Office of Admissions
LUMS DHA, Lahore Cantt. 54792, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92 42 3560 8000 Ext.: 2177
MS Biology
MS Biology
Overview
The Master of Science (MS) programmes offered by the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) at LUMS are rigorous and designed to impart specialised professional and research-oriented training. Students have the options to choose from MS-by-Coursework or MS-by-Thesis.
The Department of Life Sciences at SBASSE offers a research intensive MS Biology programme designed to expose students to recent biological advancements over two streams of specialisation:
Molecular and Cell Biology
Bioinformatics
Research is an essential component of programme; students are exposed to advanced courses in a wide range of research areas. With cutting edge research conducted in state-of-the-art research labs, the Department boasts a modern curriculum with a strong focus on research in areas like Cancer Therapeutics, Systems Biology, Structural Biology related to Viruses, Bacterial Pathogenesis and Diabetes, Epigenetics, Genome Evolution, Bioinformatics, and Virology, contribute to the programme’s competitive edge.
A didactic as well as problem-based learning approach is adopted in the classroom to impart theoretical knowledge to students while experiments and project work in laboratories will help them explore the experimental aspects in labs. Students will also have the opportunity to pursue independent research that is supervised by top-notch faculty members that are engaged in basic, as well as translational research.
The programme curriculum offers a multidisciplinary learning environment. Students are given the opportunity to work with knowledge drawn from all six disciplines offered at SBASSE.
Structure
Programme structure details are as follows:
Bioinformatics stream
Core Courses:
Students opting for MS-with-Thesis must take 24 credit hours of core courses. The MS-by-Coursework option requires students to take 21 credit hours of core courses.
- Advanced Molecular & Cell Biology
- Computational Biology
- Topics in Systems Biology
- Protein Informatics
- Computational Genomics
- Biostatistics
- MS Thesis I
- MS Thesis II
- Literature Review (for MS-by-coursework students)
Elective Courses:
Students opting for MS-by-Thesis must complete 6 credit hours for elective courses; while students opting for MS-by-Coursework must complete 9 credit hours.
- Biophysical Techniques
- Network Biology
- Modelling and Simulation of Biological Molecules
- Multicore Computing
- Intelligent Computing
- Machine Learning
- Data Mining
- Big Data Analytics
- Advanced Digital Signal Processing Linear System Theory
- Stochastic Systems 1
- Mathematical Models in Biology
- Advanced Stochastic Processes
- Advanced Numerical Analysis
Molecular and Cell Biology stream
Core Courses:
Students opting for MS-with-Thesis must take 24 credit hours of core courses. The MS-by-Coursework option requires students to take 21 credit hours of core courses.
- Advanced Methods in Biology
- Advanced Biochemistry Advanced Molecular and Cell Biology
- Computational Biology
- Cell Signalling
- Genetics and Genomics
- MS Thesis I
- MS Thesis II
- Literature Review (for MS-by-coursework students)
Elective Courses
Students opting for MS-by-Thesis must complete 6 credit hours for elective courses; while students opting for MS-by-Coursework must complete 9 credit hours.
- Fundamentals of Molecular Techniques
- Biophysical Techniques
- Mechanisms of Transcription
- Developmental Biology
- Immunology
- Epigenetics and Gene Regulation
- Cancer Biology
- Human Genetics
- Network Biology
- Topics in Systems Biology
- Protein Informatics
Admission Criteria
Fall Admission 2025
Applicants must meet the minimum eligibility criteria in order to be considered for admission to the MS Biology Programme. The MS Biology Programme at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) is a two-year programme.
Admission is purely merit-based and rests solely on the following criteria:
- Academic Record;
- Performance in Admission Tests;
- Application Review;
- Interview Performance (If shortlisted); and
- Submission of Complete Online Application, Application Processing Fee, and Supporting Documents by the stipulated deadline
NOTE:
These are the minimum requirements that applicants need to fulfil in order to be eligible to apply. Fulfillment of these criteria does not guarantee admission to LUMS. Admission decisions made by the University are final.
