UNDERGRADUATE · 2021. 1. 19. · Undergraduate Education Policy 2020 o 132PEUUEPolicyE2020 26.4....

UNDERGRADUATEEDUCATION POLICY

2020

HIGHER EDUCATIONCOMMISSION

Copyright © 2020 @ Higher Education Commission.All Right Reserved.

HIGH ON

ER ISSI

ED MUCATION COM

Undergraduate Education Policy 2020 No. 1-32/PERU/UGEPolicy/HEC/2020

Table of Contents

I: INTRODUCTION 12. Objectives 1

2.1. Competency-BasedLearning 1

2.2. BalancebetweenBreadthandDepth 1

2.3. Specialization 1

2.4. AppliedKnowledge 1

2.5. EmphasisonCreativity 1

2.6. TerminalDegree 1

3. TypesofDegrees 2

3.1. Four-YearBS 2

3.2. Four-YearProfessionalDegrees 2

3.3. Five-YearProfessionalDegrees 2

3.4. Four-YearDegreesinDisciplineswithCouncils 2

3.5. Two-YearAssociateDegree(AD) 2

4. GlossaryandAcronyms 2

II: FRAMEWORK 35. Overview 3

6. GenEdRequirement 3

6.1. Breadth 3

6.2. FoundationalSkills 3

6.3. CivilizationalKnowledge 3

6.4. Clarification1 3

6.5. Clarification2 3

7. DisciplinaryRequirement 3

7.1. Four-yearBS 4


7.2. ProfessionalFields 4

7.3. AssociateDegree(AD) 4

8. LevelofKnowledge 4

9. PracticalLearningRequirement 4

9.1. Internships 4

9.2. PracticalLearningLab(PLL) 5

III. THE FOUR-YEAR BS DEGREE 610. Overall 6

10.1. CreditsandCourses 6

10.2. CreditsperSemester 6

10.3. GenEdCourses 6

10.4 MajorsandMinors 6

10.5. BeyondaSingleMajor 7

11. DistributionRequirement 7

11.1. SpecificationofDistributionCourses 7

11.2. UseofGenEdCoursestoFulfilDistributionRequirement 7

11.3. TreatmentofPass/FailCourses 7

12. TheRoleofAcademicAdvisors 8

13. Sequencing 8


IV. PROFESSIONAL DEGREES 915. GenEdRequirement 9

16. DisciplinaryRequirement 9


17.1. Internship 9

17.2. PracticalLearningLab(PLL) 9


V: THE TWO-YEAR ASSOCIATE DEGREE (AD) 1018. TransitiontoSemesterSystem 10

19. Overall 10

19.1. CreditsandCourses 10

19.2. CreditsperSemester 10

19.3. GenEdRequirement 10

19.4. DisciplinaryRequirement 10

19.5. PracticalLearningRequirement 10

VI. THE GEN ED REQUIREMENT 1220. Overview 12

21. BreadthCourses 12

21.1. ArtsandHumanities 12

21.2. SocialSciences 12

21.3. NaturalSciences 13

22. FoundationalSkillsCourses 13

22.1. ExpositoryWriting 13

22.2. QuantitativeReasoning 13

23. CivilizationalCourses 14

23.1. PakistanStudies 14

23.2. IslamiatorReligiousStudies 14

VII. THE PRACTICAL LEARNING REQUIREMENT 1524. Overview 15

25. Non-Credit 15

26. Internship 15

26.1. StandardInternship 15

26.2. HostInstitution 15

26.3. PriorAgreement 15


26.4. CareerandPlacement 15

26.5. MonitoringandEvaluation 15

26.6. Certification 16

26.7. SpecialProvisions 16

27. PLL 16

27.1. TheEntrepreneurshipLab 16

27.2. YouthClubs 16

27.3. Sports 17

27.4. OrganizationalProvisions 17

VIII: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 1828. SwitchingBetweenPrograms 18

28.1. FromADtoBSProgram 18

28.2. ExitingfromBSwithAD 18

28.3. SwitchingbetweenGeneralandProfessionalDegreePrograms 18

29. Admissions 18

30. StudentAcademicAdvisement 19

31. PrinciplesofPolicy 19

31.1. Freedomofexpression 19

31.2. AcademicHonesty 19

IX: ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARY 22

Undergraduate Education Policy 2020


I: INTRODUCTION1. This document provides the objectives and policy for Undergraduate

Education,thatis,educationprogramsleadingtotheBachelorofStudiesDegree(BS),ProfessionalDegrees,andtheAssociateDegree(AD) (SeeParagraph3).

2. Objectives:Theoverallobjectiveofthepolicyistoenhancethelikelihoodofstudentsuccess.Specificobjectivesincludethefollowing:2.1. Competency-Based Learning: The approach adopted here

recognizes the complex outcomes of the learning process,often divided into four components: knowledge (disciplinary,interdisciplinary, epistemic, and procedural), skills (writing, oralcommunication,ICT-relatedskills,quantitativeanalysis,analyticaland problem-solving skills, critical and creative thinking, andlearning to learn), professional behaviour (self-regulation, timemanagement,integrity,intellectualcuriosity,intellectualopenness),andinterpersonal attributes(empathy,self-efficacy,collaboration).

