DU plans to scrap application-based courses under four-year under-graduate format

Jai Prakash,Principal,Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences,said,“We want these courses to be offered as major disciplines in the four-year undergraduate format. We have invested a lot of funds in setting up laboratories and other infrastructure for conducting the two programmes.”

Elaborating on the nature of two application-based courses,he added,“These are quite popular courses and our students,who have taken the course,are well placed in the industry. Courses like these are the need of the hour. Many foreign universities are offering B Tech degrees in these subjects.”

According to Prakash,both polymer science (Honours) and instrumentation (Honours) admitted around 70 students last year.

“The sanctioned strength is 46,but we took almost 70 students last year,” he said.

Teachers of these two subjects have written to the university administration and even proposed a structure for them in the four-year format. While the decision regarding offering instrumentation as a major discipline is yet to be taken,university officials said that polymer science will not be offered as a major.

Moreover,colleges offering these courses have been given the option of introducing the parent subject — chemistry,physics or electronics as a major discipline.

Meanwhile,other application based courses like BSc (Honours) in food technology and BSc (Honours) in biomedical sciences will be offered as major disciplines under the four-year undergraduate programme.

Explaining the changes,Umesh Rai,Director,South Campus,said,“The idea is to provide a holistic approach to subjects at the undergraduate level. If we take the example of biology,the subject can be understood only by studying genetics,micro-biology,bio-chemistry. By not studying these papers,the student will have a reductionist approach.”

Changing course

Application-based UG courses in DU

B SC (H) Food Technology

B SC (H) Polymer Science

B SC (H) Instrumentation

B SC (H) Biomedical sciences

Colleges that offer these courses

Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences

Shaheed Raja Guru College of Applied Sciences for Women

The 4-year format

y Under the 4-year undergraduate structure,a student will have to study 20 papers of the major discipline (including 2 research papers)

y Six papers of the minor discipline will be taught.

Changes

y Polymer Science and Instrumentation might be offered only as minor disciplines.

y Bachelor of Financial & Investment Analysis,Bachelor of Business Studies,BA (H) Business Studies to be brought under one discipline. Similar changes to be brought about for Bachelors in Mass Media and Mass Communication and BA (H) Journalism.