HYDERABAD, Jan 21: The Higher Education Commission has recognized all bachelor degrees awarded after four years or eight semesters of studies as equivalent to MA or MSc degrees.

A spokesman for the University of Sindh said that the director-general of the HEC had issued a notification in this regard on January 14, 2006 and despatched its copies to the Federal Public Service Commission, head offices of provincial public service commissions, general headquarters (recruitment), air headquarters (recruitment) and naval headquarters (recruitment) and joint secretary (admin) of federal ministries and divisions.

The decision will be applicable to the purpose of employment to BPS-17 and for higher education.

The degrees are: BE or BSc engineering, BSc (Hons) agriculture, B. Pharmacy, MBBS, BS(CS), BS(IT), BBA (hons) and LLB.

The notification has also been sent to the secretary of the establishment division, registrars of public and private sector universities and secretaries of department of services and general administration, governments of the AJK, Balochistan, the NWFP, Punjab and Sindh.