2.2. Balance between Breadth and Depth:Toensurethatthestudyisneither toonarrowly focusednor toodiffuse.On theonehand,thosewhofailtodevelopbroaderskillsatanearlystageintheirlivesunknowinglylimittheirfutures.Ontheotherhand,focusisessentialfordevelopingintellectualdisciplineandrigor.

2.3. Specialization: Toenablestudentstohavein-depthknowledgeandunderstandingoftheareaofspecialisation.However,thepurposeisnottoforcethemprematurelyintoparticularoccupationsortoforeclosetheiroptions.So,focusonspecializationwillstartlaterintheireducationalstreams.

2.4. Applied Knowledge: To prepare students to apply the acquiredknowledge and skills to life’s challenges, rather than merelyacquiringnarrowskillsorpiecesofinformation.

2.5. Emphasis on Creativity:Tofosterexploration,curiosity,discovery,andcreativityamongststudents.

2.6. Terminal Degree:Todesignallundergraduatedegrees, includingtheADandBSdegrees, tobe terminaldegrees. Inotherwords,while some students may seek further education in order tobecomeactiveresearchers,oroutofpersonalcuriosity,oradesire

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toburnishtheircredentials,noonewouldfeelcompelledtodosobecauseoftheinadequacyofeducation.

3. Types of Degrees:InPakistan,therearefivecategoriesofundergraduatedegrees,whicharebrieflylistedbelow.Giventhevariationsintheexacttitlesofsomedegrees,theyareonlydescribedgenerically:3.1. Four-Year BS:Thesearedegreesinartsandsciences.Unlikethe

practice in some countries, which distinguish between scienceand arts degrees (BA/BS), in Pakistan there is a single degreecalledBachelorofStudies(BS)forbothartsandsciences,butwithmentionofthedisciplineonthedegree.

3.2. Four-Year Professional Degrees (Requiring Licensure): Currentlythese include Bachelor of Engineering (BE); Bachelor of DentalSurgery(BDS);andBachelorStudiesinNursing(BSN).

3.3. Five-Year Professional Degrees (Requiring Licensure): Currentlythese include Bachelor of Architecture; Bachelor of EasternMedicine and Surgery; Bachelor of Homoeopathic MedicalSciences; Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; Doctor of Pharmacy;Bachelor of Laws (LLB); and Bachelor ofMedicine, Bachelor ofSurgery(MBBS).

3.4. Four-Year Degrees in Disciplines with Councils (Not Requiring Licensure): Currently these include undergraduate degrees inAgriculture,BusinessStudies,ComputerScience,Education,andTechnology.

3.5. Two-Year Associate Degree (AD): This is a two-year program,taughtmainlyataffiliatedcolleges.IthasreplacedtheoldBA/BScdegrees,whichwerediscontinued.

4. Glossary and Acronyms:SectionIXprovidesaglossaryofacronymsandabbreviationsusedinthisdocument.

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II: FRAMEWORK5. Overview:Toenhancethelikelihoodofstudentsuccess,theprogramof

studyisdesignedtobalancedisciplinaryorconcentrationrequirementswith two other types of requirements, namely general education(ReferredtoasGenEd)requirementandpracticallearningrequirement.Allundergraduateprograms,includingprofessionaldegreeprograms,willhavetocompletetherequirementsdescribedbelow.

6. Gen Ed Requirement:Theacademicprogramwillensurethateverystudentisacquaintedwiththebroadvarietyoffieldsof inquiryandapproachestoknowledgeinthe21stcentury.Briefly,thisrequirementwillentailthefollowing.(DetailsoftheGenEdrequirementareelaboratedinSectionVI).6.1. Breadth:Studentswillberequiredtotaketwocourseseachinthe

threebroaddomainsofknowledge,namelyArtsandHumanities,NaturalSciences,andSocialSciences;

6.2. Foundational Skills:Studentswillberequiredtotakethreecoursesin Expository Writing (EW) and two courses in QuantitativeReasoning(QR);and

6.3. Civilizational Knowledge: Studentswill be required to take onecourseeachinPakistanStudiesandIslamicorReligiousStudies.

6.4. Clarification 1:EachUniversityhasthefreedomtodesign,develop,anddecidethecoursestomeettheGenEdrequirement.Initially,however, inorder toassistuniversities,HECwilldevelopmodelcoursesforalltherequirementslistedabove(Paragraphs6.1-6.3).

6.5. Clarification 2: It needs to be clarified that Gen Ed coursesconstituteaminimaleducation,notacompleteone,andrepresenttheleastthataneducatedpersonshouldseektoknow.Theyareintendedtobestartingpoints,notgoals.

