New UGC policy will help students speed up or slow down undergraduate degree programmes; here’s how

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) this week approved a policy lifting time limits on undergraduate degree programmes. Once universities implement this ‘standard operating procedure’ (SOP), students will have more control over the pace of their education and complete an undergraduate degree sooner or later than the standard time period.

With what are called the accelerated degree programmes (ADP) and extended degree programmes (EDP), universities can now allow students to either complete the degree faster, with more credits in each semester and less semesters overall, or complete the degree slower, with fewer credits in each semester and more semesters overall.

Students can opt for either option while applying for the usual degree programme. The students’ request will then be evaluated by a university committee who will decide on the approval based on the students’ performance.

“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. Under ADP and EDP, students earn the same total credits as in the standard-duration programme,” said UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar.

Both ADP and EDP are only available at the undergraduate level. Here’s a brief explainer.

What is an accelerated degree programme?

An accelerated degree programme (ADP) allows a student to earn the same credits as the usual undergraduate degree at a much faster rate. For instance, by applying for the ADP, a student can earn a three-year undergraduate degree in five semesters instead of six, and a four-year undergraduate degree in six semesters instead of eight.

Students can opt for the accelerated degree programme mode in their first or second semesters but not beyond that. They will start earning extra credit from the second or third semester depending on when they transition into the ADP mode.

A committee will be in charge of deciding what is the minimum number of credits a student should earn for ADP. This minimum credit can vary depending on the university or college.

What is an extended degree programme?

An extended degree programme (EDP) allows the students to complete the standard undergraduate degree with more time. For instance, a student can complete a three-year undergraduate programme or a four-year undergraduate programme by taking up to two more semesters.

Much like the ADP, students will have to opt for the EDP mode either by the end of first or second semester. Once the review committee selects the student, they will be given fewer credits to complete in each semester.

Here also, the committee will decide on the minimum number of credits a student should earn in a semester.

NCrF: How do ADP, EDP work?

Both ADP and EDP will be implemented as part of the National Credit Framework (NCrF) implemented by the UGC. NCrF awards credits to students based on the courses they complete. The idea behind the framework is to enable students to complete their education at a more flexible pace.

As per NCrF, students can earn credits by completing an academic course, a vocational or skill course, or through relevant experiential learning. The NCrf divides an undergraduate degree into courses for which credits are given based on its depth and relevancy to the degree. These credits are then stored in a virtual database – Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) – using a unique student id called the APAAR ID.

By including more courses, and hence more credits in a semester, the NCrF allows students to take the ADP mode for a faster degree. Similarly, by allowing less subjects in a semester, and therefore less credits, the EDP mode allows for a slower degree.

Now students taking the same undergraduate degree can finish it at an earlier or later date depending on their preference which did not exist prior to NCrF.

New UGC policy: How will universities implement this?

Under ADP and EDP, the university will be following the same examination and evaluation procedures as in a standard degree. The higher education institutions (HEIs) can award a degree to the student when they complete the course, according to its duration. These degrees will have a note mentioning that the course was completed in a shortened or extended duration.

According to the UGC SOPs, universities, colleges and other higher education institutions need to do the following:

• Earmark 10% of the total seats for ADP-mode candidates
• Form a committee to scrutinise applications for EDP and ADP and select students accordingly
• The committee should evaluate the credit-completing potential of a student based on their performance in the first or the second semester
• The committee should recommend a reduction or an increase in the number of credits per semester based on the duration opted

All government departments, private organisations, and recruiting agencies are to treat the ADP and EDP degrees at par with the standard degree, the UGC said.