Goa University Makes AI an Elective for All Postgraduate Students

Goa University has introduced Artificial Intelligence as an elective for all postgraduate students from the 2026-27 academic year, opening access to AI learning beyond traditional technology and science courses. The university said the course will be available to students across disciplines, including science, languages and humanities.

The move is part of Goa University’s wider changes under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places greater emphasis on flexible curricula, interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking and skills that can help students prepare for changing workplace requirements. University vice-chancellor Harilal Menon said the decision was taken to help students stay updated with the growing use of AI across industries.

The introduction of the elective means postgraduate students will be able to study AI even when it is not the main subject of their degree. This could give students from areas such as languages, humanities, commerce and other non-technical disciplines an opportunity to understand a technology that is increasingly being used in workplaces, research and public services.

Goa University has already been expanding its academic work in artificial intelligence. It recently introduced a two-year Master of Science programme in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. The university also established an Advanced Artificial Intelligence laboratory at its research park unit last year to strengthen work in the field.

The university’s postgraduate education has also undergone wider changes following the implementation of NEP-based reforms. Its departments were reorganised into 10 schools as part of an academic restructuring exercise. The university has been working towards a more flexible academic system in which students can combine different areas of learning and take part in research activities as part of their postgraduate education.

Research opportunities have also been expanded across postgraduate programmes. Students who achieve a cumulative grade point average of 7.5 after their first two semesters can opt to include a research component in their master’s programme. Depending on the programme, this can be taken during the fourth semester or across the third and fourth semesters.

Students taking the research route are assigned a guide and can undertake activities such as fieldwork, data or sample collection, literature reviews and data analysis. They may also work towards publishing their findings. According to the university, research opportunities that were earlier available only in selected postgraduate programmes have now been extended across its programmes under the NEP framework.

The university is also using its partnerships with other institutions to give students wider research opportunities. Postgraduate students can undertake research at partner institutions outside Goa where the university has signed memoranda of understanding. These include the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services in Hyderabad.

The latest AI elective is therefore part of a larger shift in Goa University’s approach to postgraduate education. Instead of keeping AI limited to specialist technology degrees, the university is making it available to students from a wider range of academic backgrounds.

For students, the change could provide an opportunity to gain basic AI knowledge alongside their existing specialisation. It also reflects the growing demand for graduates who can understand and work with new technologies, regardless of whether their primary academic background is technical or non-technical.