Title : From vocational training to higher education: The evolution of nursing education in morocco within the bachelor-master-doctorate framework
Abstract:
The evolution of nursing education in Morocco reflects a major transformation from a predominantly vocational training model toward a structured higher education framework aligned with national and international academic standards. Historically, nursing education was mainly designed to prepare health professionals for direct entry into the healthcare system, with a strong focus on technical skills, clinical practice, and immediate operational needs. This professional training model played an essential role in meeting the country’s demand for qualified nursing personnel and in supporting the development of healthcare services across different levels of care. Over the past decades, however, the growing complexity of health systems, the expansion of patient needs, the development of evidence-based practice, and the increasing recognition of nursing as a scientific discipline have required a profound reconfiguration of nursing education. In Morocco, this transformation has been marked by the progressive integration of nursing and health professions education into the higher education system, particularly through the adoption of the Bachelor-Master-Doctorate framework. This shift has introduced new pedagogical principles based on modular organization, semester-based progression, competency-based learning, continuous assessment, academic mobility, and the articulation between education, clinical practice, research, and innovation. The transition from vocational training to university-based education has contributed to the enhancement of the professional identity of nurses and to the recognition of nursing sciences as a field of knowledge, research, and advanced practice. The establishment of bachelor’s degrees has strengthened the academic foundation of initial training, while master’s programmes have opened new pathways in clinical expertise, management, education, public health, and specialized nursing practice. The development of doctoral training represents a further strategic step toward the production of scientific knowledge, the promotion of nursing research, and the preparation of future academic leaders in the discipline. This evolution is closely linked to Morocco’s broader health system reforms and to the need for highly qualified, autonomous, reflective, and research-oriented nursing professionals. Nevertheless, several challenges remain, including curriculum harmonization, clinical supervision, faculty development, research capacity building, and the consolidation of bridges between academic institutions and healthcare settings. Strengthening nursing education within the Bachelor-Master-Doctorate framework is therefore a strategic lever for improving the quality of care, supporting health system modernization, and promoting the scientific and professional advancement of nursing in Morocco.
Keywords: Nursing Education, Morocco, Vocational Training, Higher Education, Bachelor-Master-Doctorate, Nursing Sciences, Professionalization, Nursing Research.
