‘Design your own degree’ programme gets going in DU

Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC), the flagship centre of Delhi University (DU) has gained popularity among aspiring students. The open house session at South Campus was abuzz with questions seeking more details about the innovative programme.

Started in September 2011, with the aim of interlinking academia, society and industry through innovative activities, it offers two four-year undergraduate programmes – B Tech (Innovation with Mathematics and IT) and B Tech (Humanities).

‘It is a special programme where the emphasis is on innovation. Sixty per cent of the course is practical-based and is engaging with the demands of the industry’, said one of the professor at the open house session.

The programmes are taught under meta-college concept which means that students can study in any college of DU, provided the college teaches the particular subject. It is a unique programme where students can ‘design’ their own degree. ‘Students can design their own degree under this programme. They are required to take basic courses in semesters one and eight at the CIC to gain competence in core areas such as mathematical awareness, art of communication, innovation management, social enquiry and legal literacy. While in semesters two to seven, students can choose courses from a large variety of subjects available in various colleges, under the guidance of a mentor. Students are given freedom to choose courses to specialise in any particular stream such as journalism, education, historical tourism, counselling, etc’, read the official website of CIC.

However, to seek admission into CIC, the students must first be enrolled in any of the programmes in DU. Even students of School of Open Learning or Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board are eligible to apply for this programme.

‘This is a very flexible programme. I took Commerce in school because of my parents’ pressure but want to become a journalist. I was worried if I’d get admission into a journalism course in DU but CIC has certainly raised my hopes as well as confidence,’ said Nitish Dixit, an aspiring student.

The admission is done on the basis of an admission test followed by a personal interview. The forms for the programmes will be available from 24 June while the entrance examination for the same will be conducted on 27 July.