UG students to soon get option to shorten, extend duration of degree courses, says UGC chief Jagadesh Kumar

In a significant move, UGC has approved SOPs for HEIs to offer the Accelerated Degree Programme (ADP) and Extended Degree Programme (EDP) in a meeting this week. The draft norms will now be put in the public domain for feedback from stakeholders.

There is good news for the students studying degree courses in the colleges affiliated with UGC. According to the information shared by UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar, Higher Education Institutions will soon offer an option to undergraduate students to shorten or extend their study durations instead of the standard duration of their degree programmes. In a meeting this week, UGC approved SOPs for HEIs to implement the Accelerated Degree Programme (ADP) and Extended Degree Programme (EDP). The draft regulations will be uploaded shortly for stakeholders to provide feedback.

Degrees will mention a self-contained note

The time frame for finishing the degree program, whether shortened or extended, will be noted. It will be regarded equally to standard duration degrees for academic and recruitment considerations.

What are the benefits of completing a degree early?

''Students can use this option to shorten or extend their study durations based on their learning abilities. ADP allows students to complete a three-year or four-year degree in reduced time by earning additional credits per semester, while EDP enables an extended timeline with fewer credits per semester,'' Kumar told PTI.

''Under ADP and EDP, students earn the same total credits as in the standard-duration programme. The higher education institutions will establish committees to evaluate students' eligibility for these programmes. These degrees will be equivalent to standard duration degrees for all employment and academic purposes,'' he added.

According to the SOPs, the institutions may earmark up to 10 per cent of the sanctioned intake for ADP. The HEIs may constitute a committee to scrutinize applications received at the end of the first or the second semester under EDP and ADP and select students accordingly. In the ADP, students will follow the same curriculum content and total credits prescribed for the programme for a standard duration.

ADP will earn additional credits per semester

''The only change will be in the duration of the programme. Students shall have the option to choose ADP either at the end of the first semester or the second semester and not beyond that. Students opting for the ADP will earn additional credits per semester starting from the second or third semester, depending on when they transition to the ADP,'' Kumar said.

''If they join the ADP after the first semester, they will begin earning extra credits from the second semester onward. Similarly, if they join the ADP after the second semester, the additional credit load will start from the third semester onward,'' he added.

Maximum two-year extension allowed

In a three-year or four-year undergraduate programme, the duration may be extended up to a maximum of two semesters.

"Accordingly, students can earn fewer credits in each semester. Based on the credit structure in the Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes, the committee shall decide the minimum number of credits a student must earn in a semester in EDP," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)