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Comprehensive universityPrivate university, chartered by Federal (Act No. XVI of 2015)

Capital University of Science and Technology(CUST)

A private, federally chartered and HEC-recognised university on the Islamabad Expressway, whose computing offer covers BS Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security, plus MS Computer Science, MS Artificial Intelligence and a PhD in Computer Science.

PrivateHEC recognisedAssociate, Bachelors, Masters, PhDFounded 2015
Campus cities
Islamabad
Degree levels
AssociateBachelorsMastersPhD
Computing programmes

7

Entry tests
CUST Admission Test (undergraduate)CUST Admission Test (MS)
Where to apply
Admissions pageApply onlineWebsiteLinkedIn

Add to the Capital University of Science and Technology page

This page is only as good as what students who have been through it are willing to share. Universities publish the rules, but not how the test felt, where merit closed or how long the wait for a list was. One account from someone who applied is worth more than anything I can find online.

What are you adding?

This decides how the claim is labelled on the page. Only someone representing the university can produce an “official” label, and I check that separately.

Year and month.

Comma separated topics, not the questions themselves.

Dates, the test format, where merit closed and how long each step took are the parts nobody else publishes.

Credit

Anonymous is the default. If you keep it anonymous, nothing identifying you reaches the page: it is published as a student account and your name stays with me. Never send test papers, leaked questions or anyone else’s personal details.

When admissions open

  • Fall, bachelors

    read from Fall 2026

    Official +1
    Applications
    May
    Test
    Not published
    Classes start
    September

  • Spring, bachelors

    read from Spring 2026

    Official +1
    Applications
    November
    Test
    Not published
    Classes start
    February

  • Fall, masters

    read from Fall 2026

    Official +2
    Applications
    May
    Test
    Not published
    Classes start
    September
  • Fall bachelors: CUST announced Fall 2026 admissions as open on 20 May 2026. Fall classes normally start in mid September. CUST did not publish a closing date or test date on the announcement, so check the admissions portal.
  • Spring bachelors: CUST announced Spring 2026 admissions as open on 24 November 2025, in 43 programmes including BS Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security. Spring classes normally start in mid February. Spring 2027 dates are not published yet.
  • Fall masters: MS Computer Science and MS Artificial Intelligence were offered in Fall 2026 and Spring 2026, both as evening programmes, under the same announcements as the BS programmes.

These are the months each cycle has usually run, read from the cycle named beside them. Exact dates are announced by the university every year, so check the admissions page before you plan around them.

How admission works

  1. 1

    Apply on the online admissions portal

    Official +2
    Online application

    Apply at online-admissions.cust.edu.pk or in person at the Islamabad campus. No documents are needed at the application stage. Students awaiting intermediate results can apply, but must submit the result within two months of the semester starting.

  2. 2

    Take the CUST Admission Test or an HEC-approved test

    Official +1
    Entry test

    Undergraduate test: 60 MCQs, 20 each in Quantitative, English and General Knowledge. MS test: Specialization 15, English 15, Analytical & Quantitative 30.

  3. 3

    Check your result on the portal

    Official
    Test result

    CUST says the result is normally placed on the admission portal within one day of the test.

  4. 4

    Interview (PhD)

    Official +1
    InterviewPhD

    PhD applicants submit a statement of purpose and are interviewed.

  5. 5

    Submit documents once selected

    Official
    Document verification

    Copies of all testimonials (or a provisional certificate if the result is awaited), CNIC or Form B, a guardian's CNIC and three recent photographs. Foreign students also need NOCs from their embassy and the Ministries of Education and Interior.

  6. 6

    Pay the admission fee and first semester

    Official
    Fee and confirmation

    A one-time, non-refundable admission fee of PKR 25,000, plus the first semester's tuition paid in two instalments.

Entry tests they consider

  • CUST Admission Test (undergraduate)

    University's own testOfficial +4

    For bachelors, associate

    60 MCQs: 20 Quantitative, 20 English, 20 General Knowledge, each a third of the marks.

    Composition published for Fall 2026. An HEC-approved test is accepted instead.