Academic Record
A minimum of 16 years of education leading to a degree programme is required for applying to the MS Biology Programme.
Applicants who hold a Bachelor's degree of less than four years or have earned their Bachelor’s (or Master’s) degree from foreign institutions must provide an equivalence certificate verifying 16 years of education, issued by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. Similarly, applicants who have obtained their degrees from institutions not listed with the HEC, Pakistan, will be required to obtain an Equivalence Certificate from the HEC. For further information, please visit: www.hec.gov.pk.
As a minimum academic performance, all applicants must have a CGPA of at least 2.4 (on a scale of 4) or at least 60% marks in all university-level degrees. Applicants with professional degrees (including, MBBS, BDS, Pharm-D) must have Second Division or above in order to be considered eligible for the MS programme.
Applicants applying to MS Biology must have their Bachelor’s (or Master's) degree in any one of the following areas:
Biology
Biochemistry
Bioinformatics
Molecular Biology
Microbiology
Genetics
Other closely related disciplines
Applicants may also have the following degrees:
MBBS
BDS
Pharm-D
NOTE:
Applicants completing their last degree by July 31, 2025, are eligible to apply for the MS programme if they are meeting minimum admission requirements at the time of application submission.
Applicants must mention all their academic, test attempts and must not hide any information. The application will be evaluated on the basis of information provided at the time of application submission.
LUMS graduating class of 2025 are eligible to apply on the basis of their 7th semester result.
Admission Test Requirement
A. Local Applicants
Applicants applying to the MS Biology Programme are required to take the following two (2) admission tests in order to be considered for Fall 2025 admissions:
LUMS Graduate Admission Test (LGAT); and
LUMS SBASSE Subject Test in Biology
B. International Applicants
Applicants residing outside Pakistan are required to take the GRE General Test through the Educational Testing Service (ETS), USA. For further information, please visit www.ets.org.
Due to the unavailability of the GRE Subject Test in Biology, such applicants will be assessed based on their GRE General Test score only.
GRE scores must be reported to LUMS officially from the testing agency. The college code for reporting GRE (General) to LUMS is 0679.
NOTE:
LUMS Graduate Admission Test (LGAT) is comprised of Quantitative, Verbal, and Analytical sections.
The LGAT and SBASSE Subject Test Scores will be valid only for the admission of Fall 2025.
The LGAT and SBASSE Subject Test scores will be used for application evaluation and, hence, will not be disclosed to applicants.
Exemption for Applicants Who Have Taken Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Tests
Applicants who have taken the Graduate Record Examination-GRE (General) (through the Educational Testing Service USA) during the last two (2) years (i.e., after April 26, 2023) and obtained an aggregate score of 300 in the quantitative and verbal sections may choose not to take the LGAT. In addition to this, local applicants are required to take the SBASSE Subject Test in Biology.
Applicants residing outside Pakistan are required to take the GRE General Test (through the ETS, USA). For further information, please visit www.ets.org.
Due to the unavailability of the GRE Subject Test in Biology, all local applicants must take the LUMS SBASSE Subject Test in Biology.
Subject Test Guidelines:
Please visit the following link: Subject Test Guidelines
Submission
The admission application will be considered for evaluation after the successful completion of the following Four (4) STEPS by the applicants on or before the stipulated deadlines:
- Online Admission Application submission;
- Online submission of scanned copies of required supporting documents;
- Submission of an appropriate Application Processing Fee and Test Fee (if applicable); and
- Online Submission of Financial Aid Application (if applicable) by the due date.
Application Processing Fee
- The application processing fee is PKR 4,000.
- LGAT fee is PKR 2,480.
- SBASSE Subject Test fee is PKR 3,000.
- The application processing fee is USD 170 for International applicants.
Note:
- Applicants must complete and submit their online admission application on or before April 15, 2025, 5:00 pm (PKT).
