Four-Year Undergraduate Degree as a Panacea for All?

Authors

  • Malish C.M. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Keywords:

South Asia, India, liberal arts, four-year degree, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

Abstract

Indian higher education institutions traditionally offer three-year undergraduate degrees, except for professional courses such as engineering and medicine, and two-year master degrees. Subsequent to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that advocated the liberal arts model of undergraduate studies, four-year degree programs have quick-started in India. As per the University Grants Commission (UGC), the apex regulatory body, nearly 200 universities have now introduced fouryear degree programs. This article examines the policy push for a four-year degree. It analyzes assumptions and rationales behind the proposed policy choice and the larger implications of such reforms on the Indian higher education landscape.

Author Biography

Malish C.M., Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Malish C.M. is assistant professor at the Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India. E-mail: malishcm@iitb.ac.in.

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Published

2025-01-13

How to Cite

C.M., M. (2025). Four-Year Undergraduate Degree as a Panacea for All?. International Higher Education, (121), 22–23. Retrieved from https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/ihe/article/view/18837

Issue

No. 121 (2024): Winter Issue

Section

Articles

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