1. Career oriented programs are job-oriented add-on programs which run parallel to the conventional B. A. /B. Sc. /B. Com degree courses.
2. The objective of the scheme is to introduce career and market oriented, skill-enhancing courses that have utility for job, self-employment and empowerment of the students. At the end of three years the students will be equipped with a certificate/diploma/advanced diploma in an add-on course along with a conventional degree in Science/Arts/Commerce.
3. The courses are designed in such a way that the students should have the freedom to diversify into various fields not necessarily related to their core discipline.
4. The courses have a progressive approach – certificate, diploma and advanced diploma. As per revised guidelines, a college may opt for multiple certificates courses (three certificate courses) or certificate, diploma and advanced diploma courses. The college can opt for a maximum of three courses only. (see revised guidelines paragraph 3)
5. A student can either opt for certificate, diploma and advanced diploma (in a progressive way) or three certificate courses during his/her period of study.
6. Credit system is followed for these courses. One credit is equivalent to 15 hours of workload. A student earns one credit when he spends 15 hours on a subject that may include attending lectures, class work, library work, seminar, assignments etc. (The academic credit is the unit of measurement of the workload requested of each student in order to carry out the various activities of the program.)
7. As per revised guidelines the structure of the courses will be the following: a.Certificate Course: The course will be of 20 credits, and each credit will have 15 hours of workload. Out of the total 20 credits, 8 credits should necessarily be assigned to field work/project work/training. b. Diploma course: The course will be of 40 credits including 20 credits earned during certificate course. Each credit will have 15 hours of workload. Out of the remaining 20 credits 8 credits should necessarily be assigned to field work/project work/training. c. Advanced diploma course: The course will be of 60 credits including 40 credits earned together during certificate and diploma courses respectively. Each credit will have 15 hours of workload. Out of the remaining 20 credits 8 credits should necessarily be assigned to field work/project work/training.
8. The financial assistance from UGC will be Rs. 5 lakhs per course as one-time ‘seed money’ for five years in humanities and commerce streams and 7 lakhs per course as one-time ‘seed money’, for five years for the science stream.
9. The ‘seed money’ granted may be utilized for the purchase of books & journals, augmentation of laboratory facilities, equipment, contingency and payment of remuneration to the guest/internal faculty only. (see revised guidelines para. 2)
10. The coordinator of the career oriented course may be paid remuneration @ Rs. 5000/- per year out of the ‘seed money’. Guest faculty / internal faculty may be remunerated @ 250 per lecture of one hour duration. (see revised guidelines para.10 and 11 )
11. The courses awarded could be replaced with prior permission of the UGC.
12. The benefits of career oriented courses can be extended to regular PG students of the same college. Priority should be given to regular undergraduate students. [All coordinators of the career oriented add-on programs are advised to go through the XI Plan UGC guidelines for introduction of career oriented programs (including annexure) which is available on the UGC website, www. ugc.ac.in.]
9. There shall be a maximum of four papers of 100 marks each for every certificate/diploma/advanced diploma courses. The fourth paper shall be the field work/project work/training. The other three papers shall be theory/and practical papers. For the first three papers 50% marks will be set apart for continual internal evaluation and 50% marks will be for the final written examination. A separate minimum of 50% marks should be secured for a pass in both internal and written examination. The report of the field work/project work/training will be evaluated by the duly appointed examiners and the same may be presented before the career orientation council for approval at the end of the course.
10. Only those students who have earned a minimum of 15 credits shall be allowed to appear for the final examination.
11. Students who failed to attain the minimum required marks in the continual internal evaluation should repeat the course, and those failed in the written examination can appear along with subsequent junior batch.
12. The college shall conduct the final examinations by itself. The examinations should be conducted with all seriousness as that of university examinations and strict secrecy must be followed. Register numbers must be assigned to students and hall tickets must be issued. Examiners must be appointed for setting question papers and evaluation of theory/practical papers.
13. The continual evaluation marks for each paper may be recorded in form A and the consolidated marks for each paper in form B.
14. The Career Orientation Council will award the Grades of the candidates based on the total marks received including continual evaluation and final written examination for each paper.
15. The consolidated marks for each paper in Form B along with the certificates shall be sent to the Director College Development Council, who will verify the certificates and return it back to the respective colleges after countersigning.
16. The grading can be done in the following way:
Range of % of total marks Grade
[90 – 100] Outstanding (A+)
[80 – 89] Excellent (A)
[70 – 79] Very good (B+)
[60 – 69] Good (B)
[50 – 59] Satisfactory (C)
Below 50% Failed
The continual evaluation marks can be awarded in the following manner:
Test papers (minimum 2) 20 marks
Seminar/viva 10 marks
Assignments 10 marks
Attendance 10 marks
Total 50 marks
17. The final examinations may be scheduled in such a way that it will not affect the regular degree examinations