The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has warned that any HEC ADP degree offered through the conventional annual examination system or private mode will not be recognised. In a public alert from Islamabad on 25 October, the Commission told students, parents and higher education institutions that such programmes fall outside what it accepts.
HEC clarified that no new admissions should be made in associate degree programmes run on an annual or private basis. It also said it will not process those credentials for attestation or for equivalence—steps many graduates need for further study, public jobs or overseas paperwork.
What counts as a recognised associate degree
According to HEC, an Associate Degree Programme is a structured course of four regular semesters over two years. It must carry a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 72 credit hours. The Commission stressed that there is no two-year BA, BSc or ADP offered through the annual or private mode under its rules.
Students have been told to enrol only in ADPs under the regular semester system and to check the mode and recognition status before they pay fees or take a seat. Doing so, HEC said, helps avoid later problems with attestation and equivalence.
What universities must do now
HEC has directed higher education institutions to stop offering or advertising annual or private ADPs immediately if any such programmes exist. Campuses are to bring their offerings in line with the HEC Undergraduate Education Policy 2023 (Version 1.1).
The Commission’s message is aimed at both new entrants and institutions still promoting older two-year private or annual pathways. An HEC ADP degree that matches the semester structure and credit-hour band is the route it will recognise; annual and private versions are not.
Advice for students and parents
Before admission, families should confirm that the programme is a regular-semester ADP, not an annual-exam or private-mode route. HEC has pointed the public to its policies pages for further detail. Anyone already considering a private or annual ADP should treat the alert as a clear signal that those credentials will not meet HEC recognition, attestation or equivalence standards.
Aasan alfaaz mein
HEC ne clear kiya hai ke annual exam ya private mode wala ADP degree accept nahi hoga. Naye admissions in programmes mein band kar diye gaye hain, aur attestation ya equivalence bhi nahi milegi. Sirf regular semester system wala do-saala ADP, 64 se 72 credit hours ke sath, recognised hai. Admission se pehle mode aur recognition zaroor check karein taake baad mein mushkil na ho.
