KU to restore honours, master’s programme
Letter sent to HEC to phase out present BS programme.
KARACHI:
The University of Karachi (KU) has decided to reinstate its honours and master’s programme once again after following the four-year BS programme for four years.
KU pro vice-chancellor Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi told Daily Express that the university has written a letter to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to restore the Master’s programme but they are still waiting for a reply.
It may be noted that the four-year BS programme, which the university has been following for the past four years, was introduced after pressure from the HEC.
The university has prepared a working paper for the Honours and Master’s programme which will be presented before the academic council at its next meeting. If the council approves the working paper then the management will decide if it wants to reinstate the programme immediately or look further into the problems that it will face due to the transition, said Dr Kazmi.
According to the working paper, those students who completed the Honours and Master’s programme were more successful in finding jobs than BS students. Those students who complete Master’s, either privately or from KU’s evening programme, are also finding jobs more easily.
It added that the university also has to hire more teachers for the BS programme and that is a burden on the university’s budget.
“The university is not giving admissions to its own BS students by saying that the BS programme is equal to the Master’s evening programme,” said Dr Kazmi. “These students are unable to do Master’s then.”
It is interesting to note that the decision is being implemented at a time when the first batch of the four-year BS programme is about to graduate.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2011.
The University of Karachi (KU) has decided to reinstate its honours and master’s programme once again after following the four-year BS programme for four years.
KU pro vice-chancellor Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi told Daily Express that the university has written a letter to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to restore the Master’s programme but they are still waiting for a reply.
It may be noted that the four-year BS programme, which the university has been following for the past four years, was introduced after pressure from the HEC.
The university has prepared a working paper for the Honours and Master’s programme which will be presented before the academic council at its next meeting. If the council approves the working paper then the management will decide if it wants to reinstate the programme immediately or look further into the problems that it will face due to the transition, said Dr Kazmi.
According to the working paper, those students who completed the Honours and Master’s programme were more successful in finding jobs than BS students. Those students who complete Master’s, either privately or from KU’s evening programme, are also finding jobs more easily.
It added that the university also has to hire more teachers for the BS programme and that is a burden on the university’s budget.
“The university is not giving admissions to its own BS students by saying that the BS programme is equal to the Master’s evening programme,” said Dr Kazmi. “These students are unable to do Master’s then.”
It is interesting to note that the decision is being implemented at a time when the first batch of the four-year BS programme is about to graduate.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2011.