More than a dozen city colleges are in an expansion mode, planning to open second campuses in the the next two-four years.

The colleges, to keep pace with the changes in the field of education and equip students better for the job market, are planning to upgrade undergraduate departments to the postgraduate level, introduce vocational courses, open more courses in applied sciences and emerging areas and expand the scope for research.

“Most colleges are not being able to properly implement the upgrade plans because of a space crunch and hence, are trying to expand. The institutions have submitted their plans for a second campus,” said a higher education department official.

Among the colleges readying to expand are Presidency, Bethune, Maulana Azad, Asutosh, Scottish Church and Asutosh.

“Several bighas have been identified for Presidency and Bethune near Nonapukur and Jorasanko, respectively,” the official said.

Maulana Azad College — which, too, is run by the government like Presidency and Bethune — plans to set up its second campus on a plot it owns in Park Circus, near Darga Road.

Asutosh College has acquired 11 acres in Bhasa, near Joka, where it will shift all its postgraduate departments and also those offering courses in emerging areas, like electronics, bio-technology, genetics and molecular biology. “We hope to open the new campus by 2010,” said principal Debabrata Chaudhury.

A team from Scottish Church College has approached the government, seeking a plot, preferably near Salt Lake or off EM Bypass, for its new campus.

“We want to upgrade more undergraduate departments to the postgraduate level. Besides, considering our faculty strength, we want to set up a unit on the second campus dedicated to research,” said D. Kundu, the bursar of the college.