The University of Mumbai is set to introduce twinning, dual degree, and joint degree programmes starting in the academic year 2025-2026, following the approval of new guidelines by its academic council. This initiative aims to broaden educational opportunities by enabling affiliated colleges to collaborate with the university and offer diverse learning pathways to students.

The university plans to provide dual degrees through both distance learning and online education platforms, facilitating partnerships between affiliated institutions and other educational organizations. These collaborations can include institutions within the same university, other universities, or even international institutions. For international partnerships, the partner university must rank within the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings. For domestic collaborations, Indian institutions must feature in the top 100 of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

The approval aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which permits dual degrees through various modes, including online, distance, or a hybrid of physical and distance learning. This marks a revival of the university's earlier dual degree offerings, which were discontinued in 2014 due to concerns over University Grants Commission (UGC) approval.

Colleges seeking to launch dual degree programmes must obtain prior approval from the university before signing any memorandum of understanding with partner institutions. Specific guidelines for physical dual degree programmes require that participating institutions be located within 5-20 kilometers of each other and have a NAAC grade A accreditation. Furthermore, university departments are allowed to collaborate among themselves for such programmes.

This development highlights the university's commitment to fostering academic flexibility and international collaboration while ensuring adherence to quality standards.