General information about the higher education system in the country
Higher education in Morocco is under responsibility of the State which ensures its planning, organization and regulation. The current organization of Moroccan higher education is governed by Law 01-00 promulgated in 2000.
The regulatory bodies are:
Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research, an independent consultative body which aims to enlighten decision-makers, stakeholders and public opinion, by means of quantitative and qualitative evaluations on the different aspects of education, training and scientific research.
National Agency for Evaluation and Quality Assurance (ANEAQ).
- National Commission for the Coordination of Higher Education (CNACES).
Moroccan higher education includes (i) public higher education, (ii) higher education public-private partnership and (iii) private higher education.
Public higher education is provided in universities and non-university higher education institutions. Universities are multidisciplinary institutions under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation. Following the merger of universities in recent years, Morocco currently has 12 public universities (155 establishments) and one privately managed public university. HEIs not reporting to Universities are specialized institutions (Agriculture, Marine Sciences, Mines, Telecommunications, Building and civil engineering, Textiles, Health, Administration, Aviation, Architecture, Art, culture and sport, Education, etc.). These institutions are under the administrative and financial supervision of technical ministries and under the educational authority of the Ministry of Higher Education. Their number is 78 establishments.
Universities and institutions created within the framework of partnership: this type of institutions recently created in the dynamic of internationalization of Moroccan higher education, are non-profit foundations. They are under the educational authority of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation. These universities charge registration fees and their diplomas are recognized as equivalent to national diplomas. The current number of these institutions is 5 universities and 2 institutions.
Private higher education includes universities and institutions created by private initiatives but under the educational authority of the Ministry of Higher Education. They must be authorized to be able to provide training and issue diplomas. They include three progressive levels : authorized institutions, institutions with accredited curricula and recognized institutions. The private sector has 154 institutions.
In 2023, higher education in Morocco will have 23 universities and 432 institutions. The number of students amounts to nearly 1,400,000 students (50% female), 94% of whom are in public higher education. There are nearly 22,000 teaching staff and 15,000 administrative staff.
Since 2003, Morocco has been part of the Bologna process by adopting the LMD educational system (Bachelor's, Master's and PhD) and the ECTS. In addition to LMD diplomas, universities issue engineering, medicine and pharmacy diplomas as well as short-term vocational training diplomas. In 2023, the number of diplomas will be around 182,000.
Curricula can be conducted in partnership with foreign institutions. Before being provided, curricula must comply with national educational standards and be accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education. For their accreditation, curricula projects are evaluated by ANEAQ (National Agency for Evaluation and Quality Assurance) then submitted to the opinion of the National Commission for Coordination of Higher Education (CNACES).
Diplomas obtained in a foreign country are evaluated by the ministry for their equivalence with national diplomas.
- https://www.enssup.gov.ma/en/textes-juridiques-notes-ministerielles
- https://www.csefrs.ma/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/la-loi-cadre-17-51-fr-juillet-2022.pdf
- https://www.csefrs.ma/?lang=fr
- https://www.aneaq.ma/
- https://equivalence.enssup.gov.ma/assets/pdf/Guide%20francais%20equivalence.pdf
- https://equivalence.enssup.gov.ma/login
Information on recent policy updates, major reforms and related news
* “Strategic vision of reform: 2015-2030”
* Law No. 51.17 relating to education, teaching, training and scientific research system
* « Plan to Accelerate the Transformation of the Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation Ecosystem (ESRI PACT 2030) ».
In 2015, the Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research (CSEFRS) developed a “Strategic Vision of Reform: 2015-2030”. The fundamentals of this vision are (i) Equity and equal opportunities (ii) Quality for all (iii) Promotion of the individual and society.
A law No. 51.17 relating to education, teaching, training and scientific research system, which arises from the Strategic Vision of the reform was published in 2020. This law provides especially for measures on inclusion, governance, decentralization, autonomy and contractualization, mobility, international cooperation, openness to economic, social and cultural environment, distance education, a national qualification framework, validation of professional achievements, lifelong learning, etc.). Furthermore, the law 01-00 on higher education promulgated in 2000 is currently being revised ; the planned improvements affect the educational aspects, governance and regulation.
