Diplomates from the Asian College of Journalism will be awarded the M.A. degree from the U.K.'s prestigious Cardiff University on successful completion of an additional dissertation at the university over a period of three months.
The postgraduate degree from Cardiff will top up the ACJ diploma and come into force from this academic year. The first batch of 10 scholars from the ACJ is expected to be in Cardiff, Wales, to work on its dissertation in end June 2011.
Professor Tim Holmes from Cardiff University explained the details of the M.A. top-up scheme to ACJ students on Tuesday after final touches to the collaboration were given at a meeting with ACJ Chairman Sashi Kumar and senior faculty members.
Thorough audit
This is the first time that Cardiff University is entering into such a far-reaching partnership with a foreign institution. The agreement comes after a thorough audit of the ACJ's curricular programme and the assessment of the Cardiff evaluators that the college's academic content and standards were qualitatively on a par with those at Cardiff University.
In the first year of the scheme, 10 students from the ACJ will travel to Cardiff to complete their dissertations. In the second year the number will be doubled and students will have the option of undertaking their dissertations either in Chennai or at Cardiff. The number will rise incrementally in subsequent years and students can continue to choose between Chennai and Cardiff.
The agreement also envisages faculty development and exchange programmes between the ACJ and Cardiff. The ACJ will be given a seat on Cardiff University's Board of Studies and this will be reciprocated by the ACJ.
