Explainer: How UGC's internship-embedded degree programme will work

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission had issued guidelines for the higher education institutions to offer apprenticeship or internship-embedded degree programmes on Friday.

The new National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020, approved by the Union Cabinet on July 29, recommends embedded degree programs which will enable students to demonstrate professional abilities in the subjects of their choice.

The main aim of this type of programme is to increase the employability of students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree. It will be done in a manner which will promote an active link between the higher education system, the industry and commercial and non-commercial entities.

This is how the system will work.

Q. Who is eligible for the programme?

A. Any student who is eligible for a UG degree. He can take up the UG program with the embedded course.

Q. Can a student pursue a Masters programme after graduating from an embedded apprenticeship program?

A. Yes, the student can enrol for the Master's programme in the subject in which they earned their Bachelor's degree. Also, any student who can secure 24 credits in the core subjects as part of their undergraduate programme is eligible for the Master's program. The embedded programme will be considered at par with a regular UG programme.

Q. Have these programs been designed already?

A. No, the higher educational institutions will design the programs in consultation with skill councils like All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), commercial and non-commercial organizations.

Q. On what basis will the degrees be awarded?

A. The degrees will be awarded by the HEIs or universities. The HEIs will first sign agreements with the commercial or non-commercial organizations where the students will intern. Before offering the program, the institutions will also calculate the number of seats that can be offered for the program based on the facilities and infrastructure available.

Q. What is the duration of these programmes?

A. The duration of the embedded training will depend on the requirement of the course. The UG programmes will have the option of embedding a semester of the training as part of the degree programme without making changes in the total duration of the program. The training can be a continuous one, within the UG course duration or they can be planned when practicable and as per the demand.

Q. How will the credits be calculated?

A. A student has to earn a total of 132 credits to be awarded a degree. Of this, at least 20% of the credit should be assigned to the embedded course. The institutions are also free to develop their own mechanisms for offering academic credits for the course a student undergoes as a part of the training program.

Q. How will assessments be done for such programs?

A. The assessment can be done two ways: It can be done in consultation with the commercial or non-commercial entities where the internship is proposed or by the sector skill councils. The students may be assigned marks to the credits earned as per the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). The students must perform up to standard in the embedded internship. If they don't, they will have to go through it again. The marks earned through this will reflect in the semester and final grade sheet.

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