7. Disciplinary Requirement:Modernknowledgehasalwaysbeendefinedbyitsareasofspecializationandfocus,thatis,itsdisciplines,andbytherecognitionthatanyclaimtoexpertisehastorestuponthemasteryofabodyofknowledgeandtheacquisitionofasetofskills.Whilethegeneraleducation requirement seeks to introduce students to the breadth ofmodernknowledge, thedisciplinary requirements seek todeepen theirknowledgeoftheirchosendisciplineorMajor.

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7.1. Four-year BS: AllstudentswouldberequiredtoselectaMajor(SeeSectionIII)fromoneofthethreebroaddomainsofknowledge(i.e.,Arts and Humanities, Natural Sciences, or Social Sciences). Thedepartmentconcernedwilldetermine,throughnormalprocedures,thedisciplinaryrequirements,includingtheprerequisitesstudentswillneedtoenrol,thebodyofknowledgetheywillhavetomaster,andtheskillstheywillhavetoacquireinordertoobtainadegreeinthatdiscipline.Dependingontheparticularsubject,inadditiontocourserequirements,theremaybelabrequirements,practicalorfieldworkrequirements,and/orresearchandthesisrequirements.

7.2. Professional Fields: For professional fields, the disciplinaryrequirements will be developed by the departments concernedin collaboration with the professional associations or learnedcouncils.

7.3. Associate Degree (AD):ThedisciplinaryrequirementsfortheADwillbedeterminedbytheaffiliatinguniversityoftheCollege.

8. Level of Knowledge:Inallsubjects,includingGenEdcourses,studentsareexpectedtoadvancebeyondtheirsecondaryschoollevel,andmatureand deepen their competences, including in writing, communication,mathematics,languages,analyticalandintellectualdiscipline.

9. Practical Learning Requirement:A thirddeterminantof future studentsuccess is practical knowledge of the environment they will face,regardlessofwhethertheychoosetojointhejobmarket,enterintoorstartabusiness,engageinsocialorpoliticalactivism,ortakeupsportsor other recreational or competitive activities. The Practical LearningRequirementisaimedatequippingstudentswithskillstheywillneedtosucceedinsuchroles.Allundergraduateacademicprogramsshallprovidestudentswithamenuofactivitiesthatcanequipthemwithsuchskills,and in order to graduate every studentwill have toparticipate in oneormoreof such activities as specifiedbelow. (Details on thePracticalLearningrequirementareinSectionVII.).9.1. Internship: In order to graduate, every student shall have to

complete an internshipprogram,of at least9-weekduration, atanytimeafterthecompletionoftheirfourthsemester,generallyduringthesummer.Universitieswillcollaboratewithemployerstoarrangetherequisitenumberofinternshipslots.

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UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE

Gen Ed Requirement

Breadth

Founda�onal Skills

Civiliza�onal

Disciplinary Requirement

Courses

Lab/ Field Work/Thesis

Prac�cal Learning

Requirement

Internship

EntrepreneurshipOr

Youth ClubOr

Sports

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Schematic Representation

9.2. Practical Learning Lab (PLL): Inorder tograduateeverystudentwillhavetoenrolinatleastonenon-creditextracurricularprogram(hereinafter referred to as a “Lab”) for at least4 semesters.The“Lab” will meet for a minimum of 4 hours per week (e.g., twoafternoon sessions every week). Depending on the facilitiesavailableatuniversities, “Labs”wouldbeoffered inoneormoreof the following three areas: entrepreneurship,youth clubs, andsports.


III: THE FOUR-YEAR BS DEGREE10. Overall: Within the requirements given in the Framework (Section

II above), to obtain a BS degree, students will have to complete thefollowing:10.1. Credits and Courses:Theminimumcreditrequirementtoqualify

foraBSdegreeis120 credits.Theactualnumberofcourseswilldependonthecredithoursforthecoursestaken.Ifallcoursesareof3credits,theywillhavetotakeatotalof40courses.

10.2. Credits per Semester: Ordinarily, students will complete 15creditsineverysemesterbytakingfivecoursesof3creditseach,or other combinations. However, a studentmay takemore orfewer courses in a semesterwith permission inwriting of thecompetentauthorityasspecifiedintherules.

10.3. Gen Ed Courses: In accordancewith the requirement given intheFramework(SectionIIabove),aminimumof39creditswillbereservedforthe13GenEdcourses. (DetailsoftheGenEdrequirementaregiveninSectionVIIbelow).

10.4. Majors and Minors: 10.4.1. Major: A Major is the academic discipline or

specializedareaofstudyselectedbythestudentastheirprimaryfocus.

10.4.2. Declaration of Major:Everyundergraduate studenthas to declare a Major (Also see Paragraph 13.2below). Ordinarily, a Major is associated with adepartment. The exceptions are interdisciplinaryMajors or custom-designed Majors, which are puttogetherby thestudentandallowedsubject to theapproval of the academic advisor and any otherauthoritythatmaybespecified.

10.4.3. Requirements and Prerequisites for Major/s: Therequirements and prerequisites forMajors shall bedeterminedby thedepartments concerned, subjecttotheconditionthattotalrequirementsforaMajorshallnotbelessthan39credits(equivalenttothirteen3-creditcourses)ormorethan54credits(equivalenttoeighteen3-creditcourses).

