to holistic growth.

  The college is committed to serving the economically and socially marginalized sections of society and provides University education in a Christian atmosphere for students, especially those belonging to the Catholic community. Admission is open to all, irrespective of caste and creed, and their rights of conscience are respected. In keeping with its mission, the College promotes inclusive practices in the implementation of its academic programs, taking into account learning differences and the special needs of the differently-abled. In seeking to mould women of character who will be self-reliant and work towards social transformation, the College has established an educational road map that provides a framework for quality education and stimuli for lifetime learning.

   A Student-centric, participatory Teaching-learning-evaluation system assures the students of optimal educational benefits. The College is at the forefront of higher education in India by balancing its commitment to academic excellence with emphasis on all-round development of students. Offering courses in traditional Arts and Science courses and in emerging areas such as International Studies, Information Technology, Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, the curriculum promotes National Development, fosters Global Competencies and facilitates Skills training to meet the challenges of a competitive workplace.

   Running parallel with the nation's trajectory towards self-hood and development, Stella Maris College has evolved into an Institution of repute, serving national, regional and local needs.

   It has five hostels – Snehalaya, Our Lady's, Klemens, St. Josephs and Nava Nirmana.

VISION
  The vision of the college is to build a vibrant and inclusive learning community in a culture of excellence sustained by a sound value system that promotes responsible citizenship and effects social change.
MISSION
  The mission of the college is to empower young women to face the challenges of life with courage and commitment, to be builders of a humane and a just society, and to promote a learning community in which all, especially those from less-privileged backgrounds, feel part of the collaborative high quality educational process which is value based and leads to holistic growth.

After publication of Plus Two results, the candidates can apply online through

for admission to their respective courses. The candidates are required to enter the details

(Personal and contact information, Education document details) and submit the Online

Application Form provided on the College website. Supporting documents are mandatory to be

uploaded for the online application submission to be complete.

The Principal shall constitute a central Admissions Core Committee(ACC) in keeping with
governmental regulations. This Committee shall be headed by the Principal.

Departmental Admissions Committee shall be formed by the Head of Departments.

Once the online applications are received, the process of scrutinizing the same (Verification of
Marks and Documents uploaded) is made. After scrutiny, the list of candidates selected for
interview is uploaded on the college website and the candidates are also notified via email and
sms.

Entrance Tests shall be held (online or in person, depending on the current situation) for those
programmes where it is a requirement.

The list of final selection of candidates, together with instructions for admission and fee payment
will be uploaded on the college website.
 

All decisions regarding final selection of candidates shall be taken by the Principal in consultation
with the Head of Department and the Departmental Admissions Committee. In any issue 
regarding admissions, the decision of the Principal shall be final.

Stella Maris College, Chennai Placements :
  The placement cell aims to develop student’s overall personality and build partnerships with corporates for recruitment. Stella Maris College Placement Cell organises various workshops, seminars and events to help students to improve their skills as per the requirement of the industry. The placement cell provides internship opportunities and conducts placement drives for the students of the college. Also, the placement cell offers mentorship to the students for personal and academic guidance. Stella Maris College Placement Cell has set up a counselling centre where they offer counselling to the students in terms of career planning and what are the suitable opportunities available for the students of Stella Maris College.
   According to NIRF 2021 data, for Stella Maris College placements for UG & PG programmes, 263 and 67 students were placed with the organisations took part in the placement drive of the Stella Maris College, with an average annual package of Two Lakhs sixty-four thousand and Three lakh thirty-three thousand, 484 and 33 students opted for higher studies after completing their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes from Stella Maris College. A total of 1309 and 285 students were eligible for the Stella Maris College placement.