- Applicants are required to online submit the scanned copies of all supporting documents on or before April 16, 2025.
- After the successful submission of the online application, applicants must make the Processing Fee payment by the deadline.
Only applicants who have indicated their intention to apply for LUMS Financial Aid (through the Online Admission Application Form), submitted their admission application, and paid the required application processing fee by the deadline will be granted access to the Financial Aid application. Once these requirements are met, the Financial Aid application tab will be visible on the online admission portal starting February 07, 2025. Applicants must submit their complete Financial Aid application, along with all necessary supporting documents, by May 16, 2025.
Completion of all steps is mandatory. Applications, documents, or fees received after the stipulated deadline will not be processed.
Application Review/Interview
Shortlisted applications will be reviewed by the relevant committee to finalise the admission decision. Applicants are encouraged to provide complete information regarding their academic achievement, research reports, attended workshops, and extracurricular activities, and must tell LUMS about their success stories in order to substantiate their applications. Applicants must provide complete and correct information regarding their academics, work experience and test attempts. The application will be evaluated on the basis of information provided at the time of application submission.
Performance in Interview
Shortlisted applicants may be requested to appear for an interview.
The modes of payment are as follows:
1. Voucher can be paid through cash, Pay Order and Bank Drafts made in favour of "Lahore University of Management Sciences" at any branch within Pakistan of following banks:
- Allied Bank Limited
- Meezan Bank Limited (Customer Code: LUMS)
- Bank Al-Habib Limited
2. For online Credit/Debit card payment, please click here.
3. Vouchers can also be paid through ATM machines and internet banking portals of the following banks:
- Allied Bank Limited
- Askari Bank Limited
- Bank Alfalah Limited
- Bank Al-Habib Limited
- Faysal Bank Limited
- Meezan Bank Limited
- Standard Chartered (Only for Online Payments)
Note:
- For making payments through internet banking portals/ATM, students need to have bank account in the respective bank.
- Fee payment through "Pay Orders" is accepted at banks up to two working days prior to the payment deadline. Fee may be paid through Cash Receipts, Online Services and Credit/Debit Cards till payment deadline.
Advance Tax:
Through an amendment in the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 by Finance Act 2013, advance tax (under section 236 I) shall be collected @ 5% on the entire amount of fee except refundable portion.
Bank Helpline Numbers
Allied Bank Limited
1. UAN: 111-225-225, Branch contact No: 042-35748308
2. Regional Office: 042-35747603
Meezan Bank Limited
1. Region Office: 92-42-35786207
2. Head Office: 92-21-36406139
Bank Al-Habib Limited
1. Karachi: 92-21-32277231-239, Lahore: 0333-1218430
2. DHA Ph. 5 Branch: 042-37189231 042-37189234
Fee Structure for FY 2024-25
| Particulars | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| PKR | PKR | PKR | |
| Admission Fee | 138,130 | - | 138,130 |
| Tuition Fee | 274,980 | 274,980 | 549,960 |
| Semester Registration Fee | 44,020 | 44,020 | 88,040 |
| General Security | 57,580 | - | 57,580 |
| Total | 514,710 | 319,000 | 833,710 |
Hostel Fee
| Particulars | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PKR | PKR | PKR | |
| Hostel Fee Double Occupancy | 84,830 | 84,830 | 34,930 |
| Hostel Fee Triple Occupancy (Bigger room) | 61,760 | 61,760 | 25,430 |
Important Points
- The above breakdown of fee structure is for Year 1 of the 2 Year MS Biology programme
- The per credit hour rate for FY 2024–25 is PKR 45,830/-
- Fees are payable by semester according to the schedule given in the Annual Fee bill.
- University fees are usually announced once each year. However, the University reserves the right to change its policies and fee structure at any time.
Refund Policy
To learn more about the University's Refund Policy, please click here.
