Higher Education in Aodh

After completing Upper Secondary (or equivalent private schooling), young adults may choose to pursue further education in one of Aodh’s two universities. The University of New Valore has an expansive campus, and teaches most subjects, while the smaller University of Bloom teaches fine arts, conservation and art history. The third school, Military Academy of Opulence, focuses only on military subjects, and while it is university level, the degrees from there only really hold value within the military. The Military Academy is discussed in this article only briefly.

## University of New Valore

The largest University in Aodh, New Valore offers a wide selection of subjects on an expansive inner city campus. Founded during the reign of King Soleh (795-847), the university has expanded over time. As a result, the buildings are not all in one neat area, but instead scattered around the Sol and Artisan districts. Many of the buildings are historically significant, having been purchased for the use of the university long after their construction.

Particularly magnificent is the main building, which houses a large auditorium where Master thesis debates and important ceremonies are held. Settled in the heart of Sol District, this building is dark grey marble with blue accents, and its interiors are decorated with beautiful reliefs and classical statues lining the hallways. It is, fittingly, the home of the history and architecture departments.

The other buildings are a bit less opulent, but also beautifully made, with many statues and portraits lining the halls. To properly see everything on the university campus would take several days - partially because it is so spread out.

University of New Valore is particularly famed for its medical and architectural courses, but graduates from other majors are well-respected in Aodh as well.

## University of Bloom

Read about this exclusive Fine Arts university on Bloom's page: [link]

## Military Academy of Opulence

Discover this school for the military minded on the Opulence page: [link]

## Students

As a result of the pre-requirements and the price of tuition, Aodhian university students tend to come almost exclusively from the upper crust of society. Children of Nobles, Artisans, Paramounts and Armigers, the pool of students tends to be rather homogenous when it comes to background, upbringing and values. There are a few talented outliers each year, but most students are more or less following in the footsteps of their parents, and seeking higher education is often more of an expectation than a passion for these youths.

About 50% of first years are fresh out of Upper Secondary, making them around 16-17 years of age. About 30% are a couple years out of Upper Secondary, while the remaining 20% are over 20. These percentages vary somewhat by field and school - in Bloom, the notoriously difficult entry exams mean the median age of first years is higher, with most students only gaining entry with a second or third try.

This being Aodh, there is absolutely no bias towards or against any student for their breed, gender or sexual orientation. All of Aodh’s universities have strong anti-bias policies, and are generally willing to accommodate any disabilities, although students needing a personal assistant are expected to pay for those services (or the slave) themselves.

### Exchange & Foreign Students

Exchange students between Aodh’s own universities are relatively common, although naturally limited by the fairly small number of majors available at Bloom or Opulence. As such, exchanges are often from the two smaller schools to New Valore, often for a single semester, to study in a specific major not available at the ‘home’ school. Students from New Valore will sometimes gain entry to Bloom in exchange, but these spots are extremely competitive due to the exclusive nature of the Bloom programs.

On extremely rare occasions during Solaris’ reign, Aodhian top students in sciences (especially medicine) would occasionally be allowed to enter into exchange programs to go study at the University of Nariah, allowing them to learn from the herd’s advanced medicine field. These would be 1-1 exchanges, meaning a student would arrive from Nariah in return, although not necessarily in the same major. These exchanges ended in 1700 with the political catastrophe.

*Technically* New Valore University is open to students from other countries, should they be able to pass the entrance exam, and pay the high tuition fee. However, in practice these kinds of foreign students are extremely rare - both due to Aodh not being the safest place to travel as a foreigner, and due to very few people in the other herds being able to afford the astronomical costs. Foreign students, on the rare occasion they are admitted, are generally from wealthy, well-connected War Forged families.

### Gaining Entry

Although being from a wealthy, privileged family certainly helps, no one is guaranteed a spot.

New Valore University has different procedures depending on the desired major. Typically, students are first vetted by their relevant grades and other achievements from Upper Secondary. Afterwards, there is often some exam, test or reference that is required before gaining entry. For fine arts, this tends to be a portfolio or a short in-person performance - or even a frenzied day of creation at the University, in the case of Bloom, which are known to be particularly difficult. For sciences, exams testing the students knowledge are common, while the teaching field requires character references to gain entry. Arts are a bit all over the place, but typically have an exam to vet students, although some take students based on Upper Secondary grades alone.