Wipro

Cognizant

Deloitte

Ernst & Young

Google

KPMG

SAP

ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND

Goldman Sachs

Sutherland

McKinsey & Co

Zoho

   Education is meant to be inclusive and Stella Maris has always followed an open door policy for students from disadvantaged sections of society. The College offers scholarships to deserving students. On a merit-cum-need basis, students may apply for Management, Private and Government scholarships. Fee concessions are also available

Stella Maris College, Chennai Facilities

    Stella Maris College offers different facilities to the students and faculty members. The Chennai campus has taken several initiatives to make Stella Maris College an environmentally-friendly campus. The college does rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, energy conservation and many more steps to keep Stella Maris College an environmentally friendly campus. The Chennai campus infrastructure has spacious classrooms for the students, the classrooms are well-equipped with smartboard and projection facilities. Stella Maris College has a library that includes a vast collection of books, journals, and other study material available for the students, faculty and scholars of Stella Maris College. The library has a separate section that has resources available for competitive exams, students can use study materials to prepare for competitive exams. There are different well-equipped laboratories for all subjects at Stella Maris College, students use laboratories to gather practical knowledge for their subjects. Cafeteria facilities are available for the students. Stella Maris College provides hostel facilities to the girl’s students, There are five hostels located at different places in the campus. Stella Maris College provides facilities for sports, parking, transportation facilities to the students, faculty and staff members of Stella Maris College.
Girls Hostel
  Stella Maris College Hostel is run on the Christian principles of love, discipline, honour and service. The rules and regulations are planned to help young women to become mature and responsible citizens, able to use freedom wisely and at the same time practice self-discipline.
Library
   Stella Maris College Library has a vast college of books, journals and online resources for different subjects and courses which helps students to gather information regarding their course. There is a separate collection of books that have been added to the Stella Maris College library for competitive exams, students use the study material to prepare for the competitive exam with their courses. The library has an automated system to maintain records of issuing and returning the books. The library provides internet facilities to the students.
Cafeteria
   Stella Maris College offers canteen facilities to the students and faculty members. The canteen is well-furnished and provides a variety of choices in dishes and beverages to the students. The mess and canteen provide healthy and hygienic food to the students of Stella Maris College. There are many refreshment stalls and kiosks located in different locations on the campus which serve snacks, beverages to the students of Stella Maris College at an affordable price.
Banks/ATMs

   Stella Maris College has a branch of Indian Overseas Bank and an ATM counter is also placed within the campus.
Convenience Store
   The DTP Centre provides stationery as well as services such as photocopying, lamination and binding for both faculty and students.
Wifi
  Stella Maris College provides a 24/7 Wi-Fi facility available for the students, faculty and staff members.
Laboratories
   Stella Maris College has different laboratories available for the students of Stella Maris College. All laboratories are well-equipped with the latest instruments. The laboratories provide a space for the students to conduct experiments and gather practical knowledge related to their respective course. Facilities such as computers with JAWS, open book and many more are available for visually challenged students.
Auditorium
   Stella Maris College has an auditorium that is a hub for all the cultural and academic activities of the college. The auditorium is well equipped with audiovisual equipment.
Medical/Hospital
  Stella Maris College has a medical centre with qualified medical personnel that offers 24/7 medical assistance to the students. Also, there are trained counsellors who help students with their psychological problems.
Sports
   Stella Maris College offers facilities for different sports such as basketball, volleyball and many more. Stella Maris College has courts and fields for these sports. Stella Maris College encourages its students to take part in competitions and tournaments of all levels and assists them by providing them with a flexible assessment schedule and attendance by the college.
I.T Infrastructure
The college has excellent IT Infrastructure facility for the students.
Parking Facility
The college has the parking space facility for its faculty, staff, and students.
Transport Facility
Stella Maris College offers transport facilities to the students, faculty and staff members of Stella Maris College.

Guest Room/Waiting Room
The college has guest house/waiting room facilities for visiting faculty and student family members.

Transport:

  The college has its own fleet of Buses in all possible routes making transportation easy for the staff and students from all areas and colonies of the city. In addition city bus facility is also available.

  Stella Maris College offers transport facilities to the students, faculty and staff members of Stella Maris College.