Tag: #graduation

UGC Norms for Dual & Joint Degrees in India

University Grants Commission (UGC) came into existence on 2nd December, 1953. It became a statutory body by an Act of Parliament in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in university education.

Recently, the UGC has released Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions to offer Joint Degree, Dual Degree, and Twinning Programmes Regulations, 2022. 

Under these regulations collaborating institutes will be allowed to offer three kinds of programmes — twinning, joint degrees and dual degrees.

Dual Degree Programmes: The approved amendments include a provision for “dual degree programmes” — both the Indian and foreign institutions will give separate and simultaneous degrees for a course of the same discipline, and at the same level.

Easing Regulation: Indian universities that meet a minimum academic standard will not need UGC’s permission to offer such programmes.

Joint Degrees: Students enrolling for these programmes will have to go abroad to earn credits, but they will not have to seek admission separately while doing so.

In the draft amendments, foreign partner institutions are required to be among the world’s top 1,000 in global rankings.

Dual Degrees: For dual degrees, students will have to complete at least 30% of their course credit at the foreign institution.

  • The degrees awarded by both the Indian and foreign institutions will indicate the credits earned at the respective institutions.
  • At the end of the course, the student will be awarded two degrees, separately and simultaneously, by the Indian and foreign institution.

Twinning Arrangement: A student can study a programme partly in India and partly in a foreign university, but the diploma or degree will be awarded just by the Indian university.

  • Students will have to complete up to 30% of the course’s credits at the foreign institution by means of an exchange programme.

Exception: The new regulations are not applicable to programmes offered online and in the open and distance learning mode.

Significance: The new regulation will prompt Indian students to get a foreign degree and enhance their employability in the international market.

Courses and Career: Peaking Into Some Lesser Explored Ones

Selecting a future line of study and eventually profession can sometimes become a bit stressful. Or bland. If not many options are known. We all, at some point of time, have dreamt of doing something unique, or tread on, as Robert Frost’s poem title beautifully captures, ‘The Road Not Taken’. Hence, you are being presented with a collection of courses of scientific discipline, which is not mainstream, yet.

  • Ethical Hacking: Wait a second before judging this profession! It is hacking, yes, but for a good cause. Ethical hacking, also known as penetration testing, is used to test the security and susceptibility of an organization’s network to a breach. This usually results in data theft, identity thefts and other cyber crimes. So, the job of an ethical hacker is to identify and possibly, help to rectify the more weak openings in a network. Though, this course can be more unambiguously classified under IT, but in recent times, the subject has carved its own niche in the market, with an ever increasing demand. Ethical hacking courses usually also include other forms of security to impart an holistic understanding of IT security.
  • Geology: One common misconception about this branch of science is that this deals only with rocks. But in reality, it does not! Geology aims to provide a more in depth understanding about the physical and structural development of Earth. It inter relates various disciplines of science in relation to Earth. Geology also encompasses the study of materials and components making up the Earth, including living organisms. It is a lesser known fact, but geology is a vast and diverse study, overlapping with various scientific disciplines. Hence, the geologists have no dearth of options to consider while embarking on a professional journey.
  • Urban planning: Unplanned expansion of a settlement leads to many short and long term issues. And in today’s world, space crunch is a very real problem. So large scale developments need to be planned to have optimum utility and also not cause much harm to the surrounding environment. Here comes in the job of urban planner. The individual might be responsible for things like sustainable designing, good connectivity with other locations, optimum structures with respect to geographical location and climatic conditions, land use planning etc. 
  • Astrobiology: Sounds interesting, right? And it is! Astrobiology deals with the study of the scope of extraterrestrial life in the Universe. The study includes origin, evolution, distribution and future possibility of life across the unending stretch of cosmos. Astrobiologists, alongside other individuals from disciplines like astroecology, astrogeology and biochemistry, analyze these possibilities based on whatever knowledge is obtained about other planets and planetary systems.
  • Pisciculture: India, with an abundance of water bodies, also has a large population of fish consumers. And, obviously with growing demand, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with a constant supply. Hence like the Green Revolution, Blue Revolution happened too in India. It aimed at the development of the aquatic industry, for various purposes. Pisciculture, also known as fish farming, focuses mainly at rearing and breeding fishes in an economic manner, usually as a source of food. Optimum use of water bodies (usually fish tanks or enclosures) is also an important aspect, so that maximum cultivation can be done at minimum permissible limits.

What are the options after graduation in Australia?

Many students aspire to study in Australia for their graduation across the world. Australia has world-renowned universities offering versatile programs to the students. Many of the prestigious universities are present in Australia. A large number of students take admissions in Australian universities every year for undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral programs. A valid question that would arise in most students’ minds is the options they can opt for post completing their graduation in Australia. Here is a detailed list of options every student has after they become a graduate in Australia.

