Fourth-year undergraduates can now take up to eight additional credits in their final semester, making it easier to complete the core credits and secure a major. This move particularly helps those aiming for postgraduate studies, giving them the flexibility they were long promised under the UGCF 2022.
Recently, the University of Delhi announced a relaxation of the credit limit for fourth-year undergraduate students under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022, resolving long-standing academic concerns. According to the revised provision, students in their eighth semester are now allowed to take up to eight credits beyond the existing ceiling, enabling them to meet the requirements for being awarded a major. This move will be effective for students enrolled in the 2025-26 academic year.
Initially, seventh-semester students were restricted to apply for a maximum of 22 credits, the same ceiling that applies to all other semesters. However, this proved to be a limitation for many, particularly those who had not been able to complete the mandatory number of core discipline credits by the end of their seventh semesters. With insufficient time in the final semester to compensate for the shortfall, several students reached the end of the semester without fulfilling the criteria necessary for a formally declared major.
According to the updated notification, the upper credit limit in the final semester has now been increased to 30. Additional credits can be used to complete pending core discipline requirements, enabling students to fulfil the eligibility criteria for a major.
Under the UGCF, a major denotes the principal field of study in which a student completes the highest number of core courses and credits, which is reflected as the main subject on the degree. A minor,on the other hand,is a secondary area of study that requires a small credit load.
This relaxation is expected to particularly benefit students planning to pursue postgraduate studies,where it is often a prerequisite to have a formally declared major. For many students, it is also important when applying for degree programs abroad, scholarships, and various entrance examinations. By allowing additional credits in the final semester, the university now ensures that students have sufficient opportunities to complete their core discipline requirements in the final semester. Furthermore, this move aligns with the UGCF objectives of providing ‘Flexibility to the students to determine their learning trajectories and pursuance of programmes of study.’
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Ipshita Grover
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