UGC releases draft curriculum and credit framework for PG courses

CHENNAI: In line with National Education Policy (NEP-2020), the University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a draft curriculum and credit framework for postgraduate courses in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

The postgraduate programmes help students to extend their knowledge of their chosen subject and prepare them for higher research studies.

The UGC, in its guidelines, said the main features of the master's degree curriculum framework has many features including flexibility to move from one discipline of study to another and providing an opportunity for learners to choose the courses of their interest.

Accordingly, the students will also have the flexibility to switch to alternative modes of learning (offline, ODL, Online learning, and hybrid modes of learning). In addition, the higher education institutions were allowed to prepare the curriculum as per the graduate attributes of the courses.

PG courses that are intended to sharpen the students' analytical abilities to optimally solve problems, the curriculum, in general, comprises advanced skills and real-world experience and less of a research component. Such courses should have a curriculum that is different from other programmes.

The guidelines further said for the PG courses, there will only be one exit point for those who join a two-year PG course. Students who exit at the end of 1st year shall be awarded a only postgraduate diploma.

At present, if the students have discontinued a course, they will not be given any certificate as such.

The new postgraduate courses, which are entirely online, allow students to participate in the programme along with their current responsibilities.

This makes earning a postgraduate degree while continuing to work easier and more accessible to individuals, the guidelines added.