HEC warns students against taking admissions in these degree programmes

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Sunday issued an alert warning students against getting admissions in two-year programmes that have been phased out since the academic year 2019.

The alert, which was shared on HEC’s official Instagram account, highlighted that it had phased out “two-year BA/Sc and MA/MSc programmes with extended deadlines of the academic year 2019 and June 30 2022”.

The notification revealed that some higher education institutions admitted students in these phased-out programmes after the specified deadlines despite HEC’s directions.

It also urged students, parents and stakeholders to avoid getting admission in these programmes as “degrees obtained from such programmes do not qualify for recognition and attestation by HEC.” 

As per the HEC’s official statement, the decision of abolishing the two-year degree programmes was taken in 2004 with the aim of enhancing the quality of degree programmes as per international standards.

The commission, however, had granted a transition period until 2016 to the varsities for phasing out the said programmes.

The two-year associate degree programmes allowed by the HEC were a substitute for the bachelors of arts (BA) and bachelors of science (BSc) degree programmes and were equivalent to 14 years of education.

On the completion of an associate degree programme, the graduates can secure admissions to the fifth semester of a four-year BS programme.