Delhi University allows fourth-year undergraduates to earn extra credits to qualify for major

New Delhi: Fourth-year undergraduate students at University of Delhi will be allowed to earn up to eight additional credits in their final semester to qualify for a major, following a relaxation of credit limits under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022, TOI reported.

The decision will apply to students enrolled in the 2025–26 academic session and is aimed at addressing concerns raised by students who were unable to secure a major despite nearing the completion of their four-year undergraduate programme.

Under the existing UGCF provisions, students in semester VIII were permitted to take a maximum of 22 credits. However, several students were falling short of the required number of core discipline credits needed to formally declare a major by the end of semester VII. The credit cap in the final semester limited their ability to enrol in additional core papers, resulting in some students completing four years of study without being awarded a major.
According to a revised notification, fourth-year students will now be allowed to take up to eight credits over and above the prescribed limit, raising the maximum credit load in the final semester to 30 credits. These additional credits can be used to complete pending core discipline requirements, enabling students to meet the eligibility criteria for a major.

A major refers to a student’s primary discipline of study in which the highest number of core courses and credits are completed and which determines the main subject of the degree. A minor is a secondary subject pursued alongside the major and requires fewer credits.

The relaxation is expected to benefit students planning to pursue postgraduate studies, where a formally declared major is often a key eligibility requirement.
With inputs from TOI