Campus Talk: Maharashtra CET begins admission process of tailor-made courses for working professionals through dedicated portal

The three professional courses, available at various colleges across Maharashtra, are Masters of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Computer Application (MCA) and Direct Second Year Engineering (DSE).

All the institutes offering these courses have obtained required approval from the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to run these customised courses. (File photo)

The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell on Saturday launched a dedicated portal to carry out the admission process of tailor-made courses meant for working professionals. These courses have been launched to help working professionals upskill in their respective fields.

The three professional courses, available at various colleges across Maharashtra, are Masters of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Computer Application (MCA) and Direct Second Year Engineering (DSE).

Commissioner of the CET Cell, Dilip Sardesai, said, “One of the important conditions is that the company/office of the working professional should be within 50 km from the college to ensure that candidates can pursue full-time courses while also working on the job.”

Sardesai added, “Candidates should have a minimum of one year of working experience to be eligible to take admission to these customised courses.”

The MBA and the MCA are both post-graduation level courses, requiring candidates to have completed graduation in the past to be eligible to take admission.

The DSE programme for working professionals has been designed to help individuals with a diploma in engineering transition directly into the second year of a bachelor’s degree programme, enabling candidates to enhance their qualifications while balancing work and study.

How are these courses different

An official from the CET Cell said, “Many of us start working sooner for various reasons. But as many of us intend to study further for career advancement, balancing between work and education becomes challenging. These courses for working professionals are customised to meet these specific needs with options like online classes, weekend lectures and flexible timings among others.”

Story continues below this ad

According to the official, these courses will not be part-time upskilling courses and will be recognised as full-time advancement courses with degrees from various universities.

All the institutes offering these courses have obtained required approval from the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to run these customised courses. There are 48 institutes in Maharashtra which will offer these courses from the academic year 2024-25. Some of the renowned colleges include – Veermata Jijabai Technology Institute (VJTI), College of Engineering Pune (COEP) and Thakur College among others.

The CET Cell has launched a dedicated portal for admission to these courses and all information regarding the first-such opportunity for working professionals can be found on https://cetwp2024.mahacet.org.in/working-professional/.

While the registration process has started, the final merit lists will be out in August. Further schedule, regarding option form-filling and the Common Admission Process (CAP) allotment will be declared shortly on the official website of the Maharashtra CET Cell.

Pallavi Smart

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram