Graduates will no longer need a Masters’s degree to join the PhD programme under the government’s new Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP). The University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar informed on Wednesday that under the soon-to-be-implemented four-year pattern, graduates can directly join PhD programmes.
The new credit and curriculum framework for undergraduate (UG) courses under FYUP was announced by the UGC earlier this week and it defines Honours degree courses as a four-year programme, however, the three-year undergraduate courses will not be discontinued till the four-year programme is fully implemented.
He further stated that the implementation of the FYUP is not a deadline and that they will continue working with educational institutions to make it happen. He also said that the three-year courses will continue until the four-year program is fully implemented.
Some of the universities that have already started implementing the FYUP include Delhi University. Other universities are also expected to start implementing it in the next couple of years. According to Kumar, the implementation of the four-year program will help attract the best students.
According to the UGC chief, the implementation of the FYUP will provide students with various advantages. One of these is that it eliminates the need for them to have a master’s degree in order to pursue a PhD program. He also noted that the program will allow them to gain a deeper knowledge of a particular field. Besides this, it will also enhance their chances of getting employed and going for higher studies.
In response to a question, the UGC chief said that it is not mandatory for universities to adopt the four-year program for Honours degrees. He noted that the current three-year programs will continue. These include the degrees of B.A., B.Sc., and BSc and those with Honours as well.
According to Kumar, varsities implementing FYUP can also take advantage of the four-year program by introducing new courses in their three-year undergraduate programs and utilizing the multiple entries and exit options, double major, integration with vocational courses, internship, and interdisciplinary education.
UGC on Monday notified the credit framework and curriculum for undergraduate programs. It provides various options for students, such as the choice of double major or single major, interdisciplinary studies, and multiple entry and exit options. The framework has been developed by revising the existing Choice Based Credit System. Honours degrees also comes with a variation — honours and honours with research.