ISLAMABAD   -   The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has warned students, parents, and educational stakeholders about the two-year Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Master of Arts (MA), and Master of Science (MSc) degree programmes, saying that these degrees are not equivalent to the four-year bachelor’s degrees and Master of Science (MS) programmes in terms of credit hours and market relevance.

The HEC has been phasing out these two-year programmes in 2019, with an extended deadline set for June 30, 2022. Despite the clear directions, certain higher education institutions have continued to enrol students in these obsolete programmes.

Consequently, the HEC has stated unequivocally that degrees awarded from these programmes after the specified deadlines will not be recognised or attested by the authority (HEC).

The HEC clarified that institutions offering these programmes are not affiliated with the state educational system. This disaffiliation means that degrees from such programmes are not considered valid by the statutory body responsible for higher education in Pakistan.

The commission urged prospective students, parents, and stakeholders to refrain from enrolling in these discontinued programmes, stressing the importance of verifying the recognition status of educational institutions before seeking admission. The commission stressed that obtaining degrees from unrecognized programmes could severely impact students’ academic and professional futures.