Sophia College for Women

Sophia College (Autonomous) is an undergraduate women's college in Mumbai, founded in 1941 by the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order established in France in 1800 by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. Mother Catherine Andersson brought the Society to India in 1939, and the college campus, formerly known as Somerset House, was acquired from the Maharaja of Bhavnagar in 1940. The Arts Faculty began in 1941, with the University of Bombay granting temporary and later permanent affiliation. The Science Faculty started in 1952, and Sophia Polytechnic was introduced in 1970, offering courses in Hospitality Studies, Art and Design, Dress Designing and Garment Manufacturing, and Social Communications Media. The Junior College began in 1975, and postgraduate diploma courses in Clinical Analysis and Quality Assurance were later added. In 2003, a Bachelor of Mass Media programme was introduced. The college has produced notable alumni including Padma Shri recipient Karuna Mary Braganza, actresses Karisma Kapoor and Richa Chadda, and politicians such as Vasundhara Raje and Priya Dutt. In July 2018, the University Grants Commission granted the college autonomous status.