Delhi University (DU) has taken a decisive step towards restructuring its postgraduate education, finalising comprehensive guidelines for introducing a one-year master's programme. This major shift, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP), is timed for the graduation of the university's first batch of four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) students in 2026.
Eligibility and Programme Structure
The new one-year MA or MSc pathway is designed specifically for DU's own graduates. Admission in the inaugural year will be restricted to students who have completed a four-year UG degree with a major in the relevant discipline. Selection will be strictly merit-based. Importantly, this format will operate concurrently with the second year of the existing two-year PG structure, creating a dual-track system.
Students holding a three-year bachelor's degree or a four-year UG degree with a minor will continue to pursue their master's under the current two-year model. The one-year option will only be offered in departments where a corresponding four-year undergraduate major already exists.
Seat Allocation and Academic Pathways
The university has established a clear formula for determining intake. Seat numbers will be linked to department size, with a cap set between 20% of the sanctioned strength and a maximum of 45 seats. Smaller humanities departments may admit up to 40% of their strength, while laboratory-based science departments will be limited to 20%. Larger departments will follow a fixed-cap model.
The academic framework outlines three distinct pathways for students:
- Coursework only
- Coursework with research
- Research only
Eligibility for each track will depend on a student's academic performance, completed credits, and research readiness. To avoid redundancy, students will not be allowed to repeat PG-level courses they completed in their fourth year of UG if the syllabus overlap exceeds 30%.
Exemptions and Phased Implementation
The guidelines also include a 'Recognition of Prior Learning' provision for FYUP graduates who still choose the two-year route. They can gain exemptions from certain first-year PG requirements, specifically from the discipline-specific elective, provided they studied at least four Discipline Specific Electives (DSEs) in their fourth UG year.
However, the one-year format will not be universal from the start. Several programmes will continue with only the two-year structure initially. This includes courses like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Journalism, Linguistics, and Russian (until 2027-28). Programmes such as Biophysics, Genetics, Forensic Science, MBA, MFA, Physiotherapy, and Public Health will also follow the old structure for now.
The guidelines were officially notified on November 25, after being approved by the Vice-Chancellor using emergency powers in a meeting held earlier that month. Departments are now expected to begin work on seat matrices, faculty deployment, and curriculum sequencing for the planned 2026 rollout.
