The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur will be the first IIT in the country to introduce a new concept of awarding two graduation degrees in a time span of five years to its students. This concept will be introduced in the academic session 2011-12.
The decision to this affect will bring to an end the five-year MSc integrated programme currently being run at the IIT. Instead, the changed approach will give rise to a much-integrated four-year degree course called Bachelor of Science (BS).
Any student interested in taking an extra graduation programme will have to indicate his/ her wish anywhere between second to sixth semester of his/ her current graduation course.
Based on his/ her performance in the present engineering course and the credits gained, IIT-Kanpur will give individual students a chance to pursue an extra engineering course. Thus, in a period of five years, the individual student will have two graduation degrees in his/ her kitty.
"Suppose a student pursues BTech in electrical engineering also has a keen interest in mechanical engineering, he/ she will be able to pursue his graduation from mechanical stream also," explained IIT-K director SG Dhande and said the move was aimed at passing maximum benefits to its students. But, he pointed out that an individual student would only be able to opt for the second-degree course if he/ she maintained a good academic track record. For this, credits (points) between 390 to 430 have been made a mandatory score.
"Any student who secures 390 credits will be eligible for the next degree programme and at least 100 credits will be required to secure the second degree. All this is being done with an aim to reduce stress on students," he said.
With the introduction of the latest concept, the MTech dual-degree and MSC integrate courses will be dissolved from the new academic session.
Source: Education Times
