Will dual degree system benefit students?

In the spirit of New Education Policy-2020 which calls for multidisciplinary and flexible mode of education for all, UGC announced a dual degree programme for both UG and PG levels on April 12. The facility, available across all courses or combination of courses, is expected to help students get two degrees simultaneously and thus improve their employment opportunities. When The Hans India spoke to people on the issue, many agreed that benefits outweigh the demerits of the new system.

The introduction of dual degree programmes is in accordance with the vision of NEP-2020. It helps the student to integrate different pedagogical approaches and to acquire managerial and technical skills that are required to flourish in the career.

The skills being embellished in different areas pave a path for many opportunities and career prospects. In addition, as the student could complete two degrees simultaneously, he/she can save time and finances too. Apart from all such advantages, making a choice between two things that one loves equally is still the most formidable task. Hence why fall into confusion when one has such a feasible option right at the finger tip? Therefore, considering all such benefits, the AP State Council of Higher Education has already introduced honours and minors degree programmes for Engineering students. A good number of students are coming forward to register for honours and minors programmes.

With the introduction of honours and minors we could observe a lot of enthusiasm among students towards multidisciplinary research. Therefore, introduction of dual degree programmes is a wonderful initiative to benefit students for widening their learning scope and employment opportunities.

- Prof G Swamy Naidu, Registrar, JNTU -GV University, Vizianagaram

The dual degree are being offered by some universities in the state with six years duration but most of the students are leaving the courses just after four years. Earlier, Andhra University offered a 6-year-degree for engineering courses. As part of the programme, the student can either study for four years and get a BTech degree or they can continue for another two years to receive BTech + MTech dual degrees. Leaving midway is a waste of time and money. These courses have to be designed carefully considering the future and opportunities of the students.

- SV Mallikarjunam, retired bank manager, Nellore

Students will be able to pursue dual degree programmes at both the undergraduate and post graduate level from this academic session. This boosts the employability of students and help save precious academic time for people with high academic and economic goals. This helps students to simultaneously pursue two physical undergraduate or post-graduate courses or a combination with an online/distance learning course simultaneously. So, a student pursuing a bachelor's in science in Mathematics will also be able to take up a B.Sc in Data Science simultaneously.

- Dr K Anitha, Asst Professor, Department of Chemistry, S K University, Anantapur

Completing a Dual Degree means establishing the foundation for an inspiring and enriching career. These programmes are for passionate students who see the world differently. They will open eyes to the intricate connections between different disciplines and sectors. Dual Degrees are one of a kind; each one creatively combines contrasting disciplines, constructing new perspectives on the professional world and training students to truly stand out among their peers. Dual Degree students have the flexibility to apply their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to distinct environments. They graduate with a versatile set of skills that lets them easily transition into different sectors.

- Dr K Bhavana Raj, Assoc Professor, Institute of Public Enterprise, Anantapur

In reality, there is no practical use with dual degree programmes. For it should be useful, at least part of the programme should be abroad. Even though the UGC has issued guidelines on April 19, 2022, for Indian and foreign universities to collaborate in the field of Joint Degree, Dual Degree, and Twinning Programmes, still they must be devised carefully. With these new regulations, students will be able to pursue two degrees from an Indian University and a foreign university at the same time.

- Y Lokesh Reddy, Businessman, Nellore

NEP-proposed dual degree will be a boon for highly motivated students. Under this, the students can obtain one offline degree and one online degree from foreign or native universities at the same time. These two can be two unrelated disciplines also. Over 2 lakh Indian UG students go to USA every year for higher education and many of them change their UG discipline in M.S. For example, B.Tech students of ECE, EEE, Civil, etc do MS in Computer Science for moving onto greener pastures. Now the same students can obtain Computer Science degree in the UG itself. It will save the precious time of two years.

- N Sridhar, Director, Kautilya-CL, Tirupati

The dual degree system will not help the students grow strong in their chosen fields. It is like sailing on two boats at a time. Due to this the students cannot be well versed in either of the two fields. Moreover, certificates will not help a student achieve anything. Knowledge of the subject is necessary for the growth of the student. To provide greater knowledge of the subject curriculum should be redesigned keeping in view the needs of the students which is more important.

- Dr P C Venkateswarlu, Associate Professor, SV University, Tirupati

Permission given by the UGC to the students to pursue dual degrees has both advantages and disadvantages. Students who can pursue two degrees simultaneously will get the benefited but they have to be very careful in selecting the subjects and courses. In my opinion, the students have to select the courses which have some common subjects. The biggest disadvantage with dual degrees is that the students can't learn two subjects fully. It is difficult to concentrate on two subjects. The students should be very careful while choosing the courses and subjects. Otherwise, they will face problems and it will be waste of money and time.

- U Prasad, Maths lecturer, NRI College, Vijayawada.

For many aspirants, a dual degree brings in a bouquet of opportunities to explore two different fields wherein their interest is often centred. Another major advantage is that both the degree courses could be completed at the same time and saves time. The primary benefits of pursuing a dual degree course include improving time management and enhancing multitasking skills as students need to focus on different subjects simultaneously. The option increases versatility of the students and paves the way for better career opportunities.

- T M A Niveditha, Lecturer in Botany in Dr VS Krishna Government Degree and PG College (Autonomous), Visakhapatnam