With a potential career in the Civil Services in mind, significant number of admission seekers in Delhi University is keen on taking up Discipline-II courses in liberal Arts along with Science as a Discipline-I course.
Several parents and students over the past week have had queries about pursuing courses like Psychology or Sociology as their minor while doing a Bachelors of Science in Physics or Chemistry.
Under the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) every student is asked to choose a DC-II course at the end of the second semester. While most of the first year students this time opted for courses related to their stream — like Mathematics with Economics Honours or vice versa — fresh applicants are now showing interest in thinking out-of-the-box and making their degree a multi-disciplinary one. The primary reason for this is the flexibility it gives them.
A student from the science stream, Ayush Kumar, said that the option of DC-II will help him prepare for the Civil Services exam. “I had thought that I would have to take coaching from somewhere while I am in college. But now I can just wait for the third semester and pursue the course as a part of my existing degree. This will save me time, money and will also prepare me better,” he added.
The Delhi University finalised on the decision to allow students to pursue any DC-II they wish this year after a committee was set up for the same. However, there is a rider that come along with it as well. University officials said that students studying a Science DC-I can pursue a DC-II course in liberal Arts provided the course is available in the college they are admitted in. “It is a welcomed change that students want to adapt the inter-disciplinary model of the FYUP, but students need to be careful while taking admission in this regard. While choosing the college they want to be in, they must ensure that the course they wish to pursue as a DC-II is offered in that college. Else the student will not be allowed to do that course as a DC-II,” informed Malay Neerav, Joint Dean of Students’ Welfare.