THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Students from different academic backgrounds wanting to pursue MSc Mathematics, for instance, may not have to be held back by the title of their undergraduate degree, provided there is an academic link and the prescribed entrance requirements are met.
The example, cited by Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) vice-chairperson Achuthsankar S Nair, is part of a proposal that could give students graduating under Keralam’s new four-year undergraduate programme (FYUGP) greater freedom in choosing postgraduate courses. “Any student should be able to pursue any postgraduate programme, provided there is a link,” Achuthsankar told TNIE about KSHEC’s radical proposal. The approach would allow students to move into postgraduate programmes beyond the exact discipline named in their undergraduate degree, provided they meet the prescribed admission requirements. The focus, instead, would be on the academic connection between what the student has studied and the PG programme sought.
The proposal assumes significance as FYUGP gives students greater flexibility to combine disciplines through major and minor choices.
The resulting degree nomenclature may not always fit neatly into the conventional subject-based eligibility criteria followed by universities for PG admissions.
For students, this could mean greater freedom to choose their postgraduate path instead of being confined by the exact title of their bachelor’s degree.
It could also reduce uncertainty for those with unfamiliar FYUGP degree combinations who may otherwise have to establish whether their particular qualification meets the eligibility criteria for a PG programme.
“The council has prepared guidelines on the issue, and universities will have to take steps to incorporate the approach through their PG regulations,” Achuthsankar said.
The proposal is aimed at addressing a practical problem that could become more visible as larger batches of FYUGP students move towards postgraduate study. A student may have studied subjects relevant to a particular Master’s programme, but the name or structure of the new undergraduate degree may not correspond neatly with existing eligibility rules.
Fewer hurdles
UG degree alone may not decide PG eligibility
Students can move across disciplines with links
Prescribed entrance requirements will apply