The University of Mumbai has introduced more than 510 new open elective courses this year. The courses cover humanities, sciences, commerce, technology, and interdisciplinary studies. This will let students study subjects outside their major for skill development and career flexibility.
The new curriculum was designed and finalised over two years. More than 550 professors contributed to its development.
Among the new electives, over 200 courses are in the faculty of humanities, more than 100 in science, 81 in commerce, 88 in interdisciplinary studies, and 28 in technology.
A few of these courses will also be available online for free. They will be posted on the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) SWAYAM platform. SWAYAM is an open online learning platform launched by the government. It provides free courses to students from ninth grade to graduation across India.
The electives encourage interdisciplinary learning. Students can find links between different fields. For example, economics students can choose courses in gender economics, health economics, climate change, and resource management. Psychology students can take courses in consumer psychology, peace psychology, behavioural economics, or psychology for climate change and conservation.
With this, they can create courses that match their interests and goals. As per reports, the initiative is built under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which focuses on flexibility, holistic learning, and removing barriers between subjects.
Many college principals have welcomed the move, as it promotes holistic student development. However, some education experts and university leaders noted that students are not yet fully able to choose the electives they want. Interestingly, while some courses are online, the University of Mumbai has recommended that colleges partner with local universities to provide offline courses also.
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