The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has officially released an updated list of approved MS, MPhil, and PhD programs offered by universities nationwide. This latest announcement aims to ensure transparency and protect students from enrolling in unrecognized or unaccredited programs.
The new list, now available on the HEC’s official website, includes programs verified under the Pakistan Qualification Register (PQR). Students can easily check whether their chosen degree program is recognized and actively approved by the Commission before seeking admission.
Key Highlights
1. Verification through the Pakistan Qualification Register (PQR)
HEC has trained focal persons from universities and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to update all active, suspended, or discontinued programs in the PQR. This digital registry helps ensure that every postgraduate program in Pakistan is properly documented and verified.
2. Alignment with National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
All MS/MPhil (Level-7) and PhD (Level-8) programs included in the new list conform to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) standards, ensuring the degrees meet HEC’s academic and research quality benchmarks.
3. Importance of NOC and HEC Recognition
HEC has urged students to verify program recognition before admission. Any program not listed in the PQR or lacking an HEC No Objection Certificate (NOC) is considered unapproved, and degrees from such programs will not be attested by HEC.
4. Protecting Students’ Interests
This move aims to protect students from fraudulent, unaccredited, or inactive programs that could lead to problems during degree attestation or while applying for jobs and higher studies locally or abroad.
5. Promoting Transparency
By making the list public, HEC is promoting greater transparency in Pakistan’s higher education sector. Students, parents, and employers can now verify the accreditation status of graduate and postgraduate programs in just a few clicks.
How to Check the Approved Programs
Students can visit the official HEC website to view or download the latest list of active MS, MPhil, and PhD programs:
🔗 HEC Official Website – List of Approved Programs
Before enrolling:
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Confirm the program’s inclusion in the PQR
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Verify the university’s NOC status
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Avoid programs marked as “Suspended” or “Discontinued”
Why This Matters
This update enhances the credibility of Pakistani higher education and protects students’ academic futures. It also ensures that universities maintain international standards for postgraduate and research education.
Keywords
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The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has released an updated list of approved MS, MPhil, and PhD programs in Pakistan. Students can now verify recognized universities and active postgraduate programs through the official HEC Pakistan Qualification Register (PQR) before applying.
HEC releases updated list of approved MS, MPhil, and PhD programs in Pakistan. Check verified universities and active courses on the official HEC PQR portal.
