Towards A New Architecture of University Degrees: Beyond the LMD Reform in Morocco*

Author's Information:

Hassan Makhad

cadi ayyad university faculty of languages, letters and arts department of english studies, safi languages, communication, society and training engineering, laboratory, MOROCCO.

Vol 03 No 10 (2026):Volume 03 Issue 10 October

Page No.: 685-715

Abstract:

The Licence–Master–Doctorate (LMD) system was introduced in Morocco to modernize higher education and align its degree structure with international standards. Although the reform has contributed to the reorganization of university studies, more than two decades of implementation have revealed that the current duration of training is insufficient to achieve the educational objectives expected of contemporary university graduates. Limited training time constrains the progressive development of disciplinary knowledge, methodological competence, research skills, professional preparation, and intellectual maturity. Adopting a conceptual and policy-oriented approach based on documentary and comparative analyses, I argue that the duration of university education should be determined by the educational purposes of each degree cycle. Drawing on international experience and the Moroccan context, I propose a new architecture of university degrees that connects training time with progressive learning and professional preparation. Rather than advocating longer programs as an end in themselves, I suggest that adequate training time is a prerequisite for improving educational quality, research capacity, graduate preparedness, and the international recognition of Moroccan university qualifications.

KeyWords:

University Degree Architecture, Degree Structure Reform, Higher Education Policy, University Degree Duration, Morocco

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