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10.4.4. Minor: A Minor is optional. It is a secondaryconcentration of courses, ordinarily in an academicdiscipline thatcomplementsor is inaddition to theMajor.

10.4.5. Requirements and Prerequisites for Minor/s: Therequirements and prerequisites forMinors shall bedeterminedby thedepartments concerned, subjectto thecondition that total requirement foraMinorshallnotbe less than12credits (equivalent to four3-creditcourses).

10.5. Beyond a Single Major:A studentmay opt for a singleMajoror twoMajors (i.e., a doubleMajor), or aMajor and aMinor,or aMajor and twoMinors, provided that the departmentallydeterminedcreditsandprerequisite requirementsaremet,andthepermissionoftheacademicadvisorisobtained.

10.6. ForstudentspursuingtwoMajors,thedepartmentaldistributionrequirement(SeeParagraph11below)foraMajorcanbepartiallyfulfilledbycoursestakenfortheotherMajor.

11. Distribution Requirement:Atleast18credits(equivalenttosix3-creditcourses)oftherequirementsforadegreeshallbeindistributioncourses,thatis,coursesinalliedorcomplementarydisciplinesordepartments,asspecifiedbythedepartmentresponsible,andasdescribedbelow:11.1. Specification of Distribution Courses: The department

responsible for the declared Major will identify and developa list of courses,with levels, in each of theAlliedDisciplines/Departments, which they consider can fulfil the distributionrequirementsof theirdiscipline.Studentswillhavetheright tochoosecoursesfromthelist.

11.2. Use of Gen Ed Courses to Fulfil Distribution Requirement: DepartmentswilldeterminewhichoftheGenEdcourses,ifany,canbeusedtomeetthedistributionrequirements.ProvidedthatthesameGenEdcoursecannotbeusedformeetingmorethanonedistributionrequirement.

11.3. Treatment of Pass/Fail Courses: If a university allows somecourses to be taken as pass/fail rather than a letter grade, nomorethantwo(2)ofthosecanbeusedtofulfilthedistributionrequirement.


12. The Role of Academic Advisors:Universities shall assign anAcademicAdvisor to each student to provide advice on their academic careers,including theselectionof theirMajor(s)andMinor(s),andapproveanyspecialrequestsorwaivers.(AlsoseeSectionVIII,Paragraph30below).

13. Sequencing:Therecommendedcourseofstudiesstressesdiversityintheearlieryears,andmovestowardsincreasingconcentrationinthemajor/minorsubjectsinthelateryears.13.1. Gen Ed courses will typically be completed in the first three

semesters, and definitely by the end of the fourth semester.ThosewhofailtocompleteallGenEdrequirementsbytheendofthefourthsemesterwillnotbepromoted.

13.2. Inordertoallowstudentstoexercisemaximuminformedchoicewithregardtotheirfutureareasofconcentration,theselectionanddeclarationoftheMajorwilltakeplaceatthecommencementof the third (3rd) semester. However, universitieswill developrulesfordealingwithexceptionswherestudentswishtochangetheirMajoratalatertime.

13.3. Thefollowingtableisanillustrationoftheprogressionoverthefirstfoursemesters:

Semester Courses CreditHours

I ExpositoryWriting INatural

Sciences ISocial

Sciences IQuantitativeReasoning I

Arts &Humanities I 15

II ExpositoryWriting IINatural

Sciences IISocial

Sciences IIQuantitativeReasoning II

Arts &Humanities II 15

III ExpositoryWriting IIIPakistan Studies Islamiat Optional* Optional 15

IV Major ORDistribution**Major OR

DistributionMajor OR



Distribution 15

Note: *Optional:Theseareintroductorycoursesindifferentdisciplinesthatareofferedbydepartments,inwhichstudentsmayenroll.Thedepartmentwilldeterminehowmany,ifany,coursecreditsearnedintheoptionalcourse/scancounttowardstheMajororDistributioncreditrequirements(seebelow).

**MajorandDistribution:Majorcoursesareinthedisciplinethatthestudentdeclaresasthemainareaofstudyandareofferedbyadepartment.DistributioncoursesarethosewhichthedepartmentdeterminestobealliedwiththedeclaredMajorordisciplineandareofferedbyotherdepartments.Also refer to paragraphs 10.4.1 and 11, respectively.

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14. Practical Learning Requirement: Every BS student will have to fulfilthePracticalLearningRequirementdescribedinSectionIIParagraph9above,andfurtherelaboratedinSectionVIIbelow.

IV: PROFESSIONAL DEGREES15. Gen Ed Requirement: In accordance with the requirements specified

in the Framework (Section II above), and as further elaborated inSectionVIbelow,39creditsofGenEdcourseswillbemandatoryforallundergraduatestudentsintheprofessionalstreams.

