University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) was established in 2003. UPES is the division that provides degree courses in the online mode. The university is approved by UGC-DEB to offer courses in the online learning mode.

UPES Online is approved by UGC-DEB to offer online degree courses. It has also been accredited by NAAC and maintains all the standards and guidelines laid down by the Centre for Internal Quality Assurance (CIQA).

The university aims to help working professionals upgrade their professional skills and knowledge. The programs offered by UPES Online are focused on industry domains and specializations that are rapidly growing and are high in demand. The university focuses on the domains of energy, health & industrial safety, high-end IT solutions, logistics & supply chain, among others.

UPES Online has 5500+ alumni working not just in India but across 17 countries with top organizations. The university through its courses and cutting-edge curriculum helps students and working professionals enter into core industry domain areas and the emerging sectors of the economy.

The learning methodology of UPES mainly includes self learning through the study material provided by the college like e-books, recorded videos, papers, journals, pdfs, and more. The university has designed the curriculum in a way that is flexible which makes it easier for working professionals to learn, network, and grow.

UPES has been top-ranked by NIRF and received 5 Star in QS Global Rankings

What Factors to Consider While Choosing an Online University?

Many students wish to pursue courses distance or online mode but are overwhelmed by the vast number of choices available to them. However, in order to choose the best online university in India, students need to take into account some general factors which are very important for checking the credibility and facilities offered by the university. Thus, the viability of a remote university needs to be evaluated carefully before considering it for higher education.

Based on such factors, UPES CCE has been evaluated below. Read the review below to find out if it is the right choice for your educational journey.

#1 Is the University Accredited/Approved?

The first thing to check before considering any other factor, it ensures that the university is not a fraudulent source and has the credibility to provide distance/online education to students. For any university to offer a full-time degree, diploma or certification course completely through correspondence (distance/online/blended), it needs to have the approval of some statutory and authorizing bodies of the nation, without which the certification from that university will be held invalid. So it is imperative to verify the credentials of the university at the very outset of the search for an online/distance university.

UPES CCE has been approved by a number of accrediting bodies of India and has grabbed numerous accolades as a pioneering educational institution in the field of energy studies. The major accreditations and approvals of UPES CCE have been listed below:

• University Grants Commission-Distance Education Bureau – UGC-DEB
• Association of Indian Universities – AIU
• International Association of Universities – IAU
• National Assessment and Accreditation Council – NAAC (Rated A)
• QS Ranking – Rated 5 Star for Employability

So, all the courses offered by UPES CCE are approved by major accrediting bodies and are completely credible and valid in India and abroad. 

#2 What Courses are Offered by the University?

It is important to check that the university you are considering for further education offers the course of your choice. Specifically, if the course you are pursuing pertains to a specific area of study, then it is essential to look for a credible university that offers a well-designed course in that discipline.

UPES CCE is a university that has excelled in providing quality degrees and courses to students in the domain of management, energy studies etc. It extends degree, certification and diploma courses across a wide variety of specializations to choose from, specially designed for working professionals so that one can continue working while conveniently also completing the course.

The courses offered by UPES CCE have been listed below:

So it can be seen that UPES CCE is a good distance university that provides well-designed courses in a specific area-energy studies, management and information technology. It offers a number of specializations that allows the students or professionals interested in the area to effectively pursue these courses in the distance blended mode, with the learning support provided by the students.

#3 How Affordable are the Courses for Me?

Another factor that you may like to take into account is the affordability of the courses offered at the university since it is a valuable investment for your career and further education. The course fees for specific technical and professional courses tend to be higher than regular academic courses, however, the rates are still considerably more affordable in the case of online or distance courses as compared to offline full-time courses. So, you can have a look at the course fee ranges before opting for that distance university. Affordable and manageable semester-wise installment facilities are also offered by many online/distance universities in recent years.

At UPES CCE, the course fees have been set in consideration with the diverse financial backgrounds to which the students can belong, and accordingly they are in an affordable range. Moreover, semester-wise payment options are available for the degree and postgraduate program. All the course fees are approximately within the range of INR 50,000-INR 2,00,000.

The details of the various course fees have been given below:

Additionally, students have the facility to pay the fee in instalments for the degree program and the postgraduate program, which means you can affordably continue your higher educational journey while pursuing your career simultaneously.

#4 Is the Faculty Well-Qualified?

It is important to check if the faculty of the university is well-qualified and has the important qualifications and experience to effectively deliver the course online. This becomes especially important for technical and professional courses in a specific domain. The faculty should also be responsive and reachable as all concerns and queries in a distance/online university are resolved remotely, through virtual means. Hence, you can check the faculty of the course while considering the university for your education.

