New undergraduate and MPhil, PhD policy approved with major changes

Karachi: The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has approved the Undergraduate and MPhil/PhD 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 admissions. The approval of policies has been blocked on the last day of office affairs before Eid.

By 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/PhD policy in principle on behalf of the commission to the Chairman HEC. It has been authorized that they may also incorporate the points recommended by Dr. Attaur Rahman, Member of the Commission, in the MPhil/PhD policy.

With regard to both the above mentioned policies, there have been major changes in the admissions, framework and program structure at undergraduate and MPhil/PhD level, according to which two-year courses are now conducted in public and private colleges affiliated to universities. The examination results in the Associate Degree (AD) program will be released on the basis of “CGPA” instead of grades or division and students seeking four-year B.S. will be admitted to the AD program in the fifth semester of universities. A CGPA of 2.0 will be mandatory, while in the two-year AD program, an internship of 3 credit hours has been made mandatory on the lines of the BS program.

The subject of entrepreneurship has also been made compulsory in general education in all disciplines of the associate degree and BS program, while for the first time in the four-year BS program, dual specialization (double major) has been facilitated by crediting up to 168 credit hours. are given.

Also read: HEC’s revised Undergraduate Policy comes out

As per the approved MPhil/PhD policy with major changes, if the entrance test is conducted by the concerned university itself, the passing marks of the test have been increased to 60% at the MPhil level and 70% at the PhD level. Similarly, if a student wants to pursue PhD under inter-disciplinary intra-qualification discipline, he/she has to clear the entrance test with 70% marks along with other requirements.

Meanwhile, it is being told that Dr. Attaur Rahman has opposed outsourcing the test and conducting it from some other institution instead of the university.

It should be noted that in case of outsourcing the test, the passing marks for entrance test at MPhil level were 50% and 60% for Ph.D.

The interim approved MPhil/PhD policy also introduces a new written test at the time of thesis submission which was not there earlier, which will be mandatory for every student completing course work and research work.

Also read: Undergraduate Policy, HEC has withdrawn the letter of application

When “Express” contacted Chairman HEC Professor Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed in this regard, he confirmed the approval of both the policies and said that “MPhil/PhD policy has been approved provisionally at present.” And the commission has empowered him to make the suggestions of former chairman HEC and current member of the commission Dr. Attaur Rehman part of the policy.

The coursework of 24 credit hours in MPhil can be extended to 30 credit hours in 3 semesters, after which research work will not be compulsory, in which case the student can complete MPhil in one and a half years only, as per policy. Open defense will be mandatory after submission of thesis in HD.

Also, Practical Learning Lab (Sports, Youth Club and Internship) has been removed from the approved undergraduate policy and 3 credit hours of internship has been made mandatory in Associate Degree and BS programs in the name of experience field. .