Programme & Academic Credit
What is an OCN Micro-Specialisation?
A credit-bearing block of 3–4 IIT Kharagpur courses (12–16 credits total), delivered one to two courses per semester alongside a student's existing degree. Each is designed and owned academically by an IIT Kharagpur department or school, and aligned to NEP 2020, the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and the National Credit Framework (NCrF).
How do the credits fit into our degree structure?
That choice is yours. Credits can sit within the existing programme requirement, as a designated elective, minor or specialisation basket, or as credits additional to it, and this can differ by programme (B.Tech, BBA, etc.). IIT Kharagpur deposits credits into the student's ABC/APAAR account on course completion; your institution redeems them into the degree record, through your own Board of Studies and Academic Council approval.
Do we need separate regulatory approval to offer this?
No separate approval is needed on IIT Kharagpur's side. OCN is a Board of Governors-approved outreach mechanism of an Institute of National Importance. On your side, embedding it is a curriculum decision for your Board of Studies and Academic Council, and sits within the UGC ABC Regulations' ceiling on credits earned from another institution. We'd recommend your regulatory cell confirm this against your own programme approval conditions.
Faculty & Delivery Model
Who actually teaches the courses?
IIT Kharagpur faculty, exclusively. They design the curriculum, teach every live session, set assignments and examinations, and recommend certification. This isn't a guest-lecture or licensed-content arrangement — each course has a named IIT Kharagpur faculty member of record.
How is the programme delivered?
Live and online. Two 90-minute sessions a week per course (24 sessions a semester) at a fixed slot agreed with your institution, with recordings available for revision. Examinations are held on your campus, proctored by you, on IIT Kharagpur's papers. Selected students and faculty also get an on-campus immersion module at IIT Kharagpur.
What's expected of our own faculty?
Just one nominated mentor per course. Their role is a weekly on-campus mentoring hour, tracking participation, and coordinating exam logistics, after a short platform and calendar orientation from ProofSlate before each semester.
Assessment & Certification
How are students assessed and graded?
Continuous, faculty-set assessment (indicatively, attendance, weekly assignments, a mid-semester and an end-semester exam) graded on IIT Kharagpur's letter-grade scale. Capstone or project courses (if applicable) are evaluated by an IIT Kharagpur faculty panel. Exams are held on your campus in scheduled weeks.
What happens if a student doesn't pass a course?
They get one re-attempt at the next IIT Kharagpur exam window. If still unsuccessful, IIT Kharagpur records a participation grade, and how that's treated within your own programme is your institution's call. Credits already earned in other courses are unaffected.
What does a student receive on completion?
An IIT Kharagpur OCN Micro-Specialisation Certificate (QR-verifiable), an OCN Student ID card and an @ocn.iitkgp.ac.in email for the programme duration, ABC credit deposit, and IIT Kharagpur OCN Alumni status afterward. The IIT Kharagpur transcript and certificate are issued independently; whether and how it's additionally reflected on your own transcript is a call for your Controller of Examinations.
Student Eligibility & Journey
Which students are eligible?
Any undergraduate in good academic standing, across programme streams. Eligibility is set at the Micro-Specialisation level, not restricted by degree programme. Each track carries its own prerequisites (e.g. basic programming for computing tracks), and your Boards of Studies decide which tracks are opened to which programmes.
What's the time commitment, and when should students start?
About 7–8 hours a week per course during the semester: two live sessions, pre-session reading, one graded assignment, and a weekly on-campus mentoring hour. Total duration equals the number of courses in the track (3–4 semesters). Starting in the third semester, one course per semester, is the common pattern, but final scheduling is your institution's choice.
Is there a minimum cohort size?
Yes. Each Micro-Specialisation needs a minimum enrolment threshold to activate and remain viable; the exact figure is confirmed per programme. There's no upper limit.
Commercial Terms
What's the fee structure?
Reference terms only — exact commercials are confirmed in your institution's own agreement. Two components, exclusive of taxes: a one-time institutional onboarding fee, covering credit-mapping, platform provisioning, and mentor/faculty orientation; and a per-student fee per Micro-Specialisation. Standalone individual courses can also be priced separately where useful.
How and when is it paid, and what if a student withdraws?
Per-student fees are typically payable in semester instalments, or at a discount if paid upfront. Once a semester's sessions begin, that instalment is non-refundable; no instalment falls due for semesters not yet started, so exposure is limited to the course already in progress.
Can fees change mid-term?
No. Fees are fixed for the agreement's initial term, for existing and new cohorts alike. Any revision applies only from renewal, and only by written agreement.
Technology & Campus Requirements
What platform is used, and do we get visibility into student progress?
The IIT Kharagpur OCN learning platform, provisioned and run by ProofSlate, hosts course material, live-session links, recordings, assignments, grades and the credential ledger. Nominated coordinators, mentors and programme heads get role-based dashboards (of attendance, assignment and exam results, engagement, and credit-deposit status) with semester-end exports for your records.
What do we need to provide on campus?
A timetabled room with projection, audio and stable internet for live sessions; exam halls and invigilators in scheduled weeks; a faculty coordinator and one mentor per course; and verified student APAAR/ABC IDs at enrolment. No additional hardware, software or lab spend is required — even simulation-heavy tracks run entirely on the platform.
Partnership Structure, Governance, IP & Data
Who are the parties to the agreement, and how is it structured?
A direct, tripartite structure (IIT Kharagpur, ProofSlate, and your institution). In practice this runs as two linked instruments: an Institutional Partnership Agreement between ProofSlate and your institution covering commercials, onboarding and delivery mechanics; and a Tripartite Letter of Association across all three parties, formalising the academic relationship, credentials and brand use.
Who's responsible for what?
IIT Kharagpur owns academic delivery — curriculum, teaching, assessment, certification and credit deposit — through its Outreach Steering Committee, and a faculty Programme Coordinator per Micro-Specialisation. ProofSlate operates the platform and credential ledger, manages compliance and brand governance, and is your day-to-day relationship manager. Your institution owns your students, admissions, records and degrees, and approves each programme through your own statutory bodies. A Joint Programme Committee across all sides meets at least once a semester.
What can we say in our own branding and marketing?
From signing, you may state that your students can earn IIT Kharagpur OCN Micro-Specialisations, using an approved formulation ("in academic partnership with IIT Kharagpur through its Outreach Course Network") and an approved logo lock-up in which your own mark leads. All creatives go through a brand pre-approval workflow, typically with a turnaround of a few working days. Not permitted: implying a joint or IIT Kharagpur degree, or describing it as a "certificate from IIT Kharagpur."
Who owns the data, and what happens if the agreement ends?
Your institution owns its student records; IIT Kharagpur owns the academic performance data it generates and the credentials it issues; ProofSlate holds the operational ledger as custodian for the Institute. You retain full access to your students' data throughout the programme and for a defined period after. If the agreement ends, students already enrolled complete their Micro-Specialisation on the existing terms — teaching, assessment and credit deposit continue until the last active cohort finishes, with no new cohorts started.
Placement & Career Value
What placement or career support comes with this?
The value is the credential itself — IIT Kharagpur course credits and a QR-verifiable certificate on the student's record, an @ocn.iitkgp.ac.in identity, and lifetime OCN Alumni status with access to the alumni community, digital learning library and continuing-education resources. There's no placement guarantee or dedicated recruiter-connect service, and partner institutions are asked not to represent it as one.