New Delhi, 08 Aug 2020: Regular degree courses will see significant changes in their structure as these courses will offer  Apprenticeship or Internship as per the UGC Guidelines. The  UGC Guidelines for Higher Education Institutions to offer Apprenticeship/Internship embedded Degree Programme was released yesterday (07 August 202).

Students pursuing regular degree courses such as BA, BCom, BSc, among others, can undertake internships or Apprenticeship as part of their course. Till now students in professional courses like engineering, technology and management are able to undertake internships.

These guidelines will enable the apprenticeship/internship embedded Degree programme in general stream with cooperation between Industry and Academia. UGC Guidelines aims at  improving the employability of students pursuing Undergraduate level general degree Programme.

The UGC guidelines have asked colleges and universities to allocate at least one semester to internships.  The higher education regulator has also asked universities and colleges to award 20 per cent of the total credits to the internships if they select to offer students embedded degree programmes.

Students graduating from the apprenticeship/internship embedded degree programme shall be eligible to take admission in the Master’s programme in the specific subject in which they have earned their undergraduate degree (i.e. bachelor degree) as well as in subject(s) for which they have taken 24 credits in the core subjects as a part of their undergraduate programme.

Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank yesterday launched  the  UGC Guidelines for Higher Education Institutions to offer Apprenticeship/Internship embedded Degree Programme. Union Education Minister launched the UGC Guidelines while addressing the concluding session at the ‘Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy’ here yesterday through video conference.