16. Disciplinary Requirement:Thedisciplinaryrequirementsforprofessionaleducationprogramswillbedeterminedbytherelevantdepartmentsoftheuniversitiesincollaborationwithprofessionalassociationsorlearnedcouncils.

17. Practical Learning Requirement: AsspecifiedintheFramework(SectionIIabove)andasfurtherelaboratedinSectionVIIbelow,everystudentinaprofessionalstreamhaseithertofulfilpracticallearningrequirementspriortograduation,orthroughanyspecialprovisionsforstudentsintheirparticularstream.Specialprovisionsforstudentsinprofessionalstreamsaregivenbelow:17.1. Internship:Studentsinprofessionalstreamshavetheoptionto

fulfil the Internship requirement through similar or equivalentcomponents of their regular program of studies, or post-degree licensingrequirementof theprofession,providedthesecomponents have a duration of 9 weeks or more. The list ofeligibleprograms isgivenbelow,andadditionswillbenotifiedfromtimetotimeandincorporatedintothissection.17.1.1. Currentlythelistofeligibleprogramsincludes: (i) House Jobs for Medical students, and (ii)

ApprenticeshipsforLawstudents.17.1.2. Otherprofessionaldegreeprogramsorstudentsmay,

with prior approval of their professional councils,applyfortheirprogramstobeincludedinthislist.

17.2. Practical Learning Lab (PLL): Students of professional degreeprogramswillalsohavetofulfilthePLLrequirementasspecifiedinSectionVIIParagraph27below.


V: THE TWO-YEAR ASSOCIATE DEGREE (AD)18. Transition to Semester System:AllHEIsofferingthetwo-yearAssociate

Degree(formerlyBA/BSc)willtransitiontothesemestersystemperHECpolicyandguidelines.

19. Overall: Within the requirements given in the Framework (SectionII above), toobtain anADdegree, studentswill have to complete thefollowing:19.1. Credits and Courses:EveryADstudentwillcompleteatleast60

credits.Theactualnumberofcourseswilldependonthecredithoursforthecoursestaken.Ifallcoursesareof3credits,theywillhavetotakeatotalof20courses.

19.2. Credits per Semester: Ordinarily, students will complete 15creditsineverysemesterbytakingfivecoursesof3creditseach,or other combinations. However, a student may take more orfewer courses in a semesterwith permission inwriting of thecompetentauthorityasspecifiedintherules.

19.3. Gen Ed Requirement: As specified in the Framework (SectionIIabove),andfurtherelaborated inSectionVIbelow,everyADstudentwillhavetotake39creditsofGenEdcourses.

19.4. Disciplinary Requirement: The disciplinary course offerings forADwillbedeterminedbytheaffiliatinguniversity.

19.5. Practical Learning Requirement: Students of AD programswill have to fulfil a modified version of the Practical LearningrequirementspecifiedinSectionVIIbelow.ThespecialprovisionspertainingtoADstudentsareasfollows:19.5.1. Internship: AD Students shall have the option of

completinga9-weeksummerinternshipanytimeaftertheirfirstsemester,oraworkattachmentforatotalofupto360hoursduringtheircourseduration.19.5.1.1. A graduate of the AD program who

enrols subsequently inaBSprogramshallreceivecredittowardsthefulfilmentoftheinternshiprequirementfortheBSprogram.

19.5.2. PLL: AD students will be allowed to fulfil the PLLrequirementbysigningupforanextracurricular“lab”of

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4hoursaweekfor2semesters,inoneofthefollowingthreeareas:entrepreneurship,youthclubs,orsports.19.5.2.1. AgraduateoftheADprogramwhoenrols

subsequentlyinaBSprogramshallreceivecredit towards the fulfilment of the PLLrequirementfortheBSprogram.


VI: THE GEN ED REQUIREMENT20. Overview:AsindicatedinSectionIIabove,everyundergraduatestudent,

includingthoseinBSprograms,professionaleducationprograms,orADprograms,willhavetocomplete39creditsinGenEdcourses.Ordinarily,thesewill comprise 13 courses, divided into the following categories:(a) breadth courses in the three domains of knowledge, i.e., Arts andHumanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences; (b) foundationalskillscoursesinExpositoryWritingandQuantitativeReasoningand;(c)civilizationalcoursesinPakistanStudiesandIslamiatorReligiousStudies.Briefdescriptionsofthethreetypesofcoursesaregivenbelow.

21. Breadth Courses:Everystudentwillberequiredtotaketwoprescribedcourses in each of the three broad domains of knowledge.A generaldescriptionofeachdomainisasfollows:21.1. Arts and Humanities (2 Courses): The purpose of the arts

and humanities requirement is to introduce students to thekey themes in this domain, including philosophy, history, andthe creative arts. These subjects explore howwe understandhumanexperience,cultivateanappreciationofthepast,enrichour capacity toparticipate in the lifeof ourtimes, andenableengagementwith other cultures and civilizations, both ancientand modern: Thus providing insight into the experiences ofothers and aswell enabling critical examination of one’s own,promotingmutualrespectandtolerance,instillingculturalprideandself-confidence,andsupportingthedevelopmentofcreativeexpression. But independently of any specific application, thestudyofthesesubjectsteachesunderstandinganddelightinthehighestachievementsofhumanity.