At UPES CCE, there are over 450 faculty members who have gained years of experience in their areas of specializations and deliver the courses through live virtual lectures. They are available for discussions and clarifications of queries, in which students can reach out to them during discussion sessions. So the faculty support at UPES CCE is strong and efficient with experienced lecturers who help deliver the concepts in their specialization areas effectively.

#5 What is the LMS Support and Learning Pedagogy at the University?

The Learning Management System (LMS) is the software through which the university delivers its courses, takes examinations, assigns tasks to students, delivers the learning material etc. It is one of the most important aspects of the course offered by the university since it is the main means of educational exchange between the teachers and students. So, the LMS of the university must be efficient, having all the necessary features and tools as well as up-to-date with the latest technological advancements.

The university has its own LMS called ‘Blackboard Learn’ which provides students with all the major facilities of online learning such as attending live lectures conducted by the faculty on weekends (to enable smooth learning by working students), recordings of the lectures for later reference, exercises and quizzes, audio-visual as well as textual case studies, discussion forums etc.

It ensures that the students have the best-in-class learning experience and engagement with the faculty and peers. There is a focus on the all-round development and education of the students, through innovative technological support facilities. Moreover, with the industrial alliances formed by the university with firms such as IBM, Larsen & Toubro, Aditya Birla Group, Tata etc. there are opportunities for students to learn from industry giants to learn about the functioning of the professional world.

The main features of the LMS are listed below:

So, there is a good academic and LMS support at UPES CCE which can be a good reason for you to consider this university as an option for higher education. 

#6 What is the Examination and Evaluation Procedure? 

Checking the facilities and mode of examinations for the exams and evaluation of academic performance is also important in case of a distance course.

The evaluation and examination procedure at UPES CCE is described below:

The facility of online proctored exams is a convenient option for students.

#7 What Student Support Facilities are Available?

Student support facilities are needed in place to ensure that the students can easily contact a designated body virtually in case a query/grievance/complaint or any other issue arises during the course of their association with the university. These are important areas for students to enquire about before they enrol for a course in any distance/online university because students have little to no opportunity to actually visit the campus for the resolution of any of their problems.

UPES CCE lays emphasis on functional student support facilities to ensure that students’ concerns are heard and resolved in a reasonable time period. For this, they have created a separate help desk exclusively for redressal of students’ concerns. The main student support facilities have been described below: 

• 24×7 Student Helpdesk: students can contact the virtual helpdesk of the university at https://helpdesk.upes.ac.in/ and they would get a response from an official within one working day, except on weekends

• Program Managers: students are assigned a program manager who can be reached out to in case of a query or problem related to their course as well as for feedback. A student can reach out to their respective  Program Manager through chat or email.

• Connecting to Faculty Members: Students can connect with the faculty for assistance or doubts clarification by booking a time slot with them on a working day after which they can connect virtually. However the booking of a time slot should be through the help desk or the program manager only.   

So, UPES CCE indeed offers a good student support with a unit of mentors dedicated solely for resolution of concerns and queries, which means you can easily reach out to them in case of any issue you face and expect a prompt resolution.

#8 Is Placement Support Available?

Placement Assistance is important for a distance/online students because they cannot visit the campus in person to form wide peer and professional networks. Moreover, for some courses, freshers may also not have an existing professional sphere which they can grow further. So, a robust placement support is very important to ensure that the gap between the students and professional endeavors is bridged.

At UPES CCE, there is an active focus on providing placement assistance to the students through professional and practically-oriented courses and teaching along with the placement drives conducted for the distance students exclusively. Students after completion of courses from UPES CCE often get placed in reputed private and government organizations which have been listed below:

So if you are considering pursuing a course from UPES CCE, then you have a good opportunity of getting placed at reputed firms or organizations.

Similar Accredited Distance & Online Universities in India

Some other top universities in India which are well-accredited include:

Conclusion: Is UPES CCE Good or Bad?

So, if you have read all the factors and carefully evaluated the university with us, it can be concluded that UPES CCE is a good choice for pursuing distance (blended) courses in the domain of management, information technology, energy and petroleum studies. It is a well-accredited university with all major facilities like an LMS, faculty support, student support facilities, placement assistance etc.

The key factors which make UPES CCE a distinguished university have been listed below:

• UGC-Approved University
• NAAC Rated ‘A’ University
• Excellence in Providing Courses in Energy Studies
• Well-Qualified Faculty
• Affordable Courses
• Excellent LMS
• Student Support Available
• Robust Placement Support