Part of the strategic vision of the 2015-2030 reform and the “New Development Model” orientations desired by His Majesty the King of Morocco, the Ministry Higher Education has developed the « Plan to Accelerate the Transformation of the Higher Education Ecosystem, Scientific Research and Innovation (ESRI REFORM) ». The ESRI REFORM is driven by the objective of propelling Morocco to the rank of pioneering nations with a strong capacity for innovation and high added value on the academic and scientific levels.
Its common mission is to accelerate the development and sustainable transformation of the ecosystem of higher education, scientific research and innovation.
As a result, the ESRI REFORM is characterized by four strategic orientations:
1. Academic excellence: carry out a global and integrated educational reform according to an agile
model aligned with international standards, promoting equal opportunities and enshrining excellence ;
2. Scientific research: Structuring scientific research around integrated centers (pooling of resources and mobilization of synergies)
3. Operational excellence and governance 4.0: Substantially boost the governance of HEIs (Autonomy, Contractualization)
4. Territories of innovation: Promote the emergence of an efficient innovation ecosystem and alignment with global innovation cycles
The year 2023 was characterized by the implementation of the new global reform of higher education.
Especially, the new features of the reform are:
- Teaching of artificial intelligence in all curricula ;
- Strengthening foreign languages and language certification;
- Development of power skills;
- Launch of the "Code 212" initiative which aims to create a space that allows students to acquire dual skills, especially in the areas of coding, programming, big data, or even robotics, the Internet and artificial intelligence ;
- Creation of bachelor and master programmes of excellence (a high-level integrated study programme) with a view to creating centers of excellence;
- Promotion of national and international mobility;
- Implementation of university-company work-study training ;
- Implementation of the new status of the teacher-researcher, which promotes quality and attractiveness.
Information about relevant projects and initiatives
N | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Programme « Réussir le Statut avancé II » | Appui au Système de l'Enseignement supérieur au Maroc dans le cadre d'un rapprochement avec l'Espace européen de l'Enseignement supérieur | 2 ans | Cadre législatif et réglementaire Diversification de l’offre de formation Stratégie e-learning ECTS Reconnaissance des diplômes |
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2 | "Programme d’appui sectoriel : Développement du Capital Humain" (ForCap) | Opérationnalisation du Cadre National des Certifications (CNC) au Maroc | 20 mois |
Validation des acquis de l’ expérience professionnelle |
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3 | Projet “jumelage léger” | Renforcement de l’ANEAQ (Agence Nationale d’ Evaluation et de l’Assurance Qualité) | 6 mois | Méthodes et outils d’ évaluation selon les principes et les standards d’assurance qualité |
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4 | Projet de jumelage | Evaluation de l’impact des résultats des projets CBHE et TEMPUS | 12 mois | Evaluation de l’impact des résultats des projets CBHE et TEMPUS |
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5 | World Bank support for the Acceleration Plan for the Transformation of the Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation Ecosystem “PACTE ESRI”: Accelerating the transformation of higher education and research | - Ensure the relevance between public university programs and the professional pratique. - Enhance the governance of higher education and research | 5 years (2024-2028) | Governance |
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6 | African Development Bank support for the “PACTE ESRI” | Implement a global and integrated information system for the Department of Higher Education; Build 3 Medicine and Pharmacy faculties in Errachidia, Béni Mellal and Guelmim; Extend the capacity of university dormitories with the addition of 9,000 beds; Create structures dedicated to promoting an entrepreneurial culture through expanding the Career Centers and the implementing mechanisms to monitor the employability of graduates. | 4 years | Career centers, employability |
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7 | European Union budgetary support for the “PACTE ESRI” | Enhance the governance of the ESRI sector through administrative and financial management autonomy. Assist the implementation of a global and integrated pedagogical reform. A high-performance, internationalized research and innovation ecosystem. Alumni and current students are able to find professional opportunities in two innovative sectors. | 6 years | Governance, learning and teaching practices, excellence |
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Other relevant links
https://www.enssup.gov.ma/en/textes-juridiques-notes-ministerielles
https://www.csefrs.ma/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/la-loi-cadre-17-51-fr-juillet-2022.pdf
https://equivalence.enssup.gov.ma/assets/pdf/Guide%20francais%20equival…
Technical Assistance Missions Reports
2023
2024
- Digital and AI skills for Higher Education
- Soft skills and extra-curricular activities
- Excellence in Higher Education