University Grants Commission, UGC will soon offer UG students the option to shorten or extend duration of degree courses. UGC has approved Standard Operating Procedures for the Accelerated Degree Programme and the Extended Degree Programme. UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar told media that the Accelerated Degree Programme allows students to complete a three-year or four-year degree in a shorter time by earning additional credits per semester. Extended Degree Programme will enable an extended timeline with fewer credits per semester.

Under Accelerated Degree Programme and Extended Degree Programme, students will earn the same total credits as in the standard-duration programme. Students may extend their degree timelines by up to two semesters under Extended Degree Programme, taking fewer credits per semester. The Higher Education Institutions will establish committees to evaluate students’ eligibility for these programmes. The institutions may earmark up to 10 percent of the sanctioned intake for Accelerated Degree Programme. Higher Education Institutions will issue degrees for students on completion of the programme in the opted duration instead of the standard duration. Under Graduate degrees completed earlier or later will be treated at par with standard duration degrees for all employment and academic purposes.