Higher education
Higher education in Afghanistan
Unlike Dutch higher education, Afghan higher education is not divided into and . Afghan higher education institutions can offer both types of education. This often means that for each diploma we have to determine whether it is HBO or WO. Below, we describe the diplomas that we often see.
HBO
Higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO). Dutch higher education distinguishes between research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) and higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO). HBO is more oriented towards professions in specific areas than WO, and has traditionally been offered at universities of applied sciences (hogescholen).
WO
Research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO). Dutch higher education distinguishes between research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) and higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO). WO is oriented more towards theory and research than HBO, and has traditionally been offered at research universities (universiteiten).
Bachelor's degree
-
: usually 4 years. Some study programmes have a longer duration:
- Technical study programmes (engineering) and veterinary medicine take 5 years to complete.
- Medicine has a duration of 6 to 7 years.
- Content: mostly general education subjects in the 1st year, subjects in the chosen field of study from the 2nd year onwards. Sometimes students need to do an internship.
- Admission requirements: the 12th Grade graduation certificate, sometimes with extra requirements, such as certain subjects or grades. Often, students have to pass the national entrance exam (kankor) as well.
- Function of the diploma: access to master’s programmes or work.
- Diploma: usually Bachelor, Doctor in case of medicine and veterinary medicine. These are examples of diploma names:
- Bachelor of Arts;
- Bachelor of Engineering;
- Bachelor of Science;
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine;
- Medical Doctor.
Duration
The official length of the full-time programme (not part-time) without study delay.
We compare the Bachelor of Arts to an HBO bachelor’s degree or 2 years of WO. This depends on the content of the study programme.
We compare the Bachelor of Science to an HBO bachelor’s degree or 2 years of WO. This depends on the content of the study programme.
We compare the Bachelor of Engineering to a WO bachelor’s degree.
We compare the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine to a WO bachelor’s degree.
We compare the Medical Doctor to 2 years of a 3-year master’s programme in medicine.
Master's degree
Currently, there are not many master’s programmes in Afghanistan. Only a few (private) higher education institutions offer master’s programmes.
- Duration: 2 years.
- Content: subjects (coursework) and a thesis.
- Admission requirements: a bachelor’s degree, usually with extra requirements, such as certain subjects or grades.
- Function of the diploma: usually work.
- Diploma: Master. Various diploma names are possible, such as:
- Master of Arts;
- Master of Business Administration; or
- Master of Science.
We compare a master’s degree to an HBO master’s degree or a 1-year WO master’s degree.
Doctorate (PhD)
At the moment, the options to obtain a Doctorate (PhD) are limited. At a number of educational institutions, the PhD programmes are still being developed.