    QuantitativeEnglishGeneral Knowledge
    About this test

  • CUST Admission Test (MS)

    University's own testOfficial +3

    For masters

    60 MCQs: 15 Specialization (25%), 15 English (25%), 30 Analytical & Quantitative (50%).

    Composition published for Fall 2026. An HEC-approved test is accepted instead. PhD applicants also take an admission test or an HEC-approved test; its composition is not published.

    SpecializationEnglishAnalytical & Quantitative
    About this test

Who can apply

  • Bachelors (BS)

    Official +3

    BS Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security need at least 50% in intermediate or equivalent with Mathematics. Candidates without intermediate Mathematics can apply but must pass two deficiency Mathematics courses (6 credit hours).

  • Bachelors (BS)

    Official

    BS Cyber Security's programme page asks for FSc (pre-engineering or pre-medical) with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, or ICS with Physics, Computer Science and Mathematics, with at least 50% in aggregate.

  • Associate degree (2 years)

    Official

    ADP Computer Science needs at least 45% in intermediate or equivalent, with Mathematics at intermediate level.

  • Masters (MS or MPhil)

    Official +2

    A 16-year degree in a relevant field with at least 2.00/4.00 CGPA or 50%, plus the admission test or an HEC-approved test. Applicants from non-relevant areas may have to take deficiency courses that do not count toward the MS.

  • PhD

    Official +1

    An MS in a relevant field with at least 3.0/4.0 CGPA (semester system) or 60% (annual system), the admission test or an HEC-approved test, a statement of purpose covering the intended research, and an interview. The maximum age to apply is 40.

CUST admits in Fall and Spring. Fees are for fiscal year 2026-27 and subject to annual revision. Contact: UAN +92-51-111-555-666, info@cust.edu.pk.

Computing programmes and course outlines

Course lists are copied from each programme's degree requirements and scheme of studies on cust.edu.pk (read 2026-10-30). Labs, general education and Fehm-ul-Quran courses are left out. CUST notes that degree requirements may change on the direction of the regulator. CUST also offers an ADP in Computer Science (two years, needs intermediate Mathematics and at least 45%) and BS Mathematics with Data Science, not listed here.

Bachelors (BS)

BS Computer ScienceOfficial +3
4 years137 credit hoursIslamabadNCEAC accredited26 core courses listed

Eight semesters, at most seven years. 137 credit hours: 34 general education, 73 major, 12 allied, 9 electives, a 6 credit hour capstone project and a 3 credit hour internship (6 to 8 weeks after the 6th semester). 65 hours of community service and a minimum CGPA of 2.00 are required to graduate. Needs FSc, ICS or A-Level with Mathematics and at least 50%. NCEAC's register lists it as approved (August 2026) for an intake of 250. The electives shown are the ones in the published scheme of studies.

Core courses

  • Introduction to Programming
  • Object Oriented Programming
  • Data Structures
  • Introduction to Database Systems
  • Database Management Systems
  • Digital Logic Design
  • Computer Organization and Assembly Language
  • Computer Architecture
  • Operating Systems
  • Computer Networks
  • Software Engineering
  • Design and Analysis of Algorithms
  • Graph Algorithms
  • Theory of Automata and Formal Languages
  • Compiler Construction
  • Parallel and Distributed Computing
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Introduction to Information Security and Forensics
  • Human Computer Interaction
  • Numerical Computing
  • Web Application Development
  • Mobile Application Development
  • Discrete Structures
  • Linear Algebra
  • Probability and Statistics
  • Multi-variate Calculus

Electives

Machine LearningBlockchain TechnologyIntroduction to Data Warehousing
Full scheme of studies
BS Software EngineeringOfficial +3
4 years137 credit hoursIslamabadNCEAC accredited26 core courses listed

Eight semesters, at most seven years. 137 credit hours: 34 general education, 73 major, 12 allied, 9 electives, a 6 credit hour capstone project and a 3 credit hour internship. 65 hours of community service and a minimum CGPA of 2.00 are required to graduate. Needs FSc, ICS or A-Level with Mathematics and at least 50%. NCEAC's register lists it as accredited (decision February 2025, up to the Fall 2022 batch) for an intake of 200.

