The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has once again cautioned students, parents, and educational stakeholders about the discontinuation of two-year Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Master of Arts (MA), and Master of Science (MSc) degree programs. The HEC stressed that these degrees do not match the credit hours and market relevance of the four-year bachelor’s degrees and Master of Science (MS) programs.
Since 2019, the HEC has been phasing out these two-year programs, setting a final deadline of June 30, 2022. Despite these deadlines, some higher education institutions continue to enroll students in these outdated programs. Consequently, the HEC has declared that degrees awarded from these programs after the deadlines will not be recognized or attested by the commission.
The HEC clarified that institutions offering these programs are not affiliated with the state educational system, making the degrees from such programs invalid according to the statutory body responsible for higher education in Pakistan.
The HEC urged prospective students, parents, and stakeholders to avoid enrolling in these discontinued programs and to verify the recognition status of educational institutions before seeking admission. The commission highlighted that obtaining degrees from unrecognized programs could severely impact students’ academic and professional futures.
For a comprehensive list of HEC-recognized colleges and institutions, stakeholders are advised to visit the official HEC website.