THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Undergraduate degree courses in the state will transition from the current three-year programme to a four-year programme starting from the 2024-25 academic year, Higher Education Minister R Bindu said on Tuesday. She said that universities that have already developed four-year courses will have the option to offer them on an experimental basis from the current academic year onwards.
Under the new system, students will have the choice to exit at the end of the third year and receive a degree certificate. The fourth year will primarily focus on internships and research activities. Students who complete the entire four-year course will be awarded an honours degree, she said.
Bindu said the Higher Education Curriculum Framework has been provided to universities to prepare syllabi and develop customised courses. Over the next year, teachers will receive training to adopt a learner-centred approach, and skill enhancement will be a major component of the new curriculum.
She said a comprehensive software named K-Reap (Kerala Resource For Education Administration and Planning) will be rolled out to bring the academic and administrative affairs of universities, colleges and related institutions under one umbrella.
With the introduction of K-Reap, students will be able to access all services provided by universities and colleges through the student portal. Services such as student admission, course registration, progress tracking, assessments, examinations, results, credit transfers, and certificate distribution can be accessed through K-Reap.
The Minister has directed the higher education reforms implementation cell to engage in discussions with universities to amend rules pertaining to credit transfers. She added that existing rules were not conducive for interdisciplinary research and that steps needed to be taken to resolve such issues.