With Covid-19 pandemic disrupting the world, leaving many in distress and confusion, the Ahmedabad University on Monday announced a new kind of support for its students so that the graduating batch of 2020 can opt to stay back and develop new skills for the post-pandemic world.

The university has prepared certificate and postgraduate diploma programmes, and minors for its graduates so that they can remain at the university till they find appropriate opportunities outside. Students who were to graduate this year can choose to postpone their graduation to a later date and take more courses at the university, or graduate this year and complete a 30-credit diploma or 15-credit certificate programme.

These certificate and postgraduate diploma programmes are also open to students from other universities, the Ahmedabad University said. "We have built these opportunities for our students who may experience delays in undertaking further studies or jobs, and yet others may find that their previously anticipated opportunities are no longer feasible or are rescinded because of the pandemic. We feel it is a responsibility to take care of our students at this tough juncture," Ahmedabad University Vice-Chancellor Pankaj Chandra said in a statement.

"Additional courses can help them earn credentials in a new skill area, which will become valuable in the post-pandemic work world. This opportunity also allows students to explore their intellectual interests beyond the degree they have completed," he added.

The new offer allows a student of Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or Bachelor of Commerce to stay an additional year at the university and obtain an Honours degree. It also allows any varsity student to postpone graduation and continue to take courses at the university for additional semesters, including Summer Term, Monsoon Semester, and Winter Semester as a continuation of their his or her current degree.

"If they have just completed a three-year undergraduate programme, an additional two-semester Diploma gives them the fourth year at the university, which makes them eligible to apply to a range of graduate programmes abroad next year," said Chandra.

These students may take courses from across the university. If a student completes 18 credits in a defined Minor, then they will receive a Minor in that discipline or area. Further, students of the Amrut Mody School of Management (AMSOM) may obtain an additional specialisation. Ahmedabad University has also opened several programmes to students of other universities as well.

Students from Ahmedabad University, as well as students from outside the university, can apply for a "2-semester 30-credit postgraduate Diploma" or a "1 or 2-semester 15-credit Certificate" in Financial Analysis, Business Analytics, Critical Thinking, and the Liberal Arts.

The "1- or 2-semester 15-credit Certificate" is also available in Digital Marketing.