Core courses

  • Introduction to Programming
  • Object Oriented Programming
  • Data Structures
  • Database Systems
  • Software Engineering
  • Software Requirement Engineering
  • Software Design and Architecture
  • Software Construction & Development
  • Software Quality Engineering
  • Software Project Management
  • Web Engineering
  • Mobile Application Development
  • Analysis of Algorithms
  • Operating Systems
  • Computer Networks
  • Information Security
  • Digital Logic Design
  • Computer Organization and Assembly Language
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Parallel and Distributed Computing
  • HCI and Computer Graphics
  • Data Science
  • Discrete Structures
  • Linear Algebra
  • Probability and Statistics
  • Multivariable Calculus

Electives

Automated Software TestingInternet of ThingsBlockchain Technology
Full scheme of studies
BS Artificial IntelligenceOfficial +3
4 years137 credit hoursIslamabadNCEAC accredited26 core courses listed

Run by the Department of Software Engineering. Eight semesters, at most seven years. 137 credit hours: 34 general education, 73 major, 12 allied, 9 electives, a 6 credit hour capstone project and a 3 credit hour internship. Minimum CGPA of 2.00 to graduate. Needs intermediate or equivalent with Mathematics and at least 50%. NCEAC's register lists it as approved (June 2025) for an intake of 50.

Core courses

  • Introduction to Programming
  • Object Oriented Programming
  • Data Structures
  • Database Systems
  • Analysis of Algorithms
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Programming for Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning
  • Artificial Neural Networks & Deep Learning
  • Knowledge Representation and Reasoning
  • Computer Vision
  • Data Mining
  • Advanced Statistics
  • Swarm Intelligence
  • Software Engineering
  • Operating Systems
  • Computer Networks
  • Information Security
  • Digital Logic Design
  • Computer Organization & Assembly Language
  • Parallel & Distributed Computing
  • HCI and Computer Graphics
  • Discrete Structures
  • Linear Algebra
  • Probability & Statistics
  • Multivariable Calculus

Electives

Natural Language ProcessingSpeech ProcessingReinforcement Learning
Full scheme of studies
BS Cyber SecurityOfficial +3
4 years140 credit hoursIslamabadNCEAC accredited22 core courses listed

Run by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. Eight semesters, at most seven years. 140 credit hours: 34 general education, 82 disciplinary (including 21 credit hours of depth electives), 15 allied, a 3 credit hour internship and a 6 credit hour design project. Minimum CGPA of 2.00 to graduate. Needs FSc (pre-engineering or pre-medical) with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, or ICS with Physics, Computer Science and Mathematics, with at least 50%. NCEAC's register lists it as approved (August 2026) for an intake of 100.

Core courses

  • Programming Fundamentals
  • Object Oriented Programming
  • Data Structures and Algorithms
  • Design and Analysis of Algorithms
  • Digital Logic Design
  • Computer Organization and Assembly Language
  • Computer Communications and Networks
  • Operating Systems
  • Database Systems
  • Software Engineering
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Information Security
  • Fundamentals of Cyber Security
  • Network Security
  • Secure Software Design and Development
  • Information Assurance
  • Parallel and Distributed Computing
  • Digital Forensics
  • Discrete Structures
  • Linear Algebra
  • Multivariable Calculus
  • Probability and Statistics

Electives

Malware AnalysisPenetration TestingVulnerability Assessment & Reverse EngineeringWireless and Mobile SecurityHardware SecurityEmbedded Systems SecurityControl System SecurityCyber Law & Cyber Crime (Cyber Warfare)Theory of AutomataComputer ArchitectureHCI & Computer Graphics
Full scheme of studies

Masters (MS or MPhil)

MS Computer ScienceOfficial +2
32 credit hoursIslamabad4 core courses listed

Evening programme. Either 24 credit hours of coursework plus a 6 credit hour thesis, or 30 credit hours of coursework (10 courses), each with 2 credit hours of Fehm-ul-Quran. Elective streams: Software Engineering, Computer Networks, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Information Security. Needs a 16-year BS in CS, IT, SE or equivalent with at least 2.00 CGPA or 50%; other backgrounds may take deficiency courses that do not count toward the degree.

