HYDERABAD: BBA, BCA to become professional courses
HYDERABAD: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) courses in Telangana are set to become professional courses from the 2027-28 academic year, with approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) becoming mandatory.
So far, the courses have followed University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and syllabi. From the new academic year, institutions offering BBA and BCA will have to follow AICTE guidelines.
The courses were originally supposed to come under AICTE regulations three years ago. However, the council gave the state some relaxation following a request from the Telangana government.
AICTE sources said its approval would be mandatory for the two courses from the 2027-28 academic year. The notification for seeking approval for the next academic year is expected to be issued in October or the first week of November.
AICTE brought BBA and BCA under its ambit by recognising them as professional courses from 2024-25, with the objective of improving the quality of education. It has accordingly prepared model syllabi aimed at linking the courses with industry requirements.
Four-year honours programme recommended by AICTE
The courses can be offered either as three-year programmes or as four-year honours with research programmes. AICTE, however, recommends the four-year programme.
The three-year course will carry 120 credits, while the four-year course will carry 160 credits.
BBA and BCA in Telangana will also come under the AICTE framework from next year. About 13,000 students are admitted to BBA courses and around 26,000 to BCA courses in the state every year.
Annual approvals, entrance tests and fee regulation likely
Under the existing system, degree colleges in the state are required to undergo inspections once every three years. However, the inspections also depend on the respective university vice-chancellors.
For instance, colleges under Osmania University were inspected before the Covid-19 pandemic, but the next inspection was conducted only this year, after a gap of six years.
Once the courses come under AICTE, colleges will have to apply to the council every year for renewal of approval. Admissions will have to be conducted through an entrance examination and based on the ranks secured by students.
So far, the respective universities have been deciding the fees for degree courses. If BBA and BCA become professional courses, the Telangana Admissions and Fee Regulatory Committee (TAFRC) will have to fix the fees.
Colleges will have to ensure that laboratories, buildings, classrooms, faculty strength, faculty qualifications and other infrastructure meet AICTE guidelines. AICTE internships can also be obtained.
Until now, colleges seeking to increase seats in BBA and BCA courses had to obtain approval from the Telangana State Council of Higher Education. Once the courses become professional programmes, they will come under the state technical education council.
Colleges will have to apply to AICTE for approval. The council will then send the details of the number of seats increased by the respective colleges to the state’s technical education department.