For students who did not finish Upper Secondary (often adults who came into money later) or who did not study the opportune topics for their future career, entry is possible through completing a more challenging exam, usually with very limited acceptance quotas.

Spots in the program are then filled according to scores, with a few students receiving reserve spots in case someone backs out, or drops out early in the semester. Those who do not gain entry are welcome to try again the next year.

Acceptance for the Military Academy is generally by invitation or petition only. They don’t have formal entry requirements.

### Price of Education

Attending either of the two Universities is prohibitively expensive to most people. A single semester costs thousands of shards - something most commoners, and even some gentry, can not afford. Student loans are generally not available - the idea being that if you can’t afford the education outright, you probably won’t be able to pay back the loan either.

Virtually all studies require at least a completed Bachelor’s degree, sometimes a Masters, to be considered for positions in that field - which means at least six semesters of study, almost always more. Only the wealthiest nobles and upper class can afford to send all their children to university indiscriminately - most need to be a bit choosy, and send only the smartest or most invested offspring. Even for a noble, sending a whole cackle of children through higher education might prove to be a bad investment. A semester must be paid in full even if the student drops out midway through.

Sometimes when empty spots are left on individual courses, these slots are offered up as self-standing courses for anyone who can afford to pay for them, even if they aren’t otherwise enrolled at the university. These spots are announced in the university newsletter and are usually quickly filled up, despite the high price.

#### Stipends

While Aodh does not have student loans, or scholarships, there are ways for the less fortunate to attain university education - if they get lucky, and are either exceptionally talented or motivated. This is done through stipends, which function similarly to scholarships in that they pay for the tuition (and sometimes other living costs) of a given student.

In Aodh, university stipends are handed out solely by private benefactors, often wealthy noble families, who may pick and choose whoever they like to send through school. Only very few have any kind of formal application process or even requirements - sponsorship is often attained through connections. Some Upper Secondary schools host scouting days where rich benefactors may come visit the school and see if any of the talent on offer catches their eye. Almost all stipends given out are for Fine Arts or Sciences, often with the explicit stipulation that after graduation, the benefactor will receive something in return for their investment - even if its just in the form of recognition.

As the stipends are private and not regulated by any governing body, the benefactor can stop their support at any time, for any reason, should the student or their scholarly achievements no longer please them. This means stipend students are generally not free to make decisions like changing their major without prior approval from their benefactor.

## Student Life

The University year is broken into two semesters - Fall semester that runs from start of August to end of December, and Spring semester from start of February to end of June. January acts as a winter holiday, while July is the summer holiday. There are no additional breaks, although any major holidays are off. The school week runs from Monday to Friday, although most students have lectures only on 3-4 days a week, and generally 2-6 hours of lectures in a day.

Student life in Aodh is colored by the fact that vast majority of the students are from extremely wealthy families. As such, most students live either at home, or alone in an apartment they don’t pay for. It is uncommon for students to work while studying, unless it’s at a job specific to or beneficial to their studies.

### Student Housing

The University of Bloom offers dorm style housing on its campus. The dorms are located around the fake lake surrounding the castle, making them just a brief walk away from the university building itself. This housing is complementary, and included in the tuition. Students who do not wish to live in dorms can rent or purchase a property (at their own cost).

The Military Academy also has dorms, in the classical Chevalier barracks style. Students will room in a single barracks, separate from the regular Chevaliers, but do not enjoy any further luxuries. The housing is free, just like the education itself.

University of New Valore does not offer dorm style housing. Students are expected to find and pay for their own housing in the city. Many students simply live with their parents until graduation - usually not a problem, as so many students come from noble or otherwise wealthy families who already own property in New Valore. For those without this option, several private landlords offer apartments near the various university buildings - for huge prices, of course.

#### Fraternities, Nations & Clubs

Aodh's only two fraternities can be found at the Bloom University: Canto (for students of performing arts) and Fresco (for everyone else). Both are gender-neutral. They operate in semi-secrecy, and have their fraternity houses in downtown Bloom. As is to be expected, members are vetted through rushing and pledging. Fresco is famously elitist, with only the richest and most talented permitted entry. They tend to be cliqueish and competitive, but former members claim being in Fresco really helped them build a career in art. They tend to party a lot, and fund their parties by selling or displaying collaborative works made within the fraternity. Canto is known to be less selective and elitist, with a laid-back attitude and a propensity for pranks. Their main activities focus around putting up amateur performances - both plays and concerts - for paying audiences, or sometimes as flashmobs on university grounds.

