Delhi University’s 4-year degree students may have option to complete PG in 1 year

NEW DELHI: Delhi University students who complete a four-year undergraduate programme by achieving “specific outcomes” such as submitting dissertation, completing academic projects, or developing prototypes, may be able to complete their postgraduate degree within a year, as per a proposal submitted in the Delhi University Academic Council.

Students from a three-year undergraduate programme can also avail a postgraduate diploma by completing one-year of postgraduate studies, as per the new draft of Postgraduate Curricular Framework 2024 submitted in the Delhi University Academic Council.

Moreover, the proposal also allows students to take one of three “tracks” at the end of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) and during the postgraduate programme. These are

• Entrepreneurship track
• Academic projects track
• Dissertation writing track

Those opting for entrepreneurship track should study at least one general elective related to entrepreneurship in each semester. Meanwhile, those opting for academic projects or dissertation writing tracks can opt a general elective of their choice or stick to discipline-specific electives. General electives are optional subjects while discipline-specific electives are core courses.

The draft Postgraduate Curriculum Framework will be tabled in the Delhi University Academic Council on December 27. The new framework is in line with the Curriculum and Credit Framework for Postgraduate Programme released by the University Grants Commission (UGC), as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

DU PG Courses: Specific learning outcomes

As per the new curriculum framework for postgraduate education, which follows the multiple-entry multiple-exit format, four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) students can earn a postgraduate degree within one year. Students coming from a three-year degree have the option of getting a postgraduate diploma by completing the first year but will need to do two years for a degree

However, the FYUP students will have to complete specific outcomes in their fourth year to gain eligibility for the one-year postgraduate degree. For instance, those taking the dissertation writing track should complete their fieldwork, submit dissertation, and have a research output in terms of a prototype, publication in SCOPUS journals, or other scholastic work.

Those taking the academic project track should complete similar outcomes to the dissertation writing track. However, it is imperative that the students do research in application-based projects and not in exploratory or descriptive research.

Those taking the entrepreneurship track should complete learning outcomes such as prototype development, financial planning and fundraising, marketing and sales strategy, etc.

In the postgraduate programme, students can continue on the track that they have chosen during their FYUP programme.