upGrad rolls out online ‘blended’ degree programs in MBA, LLM and others with OP Jindal University and Jamia Hamdard

• Ronnie Screwvala-backed elearning platform upGrad today launched online degree programs in partnership with the OP Jindal Global University and Jamia Hamdard University.
  
• The platform will now offer three-year undergraduate courses — Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) and two-year programmes including Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Computer Applications (MCA).
  
• It will also offer a one-year LLM (Master of Laws) degree course.
  
• The platform witnessed a 360% jump in users in the COVID lockdown period, compared to the last quarter.

Ronnie Screwvala-backed e-learning platform upGrad today launched online degree programs in partnership with the OP Jindal Global University and Jamia Hamdard University — which are recognised as ‘Institutes of Eminence’ by the Indian government.

The platform will now offer three-year undergraduate courses — Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) and two-year programmes including Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Computer Applications (MCA).

“Through this association, we aim to provide a superior online learning experience to the learners, including a robust curriculum taught by world-class faculty and industry leaders. This program will aid students to excel in fields of Management and Technology and foster a new generation of forward-thinking leaders,” said Professor Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain, VC at the Jamia Hamdard University.

It will also offer a one-year LLM (Master of Laws) degree course. “We are looking to partner with nearly 10 more universities for multiple online courses in the future,” Mayank Kumar, Co-founder of upGrad said.

This is in line with announcements made during the budget session which said that ‘degree-level’ full-fledged online courses will be launched in India to provide quality education to the underprivileged.

“It is a start. The COVID crisis has brought in some sort of urgency and awareness to the medium of online being a very effective and highly penetrable one,” said Ronnie Screwvala, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of upGrad.

The cost of enrolling in these online degree programs will vary according to the course. “The programmes that we are launching with Jamia Hamdard will cost nearly ₹50,000 annually. While the LLM and MBA programme with OP Jindal University will largely cater to working professionals, it will be priced between ₹2-2.5 lakh on an annual basis,” Kumar added.

The platform witnessed a 360% jump in users in the COVID lockdown period, compared to the last quarter. upGrad agrees that the completion rate for such courses also witnessed growth. “Today, online is allowing us to reach tier 2, 3, 4 and tier 5 cities. This includes the large rural segment as well. The blended approach that online learning brings allows us to be able to provide access to the best universities across rural India,” Screwvala added.

Government’s push for online degrees

To kickstart the learning calendar for students, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on May 17, announced that the top 100 educational institutions in India will be automatically allowed to start courses online from May 30, 2020.

Under this, the courses will be taught via live interactions and aired on TV channels for students from 1st to 12th grade to access it. It will also introduce at least 12 educational channels to keep the learning continuity for students. As many as 200 textbooks have been added to e-pathshala and 61 crore students have accessed the courses on Diksha platform, as on March 24.

Given the delay in the academic year, the government has also tied up with private DTH operators like Tata Sky to air educational content on TV. The students and teachers can also communicate with experts via skype.