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Here, read now about UGC grants permission to pursue two degrees together
The UGC (University Grants Commission) announced on April 12th that students can now pursue two graduate degrees or diploma courses in physical mode or online mode simultaneously. However, UGC already allowed students to pursue two degree courses simultaneously, one in regular mode and one in distance mode. So, now students can choose to pursue two-degree courses in either physical mode, online mode, or a combination of both.
Jagadesh Kumar, UGC chairman, said “As announced in the new National Education Policy (NEP) and in order to allow students to acquire multiple skills, the UGC has come up with new guidelines to allow a candidate to pursue two-degree programs simultaneously. The degrees can either be pursued from the same or different universities.” Mr. Kumar also added, “The idea is to provide as much flexibility as possible to the students. These guidelines are part of the NEP and are aimed at customising and personalising education, even allowing multidisciplinary education across various domains. It is a great opportunity for students to expand their skills.” Furthermore, in the following article, you will read about every piece of vital information on how you can enroll in two-degree courses. Additionally, you will also read about the UGC guidelines students have to follow while opting for the two degrees simultaneously.
UGC guidelines to pursue two degrees together-
- A student can opt for two-degree courses simultaneously if the timing of the classes of one course does not overlap with the class timing of the other course.
- UGC has said that the eligibility criteria to enrol in physical graduation courses depends on the specific university, but to pursue courses in distance mode, students have passed the 12th class.
- Students can pursue their degree courses at the same university or at two different universities.
- It is up to universities whether they offer two-degree programs to students or not.
- Students are free to choose the mode of the course they want to enrol in.
- This degree program is not a dual degree program, but in this program, students attain two separate degrees.
- This scheme is only applicable to undergraduate and postgraduate degree and diploma courses. As a result, students cannot pursue PhD or M.Phil. programs that do not fall under this scheme.
- Apart from that, Jagdesh Kumar said in a video conference that “We can only admit 3% of students on physical campuses.
Benefits of 2 degrees together in India-
Two degrees will be worthwhile for students that have the potential to learn more in less time. Students can now pursue one general degree program and another job-oriented degree. So, by opting for the two-degree programs simultaneously, students can have profound and broad knowledge in a short period. Aside from that, there is fierce competition for suitable and lucrative jobs nowadays. Also, only students with qualifications are getting jobs, even in the private sectors. As a result, students with two degrees and the appropriate skill sets may have a better chance of landing higher-paying jobs.
Difference between distance education and online education-
Distance education and online education are the two modes that allow students to compete in their higher education courses from their homes without regularly going to college. Many people think these two are the same. However, distance education and online education modes are different in ways. These are the points that show the difference between the two.
- In an online education program, students get the facility of attending online virtual classes through video conferencing, but in distance education mode, students do not get to attend any classes.
- If you choose online education, your college will provide you with a wide range of study materials, but not in distance mode.
- In the online mode, students can interact with the teacher to clear some doubts and queries, but in the distance mode, there is no such facility available for the students.
What are the top distance education universities in India?
Many distance education institutions offer distance/online courses to students. However, choosing a prominent and reputable university to pursue a distance/online course is necessary to determine the worth of your distance degree.
So, below are some of the UGC-DEB distance education universities-
- Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
- Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS).
- Chandigarh University (CU)
- Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth
- Swami Vivekanand Subharti University
- Online Jain University
- Suresh Gyan Vihar University.
Besides, various other UGC-DEB universities deliver quality distance degree courses to students. Hence, students can choose to get admission to any institute according to their interests and comfort.
Is pursuing two degrees together valid?
Pursuing two degrees together was allowed by the UGC in 2020. But, students were allowed to pursue one degree in regular mode and another in distance/online mode. However, after the latest guidelines of the UGC, students can now pursue two-degree courses in physical mode too. So, yes, pursuing two degrees simultaneously is valid.
Conclusion
From the academic session 2024–23, students can get enrolled in two-degree programs and choose the mode of the course as per their preference. Moreover, students can enroll in the two-degree courses by following the guidelines of the UGC.