Important Dates
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Deadline to submit Online Application | April 15, 2025, 5:00 pm (PKT) |
| Deadline to submit Online Supporting Documents and Processing Fee | April 16, 2025 |
| LUMS Graduate Admission Test (LGAT) and LUMS SBASSE Subject Test Administration | April 27, 2025 (Tentative) |
| Deadline to take GRE | April 27, 2025 |
| Completion of Admission Process | July 31, 2025 |
| Commencement of Classes | September 2025 |
Note:
- The University reserves the right to change dates and deadlines for admissions. Please stay connected to this webpage and the Online Admissions Portal to remain informed of any updates or changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the admission requirements for MS programmes?
Please refer to the Admission Criteria tab.
Do you require any test for admission to the MS programme?
Please refer to the Admission Criteria tab.
By which date should applicants expect their Test Registration Cards to be delivered?
Test Registration Cards and instructions will be posted to the applicants' secure online application account and an email message will alert applicants that the Test Registration Card has been posted. It will be posted on applicants' online account one week before the test date.
I have received my transcripts for Bachelor's/Master's but I do not have the degree. What should I do?
You should submit all your transcripts latest by the Online document submission deadline. Copy of your degree can be submitted later.
Is financial aid available for MS students?
Yes, financial aid is available on need basis.
How and when do I apply for financial aid?
Applicants must give their consent at the time of submitting the application in biographical section of the online application.
I have submitted my online application & all required documents on time but I am unable to view my Test Registration Card?
If an applicant is unable to view his/her Test Registration Card despite completing all the requirements then he/she can write to us at admissions@lums.edu.pk.
I have not yet received any confirmation email after the submission of my online application. What should I do?
You should recheck the completion and proper submission of your online application.
Is it possible to apply after the deadline?
The application cannot be submitted after the deadline.
How do I inform about a change in my online application?
It is highly recommended to fill out the application form carefully. No changes can be made after the submission of online application. In sheer need an applicant can send the updated information to admissions@lums.edu.pk with the specific header "Change in Application Form".
Can my admission be deferred?
In truly exceptional circumstances the Graduate Programme Committee may grant a deferral. All requests should be made in writing and will be reviewed on a case to case basis.
How will you notify me regarding a decision on my application?
The final admission decision will be communicated through an official letter; however, you can check your application status through your online account. Regretfully, we are unable to provide information regarding your application status by telephone or e-mail.
May I appeal my admission decision or ask to have the decision explained?
The admission process is a well deliberated and thorough process. Each year we receive a large number of outstanding applications. Unfortunately, all of them do not qualify because of the limited number of available seats. The decision regarding admission is final.
If your application is unsuccessful you will also receive a letter informing you of this. Due to the volume of applications the University receive, it is not possible to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications.
Who is an international applicant?
A foreign national who is not of Pakistani origin and does not have a Pakistani passport/NICOP/CNIC is eligible to apply to LUMS under its International Student Programme. Applicants holding dual nationality out of which one is Pakistani are not eligible to apply through LUMS International Student Programme.
What is the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan?
Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan is an independent, autonomous, and constitutionally established institution of primary funding, overseeing, regulating, and accrediting the higher education efforts in Pakistan.
HEC is responsible for formulating higher education policy and quality assurance to meet the international standards as well as providing accrediting academic degrees, development of new institutions, and uplift of existing institutions in Pakistan.
Does LUMS offer campus accommodation to international students?
LUMS provides a well-maintained residential environment for international students.
What are the visa requirements for LUMS as an international applicant?
Please visit the link for visa requirements: https://international.lums.edu.pk/.
Are there any specific quotas in admission?
Admission to LUMS MS programme is purely merit based and there are no quotas.
Do you have any age limit for the admission to the MS programme?
No, there are no age restrictions.
Financial Support at LUMS
LUMS is committed to making high-quality education accessible to talented students from all backgrounds. Our Financial Aid Programme offers a wide range of support options, designed to facilitate students who demonstrate both high academic achievement and financial need.
