UGC extends validity, allows admission to two MPhil programmes till 2025-26 academic session

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has extended the validity of two MPhil programmes and allowed admission of students till 2025-26 academic session. Despite the discontinuation of MPhil degree, the commission has decided to extend the validity of MPhil in Clinical Psychology and MPhil in Psychiatric Social Work in a partial relaxation to the UGC PhD regulations.

The UGC’s Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of PhD degree regulations 2022 discontinued the MPhil programme in accordance with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP).

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“Considering the vital role played by clinical psychologists and psychiatric social workers in delivering mental health services, the UGC has decided to extend the validity of MPhil in Clinical Psychology and MPhil in Psychiatric Social Work till 2025-26 academic session only, in partial relaxation to the above regulations,” the commission said in an official notice.

Accordingly, the higher education institutions can admit students to these MPhil programmes till 2025-26 academic session only, UGC added.

In December last year, the commission had asked universities to stop admissions to the MPhil programme as it had been discontinued.

The UGC regulations on PhD degrees mandated a four-year undergraduate degree with a minimum 75% marks or its equivalent grade as the eligibility criteria for PhD admissions in colleges and universities. “Higher Educational Institutions shall not offer the M.Phil. (Master of Philosophy) programme,” the UGC PhD regulations read.