21.2. Social Sciences (2 Courses): Social sciences provide an insightintotheanalysisofindividualandsocialbehaviour,andnetworks.Socialsciencesuseavarietyofmethodologiesbothqualitativeand quantitative. Anthropology, economics, psychology,sociology, and political science teach uswhowe are as socialbeingsandhelpusappreciatetheperspectiveoftheotheraswellas theparticularitiesofsociety.Methods inthesocialsciencestest for connectionsbetween the familiar and the foreign, the

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traditionalandthecontemporary,theindividualandthegroup,thepredictedresultandtheanomalousoutcome.Studyof thesocial sciencespreparesstudents for livesofcivicengagementanddevelopsanuancedsenseoftheworldaroundthem.

21.3. Natural Sciences (2 Courses): Natural sciences enable anunderstandingandappreciationofthephysicalandthenaturalworldthroughobservationandexperimentation.Theprogramofstudiesintroducesstudentstotheoreticalanalyses,experimentalmethods,andproblemsolving.Theyprovideinsightintowhatweknowaswellaswhatwemaylearn inthefuture.Thestudyofphysics,chemistry,geology,biology,andecologyhelpsdevelopcritical faculties for evaluating natural phenomena and expertopinion. It teaches students to appreciate the beauty of thenaturalandphysicalworldsoftenhiddenfromcasualobservationbutwhich,oncerevealed,lendsrichnesstoeverydaylife.

22. Foundational Skills Courses:Thesecondcomponentofgeneraleducationfocuses on the development of key skills.Thiswill include courses inExpositoryWritingandQuantitativeReasoning.Ageneraldescriptionofeachoftheseisasfollows:22.1. Expository Writing (3 Courses): Theabilitytowritewell isone

ofthehallmarksofaneducatedpersonandisindispensableforprofessional success. The strengthening of writing skills alsohelpsdevelopintellectualpracticesthatdistinguishactivefrompassive learners.The required courses focusonwriting clearlyandcogently,overcomingprevalenterrors inPakistaniEnglish,writingorpublishingtechnicalpapers,editingorcopy-editingofdocuments,andlearninghowtotranslatefromonelanguagetoanother.

22.2. Quantitative Reasoning (2 Courses): In the 21st century, anearly exposure toquantitative reasoninghasbecomeessentialfor professional success in all disciplines, including the naturaland the social sciences as well as many arts and humanitiesfields,aswellascopingwiththeordinarychallengesoflifeinatechnologicallyinfusedenvironment.Moregenerally,thementalrigorresultingfromquantitativestudyhasbeencelebratedsinceancienttimes.Informationtechnologyandtherigorousdissectionoflogicalargumentsinanydisciplinedependonalgorithmsand


formal logical constructs.Aneducatedpersonmustbeable tousequantitativeinformationtomake,understand,andevaluatearguments.

23. Civilizational Courses: the third component of general educationpertainstocoursesthatintroducethestudentstothehistoryandcultureofPakistan.Ageneraldescriptionofthesecoursesisasfollows:23.1. Pakistan Studies (1 Course):Thecourseisintendedtointroduce

studentstokeyconceptsandmilestonesinthecountry’shistory,including the archaeological and anthropological record goingback to the ancient Gandhara and Harappa civilizations, thearrival of Islam in the 8th century, the role of the Sufi saints,thechallengesposedbytheIndustrialRevolution,theimpactofcolonialrule,thePakistanMovement,post-independencehistory,and thecurrenteconomic, geographic, and social landscapeofthecountry.

23.2. Islamiat or Religious Studies (1 Course):Thiscoursewillaimatidentifying the intellectual, philosophical, and spiritual historyofthecountry.ThisisasurveycoursetointroducestudentstotheearlyhistoryofIslam,thecontributionofIslamicsocietiestointellectual, scientific, andpolitical developments in theworld,andtheeconomicandsocialconditionsofcontemporaryIslamicsocieties.

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VII: THE PRACTICAL LEARNING REQUIREMENT

24. Overview:Animportantobjectiveistomaketheundergraduatedegreeaterminalone,forwhichexperienceinapracticalworkenvironmentandengagementinextracurricularactivitiesisaninvaluablecomplementtoastudent’sacademictraining.Thepracticallearningrequirementwillbefulfilledasdescribedbelow.

25. Non-Credit: Practical requirementswillbenon-credit, that is, theywillnotreceivelettergradesfortheseprograms.

26. Internship: A mandatory component of the practical requirement willbeaninternship.Thepurposeoftheinternshipistoexposestudentstoreallifeworkenvironmentsbeforetheygraduate.Inordertomeetthisrequirement,internshipswillbegovernedbythefollowingguidelines:26.1. Standard Internship: The standard internship will typically be

inthesummerandafterthefourthsemester; itwillbeat least9weeks in duration; andwill take place at a designated hostinstitution.

