Graduate after 3 years or 4? 1st NEP batch weighs option

MUMBAI: As the first cohort under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reaches a crucial decision point on whether to graduate after three years or continue for a fourth, students in the city's autonomous colleges are approaching the choice with hesitation.

While questions remain about how colleges will structure courses and offer subject combinations, the larger concern is about outcomes. Will a four-year degree offer a real advantage in the job market, or does the traditional master's route remain the safer choice? With one-year postgraduate programmes set to become a reality, along with the option of an honours degree, students are weighing which path is likely to add the most value to their careers in a changing higher education landscape. Colleges are seeing only about 15-25% of their students opting for the fourth year.

Supriya finds herself at a critical crossroads—one that could shape the trajectory of her academic future. With the option of stepping into a master's programme or extending her undergraduate journey into a fourth year, the choice is anything but straightforward. And she isn't alone in her dilemma. "Does an honours programme hold any value in future? Will it make a difference when it comes to placements? Will it be valued more than the traditional 3+2 (bachelor's + master's) track in the market?" asked Rachel V, another student.

For Akshat L, a BAF student from a suburban college aspiring to pursue an MBA, the question lingers on whether a one-year MBA will be available soon after he completes the fourth year. He is also confused because he expected to continue his fourth year in BAF, but the college is now likely to offer an honours programme in an allied subject. The state govt has made it clear colleges offering postgraduate programmes will only be allowed to offer the fourth year honours programme.

Around 130 colleges affiliated with the University of Mumbai are autonomous. However, institutions that received autonomy after 2023 will see their first NEP cohort enter the fourth year only next year. The number of colleges offering the fourth-year option this year, therefore, is lower, at about 75 to 80, along with the university's own departments. With a delayed notification from the govt and the university, colleges are now scrambling to offer the fourth-year option by aligning them with existing programmes.

Institutions that traditionally fill a significant share of their postgraduate seats are now unsure how to balance the intake between fourth-year undergraduate students and master's aspirants. With overall seat capacity unchanged, administrators are caught in a bind.

Take the case of R A Podar College of Commerce and Economics. It offers master's programmes in multiple commerce disciplines. With an intake of around 160 seats, these courses are typically filled to capacity, drawing both internal graduates and applicants from other institutions. Now, that same seat pool is under pressure. Like Podar, colleges must decide how to apportion these limited seats between students opting for the fourth year of the B Com (Honours) pathway and those seeking admission to M Com. With no expansion in overall capacity, it becomes a zero-sum exercise, forcing institutions to make difficult choices on who gets in and under which track.

Principal Vinita Krishnakumar from R A Podar College said clarity will take time. "This is the first year, and it will take at least one batch to pass out for there to be complete clarity on this matter." In a recent survey, most students at the college expressed a preference for pursuing a master's programme over the four-year honours option. The response, she said, was far from decisive. "While many students were unsure, some opted for the fourth-year undergraduate programme, and many others chose M Com, which continues to be more popular at our college," she said.

At Mithibai College, principal Krutika Desai said only about 10 to 15% of students and at the most 25% are inclined towards the extended undergraduate route. The college, she added, has taken a pragmatic call. "We have decided to allow students to opt for the honours programme in the subject they have studied over the three years of their undergraduate course."

For many science students keen on research the choice is clear. A Namboodri, a microbiology student, said she has a 7.5 CGPA and plans to go for honours with research programme. "Many universities abroad prefer a four-year study programme after 12th. This would be helpful," she said. Additionally, in India, students will be directly eligible for a PhD after taking the NET/SET, thereby saving one year of the master's programme.


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