At DU, No ‘Research' Degree For BA Prog

Time of India

14-05-2025

New Delhi: Students enrolled in
Delhi University
's BA (Programme), BSc (Programme), and BCom (Programme) courses will not be awarded the "
Honours with Research
" degree even if they complete fourth year with a dissertation or academic project — unlike their counterparts in Honours courses.DU is now planning to offer an alternative fourth-year structure for these students under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework, (UGCF) 2022, which replaces research work with extra Discipline Specific Electives and short skill-based courses.
The move is aimed at easing implementation for large cohorts, particularly from the School of Open Learning (SOL) and Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB). Under the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) structure, students get an undergraduate certificate after the first year, a diploma after the second year, a bachelor's degree after the third year, and they are eligible for a bachelor's degree with Honours or Honours with Research after the fourth year, provided they choose to complete a research component.The change was presented as an agenda item in the university's academic council meeting held last week and approved. The approval was for "the introduction of a flexibility for the 4th year of UG Programmes of the UGCF 2022, which are conventionally referred to as 'Programme Courses' namely, BA (P), BSc (P) and BCom (P)."According to the proposal, the fourth-year structure under FYUP currently includes three approved tracks for all undergraduate students: dissertation writing, academic projects, and entrepreneurship.However, DU noted that implementing these tracks for Programme course students — especially those from SOL and NCWEB — would be difficult due to their large numbers. "The operationalisation of the three tracks may be challenging in view of the quantum of students who may possibly progress to fourth year. There was thus a need to bring in some flexibility," the agenda said.What has particularly drawn attention is the clarification that even if Programme course students choose to undertake dissertations or academic projects, they will still not be eligible for the "Honours with Research" degree. Instead, these students will simply be awarded an "Honours" degree after completing fourth year, unlike Honours programme students who qualify for a more advanced "Honours with Research" title if they complete a research component in their final year."In this regard, it was noted that students pursuing BA (P) or BSc (P) or BCom (P) will get a simple degree after completion of 3rd year and an Honours degree after completing fourth year. Such students will not get the 'Honours with Research' degree after completion of the 4th year even if such students write 'Dissertation' or do Academic Projects," the document said.To address this gap, the university has proposed an alternate fourth-year structure specifically for BA (P), BSc (P), and BCom (P) students who either do not wish to opt for or cannot be accommodated under the standard research or entrepreneurship tracks. Under the alternative plan, students would instead complete additional Discipline Specific Electives (DSEs) and a 2-credit skill-based course or workshop in each of the final two semesters. These skill-based modules may include laboratory work, hands-on training or workshops.The structure will amount to 22 credits per semester in the final year, combining core papers, electives, general education components, and skill courses. However, DU clarified that this flexibility will not be extended to students of Honours programmes, where the traditional "Honours with Research" track remains intact. Critics argue that students in Programme courses—often from less privileged or non-traditional backgrounds such as those in SOL and NCWEB — are being denied equal academic opportunities despite putting in similar years of study and effort.