Delhi University announces rollout of first Four Year Undergraduate Programme batch for direct PhD pathway

The University of Delhi (DU) announced the roll out of the first batch of its Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) on Friday, creating a direct pathway for eligible students to pursue PhD programmes without obtaining a master's degree.

DU introduced the FYUP under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022, which was implemented in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, from the 2022-23 academic session.

As a special measure for the first batch of students completing the FYUP in 2026, DU said it will allow students with a CGPA of 7.5 or above (7.0 for SC/ST students) to apply directly for PhD programmes for the 2026-27 academic session, subject to the University's rules.

A total of 75,948 students enrolled in the FYUP in 2022-23. Of these, 40,005 students exited the programme after completing three years in 2025, while 35,943 students opted to continue for the fourth year, according to a DU release.

Of the 35,943 students who continued into the fourth year, 12,111 applied for DU's One-Year Postgraduate (PG) programmes for the 2026-27 academic session. This accounts for 34.27% of the students who continued into the fourth year, the University said.