University’s dual degree plan attracts only 15 students

A job as a risk management executive and a part-time Master of Commerce (MCom) degree isn’t enough for Meenkashi Patil, 25, who wants to enroll for a part-time business management degree too.

A job as a risk management executive and a part-time Master of Commerce (MCom) degree isn’t enough for Meenkashi Patil, 25, who wants to enroll for a part-time business management degree too.

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Patil is one of 15 students opting for the newly-announced Mumbai University scheme that allows students to pursue two degrees simultaneously. Patil is doing either one or both of her degrees through the university’s Institute for Distance and Open Learning (IDOL).

“If I get selected for the business degree course I would like to do it simultaneously as it would save time,” said Patil.

Friday was the last day for students to enroll for distance education programmes in the first phase. So far, 42,732 students have already enrolled, compared to 25,000 who had done so at the same time last year. Officials expect numbers to close higher when the deadline ends at midnight.

“If I get two masters degrees in the same amount of time it will be useful for me later,” said Omkar Pandey, 24, who is halfway through the Master of Management Studies (MMS) programme in a regular college and would like to simultaneously pursue his MCom. “Another degree is a precaution to have when the competition is heavy and there is recession.”

The university hopes the dual degree option will pick up, especially in the second phase of distance education enrollments in September. University officials said they had received around 100 queries about the dual degree option through IDOL alone.

“The distance mode is more convenient for many students,” said D Harichandan, director of IDOL. Many colleges had earlier said they had so far not received any queries from students for a dual degree.