APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University has given the green signal to let affiliated engineering colleges offer B.Tech (Hons.) programme, giving engineering students, who have cleared their fourth semester with 8.5 GPA and above, the chance to pursue the course.
Major academic reforms have been introduced by the university. The changes will be implemented with immediate effect and is applicable to students who have enrolled from this academic year.
As per the changes, engineering students are now eligible to register for B.Tech (Hons) after they clear the fourth semester with grade point average of 8.5 and above. So far, only colleges accredited by the National Board of Accreditation and having PG courses were eligible to offer Honours course.
Apart from this, students who complete 20 extra credit from fifth semester onwards would also be eligible to register for the course. The extra credits should include two MOOCs (massive open online course) approved by the university.
Engineering colleges are also eligible to offer minor engineering courses from this year, irrespective of the GPA of students, who ear 20 extra cresits between the third and fifth semester.
The academic meeting chaired by university vice-chancellor M.S. Rajasree, reduced the number of total credits required for all 25 B.Tech courses from 182 to 162.
The university has also done away with the system of fixing minimum pass marks in internal assessment for its undergraduate engineering courses.
The number of theory papers will come down to 38 from 45. Each theory paper will be for a maximum of 150 marks, and university semester examination scores would carry 100 marks, with the remaining 50 marks going towards internal assessment.
