Scope of associate degree programme being expanded

Islamabad
Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Muhammad Balighur Rehman has said the Higher Education Commission is expanding the scope of the two-year associate degree programme besides trying to increasing the number of subjects after consultation from different stakeholders including universities, market, and professional accreditation council.
According to him, the HEC initiated the process of developing and updating curriculum of employment and skill oriented courses in the year 2011-12.
For the purpose, guidelines have already been circulated to universities and degree awarding institutions of the country to initiate associate degree programmes in 37 predefined market driven subjects on unified template.
“HEC is continuously developing and updating the curricula of all academic degree programmes to bring them on a par with national and international standards keeping in view employability and research needs of the country,” he said.
The minister also said the curriculum of various undergraduate programmes in professional and academic degrees were being reviewed and revised periodically by the HEC through its respective National Curriculum Revision Committee after every three to four years.
He said the curriculum revision was done keeping in view the socio-economic needs of the country and thus, ensuring better employability prospects and the latest advancement in the subject.
The minister, however, said currently, no specific proposal for career oriented add-on courses was under consideration.