Colleges in Chennai will offer many new courses to students from this academic session. Keeping an eye on the need of the market, colleges here have decided to start a wide range of innovative courses like post-graduate degrees in Data Science to Defence and Strategic Studies and have sought permission from the University of Madras for the same.

"Many colleges have applied to start courses in many new streams and after inspecting the necessary infrastructure, we have provided the approval to the affiliated colleges. It is a good trend that colleges are providing new courses to the students which will make them more employable," said Vice Chancellor of the University of Madras, P Duraisamy. The vice chancellor said that after looking at the response of the students towards these new courses in its affiliated colleges, the varsity will encourage other colleges to start similar interesting courses.

This year, the university has provided the approval to start the following new courses in these colleges:

MA in International Studies in Women's Christian College, BA in Business Economics and B.Sc in IT in New College, MSc in Data Science in Loyola College, MA in Defence and Strategic Studies in Guru Nanak College, BVoc in Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, B.Voc in Tourism and Hospitality, MA in HRM in Stella Maris College, BA Sanskrit in Sri Sankara Arts and Science College, BCom in Professional Accounting, BSc Psychology, MCom (CS) in SDNB Vaishnav College, BCom (Finance and Taxation) and BCom Marketing Management in DG Vaishnav College, informed the vice chancellor.

Academicians have expressed that starting such innovative courses and providing skills and exposure to the students to meet the need of the market, is the need of the hour.

"With changing times, we need to upgrade the courses. The defence corridor will come up soon in the State and there will a lot of job opportunities in the sector. Courses like Defence and Strategic Studies will be very much in demand," said a faculty of a city college.