Five-year courses gaining ground

By Our Special Correspondent

The old adage, ‘Kill two birds with one stone’ seems to hold water for the various five-year integrated courses that are designed and implemented by Andhra University.

The courses were designed and put into operation to address University Grant commission’s (UGC) idea of ‘catch them young’.

UGC initiative

“The UGC proposed the five-year integrated courses way back in the mid 1980s, with the idea of imparting quality post graduate education to the young minds, as most of them were discontinuing studies after graduation, be it normal degree courses or professional degree like engineering. UGC also wanted to address the United States basic academic criterion of 10+2 plus five-year academic model.

Andhra University was the first to lap up the idea, but most of the courses were implemented only in mid 2000,” says R. Sudarsana Rao, Head of the department of Economics, Andhra University.

Benefits

The university has got a five-year MS programme in economics. Experts feel that the five-year integrated courses have many benefits: since the course spreads over five years, professional training can be imparted during the tenure.

Industry-friendly

The students who clear the course get a degree certificate and a MS or ME or M.Tech certificate, depending on the course, at the same time.

The employability quotient is higher for such students. Since the course is spread over a period of five years, the course structure can be changed within the tenure to suit the industry requirement.

No compromise course

O. Aniel Kumar, Director of Admissions, Andhra University, points out:

Most importantly one is saving a year, especially in the engineering streams.

The normal B.Tech, M.Tech or BE+ME programme takes six years.

Whereas, in this case one is awarded both the degree and the PG certificates within five years, And there is no compromise in the course material or structure.

One-year gain

The former Head of the Department of Computer Science P.S. Avadhani avers that the students not only gain one year of study time but they also bypass the preparation time and effort for PG entrance examinations such as GATE.

Employability

The Vice-Chancellor of JNTU-kakinada Allam AppaRao who was instrumental in starting the five-year integrated courses in Andhra University College of Engineering, during his stint as principle, says:

You not only gain a year, but at the same time universities can plan the five-year study in a different way.

The fifth year can always be utilized for exchange programme with some foreign university or can be used as extended training session with the industry.

This model can make the students employable even before they pass out.

Courses in Andhra University

Non Engineering streams

· M.S Applied Chemistry – eligibility criteria – 10+2 with 50 per cent marks in MPC or BIPC streams

· M.S Geology – 10+2 with 50 per cent marks in MPC or BiPC

· MS Economics – 10+2 with 50 per cent marks in any stream including CEC and HEC (The course is also available at Adikavi Nannaya University – Rajamundry)

At ANU

· M.S. in Mathematics and Computing – 10+2 in MPC with 50 per cent marks

· M.S. Petroleum Exploration – 10+2 in MPC with 50 per cent marks

· M.S. Biotechnology - 10+2 in MPC or BIPC with 50 per cent marks

· M.S. Microbiology -10+2 in MPC or BIPC with 50 per cent marks

The rules of reservation apply to all courses and relaxation rule of 5 per cent applies to all reserved candidates.

AU-Engineering Courses

· B.Tech + M.Tech programme in Computer Science and Software Engineering

· B.Tech + M.Tech programme in Computer Science and Information Technology

· B.E. + M.E. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

· B.E. + M.E. in Civil Engineering / B.E. + M.E. in Mechanical Engineering

· B.E. + M.E. in Electronics and Communications Engineering

The basic criterion for the Engineering courses is 10+2 from MPC stream with 50 per cent marks.

For all the five-year integrated courses, the university conducts a separate entrance test. The students are not admitted trough EAMCET or AURPGCET. The notification is normally published sometime in the first week of March every year.