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KARACHI: The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has approved the Undergraduate and MPhil/Ph.D. policy for universities and degree colleges across the country, both policies will be applicable from the same year 2023, and will be effective from new admission.
Approval of the policies The commission meeting on the last day of office affairs before Eid has been blocked, while approving the undergraduate policy, the features of the two-year associate degree and four-year BS programs have been clarified.
While approving the M.Phil./Ph.D. policy in the interim, the Commission has empowered the Chairman HEC to recommend Dr. Attaur Rehman, Member of the Commission in the M.Phil./Ph.D. Policy. Can also add points.
With regard to both the above-mentioned policies, there have been major changes in the admissions, framework, and program structure at the undergraduate and MPhil/Ph.D. levels, according to which two-year associate degree programs are now being conducted in public and private colleges affiliated with universities. In the Eight Degree (AD) program, examination results will be released on the basis of “CGPA” rather than grades or division.
Students wishing to pursue a four-year BS program must also have a 2.0 CGPA in the AD program for admission to the fifth semester of the university, while the two-year AD program also requires an internship of 3 credit hours similar to the BS program. Internship has been made mandatory for AD program.
The subject of entrepreneurship has also been made compulsory in general education in all disciplines of the associate degree and BS program, while in the four-year BS program, its credit hours have gone up to 168, facilitating dual specialization (double major) for the first time. However, associate degree credit hours are set at 60 to 72 and normal BS program (single major) credit hours are set at 120 to 144.
In the undergraduate policy, the compulsory General Education subjects will be of 30 credit hours only and these subjects must be completed in the first 4 semesters in the BS on the Associate Degree model. As per the approved MPhil/PhD policy with major changes, the passing marks of the test at MPhil level and 70% at PhD level have been raised to 60% if the entrance test is conducted by the respective university itself.
Also, practical learning lab (sports, youth club and intern internship) has been removed from the approved undergraduate policy and 3 credit hours of internship has been made mandatory in associate degree and BS program in the name of field experience.
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The associate degree has been warned to run on semester system, it should be noted that the associate degree in the government colleges affiliated to the government universities of Sindh is currently running on the old syllabus under the annual examination system.