Financial Aid awards are assessed each year, considering academic performance, demonstrated financial need, available resources, and university policies. While LUMS endeavours to provide substantial financial assistance within its available resources, students are encouraged to explore external funding sources to complement the aid provided by the university.
LUMS strives to enable students to pursue their educational and professional goals without financial barriers, reinforcing our commitment to an inclusive and academically vibrant community.
The following financial support options are available for MS SBASSE students:
- LUMS Financial Aid
- Merit Scholarship
- Four Basic Sciences Award
Merit Scholarships
At LUMS, academic excellence is highly valued, and the university is committed to supporting students who demonstrate outstanding performance in their studies. The Merit Scholarship at LUMS is designed to reward students who have demonstrated high academic achievement by providing them with financial support.
There is no separate application process for this scholarship. Applicants with high academic credentials are considered for scholarships.
First Year
Merit Scholarship covers partial to full tuition fees for One (1) year only and is awarded to the top-ranked applicants based on admission evaluation ranking.
Subsequent Years
Merit Scholarship covers partial to full Tuition Fees and is awarded to the top-ranked students from the returning batches based on their academic performance.
Note: In case a student qualifies for a Financial Aid award and Merit Scholarship, their scholarship will be adjusted accordingly. These awards are for One (1) year only and cannot be carried forward to subsequent years.
Four Basic Sciences Award
Financing a student's education is a commitment involving the student, his or her family and our institution. We at LUMS gear all efforts towards assisting as many students as possible within our limited resources. LUMS offer a partial flat subsidy to all MS students enrolled in Four Basic Sciences Programmes (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics). This award is given in the form of a waiver and does not need to be repaid.
There is no separate application for this waiver. Students are automatically considered for the award when they get admitted to the MS in Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics Programme at LUMS.
Note: In case a student qualifies for the Four Basic Sciences Award and any other scholarship, he/she will receive the higher benefit.
Maintaining Eligibility
- Financial Aid award is valid for One (1) year only. Continuation of aid in the subsequent year is subject to reassessment.
- Students receiving Financial Aid should maintain a full-time status in a regular semester. Failure to do so will lead to the cancellation of the Financial Aid award.
- Financial aid will not be provided for the Summer Semester.
- Financial Aid awards can be increased, reduced or kept the same at any stage of review during your stay at LUMS
- LUMS reserves the right to physically verify the beneficiary's Home/Business premises.
- LUMS reserves the right to amend, cancel, or terminate the awarded Financial Aid in case of any misrepresentation or incorrect information provided by the student. Such misrepresentation or concealment of facts may lead to the termination of your admission from the Programme. The university also reserves the right to recover the awarded amount during the preceding year(s) from the recipient on an immediate basis.
LUMS Financial Aid
LUMS Financial Aid Programme not only supports students with financial challenges but also attracts top-ranked students, ensuring that the university upholds its commitment to academic excellence by providing opportunities for the brightest minds.
LUMS aims to reduce financial barriers to higher education, nurturing an inclusive and academically vibrant community where academically distinguished students can realize their full potential and achieve their professional aspirations. At the Graduate level, Financial Aid is provided in the form of an Interest-Free Loan.
To be considered for LUMS Financial Aid, applicants must submit their financial aid application along with all required supporting documents by the application submission deadlines. Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be eligible for financial aid assessment for the 2025-26 academic year.
This support can cover part or all of a student’s Tuition and Semester Registration fees and is assessed annually, considering academic performance, financial need, available resources, and prevailing university policies to ensure ongoing assistance that aligns with each student’s circumstances.
Repayment begins six months after graduation, with a flexible repayment period of 3 to 5 years, allowing students to transition smoothly into their careers. While LUMS is committed to offering substantial financial assistance, students are encouraged to explore additional external funding sources to supplement the aid provided by the University.
Mode of Payment
Voucher can be paid through cash, Pay Order and Bank Drafts made in favour of "Lahore University of Management Sciences" at any branch within Pakistan of following banks.