Educational institutions and study programmes
Pakistani educational institutions and study programmes
Below, we explain what types of educational institutions and degree programmes there are in Pakistan. We also explain how we check whether these are recognised and accredited. We check the and to make sure that the quality is sufficient. We give the necessary information per educational sector.
Recognition
The government of a country grants an official status to an educational institution and/or study programme. Usually, if the government recognises an educational institution, all its study programmes are also recognised. However recognition may also be arranged at the programme level. This means that the government must recognise not only the educational institution, but also its study programmes. We only evaluate diplomas from recognised institutions and recognised study programmes. Read more about recognition in the EAR manual.
Accreditation
An organisation checks and assesses the quality of education. Usually the accreditation is valid for a certain period. In some countries, accreditation is compulsory, in others it is voluntary. The government of a country often appoints one or more organisations responsible for accrediting institutions and/or study programmes. In addition, there are also private accreditation organisations. We only mention and (in the case of diploma evaluations) consult accreditation organisations appointed by the government of that country. Read more about accreditation in the EAR manual.
Secondary education | educational institutions
Students are educated at a school, but take their exams from a board. For this reason, you only have to check the recognition of that board, not of the school.
Checking the recognition of boards
The Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) checks the secondary education boards. In 2021, the IBCC recognised the following boards:
Name of the board |
---|
Aga Khan Educational Board, Karachi |
Balochistan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Quetta |
Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Islamabad |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Abbottabad |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Behawalpur |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Bannu |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dera Ismail Khan |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, DG Khan |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Faisalabad |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Gujranwala |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Hyderabad |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Kohat |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Larkana |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Malakand |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mardan |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mirpur |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mirpurkhas |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Multan |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Peshawar |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rawalpindi |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sahiwal |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Saidu Sharif, Swat |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sargodha |
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sukkur |
Board of Intermediate Education, Karachi |
Board of Secondary Education, Karachi |
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Technical Education, Peshawar |
Punjab Board of Technical Education, Lahore |
Sindh Board or Technical Education, Karachi |
Please note: there are always changes, so this overview may be incomplete. If you see a diploma from another board, you can ask the IBCC if the board is recognised.
Secondary education | diplomas
In secondary education, you should especially pay attention to whether a student has a recognised diploma. Among other things, this means that the diploma should be awarded by a board. We describe the recognised secondary education diplomas on our webpage about Pakistani primary and secondary education.
Higher education | educational institutions
There are different types of higher education institutions:
- universities; and
- degree-awarding institutions.
Universities
Universities are allowed to award degrees, for example a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Students can also obtain other diplomas, such as a postgraduate diploma. Some universities offer study programmes in various fields of study, other universities are more specialised. For example, there are specialised universities that only offer technical study programmes.
Please note: universities often supervise various educational institutions. These supervised institutions are called affiliated colleges. Students who study at an affiliated college receive their degree or diploma from the university.
Degree-awarding institutions
Degree-awarding institutions are also allowed to award degrees. Just like universities, they can offer study programmes for degrees and other diplomas. Degree-awarding institutions are often called ‘institutes’ or ‘colleges’.
All Pakistani higher education institutions can be public or private.
Checking the recognition of higher education institutions
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has an overview of recognised higher education institutions.
On the HEC website, you can also check which campuses of these higher education institutions are recognised. See ‘HEC recognized campuses’.
Higher education | institutions and study programmes for regulated professions
For study programmes for a , it is important to check if the educational institution and study programme are accredited. This is also necessary for some other fields of study. Accreditation of educational institutions and study programmes is arranged by accreditation councils.
When evaluating a Pakistani diploma, it is important to check if there is an accreditation council for the field of study and, if so, to see if the educational institution and study programme are mentioned on the website of the accreditation council.
Regulated profession
If a profession is regulated, this means you must meet certain requirements to be able to exercise the profession. The requirements for a regulated profession are described in the country’s laws. In every country there is an organisation for every regulated profession that verifies whether you meet the requirements. This kind of organisation is referred to as a ‘competent authority’.
Checking the accreditation of institutions and study programmes for regulated professions
On the HEC website, you can find an overview of the accreditation councils’ websites. Usually, the website of an accreditation council includes information about accredited educational institutions and the study programmes they may offer.