Undergraduate engineering students will soon learn and master their skills in corporate finance, risk management, financial management and accounting among other areas in the BFSI sector

Hyderabad: Undergraduate engineering students will soon learn and master their skills in corporate finance, risk management, financial management and accounting among other areas in the BFSI sector. In a first of its kind, the engineering colleges in the State will roll out a minor course in Financial Services in the BE/BTech programmes.

As there are ample job opportunities available in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector, the Education department along with the Commissionerate of Technical Education and State universities like Osmania University (OU) and JNTU – Hyderabad have decided on introducing this new course in BE/BTech. The department recently conducted a meeting with universities to frame modalities and curriculum. Another meeting is scheduled to be held in the first week of October.

The new course will be offered in the third year UG engineering irrespective of the programme. Students wishing to make a career in the BFSI sector can opt for it and they will be awarded a BE/BTech degree with Financial Services as a minor course.
Presently, minor courses like Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Data Science, Cyber Security, and Internet of Things are on offer as part of an interdisciplinary approach.

To begin with, it will be introduced in the autonomous engineering courses like Osmania University College of Engineering (OUCE) and CBIT. Later, it will be extended to other affiliated colleges of OU, JNTU – Hyderabad and Kakatiya University.

The course curriculum which will be designed by the universities in collaboration with the BFSI sector experts will be taught by industry experts and working professionals apart from university professors. It will have both theory and practical sessions including projects and internships in the sector so as to receive hands-on training.

Taking the lead, the OUCE’s Academic Council, an apex decision making body of the college, recently decided to allot 18 credits for the new course, which will be offered from third-year first semester till eighth semester.

Further, to enhance the employability quotient of the students opting for the conventional degree courses, plans are afoot to introduce the BCom Financial Services programme in the degree colleges from the next academic year.