Higher education Commission HEC Islamabad has issued a Student alert asking students not to take admission in 2 years MA/MSc & BA/BSc programs offered by the different Universities. As per HEC BA/BSc programs were banned after 2018 and the MA/MSc program is banned after 2020 however, 3 months extension is given due to coronavirus, for universities to finalize admission in MA MSc programs till March 31, 2021.
Students are advised not to waste their time and money by enrolling in unauthorized degree programs, such as 2-year BA/BSc or MA/MSc programs. These programs have been phased out because of quality concerns.
One or two universities have announced admission to unauthorized BA/BSc and MA/MSc programs. While this will earn money for the university, it will not be in the interest of the students. These discarded degrees will not enable students to apply for jobs or further education.
The decision to phase out the BA/BSc and MA/MSc programs, and replace them with a single, composite, 4-year BS degree was taken in 2004. However, universities were allowed to continue both systems in a transition period.
In 2011, the Associate Degree (AD) was announced as an alternative to the BA/BSc degree. AD is equivalent to 14 years schooling, and entitles graduates to get admission in the 5th semester of respective BS programs after fulfilling the admitting university’s requirements.”
In 2016, the transition period was concluded, and a final decision made to stop admissions in BA/BSc programs on December 31, 2018, and in MA/MSc programs on December 31, 2020. It was also decided that the last BA/BSc exam would be held in 2020 and that the admission to the last batch of MA/MSc students would take place before December 31, 2020. These decisions were confirmed in 2017, and again in 2018,2019 and 2020.
However, because of the disruption caused by the coronavirus, the following flexibility has been allowed:
Universities have been given a grace period of three months to conclude the final BA/BSc exams. Any exams concluded before March 31, 2021, shall be considered to be 2020 exams. Similarly, the deadline for admission to the final cohort of the MA/MSc programs is also extended to March 31, 2021, so that the final cohort of BA/BSc students can apply for admission.
In addition, holders of BA/BSc degrees are allowed to apply for admission in the third year or 5th semester of the BS program, subject to the completion of a bridging semester or any additional course requirements that the university may impose.
Any student who misses the deadline to get admission to the MA/MSc programs can apply instead for admission to the third year {i.e., 5th semester) of the BS program, which is a far superior option.
Fresh students can be admitted either directly into the 4-year BS program, or in the 2-year Associate Degree Programs, offered through recognized campuses, constituent and affiliated colleges in place of the old BA/BSc programs.
In case of admission in illegal and phased-out programs, the students will end up bearing all risks and costs or any associated loss incurred. HEC cannot recognize the degrees of students who enrolled in conventional BA/BSc programs after December 31, 2018. Likewise, the last date for admission in conventional MA/MSc programs is March 31, 2021