Students With Four-Year Undergraduate Degree Can Directly Pursue PhD: UGC

UGC chairman Jagadesh Kumar said three-year undergraduate courses won't be discontinued as of now.

Students with four-year undergraduate degree can directly pursue PhD programmes now

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UGC chairman Jagadesh Kumar on Wednesday said students with four-year undergraduate degree could directly pursue PhD programmes and they would not require a Master's degree. However, Kumar clarified that three-year undergraduate courses won't be discontinued till the four-year undergraduate programme was fully implemented.

Earlier this week, the UGC announced the new credit and curriculum framework for undergraduate courses, defining Honours degree courses as a four-year programme.

However, Kumar said universities could choose between three and four year programmes. "It is left to the universities," he told PTI.

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Listing out the benefits of the four-year undergraduate programme, Kumar said students do not have to do a Master's degree to join a Ph.D programme.

"The first advantage is that they do not have to do a Master's degree to join a PhD programme. They can also take a single or double major to gain a deeper knowledge of a given discipline," he said.

"Since multidisciplinary courses, ability enhancement courses, skill enhancement courses, value-added courses, and internships are embedded in the FYUP, it will enhance the opportunities for students to take up employment or go for higher studies," the UGC chairman further said.

The UGC on Monday notified the curriculum and credit framework for undergraduate programmes that will provide students with multiple options for entry and exit, a choice between single major and double major and interdisciplinary choices of subjects.

The framework has been developed by revising the existing Choice Based Credit System.

Under the programme, students will only be able to pursue a four-year honours degree rather than a three-year course like the present. Honours degrees will also be offered in two categories -- honours and honours with research.

(With inputs from PTI)