HEC Approves New Policies for Undergraduate and MPhil/PhD Programs With Big Changes

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has given approval to the policies for undergraduate and MPhil/PhD programs in universities and degree colleges across the country. These policies will be implemented in 2023 and will apply to new admissions.

During the commission meeting before Eid, the policies were approved, and specific details regarding the two-year associate degree (AD) and four-year Bachelor of Science (BS) programs were clarified. Significant changes were made to the admissions process, framework, and program structure at both the undergraduate and Master of Philosophy (MPhil)/Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) levels.

The AD programs, which will now be conducted in public and private colleges affiliated with universities, will have examination results released based on CGPA instead of grades or division. 

Additionally, entrepreneurship will be required in general education for all associate degree and BS programs. The four-year BS program also now allows for double specialization (double major) for the first time by crediting up to 168 hours.

At the MPhil level, passing marks have been increased to 60 percent, and at the PhD level, passing marks have been raised to 70 percent if the entrance test is conducted by the university. If a student wants to pursue a PhD under an inter-disciplinary intra-qualification discipline, they must pass the entrance test with 70 percent marks.

Under the undergraduate policy, compulsory General Education subjects will be of 30 credit hours, and these subjects must be completed in the first four semesters of the BS on the Associate Degree model. 

In the MPhil/PhD policy, passing marks for the admission test has been raised to 60 percent at the MPhil level and 70 percent at the PhD level if the university conducts the entrance test.

The practical learning lab (sports, youth club, and entrepreneurship) has been removed from the undergraduate policy, and a mandatory 3-credit hour internship has been included in AD and BS programs under the category of field experience.