The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan announced the new Undergraduate Education Policy. In total, students have to complete 120 to 144 credit hours. 30 credits of general education and at least 72 credits of specialization have to be completed. Students will also have to study interdisciplinary courses. In order to complete the degree, the students are required to do an internship of six to eight weeks. Similarly, students have to do a practical project of three credits. All universities will be required to implement the new undergraduate policy from autumn 2023.
In order to graduate, every student shall have to complete an internship program, of at least 9 weeks duration, at any time after the completion of their fourth semester, generally during the summer. Universities will collaborate with employers to arrange the requisite number of internship slots
Every undergraduate student has to fulfill the internship requirement in accordance with para 26 of the UEP. The UEP-mandated internships are not subject or specialty-focused. That is, students will not be restricted to an internship that is tied to their major discipline and can be placed in diverse organizations, or even in their university.
Time Commitment for Internship:
For Bachelor's degree programs
For BS students, an internship should be for a period of nine (9) continuous weeks. Exception: In case an internship for the stated duration cannot be completed due to unavoidable circumstances, the 9-week requirement may be fulfilled by completing a maximum of two roughly equal-durations internships. Reasons for the exception shall be recorded in writing.
For Associate degree programs
For AD students, internship work attachment may not be continuous and with a single host institution. Rather, they can work flexible hours with different host institutions in different semesters to complete a minimum of 360 hours.
Types of Internships for Undergraduate degree programs
Following are various types of internships. However, regardless of the type of internship in which a student is placed, the requirements of the internship have to be met. Internships can be either paid or unpaid. An on-site internship is a location-based internship. That is, the internee has to be physically present in the host institution. A virtual internship can be completed remotely and does not require a student’s physical presence at the workplace.