List of options for students after graduation in Australia

  • If you are an international student living in Australia for your studies, you can return to your country. You can easily apply for jobs in your country, or become an entrepreneur. This is a legitimate option for many international students in Australia.
  • If you have completed your graduate studies in Australia, you are eligible to apply for the research fellowship programs there. You can apply for the Ph.D. programs at your university or submit your applications in other Australian universities. Once you get the offer to be a research fellow at one of the universities in Australia, you would be able to start your research under a mentor as well as teach the undergraduate students at the university.
  • If you plan on becoming a resident in Australia, you can apply for that as well. Many international students wish to stay in Australia after the completion of their graduation. You have to know the details regarding their visa program or migration program to become a permanent resident in Australia.
  • If you don’t want to become a permanent resident, you can choose to work in Australia’s suitable sectors. You can work for the educational sector or the business sector, according to your convenience. In this way, you will have experience in the market field, and with the in-hand expertise, you would be able to secure a better job anywhere in the world.
  • Many universities have excellent placement cells for the students who just completed their graduation. You can attend one of the workshops and choose your area of interest. After your interview, if you are selected, you will get the opportunity to work at one of the many companies in Australia.
  • Australia has a visa for students who wish to work and travel there. Once you are done with your graduation, you can easily apply for a visa, which will avail you one year. In this one year, you can work in Australia as well as travel in and around Australia.
  • Many students, after their graduation, plan on spending the upcoming months traveling around Australia. You can take a break and trip to the beautiful cities in Australia, and you can also decide on your plans while going.
  • After graduation, you can enroll yourself in a foreign language course in Australia. Learning a foreign language would widen your career opportunities and give you many other choices later. Also, it would be brilliant to be able to read, speak, and write in another language. After the completion of your foreign language program, you can try for various job opportunities in Australia like translator, interpreter, or working in the publishing sector.

There are innumerable choices when you think of the next step post completion of your graduation in Australia. All you need to remember is to apply for a new visa, and you can start working on the choice you made after securing your permit. Concentrate on what you want to do and how you would like to pursue your dreams after graduation. Once you are sure of your goals, it will be much easier for you to choose an option.

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS POST COMPLETING THEIR GRADUATION IN AUSTRALIA

Australian educational culture is very rich and has really high standards. Some of their universities are globally recognised. If any student is getting a graduation degree from any university in Australia it will be popular and well recognised among companies in Australia and in other countries too. This can definitely be an advantage for the students to secure a job. However, students often get confused about what should they do post completing their graduation in Australia. Here are few options for the students which they can do after their graduation.


Students who want to study further after achieving their graduation degree to gain higher qualification, they can start the Masters course. While starting post graduation programme, students need to get connected with the alumni groups for guidance because in the alumni group some can share their experience regarding works, employments, any new courses or social events, which can be extremely helpful for other students. Higher degrees or courses in Australia are highly competitive and to clear the entrance exams conducted by the universities, high standard of English language is a must. There are few categories in the post graduate qualifications offered by Australian universities, such as, diploma courses which involves two years of study and Masters degree and Doctoral degree or phD. Any kind of Doctoral degree requires three to four years of study. Doctoral degree is the most valuable and most desirable degree. For the students who are opting for Masters degree, there are three types of Masters degree –
1) Coursework masters – after completing bachelor degree students can go for this course which requires project work and research.
2) Research masters – students who have completed their bachelors can apply for this course which consists of researching and making thesis.
3) Profesional masters – students who are done with their graduation and have any sorts of work experience can go for this course which is a work based project. It requires professional experience.

These are few options for the students who want to study further after completing their graduation.



There are many fields to explore for the students who want to work after they complete their graduation. Newly grads can also try their hands in those fields, they are passionate about. Agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing these are the most strong industries in Australia. So, it is advised to the students to surely try in these fields. Students who are willing to work immediately after graduating should definitely join few courses and trainings for getting jobs in Australia. This will help them to secure a job successfully. To work in Australia after studies the students need to be very careful with their course selection. Most of the Australian companies and the employers do not run behind the name of the top class universities. So, students who have not graduated from renowned universities need not to worry. It is not always needed to chase behind the best college or university, instead they should focus more on the course they are choosing for themselves. The course should be profitable for them for a long run. An excellent communication skill specially in English language is required to get any job in Australia. The candidate should communicate clearly and effectively without hesitation. The professional skills of the candidate is extremely important to fetch a job. If the candidate has professional experience in his/her domain and have a proper portfolio to show them, that can be extremely helpful. Students who are planning to get a job in Australia after completing graduation, it is advised to them to apply for Australian PR or citizenship if they do not have it already. It is really hard to find the companies who hire the candidates without a permanent citizenship.



There are numerous options for studying further and for start working in Australia. It totally depends upon the students what they want to do after completing their graduation. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra these are the few cities which are extremely student friendly. In Australia and even in other countries millennials are always in a cut throat completion both in academic fields and professional fields. So, the students have to be confident and stay focused in their lives whichever they want to do after graduating.