Due to the lack of on-campus living at New Valore University, there are no operating fraternities in the university. Instead, there are a few *Nations* operating on campus, formed around students coming from outside New Valore. The largest Nations are Opulence and Bloom, with smaller ones existing for places like Harborside or Haven. Minor villages are gathered under more collective Nations, like “North-Eithne”. Nations are less like fraternities, and more like support groups - they allow students to connect with others from their home region, offer help with finding work or networking, and are able to offer affordable housing to their members. Membership costs a nominal fee each year, as Nations are mostly funded via donations from their alumni.

Various clubs are also a popular way for students to network and find likeminded individuals. These are less formal than Nations, and tend to focus on fun rather than assisting students. Clubs are generally formed around a shared hobby (such as chess, specific type of art, or even shopping) and they organize activities and get-togethers for their members.

### University Rules

Both New Valore and Bloom (and the Military Academy at Opulence) have agreed on a set of rules that all students must follow. Breaking these rules is taken extremely seriously, regardless of the status of the rulebreaking student - don’t expect to get off scott free just because your parents are big name nobility. At worst, students may be expelled for rule infractions, and in some cases they may be banned from studying at any university again.

1. No prejudice towards any gender, sexuality, or breed will be tolerated. Mutual respect is expected.
2. Respect university property. Vandalism is prosecuted.
3. Be on time and prepared for class. Constant tardiness disturbs others.
	1. Being late 3 times without good reason counts as an absence. Six absences during a single semester without valid excuse leads to flunking the course.
4. Respect your teachers and professors.
	1. Students who consistently act in a combative or disruptive manner may be removed from the course.
5. Return all work on time. If something prevents you from doing so, communicate with your teacher *before* deadline for an extension.
	1. Late work is docked a grade per day it is late. Lecturers tend to be very forgiving of missed deadlines if the student communicates with them, however.
6. Do not attempt to bribe any faculty, including professors or teachers.
	1. Any faculty member who is found to have accepted bribes immediately loses their position.
	2. Any student who is found to have attempted bribery (even if not successful) is suspended for a whole semester. Semester payments are not returned.
	3. Any student found to have benefitted from bribes is expelled. If they had already graduated, they lose their diploma.
7. Cheating in homework or at exams is a serious offense.
	1. First offense leads to a warning. Second offense is a suspension of 2 weeks and must retake the course. Third offence leads to being expelled.
	2. Allowing others to cheat off of you is not okay either.
8. Plagiarism is taken extremely seriously.
	1. First offense leads to a suspension, the length of which depends on the severity of the plagiarism. The course must be retaken. Second offence leads to being expelled.

### Teachers & Professors

Teaching is an extremely lucrative profession in Aodh, and teaching at a university is one of the most esteemed positions one can achieve within that field. Teaching positions are often filled by invitation - meaning that when a role is open, the faculty will send an invitation to someone they think would be a good fit. Nepotism plays surprisingly little part in filling these positions - although being well-connected certainly helps. Usually the quicklist for hires consists of former teaching assistants, guest lecturers, or particularly famous industry professionals. Professors are promoted almost exclusively from among current members of faculty, except on rare occasions when a former teacher is invited back to become a professor.

Job openings are almost never openly advertised, and most hopeful teachers spend several years as guest lecturers before receiving a seat of their own. Student critique is taken seriously, and teachers who consistently receive bad reviews or fail their students are let go - all Aodhian institutions of higher learning aim for excellence.

Every major has their own staff although some teachers may teach several subjects across the faculty. There will typically be 1-6 university teachers in a major (depending on the size of the program), as well as several guest lecturers who may hold individual lectures, or even full courses. Some teachers will have teaching assistants, although this is not common. Each major has a single professor, who is not only a teacher, but also the leader of their particular major, making important decisions about the program, use of funding, hiring new teachers and student intake. Professors are generally older equines (40+) who have several years of experience as teachers, and are at the top of their field. The professors answer to a Head of Faculty, and the Heads of Faculty answer to the University Principal, who is solely a bureucrat handling public relations, organization, politics and monetary issues.

