Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has directed universities and autonomous colleges across the state to recognise degrees awarded under Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDPs) as equivalent to corresponding conventional undergraduate degrees for higher education purposes.
In a letter issued on August 18, the Higher Education Department said AEDPs were introduced to enhance the employability of students pursuing conventional undergraduate programmes such as BA, BCom and BSc in higher education institutions across Odisha.
The directive follows the University Grants Commission (UGC) Guidelines for Higher Education Institutions to Offer Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes, issued in March 2025. Under the guidelines, AEDPs are to be treated on par with regular undergraduate degree programmes for all purposes, including higher education and employment.
The recognition of AEDP degrees will also allow students completing these programmes to pursue higher studies. According to the UGC guidelines, AEDP graduates are eligible to enrol in Master’s and PhD programmes.
“Accordingly, the AEDP degrees awarded by Universities shall be treated as equivalent to the corresponding conventional undergraduate degrees for the purpose of higher education,” the department said.
The move is expected to provide greater clarity to students enrolled in AEDPs, particularly those seeking admission to postgraduate and doctoral programmes after completing their undergraduate studies.
The Higher Education Department has also asked universities and autonomous colleges to make provisions for AEDP students to study subjects relevant to various competitive examinations through Multidisciplinary Courses (MDC) and Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC).
The provision is aimed at ensuring that students enrolled in apprenticeship-embedded degree programmes have access to academic content that can help them prepare for competitive examinations alongside their regular studies.
The department has sought the cooperation of universities and autonomous colleges in implementing the provisions relating to AEDP students and ensuring that the degrees awarded under the programmes receive due recognition for higher education purposes.
