Implementation of the four-year degree course in Delhi University has closed doors for the students of other universities without honours degree to get admission in any post-graduate programme. The guideline for the new programme has no provision that entitles students with pass courses to apply for the post-graduate programmes. The restructuring of the undergraduate course will also change the eligibility criteria of students seeking admissions into post-graduate programmes from the academic session 2017-18 onwards.
“As soon as the first batch of students comes out with the four-year honours degree from the university, there will be changes in the eligibility criterion for the post-graduate courses from that year. It will be mandatory for all students to have an honours degree in order to get admitted in any master’s degree courses of the university. However, the duration of undergraduate courses from outside will not matter as long as it’s an honours course but the students enrolled under the four-year honours course of DU will have to complete the entire four-year term,” said Umesh Rai, Director of the South Campus.
The students with three-year baccalaureate from the DU will, however, have an option to take admissions in post-graduate courses in other universities. The students enrolled under the earlier three-years programmes will not fall under this criterion and can take admissions as per the existing rules. Rai said the university could in future consider the students of other universities and institutions by giving them an option to enroll under a link-up course for a year before admitting them to any post-graduate course.
He also said that after the implementation of the four-year degree course, the university would work to keep the total five-year duration of under-graduate and post-graduation the same. He said the departments had different options for the students seeking higher studies at the university but it depends entirely on what they adopt. “The options available for the departments are to either reduce the post-graduate degree to one year, offering two degrees. They can also admit the four-year degree passouts directly in the second year of the post-graduation and students with three-years honours will be admitted in the first year. They can also offer post-graduate and PHD integrated programme. These options can be offered by the departments depending on their faculty strength and infrastructure,” he added.
On the status of four-year degree programme, Rai said the university is almost prepared to present the course syllabi before the academic council. “The foundation courses have done all rounds and a final copy has been submitted to the university by the concerned parties. By April 30, the discipline courses are also going to be tabled before the academic council for the review. The vice-chancellor met the principals to discuss the pre-admission details on seat reappropriation,” Rai said.