Core courses

  • Advanced Analysis of Algorithms
  • Advanced Computer Architecture
  • Advanced Operating Systems
  • Advanced Theory of Computation
Full scheme of studies
MS Artificial IntelligenceOfficial +2
32 credit hoursIslamabad4 core courses listed

Evening programme run by the Department of Software Engineering. Either 24 credit hours of coursework plus a 6 credit hour thesis, or 30 credit hours of coursework, each with 2 credit hours of Fehm-ul-Quran. Needs a 16-year BS in AI, Data Science, CS, IT, SE, Mathematics or equivalent recognised by HEC, with at least 2.00 CGPA or 50%.

Core courses

  • Advanced Machine Learning
  • Applied Artificial Intelligence
  • Advanced Analysis of Algorithms
  • Mathematics for Artificial Intelligence
Full scheme of studies

PhD

PhD Computer ScienceOfficial +1
Islamabad

18 credit hours of coursework (minimum CGPA 3.00), 2 credit hours of Fehm-ul-Quran and 30 credit hours of research, with a comprehensive exam, synopsis defence, foreign review of the dissertation, at least one paper in an HEC-approved journal and a final defence. Needs a relevant MS with at least 3.0/4.0 CGPA or 60%, a statement of purpose and an interview. Maximum age to apply is 40.

Full scheme of studies

Campuses

  • CUST campus, Islamabad Expressway

    Main campus

    Islamabad, Islamabad Expressway, Kahuta Road, Zone-V, Islamabad

    Single campus. Applications can be made online or in person at the campus. UAN +92-51-111-555-666, phone +92-51-4486700-4, info@cust.edu.pk.

    Official +2

What it costs

  • BS Computer Science

    PKR 15k/credit hour

    Bachelors · as of 2026

    Tuition per credit hour, 2026-27. First semester is 15 credit hours (PKR 225,000), paid in two instalments.

    Official

  • BS Software Engineering

    PKR 15k/credit hour

    Bachelors · as of 2026

    Tuition per credit hour, 2026-27. First semester is 15 credit hours (PKR 225,000), paid in two instalments.

    Official

  • BS Artificial Intelligence

    PKR 15k/credit hour

    Bachelors · as of 2026

    Tuition per credit hour, 2026-27. First semester is 15 credit hours (PKR 225,000), paid in two instalments.

    Official

  • BS Cyber Security

    PKR 15k/credit hour

    Bachelors · as of 2026

    Tuition per credit hour, 2026-27. First semester is 15 credit hours (PKR 225,000), paid in two instalments.

    Official

  • ADP Computer Science

    PKR 10k/credit hour

    Associate · as of 2026

    Tuition per credit hour, 2026-27. First semester is 15 credit hours (PKR 142,500).

    Official

  • MS Computer Science

    PKR 15k/credit hour

    Masters · as of 2026

    Tuition per credit hour, 2026-27. First semester is 9 credit hours (PKR 130,500).

    Official

  • MS Artificial Intelligence

    PKR 15k/credit hour

    Masters · as of 2026

    Tuition per credit hour, 2026-27. First semester is 9 credit hours (PKR 130,500).

    Official

  • PhD Computer Science

    PKR 18k/credit hour

    PhD · as of 2026

    Tuition per credit hour, 2026-27. First semester is 9 credit hours (PKR 157,500).

    Official

  • Admission fee (all programmes)

    PKR 25k total

    Bachelors · as of 2026

    One-time and non-refundable, charged at admission.

    Official

Fees are read from published fee structures and change every year. They exclude hostel, transport and one-off admission charges unless the row says otherwise.

Scholarships and financial aid

  • Undergraduate merit scholarship

    Tuition waiver by FA/FSc result: 100% for board position holders (1st to 3rd, kept with a CGPA of 3.95 or higher), 75% at 80% marks (CGPA 3.90 to 4.00), 50% at 75% (CGPA 3.75 to 3.89), 25% at 70% (CGPA 3.50 to 3.74). From the 2nd semester, 12.5% at CGPA 3.00 to 3.49.

    Official

  • PGC scholarship (undergraduate)

    25% at admission, continuing at 25% with a CGPA of 2.50 or higher, or 12.5% at 2.00 to 2.49.

    Official

  • Need-based, disability, kinship, sports and contingency scholarships

    Need-based 25 to 50% (committee evaluation, CGPA 2.50+), disability up to 100% (2.50+), kinship 25% per kin enrolled (2.00+), sports and extracurricular 25 to 50% (2.00+), contingency 50% on the death of a father or guardian (2.50+).

