The Higher Education Commission (HEC) announced that it will not recognise Associate Degree Programs (ADPs) delivered through the annual examination system or private mode in Pakistan. In a public alert, HEC warned students, parents and higher-education institutions not to enrol in or offer such programmes.
The commission clarified that associate degrees obtained via annual or private examination systems will not be accepted for attestation or equivalence. It also instructed universities and colleges to cease offering or advertising these programmes and to comply with the HEC Undergraduate Education Policy 2023 (Version 1.1).
HEC stated that students must complete ADPs through the regular semester system, which consists of four semesters over two years. The approved programme requires a minimum of 64 credit hours and a maximum of 72 credit hours.
The commission added that the approved system does not permit two-year BA, BSc or Associate Degree Programs through annual examinations or private study arrangements. It urged students to verify the recognition status and study mode of any degree before applying.
Higher-education institutions were told to immediately stop new admissions to ADPs offered via annual or private systems. Students can consult the official degree-recognition requirements and related policies on the HEC website.
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