International Education Guide - Enterprise and Advanced Education ...

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GUIDE for the assessment of education from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
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general universities. Since the 1980s, they have been offered
by specialized universities of engineering and technology.
The Pakistan Engineering Council prescribes the guidelines
and standards for engineering bachelor’s degree programs.
• Entry is based on possession of the HSC (preengineering
group) with at least 50 per cent marks in
aggregate (raised to 60 per cent in 2008), or equivalent.
• Holders of a Diploma of Associate Engineer (DAE)
with at least 60 per cent marks in aggregate may be
admitted to the same discipline of engineering.
• The course of study must contain a minimum of 75 per
cent engineering subjects and a maximum of 25 per
cent non-engineering subjects (revised to 65 per cent
and 35 per cent, respectively, in 2008).
• The duration of study is at least four years; the
maximum period allowed for completing the program
is seven years.
• Universities may adopt either the annual or the
semester system. Where the semester system is
adopted, students must complete a minimum of
128 credits.
The PEC grants accreditation to programs meeting its
standards in terms of curriculum, lectures, laboratory,
fieldwork, allied facilities, and so on. The PEC website
provides a list of accredited programs in Pakistan. The
accreditation status is reviewed at regular intervals.
The Higher Education Commission has published model
curricula for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in various
engineering disciplines such as chemical engineering, civil
engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering
and mechanical engineering.
In the annual system, students must pass annual
examinations, usually known as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and final
Professional. In the semester system, final examinations
are held and credits awarded at the end of each semester.
In addition to coursework, students may be required to
participate in a period of industrial training and complete a
design project.
The BE or BSc Engg degree gives access to further
education in engineering master’s degree programs. An
engineering degree from a PEC-accredited program allows
an individual to register with the council. According to the
PEC Act, 1976, registration with the PEC is mandatory in
order to undertake professional engineering work.
Master’s degrees in engineering, with entry based on
possession of an engineering bachelor’s degree, involve one
and a half to two years of full-time study. It may consist of
coursework only or a combination of coursework and guided
research. Holders of a master’s degree in engineering may
pursue further education in PhD programs in engineering.
Refer to Appendix I for sample BSc Engineering and MSc
Engineering program structures.
Technician-level training in the form of a three-year Diploma
of Associate Engineer (DAE) is conducted by technical
institutes such as polytechnics and colleges of technology
under the provincial Boards of Technical Education. Entry is
based on possession of the Secondary School Certificate or
equivalent. For more information on DAE programs, refer to
Vocational and Technical Education.
The Bachelor of Technology (BTech) was introduced as a
post-diploma degree in 1973.
Table 25 describes the traditional structure of the BTech
(pass) and BTech (honours) degree programs:
Table 25. Traditional Structure of BTech (Pass)
and BTech (Honours)
Program Duration Entry Requirement
BTech (pass)
BTech
(honours)
One year of
guided industrial
training followed
by one year of
study
DAE. Applicants with previous
industrial experience might be
granted one year’s advance
standing.
BTech (pass). Applicants with
industrial experience after DAE
might be granted one year’s
advance standing.
The BTech is designed as a program comparable in level
and quality to the engineering degree but focusing on
practical applications of established principles rather than
on development of new concepts. It retains the features
of a technician training program and provides further
specialization in the disciplines in which the diploma
holders were originally trained. The colleges of technology
(upgraded from polytechnics) that offer the BTech
programs are affiliated with universities, which conduct
major examinations and award the degrees.
Holders of the BTech (honours) may seek employment as
“technologists,” which is not yet a protected title. The BTech
(honours) gives access to further education, although the