UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES ARE GETTING NEW NAMES, STRUCTURES

AUGC panel has suggested news names for arts, science, commerce degrees in line with international practices and the NEP 2020. Here's how the new nomenclature will work.

- R. Radhika

If it goes as planned, four-year undergraduate programmes in any discipline, including arts, social sciences, management will soon be called "Bachelor of Science", or BS, according to the University Grants Commission.

In sync with international norms and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, a UGC expert committee has recommended modification of degree names. The Bachelor of Science, currently used as "BSC" for science and related subjects at the undergraduate level, will be applicable to four-year programmes in all disciplines, including sciences, engineering and technology, arts, humanities, social sciences, business administration, management and commerce, says the committee's draft report. For instance, BA (Economics) can also be called BS (Economics) with the same topics being taught in both.

The restructuring, according to the panel report, intends to accommodate provisions for multiple entry and exit, the National Credit Framework (NCrF), and the Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes (CCFUP) in higher education.