## Studying

Bachelor programs are expected to last from 3-5 years, depending on the students scheduling, ambition and work ethic. Masters programs tend to take 3-7 years. The average student spends about 8 years at the University if they pursue a full Masters degree.

The Bachelor programs consist of introductory courses, deeper courses, and often some more specialized lectures or courses within the field. A Bachelors thesis is required to graduate - the exact form this takes depends on the field. For example, Arts students will generally write a sourced, long essay, while Fine Arts students may submit a specific showcase work with some written work on the side, explaining their influences.

Masters studies include additional theory courses, allowing for further specialization and deepening the students understanding. In Arts, a lot of the study time is spent with independent research, while Sciences often lean towards practical experimentation, planning and executing etc. At the end of studies, a Masters thesis is submitted. This is generally a further expanded, more advanced version of the Bachelors thesis.

Most student work consists of lectures, at-home essays, field specific experiments/practical work (such as painting, attending hospital as a student, performing and documenting experiments etc), reading and groupwork. Some individual courses may have various field trips - these are most common in architecture, where some courses are dedicated entirely to touring famous Aodhian buildings and learning from them. Workshops and peer-to-peer lectures are held at Masters level. Oration, presenting and writing are generalized studies required for all Bachelor level students (consisting of a single course), preparing them for their written thesis.

If a student is admitted, doesn’t get expelled for rulebreaking, and can afford it, they are always guaranteed to be able to finish their education - even if they receive terrible grades or flunk out of courses. They will simply need to keep retaking failed courses until they are able to pass. For failing students, it is often those footing the bill who call quits on their education, rather than the university itself.

### Changing Majors

Changing majors ranges from easy to extremely difficult, depending on the desired new major. Swapping inside the faculty of Arts is generally the easiest, and often requires only a written petition. Meanwhile in Sciences the student needs to pass the entrance exam, or have previous studies in the new major, but does not generally need to wait for an open spot. In the highly competitive Education and Fine Arts faculties, swapping from one major to another is difficult, and jumping into them from outside the faculty is almost impossible.

### Available Majors

The two universities offer a wide variety of majors for students, with Opulence offering education in military specialties. They are categorized under Arts (Classics), Fine Arts, Sciences and Education. NV means it is taught in New Valore University; Bloom stands for Bloom University of Fine Arts; OP stands for Opulence. Subjects that state “Bachelor only” are only available up to Bachelor level, while Masters only means it *must* be completed up until Master to graduate. A few study paths are Masters+, meaning they require additional study past the usual Masters level, usually adding about 2 years of study time.

**ARTS (CLASSICS)**

Arts is the largest faculty, and encompasses the most subjects. It is highly varied, with topics ranging from psychology and law to history and philosophy. It essentially includes everything that is yet to break off into its own thing.

* **Archaeology** (NV) - focuses on studying ancient kirin society. Currently “modern archaeology” is in vogue, leading to more unusual digs.
* **History** (NV) - general world history
	+ **Art History** (Bloom) - focuses on art history, especially Aodhian art history.
	+ **History of Aodh** (NV) - focuses on Aodhian development.
	+ **Royal History** (NV) - focuses on the study of monarchs and royal family. Very people-centric. Everyone who takes this has a 2 hour lecture on their favorite Soleil ready to go.
	+ **War History** (OP) - Bachelor only.
* **Law** (NV) - study of Aodhian law and its applications. Masters only. Allows specialization into following:
	+ **Civil law** - prepares students into working as attorneys or secretaries in a civil court.
	+ **Criminal law** - prepares students into working as attorneys or secretaries in a criminal court.
	+ **Law and criminal history** - a more theoretical specialty with a focus on research.
* **Military Science** (OP) -  Bachelor only.
	+ **Military Tactics** -  Bachelor only.
* **Philosophy** (NV)
	+ **Aesthetics** - focuses especially on art theory, but also goes into literary theory.
	+ **Ethics**
	+ **Logic** - Not usually taken as a major, but a popular minor for those who enjoy debates.
* **Social sciences** (NV) - a generalized study of a newly burgeoning field. Allows for following specializations:
	+ **Criminology** - Often taken together with law.
	+ **Economics**
	+ **Linguistics** - Focuses on literary critique, but dabbles in the development of writing systems (read: writing long think pieces on kirin tablets that are too damaged to read) and semiotics.
	+ **Music Theory**
	+ **Sociology**
* **Theology** (NV) - focuses mostly on Ignacio.
	+ **Astronomy** (NV) - although a scientific field, falls under theology due to the implications astronomy has on gods, religion and existence in Hireath. Essentially a field that studies faith via science.

