Can you imagine getting your Engineering and MBA degree sitting at your home? Very soon it may be true, as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the organization that overlooks professional courses, has announced that very soon, colleges will be allowed to offer engineering and MBA courses via Distance Learning mode.
However, there is a caveat – unlike in the traditional degree course, a student will not be able to do these distance learning courses immediately after his 12th standard (as in case of BE or BTech). This distance mode facility is more geared towards professionals, who have worked and want to pursue additional degrees.
According to ToI, a student should have a completed a degree or diploma in a traditional classroom mode and has a minimum of 5 years of work experience to be eligible for the Engineering or an MBA degree. Additionally, he/she will also need to have 5 years of work experience.
To ensure that quality of students and level of education is maintained, the students who are interested in going for these degrees via distance learning mode will also need to take stringent National Eligibility Entrance Test. Also, they will be awarded certification, only after they pass an exit exam conducted by the board to assess the student’s knowledge and skill set in that area.
According to SS Mantha, Chairman of AICTE, except for architecture and pharmacy, most other courses can be conducted virtually via the Distance mode.
One of the reasons, I think, why AICTE is changed its stance is due to increasing internet penetration and growth in e-content that has made imparting education easier outside of classroom setting.
This is surely a welcome step from AICTE, who have been averse to offering professional courses through distance learning. Although, it may not be useful to students, working professionals will find this quite appealing, especially because these distance mode degree courses are expected to cost much lesser than traditional classroom training.
Would love to hear your comments on this!