26.2. Host Institution:Thefollowingmayserveasahost institution:(i)Agovernmentorganization,inanyofthethreemainbranchesof government, executive, legislative, or judicial, in national,provincial,or localgovernments,or (ii)anautonomousbodyorattacheddepartmentofagovernmentagency,or(iii)abusinessenterprise,or(iv)anacademicinstitution,or(v)anNGO.

26.3. Prior Agreement: Universitieswill enter into prior agreementswith potential host institutions to place students in suchinternships.

26.4. Career and Placement: Universities will establish Career andPlacementOfficestoservetheirstudentbody,includingstudentsenrolledintheiraffiliatedcolleges.

26.5. Monitoring and Evaluation: Universities will assign individualfaculty members to monitor and evaluate the quality ofworkof each student-internee (e.g., papers or reports submitted,employers’ feedback, or other prescribed indicators ofperformance), and these evaluationswill be made part of thestudents’permanentrecord.


26.6. Certification: On successful completion of the internship,studentswillbeawardedacertificateofcompletion.

26.7. Special Provisions: Insomecases,studentswillhavetheoptionoffulfillingtheirinternshiprequirementsthroughothermeans.26.7.1. BS students are required to complete a standard

internship.26.7.2. Students in professional degree programs have the

option,eithertocompleteastandardinternship,or,iftheirprogramrequiresanalternateformofpracticalexperience,tohavethatexperiencecountedinlieuofthestandardinternship(SeeParagraph17.1above).

26.7.3. Students in AD programsalsohaveanoption,eitherofcompletingastandardinternshipatanytimeaftertheirfirstsemester;or,tofulfiltherequirementintheformof anattachmentwith ahost institution for atotalof360hoursduringthecourseoftheirstudies.

27. PLL: Thesecondcomponentofthepracticalrequirementwillbefulfilledbyparticipationinanextra-curricularPLLactivity.Studentswillenrolinanyoneofthefollowingthree“labs”:anentrepreneurshiplab,astudentclub(pleaseseebelowforexamples),orasportprogram.Thelabswilloperateasfollows:27.1. The Entrepreneurship Lab: The Entrepreneurship Lab will be

underthesupervisionoftheDirectorORICorDirectorBICorafacultymemberdesignatedspeciallyforthispurpose.Studentswho sign up for the entrepreneurship lab will be requiredto attend the lab for a minimum of 4 hours perweek for atleast four semesters.The labwill include lectures, teamwork,proposalwritingsessions,competitions,presentationsessions,fundraisingevents,start-upevents,andmarketingevents.Eachstudentwillbeexpectedtoproposeaproject,whichheorshewilltaketocompletion.

27.2. Youth Clubs: Thesemaybeofdifferenttypes.Thepurposeistoexposestudentstosocialengagementthroughparticipationingroupactivities.ThesemayincludeGreenClubs,DramaClubs,Book Reading Clubs, University Magazines or Newspapers,University TV or Radio Stations, Debating Clubs, or StudentAssociations. Each Club will formulate its own rules and

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procedures;insomecases,thestudentsmayneedtocompetefor entering into it (e.g., in the University Magazine), whileothersmayhaveopenadmissionpolicies.Eachof theseclubswillhaveafacultyadvisor,whowillkeeparecordofattendance,overseefinancialmatters,whereneeded,andprovideadviceonuniversitypoliciesorregulations.

27.3. Sports: Students who wish to fulfil their lab requirementsthroughsportswillhavetosignupwiththeDirectorSportsorotherdesignatedofficer,andattendregulartrainingandpracticesessions,whichwillbetreatedasequivalentto“labs”.

27.4. Organizational Provisions:Thefollowingprovisionsshallgovernthe organizational arrangements in regard to the practicallearningrequirement:27.4.1. Time Commitment: The time commitment for the

PLLactivitywillbe4hoursaweekfor4semestersforBSstudentsandstudentsintheProfessionalstreams,unlesswaivedforthelatter;and2hoursaweekfor2semestersforADstudents.

27.4.2. Lab Structure:Theweeklyactivitymentionedabovewillbereferredtoas“labs”.Thisisontheanalogyofscience labs, inwhich students undertake practicalwork.

27.4.3. Facilitation: Students will be facilitated in the labsbyfacultyorstaffassignedtothetasks(e.g.DirectorORIC/DirectorBIC,DirectorStudentClubs,DirectorSports,orotherdesignatedfaculty).

27.4.4. Evaluation: Universities will evaluate the qualityofwork (e.g., papers or reports submitted, patentsfiled, start-ups initiated, sports medals obtained,club activities promoted, and the like), and theseevaluations will be made part of the students’permanentrecord.

