The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday released Expert Committee's Recommendations on the Specification of Degrees and New Degree Nomenclatures. According to the recommendations, a student may be granted a certificate, diploma or degree, once the required number of credits have been earned irrespective of the minimum duration of the program.
The "Expert Committee for the Evaluation of Degree Specification and Proposal of New Degree Titles" has recommended the recognition of qualifications at the undergraduate certificate, undergraduate diploma, and postgraduate diploma levels, taking into account the provisions for multiple entry and exit in higher education. This suggestion is in tune with the National Credit Framework and the Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programs outlined in the NEP 2020.
Recommendations of the Expert Committee
Here are some recommendations of the Expert Committee to review the notification on the specification of degrees and suggest new degree nomenclature(s):
Once a student has earned the required number of credits, they may be eligible to receive a qualification such as a certificate, diploma, or degree, regardless of the minimum duration of the program.
In general, it is recommended that all degrees adhere to a standardised naming convention. Therefore, degrees in specific fields like BVSc (Bachelor of Veterinary Science) or BStat (Bachelor of Statistics) may continue to use their respective nomenclature. Additionally, at the undergraduate level, the nomenclature of BA (Bachelor of Arts), BCom (Bachelor of Commerce), BSc (Bachelor of Science), or BS (Bachelor of Science) may be used.
At the postgraduate level, MA (Master of Arts), MCom (Master of Commerce), MSc (Master of Science), or MS (Master of Science) may be used. For example, a degree in Veterinary Science may be referred to as BSc/BS in Veterinary Science, and a degree in Statistics could be labeled as BA in Statistics or BSc in Statistics, depending on the adopted curriculum.
The MPhil degree has been discontinued from the list of specified degrees in accordance with the recommendations of NEP 2020
In addition, a one-year or two-year postgraduate degree program in any discipline may use the abbreviation MS (Master of Science) as a designated nomenclature.
This naming convention should be applicable across various fields such as Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Management, Commerce, and so on.
UGC Recommended Indicative List Of New Nomenclatures
| "S. No." | Specified Degree | "National Credit Framework (NCrF) Credit Level" | Minimum Duration/ Minimum Credits | Minimum Entry-Level Qualification | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbreviated | Expanded | |||||
| 1) | UG Certificate | Undergraduate Certificate | 4.5 | 1 year/ 40 Credits* | "Level 4 of NCrF (Class XII- through CBSE/ School Boards/ NIOS; or Diploma Vocation) or equivalent" | |
| 2) | UG Diploma | Undergraduate Diploma | 5 | 2 years/ 80 Credits** | "Level 4 of NCrF (Class XII- through CBSE/ School Boards/ NIOS; or Diploma Vocation) or equivalent" | |
| 3) | BSc / BA / BCom / | "Bachelor of Science/ Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Commerce" | 5.5 | 3 years/ 120 Credits | "Level 4 of NCrF (Class XII- through CBSE/ School Boards/" | |
| "NIOS; or Diploma Vocation) or equivalent" | ||||||
| 4) | BSc (Hons) / BA (Hons) / BCom (Hons) | Bachelor of Science (Honours)/ Bachelor of Arts (Honours)/ Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) | 5.5 | 3 years/ 120 Credits | "Level 4 of NCrF (Class XII- through CBSE/ School Boards/ NIOS; or Diploma Vocation) or equivalent" | |
| 5) | "BSc (Hons) / BA (Hons) / BCom (Hons)/ BE/ BTech All the above can also be offered with BS nomenclature" | "Bachelor of Science (Honours)/ Bachelor of Arts (Honours)/ Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)/ Bachelor of Engineering/ Bachelor of Technology/ Bachelor of Science" | 6 | 4 Years/ 160 Credits | "Level 4 of NCrF (Class XII- through CBSE/ School Boards/ NIOS; or Diploma Vocation) or equivalent" | |
| 6) | "BSc (Hons with Research) / BA (Hons with Research) / BCom (Hons with Research)/" | "Bachelor of Science (Hons with Research)/ Bachelor of Arts (Hons with Research) /" | 6 | "4 Years/ 160 Credits | including 12 Credits from Research" | "Level 4 of NCrF (Class XII- through CBSE/ School Boards/ NIOS; or Diploma" |
This Table defines the proposed specified degree, in both abbreviated and expanded forms. It also gives the minimum duration spent/ minimum credits earned through the programme. The minimum entry-level qualification required for admission to different programmes has also been mentioned.
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