    Official

  • MS merit and alumni scholarships

    Merit: 60% for a 3.75 CGPA, 50% for 3.50, 40% for 3.00, each with a continuation CGPA. Alumni: 25% for CUST graduates with 2.50 CGPA or higher (continuation 3.00).

    Official

  • How the waivers apply

    Scholarships are tuition fee waivers only, not on the admission fee, thesis, project, summer or repeat courses, and only within the normal degree duration. External options CUST links include Tabeer, EduFi, PEEF, WWF and BEEF.

    Official

Companies that recruit from here

No sourced recruiter links yet. A career fair list, a campus drive announcement or an internship partner page is what puts a company here.

Add to the Capital University of Science and Technology page

This page is only as good as what students who have been through it are willing to share. Universities publish the rules, but not how the test felt, where merit closed or how long the wait for a list was. One account from someone who applied is worth more than anything I can find online.

What are you adding?

This decides how the claim is labelled on the page. Only someone representing the university can produce an “official” label, and I check that separately.

Year and month.

Comma separated topics, not the questions themselves.

Dates, the test format, where merit closed and how long each step took are the parts nobody else publishes.

Credit

Anonymous is the default. If you keep it anonymous, nothing identifying you reaches the page: it is published as a student account and your name stays with me. Never send test papers, leaked questions or anyone else’s personal details.

How to actually get in

  • Two intakes a year. CUST admits in Fall (classes from mid September) and Spring (classes from mid February), and all four BS computing programmes were offered in both 2026 intakes.
  • Know the test. The undergraduate test is 60 MCQs, split evenly between Quantitative, English and General Knowledge. An HEC-approved test is accepted instead.
  • Results are fast. CUST normally posts results on the portal within a day of the test.
  • No Mathematics at intermediate? You can still apply to the BS computing programmes, but you will take two deficiency Mathematics courses.
  • Check scholarships before you pay. 70% or more in FA/FSc earns a tuition waiver at admission.
  • Budget for the admission fee. PKR 25,000, one-time and non-refundable, on top of tuition.

About Capital University of Science and Technology

Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST) is a private university in Islamabad, established under an Act of Parliament (Act No. XVI of 2015) and recognised by the Higher Education Commission. The HEC listing shows it as established on 28 September 2015 and chartered by the Government of Pakistan. CUST's FAQ states that all its degree programmes are recognised by HEC.

Computing sits mainly in the Faculty of Computing: BS Computer Science (Department of Computer Science), BS Software Engineering and BS Artificial Intelligence. BS Cyber Security is run by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. At graduate level CUST offers MS Computer Science, MS Artificial Intelligence and a PhD in Computer Science. MS classes run in the evening.

CUST's accreditation page lists all four BS computing programmes as accredited and approved by the National Computing Education Accreditation Council (NCEAC). NCEAC's own register shows BS Software Engineering as accredited, and BS Computer Science, BS Artificial Intelligence and BS Cyber Security as approved.

Admissions run twice a year, in Fall and Spring, through the online portal or in person at the campus. The BS computing programmes ask for at least 50% in intermediate or equivalent with Mathematics, and select through the CUST Admission Test or an HEC-approved test.

Sources

Whole profile last checked 2026-10-30.

Applied to or studied at Capital University of Science and Technology? Help the next student.

Dates move, tests change and fee structures are rewritten every year. If what you went through is different from this page, or something is missing, tell me and I will check it and update the page.

Add to the Capital University of Science and Technology page

This page is only as good as what students who have been through it are willing to share. Universities publish the rules, but not how the test felt, where merit closed or how long the wait for a list was. One account from someone who applied is worth more than anything I can find online.

What are you adding?

This decides how the claim is labelled on the page. Only someone representing the university can produce an “official” label, and I check that separately.

Year and month.

Comma separated topics, not the questions themselves.

Dates, the test format, where merit closed and how long each step took are the parts nobody else publishes.

Credit

Anonymous is the default. If you keep it anonymous, nothing identifying you reaches the page: it is published as a student account and your name stays with me. Never send test papers, leaked questions or anyone else’s personal details.

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