**EDUCATION (NV only)**

Teachers in Aodh are extremely well-paid, and the spots in these courses highly competed. In addition to good grades from school, positive character references are needed to gain entry into the Faculty of Education.

* **Early Education** - prepares for work in kindlehearth (preschool). Bachelor only.
* **Primary Education** - may graduate as a teacher for Primary School. Bachelor only.
	+ **Secondary Education** - A Master’s level addition that allows teaching at both Primary and Lower Secondary schools. Masters only.
* **Special Education** - an extremely prestigious program that produces specialist teachers for children with special needs. May specialize towards any level of teaching or subject. Masters+ only.
* **Subject Education** - this combines the study of one upper secondary subject with teaching education, allowing students to graduate as teachers of that subject on an upper secondary level. Masters only.

**FINE ARTS**

Aodhians love their art, especially their visual art. Studying art is considered a noble pursuit that matches well with any other field an individual might seek to study. Prospective students need to clear auditions before being accepted to study.

* **Acting** (NV, Bloom). Bachelor only.
* **Conservation** (Bloom)
* **Drawing and Illustration** (NV, Bloom)
* **Literature** (NV, Bloom)
* **Music** (NV). Bachelor only.
* **Painting** (NV, Bloom)
* **Printmaking** (Bloom)
* **Sculpting** (Bloom)
* **Poetry** (Bloom)

**SCIENCES**

In Aodhian understanding, Sciences include not only chemistry, biology and other such topics, but also engineering, architecture and anything that is heavily reliant on mathematics. It is the second largest faculty after Arts, and considered the most prestigious overall.

* **Architecture** (NV) - Masters only. Includes a long period of learning on the job. Very commonly taken together with a Fine Arts degree.
	+ **Military Architecture** (OP) - A Masters+ specialization. Focus on defensive structures and military applications.
* **Biology** (NV)
* **Blessing Study** (NV) - a scientific field that focuses on measuring, categorizing and experimenting with blessings. Essentially the study of magic.
* **Chemistry** (NV)
* **Engineering** (NV) - A mixture of civil and mechanical engineering. Tends to be very experimental, students are free to pursue their own projects and interests.
	+ **Military Engineering** (OP) - engineering focused on weapons, siege engines etc and their development.
* **Geography** (NV)
* **Medicine** (NV) - Masters only. Offers several specializations:
	+ **Field** (OP) - focuses on administering treatment in combat situations, focuses on saving lives rather than best possible outcomes.
	+ **Pharmaneutics** (NV) - study and development of medicine
	+ **Surgery** (NV)
	+ **Veterinary** (NV)
* **Psychics** (NV)
* **Psychology** (NV)

### Minors

A student may apply for a minor of their choosing by submitting an application to the faculty. It's easiest to receive a study permit for a subject that’s in the same category as your major, or otherwise related to it (for example: law + criminology). Having a minor is not mandatory, and they follow the same curriculum as majors - the student simply does not pursue them as deeply.

However, the following subjects are only available as minors, in New Valore only:

* **Adult Education.** May be combined with any major, and has a specific study path and requirements. This essentially allows someone to graduate as a University Teacher for their chosen topic (although it's not mandatory for becoming one). Full study requirements take about 2 years, and include in-class learning.
* **History and culture of Breim.** A specialized minor within Arts. Does not portray accurate information on Breim, for example Kawaru/Umare are all mixed up. Only includes a few courses.
* **History and culture of Serora.** A specialized minor within Arts. Focuses on the negative and “barbaric” aspects of Seroran culture. Only includes a few courses.
* **History and culture of Talori.** A specialized minor within Arts. Portrays the version of Aquore that was publicly known, so only has information on the Isles, and some of the recently revealed customs, such as sacrifices. Only includes a few courses.
* **History and culture of War Forged.** A specialized minor within Arts. Portrays biased but accurate information on War Forged, their clans and their history. Often has guest speakers native to Forged. Full size minor with plentiful courses to choose from.
* **Pagan religion.** A new minor focusing on Digend, but also includes more unusual (read: foreign) interpretations of the established pantheon. Faculty established in 1701. Offers a couple courses.