UGC Dual Degree Programs: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued guidelines regarding dual degree and joint degree programs. Clearing the confusion, UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said Indian and foreign higher educational institutions may soon offer joint degree and dual degree programs. The UGC has approved the rules for these programmes.
This decision was taken in the meeting of the Higher Education Regulatory on Tuesday. In a press conference, Kumar said that under this programme, students can get more than 30 per cent ‘credits’ from foreign institutions. However, he clarified that no ‘franchisee’ arrangement or study center would be permitted between a foreign higher educational institution and an Indian higher educational institution under these rules.
As per the UGC guidelines, the dual degree will be a collaborative arrangement under which students enrolled in an Indian higher educational institution can study in a foreign higher educational institution complying with the UGC norms. The degree awarded under such dual degree programs will be awarded by an Indian institution.
students will get a degree
He said that the curriculum for the joint degree program would be jointly prepared by Indian and foreign higher educational institutions and on completion of the program the degree would be awarded by both the institutions with the same certificate. Kumar said the degree conferred under it would be equivalent to any related degree awarded by an Indian Institute of Higher Education.
Number of students will increase
Kumar said, “This effort will take our higher education towards internationalisation. This will provide our students with a great opportunity to pursue multidisciplinary education through an internationally relevant curriculum. This will increase employment opportunities for them. According to Kumar, at least 40 million foreign students study in India and this number is expected to rise to 100 million.