UGC Allows One-Year PG Programmes Through Online and Distance Mode

Who Can Offer One-Year PG Programmes?

The UGC has stated that only Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that are already recognised and entitled to offer two-year postgraduate programmes in distance and online mode can offer one-year PG programmes and in the same discipline. This means, if a university does not have approval for a two-year online postgraduate degree, it cannot offer a one-year PG programme.

The UGC circular has outlined five points that institutions must meet before rolling out one-year PG programmes:

• The one-year programme has to comply with NEP 2020 and all relevant UGC regulations and guidelines.

• The one-year programmes are only available where the two-year equivalent already has UGC recognition in ODL or online mode.

• Admission is open to only learners who have completed a four-year bachelor's degree with honours.

• Professional programmes like MBA, MCA, and PGDM come with their own eligibility rules set by the respective regulatory bodies, and those will continue to apply strictly, the one-year route does not override sector-specific entry norms.

• Everything else, curriculum design, learning resources, how students are assessed, and the credit structure, must follow the UGC's existing Curriculum and Credit Framework for Postgraduate Programmes and other applicable norms.

Also Read: Think Twice! These Online Programs Could Be a Waste of Your Time and Money

Why it Matters?

The latest UGC proposal gives working professionals and other learners the access to a faster way to earn a UGC-recognised postgraduate qualification online, provided they already have a four-year honours degree. For universities offering online and distance education programmes, it opens up a new offering, but only if their existing two-year programme is already UGC-approved for the online and distance mode.