The Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) has decided to introduce a mandatory interdisciplinary elective course for postgraduate students this academic year, with the aim of equipping students to take up high-level research programmes. “From the current academic year, all postgraduate students will have to study an interdisciplinary elective course. Students entering semester-III of their courses in July will be the first batch to enrol for the interdisciplinary programme,” said Cusat Vice-chancellor J Letha.
“Students have been asked to choose an interdisciplinary elective subject to make them capable of taking up advanced research, after PG. The course in elective subject is offered by a separate department,” said the VC. PG student of Physics can choose an ‘elective’ in Research Methodology offered by the School of Management Studies, while Management students can take up a programme in English Communication offered by Department of English and Foreign Languages.
All the PG departments of the university will offer elective courses. The Cusat also plans to introduce a common timetable for the postgraduate programmes, in order to include the elective in the daily slots for each course. Steps are being initiated to offer a range of options to promote interdisciplinary learning on campus. The departments will publish details of electives on the varsity’s website, for students to choose courses. Each elective will have minimum credit points. The elective programmes will be streamlined during the next round of syllabus revision. Further streamlining of the elective courses will be done in the 2017-18 academic year.
Source: NewIndianExpress