27.4.5. Certification: On successful completion of the PLLrequirement,studentswillbeawardedacertificateofcompletion.


VIII: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS28. Switching Between Programs: Students would be allowed to switch

betweenprogramsprovidedtheyfulfiltheentryorexitrequirements.28.1. From AD to BS Program:AssociateDegreeholdersmayapplyfor

admissiontoaBSprogram.Ifadmitted(basedontheUniversity’sadmissionspolicies), theuniversitymayaccord themadvancedstandingbyallowingthemtotransfersomeofthecoursecreditsfromtheADtotheBSprogram.Further,studentsmayreceivepartialorfullcredit,asthecasemightbe,forinternshipsandPLLactivitiescompletedduringAD.

28.2. Exiting from BS with AD:A universitymay have a policy thatallows a student admitted to the BS program to exit with anAssociateDegree,providedthattheuniversityrequirementsfortheawardoftheADhavebeenmet.

28.3. Switching between General and Professional Degree Programs: Astudentadmittedtoaprofessionaldegreeprogrammayapplyfor transfer to a general degree program, or vice versa. Theadmission to the newprogramwould be based on the overalladmission policy of the university. If admitted, the admittinguniversity will determinewhich and how many of the earnedcreditscanbetransferred.

29. Admissions:Studentswillbeadmittedtotheuniversityorprofessionalschool on the basis of a consolidatedmerit list, rather than a specificdepartment.29.1 Universitieswilldevelopacentralizedandtransparentuniversity

admissions system in accordancewith HEC guidelines on thesubject.

29.2 Departmentswill develop rules of admission to the discipline,ensuring that admissions are transparent, merit-based, andbasedonthefulfilmentofpre-requisites,andaswellareproperlydocumented.

29.3 Where needed, HEC will facilitate the establishment of anadmissionssystemthatfulfilstherequirementsoftheadmissionspolicy.

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30. Student Academic Advisement: Universitieswill establish an effectivestudentadvisorysystemtoensurethatacademicadvice isavailabletoeverystudent.Keyissuestobeaddressedincludeadviceon:SelectionofMajor(s)/Minor(s), fulfilling distribution requirements, sequencing ofcourses, fulfilling practical learning requirements, freedom of speech,academichonesty,andotheracademic issues thatmayarise.HECwillprovideguidelinesonthisissue.

31. Principles of Policy: Universitiesareencouragedtodevelopandannouncethebroadprinciplesofpolicygoverning theacademicenvironment. Inaccordancewithinternationalbestpractice,twofundamentalprinciplesofpolicyarethefreedomofexpressionandacademichonesty.31.1. Freedom of expression: Freedom of expression is of central

importance for an academic community,where the search fortruth holds a primary value. Although freedom of expressionmaysometimesmakelifeuncomfortable,it isessentialforhighqualityeducationaswellasinnovationorinvention.Thismeansthe cultivation of a community where all ideas are toleratedregardless of their provocativeness. All individuals are to betreatedwithrespectregardlessofthedegreeofcongruenceoftheirideaswithone’sown.Freedomofexpressionthrivesonlyinacivilandrespectfulcommunity.

31.2. Academic Honesty:Likefreedomofexpression,academichonestyholds a special place in a community devoted to the creation,preservation,anddisseminationofknowledge.Itisimportantforstudentstolearnhowtoacknowledgethecontributionsofothersin their ownwork and to document properly their reliance onothers’thinking.Discoveringhowtouseothers’worktoadvanceone’sownisakeypartoflearning.Veryfewscholarseverhavecompletelyoriginal ideas, andeven the greatest scholars buildon their predecessors’ achievements. Understanding how toincorporateothers’ points intoone’sownarguments, andhowto acknowledge thosepointsproperly, is one signofmaturingscholarship.Itisalsoimportanttounderstandthatfailuretoknoworfollowtheconventionsofdocumentationandcitation—evenwhen inadvertent—is considered a grave breach of academicintegrity. Academic dishonesty, including cheating as well asplagiarism, includes any misrepresentation of others’ work as


one’s own, such as unacknowledged paraphrasing or quoting,useofanotherstudent’smaterial, incompleteacknowledgmentofsources(includingInternetsources),orsubmissionofthesameworktocompletetherequirementsofmorethanonecourse.

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IX: ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARYThefollowingabbreviationshavebeenusedinthisdocument:

AD: AssociateDegreeBA/ BSc: Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Science. (Discontinued

after2018).BDS: BachelorofDentalSurgeryBE: BachelorofEngineeringBIC: BusinessIncubationCentreBS: BachelorofStudiesBSN: BachelorofStudiesinNursingEW: ExpositoryWritingGen Ed: GeneralEducationHEC: HigherEducationCommissionHEI: HigherEducation Institution (Universities, Institutes,or

otherDegreeAwardingInstitutions).ICT: InformationandCommunicationTechnologiesLLB: BachelorofLawsMA/MSc: Master ofArts/Master of Science. (Discontinued after

2020).MBBS: BachelorofMedicine,BachelorofSurgeryORIC: OfficeofResearch,Innovation,andCommercializationPLL: PracticalLearningLab(whichisthenamegiventoabi-

weeklymeetingonanextra-curricularactivity,includingentrepreneurshipcentres,greenclubs,orsports).

QR: QuantitativeReasoning

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