In a significant move highlighting the changing landscape of higher education, Mangalore University has decided to pull the plug on four postgraduate programmes that have been struggling to attract students. The decision, affecting the 2025-26 academic year, reflects the growing challenge universities face in maintaining courses with dwindling popularity.
Which Programmes Are Getting the Axe?
The university will discontinue the following four PG courses:
- MA in Philosophy
- Master of Social Work (MSW)
- MSc in Sericulture
- Master of Computer Applications (MCA)
The Enrollment Crisis Behind the Decision
According to university officials, these programmes have been suffering from chronically low enrollment numbers for several consecutive years. The MA Philosophy course, once a popular choice among humanities students, could only muster a mere two admissions in the current academic year.
The situation wasn't much better for the other programmes. The MSW course attracted only four students, while Sericulture and MCA programmes also failed to reach viable student numbers. This persistent pattern made continuing these courses financially and academically unsustainable.
University's Strategic Response
Mangalore University isn't simply cutting programmes without a plan. The institution is actively working on revising and updating its academic portfolio to better align with current student interests and job market demands.
"We cannot continue programmes that students don't want to pursue," stated a university official. "The resources allocated to these underperforming courses will be redirected to strengthen more popular and relevant programmes that actually serve student needs and career aspirations."
Broader Implications for Higher Education
This development at Mangalore University reflects a larger trend across Indian higher education institutions. Universities are increasingly being forced to re-evaluate their course offerings in response to:
- Changing student preferences and career goals
- Evolving job market requirements
- The need for financial sustainability
- Competition from emerging fields and specialized institutions
The discontinuation of these programmes serves as a wake-up call for traditional universities to adapt or risk becoming irrelevant in the rapidly changing educational landscape.
