Higher education system in Afghanistan
The Afghan higher education system is centralized and under the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan (MoHE) which was established in 1977 and headquartered in the capital Kabul. MoHE is the government ministry that is responsible for determining the policies and direction of the higher education system in Afghanistan. In particular, it is in charge of regulating, overseeing, planning and developing Afghanistan's institutions of higher education. It is also responsible for the training of teachers, for establishing a national higher education curriculum and for fostering partnerships and cooperation with Universities in foreign countries.
Types of higher education institutions in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan there are 3 types of higher education institutions:
- Universities
- Polytechnics
- Institutes of Education
Access to higher education in Afghanistan
Afghan students access higher education after a total of at least 12 years of primary, middle (Maktabeh Motevaseteh) and secondary school (Doreyeh Aali) studies, from the age of 7 to the age of 18, and after obtaining the Baccaluria which is the official Afghan diploma awarded at the end of the secondary school.
In addition to the Baccaluria requirement, Afghan students must pass, with some exceptions, competitive examinations (Konkur exam) at the national level in order to gain admission to University level studies.
Languages of instruction in Afghanistan
University programs and courses are mainly taught in the Afghan national languages, Dari and Pashto. English or other languages are adopted only by international Universities such as the American University of Afghanistan.
Stages of higher education in Afghanistan
The first stage of University-level higher education can last from 4 to 7 years, depending on the area of study, and leads to the award of the Bachelor's degree.
Once obtained a bachelor's degree, the second stage of University-level higher education generally lasts 2 years, depending on the area of study, and leads to the award of the Master’s degree.
uniRank has not found evidence of the existence of the third stage of University-level higher education, such as Ph.D. or doctorate, in Afghanistan
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