THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The four-year undergraduate course at Kerala University will commence on the 15th of this month. For the first time in the state, a four-year Arts and Science degree program is being introduced. The Kariyavattam campus will offer four-year BA Honors courses in Politics and International Relations, Economics and History. There were 250 applicants with approximately 200 of them being female. This year's admission is based on the marks obtained in the plus two exams and the rank list will be published today. It has been reported that female applicants are at the top of the list. The classes will be held in the Department of Political Science at Karyavattam where there are 30 available seats. The allocation of seats will begin next week.

Kerala University is taking the lead this year by introducing four-year undergraduate courses, which will be adopted by all universities and colleges starting next year. These four-year courses are part of the Centre for Undergraduate Studies, which is being launched at the Kariyavattam campus. These undergraduate courses will be taught by UGC Emeritus Professors and retired university faculty.

Emeritus status is a national recognition conferred by the UGC to retired professors. Two Emeritus Professors of History and Economics along with two retired Professors of Political Science will be appointed to teach these courses. The best teachers will be selected for all five subjects.

Next year, Kerala will introduce 15 state-of-the-art courses modelled after the bioscience program at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

Regarding the duration of the program, after completing three years, students will receive a regular degree, while those who complete four years will earn a BA Honors degree with a Research component. The course will consist of four main components: Foundation Course, Discipline-Specific Major, Discipline-Specific/Multidisciplinary Minor, and Research. Additionally, there will be a dissertation based on the major subject and internships and field surveys will be integral parts of the curriculum.