Middle East Higher Academic Council announces thesis and dissertation publication obligatory for all Online Master’s and PhD students currently based in the Middle East

In wake of their attempt to effectively combat the rise of degree fraud and improve the standard of education offered in the Middle East region by various regional and international online universities, MEHAC recently passed a new regulation that makes thesis and dissertation publishing mandatory for all online Master’s and PhD students.

The new law requires a dissertation for all Ph.D. degree and a thesis for all master’s degree students to be made available for review of the scholarly community of their respective universities. The regulation was made effective on 22nd March whereby all students, irrespective of their country of origin, currently studying or having studied at regional and international online universities are now required to publish a thesis or dissertation in a leading industry journal to validate their degree.

“In view of the growing number of regional and international universities offering online education in the Middle East region, the necessity for establishing this law became indispensable,” stated Margret Harrison, board member and regulation jury associate at MEHAC, “We are hopeful that this will effectively prevent the rise of unaccredited degrees in the region. It’s high time that students become cautious and realize that only universities offering accredited degrees will ask for a thesis or dissertation publication and not otherwise.”

Irrespective of the university they are currently studying at, students wishing to pursue a PhD or master’s degree are now required to research and prepare their thesis under the guidance of their major professor and the advisory committee of their respective university.

“Thesis and dissertation forms a critical part of higher education degrees which helps guarantee the objective of the student and allows for a fair assessment,” added Margret Harrison.

Given the online nature of their studies, all Master’s and PhD students are required to follow an electronic submission process for the submission of their final thesis or dissertation manuscripts. Most universities already have management systems and electronic libraries in place for accepting these submissions.

“They are asking Master’s and PhD students to demonstrate competency in electronic medium and publication, which is a positive step. Undergoing this process will make us more competent in our field,” commented Bisma Murtaza, an online student in Dubai.

MEHAC also encouraged the online universities to provide specific guidance to students by assisting them in developing style guides that are appropriate to the academic discipline of the student preparing for the thesis or dissertation publication.

For more information, contact:

Mohamed Khalil Mourad
Tel: +001 866 867 0631
Email: mohamedmourad@edupartnership.com
Website: http://www.edupartnership.com