Bengaluru: Students pursuing engineering under Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) can now pursue a minor degree too.VTU has introduced regulations governing the award of minor degrees, allowing students to gain additional expertise in a discipline beyond their primary branch of study.Under the new regulations, students pursuing BE programmes can earn a minor degree by completing at least 18 additional credits through recommended online courses, including those offered through National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL). The regulations were notified on Oct 5, following approval by the university’s Executive Council at its 189th meeting held on June 2.The initiative aims to equip engineering graduates with multidisciplinary knowledge and skills aligned with emerging technologies and industry requirements, said the university. Students can pursue a minor in another engineering discipline or an allied domain, including areas that could support interdisciplinary careers, entrepreneurship and management.At the end, the university will issue a separate minor degree certificate alongside the BE degree to eligible students, with the minor specialisation appended to the degree title.“For the benefit and interest of students, we have introduced the Minor Degree Award. This is an opportunity to pursue an additional focused area of study in a discipline other than their major B.E./B.Tech. degree programme. We have informed all affiliated colleges under VTU to follow these guidelines. This initiative will be highly beneficial,” said S Vidyashankar, vice-chancellor, VTU.How it works:Students enrolled in the third semester can register for only one minor degree programme, with registration closing before the commencement of the third-semester end examinations. Applications must be made in consultation with a faculty mentor and approved by the head of department and the principal before being forwarded to the VTU registrar. This is to avoid an undue academic burden.Students can begin taking minor degree courses from the fourth semester and must complete all prescribed courses before the commencement of the eighth-semester end examinations.The minor degree can be awarded only if students complete both the BE programme and the minor within the prescribed maximum duration. They must also secure a minimum BE CGPA of 4.0 at the time of declaration of eighth-semester results.Credits for NPTEL courses will depend on their duration: two credits for four-week courses, three for eight-week courses and four for 12-week courses. These provisions on course-duration credits are effective from Jan 2026.For courses taken through All India NPTEL portal, students must score at least 10 out of 25 in assignments and 30 out of 75 in the final proctored examination, apart from meeting the attendance requirement and securing an aggregate of at least 40 out of 100. Separate assessment and grading provisions apply to courses offered through VTU’s online Centre of Excellence, Mysuru.The university has clarified that minor degree credits will not be included in the calculation of the student’s BE semester or cumulative grade point average (SGPA/CGPA), or for determining ranks in the main degree programme.Students cannot register simultaneously for Honours and minor degree programmes. The two qualifications are distinct, and switching from one to the other will not be permitted at any stage.Students may exit the minor programme at any point between the fourth and eighth semesters. However, those who exit or fail to complete the requirements will not receive a transcript or certificate for the credits earned under the programme.
