HEC announces the new admission policy for the Ph.D. program

A new Ph.D. admission program is being introduced by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, which has raised questions among students and academics.

According to the revised policy, students can undertake a Ph.D. degree immediately after finishing their BS degrees, which means that the requirement for a minimum of a one-year Master's degree after 16 years of study is no longer a Ph.D. requirement. Ph.D. applicants, however, are expected to complete 30 coursework credit hours lasting at least two years.

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Similarly, the current proposed policy specifies that within less than three years or more than eight years of enrolment, a Ph.D. degree cannot be completed. If the regulation cuts, applicants can get admittance to a Ph.D. degree in another discipline.

The policy applied from 1 January 2021 allows researchers to send their Ph.D. research papers to foreign experts from Pakistan and experts and makes it mandatory for students during their Ph.D. program to spend at least two years in their home country.

The HEC has not given official notification of policy implementation, which is why some universities have consulted it to investigate future actions.

In response to a letter from the University of Karachi (KU) to the HEC about new admissions to the Ph.D. program, the Commission clearly stated that the new policy is obligatory for universities.

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Denial of the policy may result in action against the institutes, including "warning to institutes, revocation of admissions, suspension or revocation of NOCs for admissions, public alert, and non-verification of credentials."

The Vice-Chancellor of the NED University, Dr. Surosh Hashmat Lodhi, said, "The positive aspect is that the policy has increased the number of courses (credit hours). People pursue a Ph.D. after a bachelor's degree all over the world".