The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research confirmed that the university admission mechanism for the 2026–2027 academic year has not seen any changes compared to previous years, and that majors are available to both males and females without discrimination, except for specific majors in defense and security colleges where the nature of work and requirements of the concerned authorities are taken into account.
Nour Habboub, Director of Student Affairs at the Ministry, clarified in a statement to SANA on Tuesday that the current academic year's competition included approximately one thousand majors in government universities and institutes, as well as private universities. She pointed out that admission is based on the approved competition criteria, primarily the secondary school certificate grade, without discrimination between males and females.
Specific majors according to the nature of work
Habboub explained that the new aspect this year is the inclusion of the National University for Defense Sciences and the Syrian University for Security Sciences in the university admission competition for the first time. She clarified that the National University includes land, air, and naval military colleges, in addition to the Faculty of Arts and Administrative Sciences, and the Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology.
She stated that only defense majors are reserved for males due to the nature of work related to training officers and non-commissioned officers in the Syrian Arab Army. She confirmed that these majors did not previously admit females, and conscription in them has historically been designated for young men, while other fields are available to females in the Ministries of Defense and Interior, including police majors that recently graduated female cohorts.
Habboub added that only three majors are reserved for females due to the nature of work: kindergarten, nursing schools, and the Faculty of Health Sciences – midwifery major. She pointed out that two majors are reserved for males: the Petroleum and Gas Technical Institute and the Railway Technical Institute. Additionally, one major at the Media Technical Institute at Idlib University is radio and television directing, due to the institute's limited capacity and low female interest previously. She confirmed that this major is available to females at Damascus and Jarabulus universities.
Engineering and scientific majors available to both genders
Habboub stressed that all engineering and scientific majors, such as mechatronics, aerospace engineering, marine engineering, informatics, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, are available to both males and females in Syrian universities. She considered the controversy surrounding this topic "unjustified," as the admission mechanism has not changed for decades.
She clarified that determining the gender of admitted students in certain majors is based on the nature of work and labor market requirements. Decisions regarding admission conditions or opening new majors go through stages of study and discussion, starting from the faculty council, then the university council, up to the Higher Education Council, after being studied by specialized committees.
Habboub confirmed that the inclusion of the National University for Defense Sciences in the competition this year aimed to enhance transparency and fairness in admission. She noted that all controversial majors are available to females in other universities, and there is no deprivation or discrimination in university admissions.
The Ministry's clarification came following the circulation of media reports regarding admission conditions in the two government universities specialized in defense and security fields, and the discussion raised about the availability of their curricula for women, amid questions about admission criteria and majors available to males and females.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)