Explainer: What is UGC’s national higher education qualification framework?

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has finalised the National Higher Educational Qualification Framework (NHEQF), another regulatory reform proposed by National Education Policy.

The NHEQF seeks to bring changes in the education system right from the school to the higher education levels. Under the NHEQF, the higher education qualifications such as a certificate, diploma, and degree will be awarded based on the demonstrated achievement of learning outcomes and academic standards expected of graduates of a programme of study.

The framework intends to provide a “nationally accepted and internationally comparable and acceptable qualifications framework to facilitate transparency and comparability of higher education qualifications at all levels”, the document states.

The draft of the NHEQF was put up for public comment in February last year. It has been collectively developed by the department of school education, the department of higher education and the department of skill development. The final document was released on Thursday.

What is NHEQF?

The framework divides education into eight levels. The first four levels are the school levels, while the last four are governed by higher education. The first four levels will be taken up under the National School Education Qualification Framework (NSEQF), while the last four levels will come under the ambit of NHEQF. “The NHEQF is an instrument for the development, classification, and recognition of qualifications along a continuum of levels from 4.5 to 8, with levels 1 to 4 in school education,” the document states.

Based on a set of performance criteria, the NHEQF represents a comprehensive framework that classifies qualifications. It specifies qualification types and framework levels and the expected learning outcomes corresponding to these qualification types.

Qualification type refers to the broad discipline-free nomenclature such as a certificate, diploma, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and PhD. The NHEQF also incorporates the qualifications from technical and vocational education and training and professional and technical education programmes, except medical and legal education under one qualifications framework.

The document, however, does not propose uniform curriculum or national common syllabus for a programme of study or to prescribe a set of approaches to the teaching-learning process and assessment of student learning levels, the document clarifies.

It will be applicable to all the modes of learning and ensure both comparability and transferability not only between institutions but also across different delivery modes.

What are the levels in NHEQF?

The NHEQF is characterised by six levels based on the complexity of learning outcomes. The levels start from 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 7 and 8. Given below are the list of levels and the stages of higher education they correspond to.

While the NHEQF level 4.5 represents learning outcomes appropriate to the first year (first two semesters) of the undergraduate programme of study, while Level 8 represents learning outcomes appropriate to the doctoral-level programme of study.

Level 5.5 to 6 deals with bachelor’s degree, starting with the level 5.5 that covers the first three years of a four-year undergraduate programme , followed by the fourth year with eight semesters completed by a student.

Similarly, level 6.5 covers a two-year masters degree programme after obtaining a three-year bachelor degree and a one-year masters degree programme after completing a four-year undergraduate programme which includes honours with research.

Level 7, on the other hand, covers master’s in engineering and M.Tech of two years after obtaining a four-year BTech degree . Level 8 covers doctoral studies .

The framework has outlined several learning level “descriptors” or parameters based on which students can be assessed at every level. These parameters include generic learning outcomes, constitutional, ethical, and moral values, employment ready skills, entrepreneurship mindset, and application of knowledge and skills among others.

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What is the credit system under NHEQF?

A credit is a unit by which the coursework done by a student will be measured. For example, a three credit lecture course in a semester means three one-hour lectures per week with each one-hour lecture counted as one credit.

Moreover, a “one credit” obtained from extra academic work like seminar or internship or studio activities or field projects or community engagement and service means two-hour engagement per week. Accordingly, in a semester of 15 weeks duration, a one credit in these courses is equivalent to 30 hours of engagement.

To obtain a four year undergraduate programme, students will have to earn a minimum of 160 credits, with a minimum of 40 credits each at level 4.5, 5, 5.5, and 6 of the NHEQF.

Each level also allows students to avail multiple entry and multiple exit. For instance, to exit the undergraduate programme with a certificate will require 40 credits; with a diploma after two years will need 80 credits; degree after three years will have a requirement of 120 credits; degree with honours/research after four years with 160 credits. In order to pursue a one-year postgraduate diploma, a student must have a three year bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 40 credits.

Internship, studio activities, field work, community engagement and similar service count mean two-hour engagement per week.