National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences(FAST-NUCES)
A private, federally chartered, not-for-profit university with six campuses (Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Chiniot-Faisalabad and Multan), sponsored by the FAST foundation. It offers BS Computer Science and BS Software Engineering at every campus, alongside AI, Data Science, Cyber Security and Computer Engineering.
Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Chiniot, Multan
Bachelors, Masters, PhD
17
NU Admission Test (BS CS / Engineering), NTS NAT (NAT-IE or NAT-ICS), SAT, NU Admission Test (MS Computing), HEC HAT-1 (MS) / HAT-Subject (PhD)
When admissions open
| Intake | Applications | Test | Classes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall, bachelorsread from Fall 2026 | May to June | July | August | Official · FAST-NUCES tentative admission schedule 2026 |
| Fall, mastersread from Fall 2026 | May to June | July | August | Official · FAST-NUCES tentative admission schedule 2026 |
- Fall bachelors: Tentative 2026 schedule: applications 20 May to 30 June, admission tests 29 June to 10 July, merit list 22 July, admission formalities 27 July to 13 August, classes from 17 August 2026.
- Fall masters: Tentative 2026 schedule: applications 20 May to 30 June, NU admission test on 4 or 11 July (or HEC HAT), merit list 5 August, interviews 7 August, classes from 17 August 2026.
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
Apply online and pay the processing fee
Official · FAST-NUCES how to apply +1Online applicationApply only through admissions.nu.edu.pk; postal or hand applications are not accepted. You get an Application Reference Number (ARN). Check every detail before paying, because changes after payment may be charged.
- 2
Take one admission test
Official · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria +1Entry testBachelors (BS)Choose one of three options for bachelors: the NU Admission Test, SAT, or NTS NAT. The admit card with your roll number is generated after fee payment, and the NU test is held at all six campuses.
- 3
Merit list
Official · FAST-NUCES how to apply +1Merit listSelected candidates are informed by SMS and email and can check status on the admissions portal. The 2026 bachelors merit list was scheduled for 22 July.
- 4
Interview (MS and PhD only)
Official · FAST-NUCES tentative admission schedule 2026 +1InterviewGraduate and postgraduate applicants were scheduled for interviews on 7 August 2026. For PhD, the panel evaluation carries 40% of merit.
- 5
Admission formalities and fee
Official · FAST-NUCES fee structure (w.e.f. Fall 2026) +2Fee and confirmationPay the admission fee, security deposit, first semester tuition and Student Activities Fund, by bank challan (UBL or Faysal Bank) or Kuickpay.
- 6Classes begin
Classes started on 17 August in the 2026 schedule. Admission is cancelled if you later fail an exam whose result was pending when you applied.
Entry tests they consider
NU Admission Test (BS CS / Engineering)
University's own testOfficial · FAST-NUCES admission test pattern +1For bachelors
Weighting for BS computing and engineering: Advanced Math 50%, Basic Math 20%, Analytical Skills & IQ 20%, English 10%. Negative marking applies and calculators are not allowed.
Held at all six campuses. One of three test options for bachelors admission.
Advanced MathematicsBasic MathematicsAnalytical Skills & IQEnglishAbout this testFor bachelors
Accepted for computing programmes (NAT-IE for engineering). NTS tests conducted for specific universities are not accepted.
For bachelors
Accepted as the admission test for BS programmes. Institution code for SAT scores: 4575.
NU Admission Test (MS Computing)
University's own testOfficial · FAST-NUCES admission test pattern +1For masters
Weighting for MS computing: Analytical Skills & IQ 30%, Specialization Area 30%, Quantitative Methods 30%, Essay Writing 10%. Computer-based, sections timed separately, two to three hours in total. Negative marking applies.
Analytical Skills & IQSpecialization AreaQuantitative MethodsEssay WritingAbout this testHEC HAT-1 (MS) / HAT-Subject (PhD)
National testOfficial · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria +1For masters, phd
HAT-1 can replace the NU test for MS computing programmes, and HAT-Subject for PhD. GRE subject test scores are also accepted for graduate programmes (institution code 7386).
About this test
How merit is worked out
Bachelors (BS)
- Admission test (NU test, SAT or NTS NAT)Official · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria50%
Computing programmes (CS, SE, AI, DS, Cyber Security).
- HSSC / equivalentOfficial · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria40%
Computing programmes. Part I marks are used if Part II is not available.
- SSC / equivalentOfficial · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria10%
Computing programmes.
- Admission test (Computer Engineering)Official · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria33%
Engineering programmes use 33% test, 50% HSSC, 17% SSC.
- HSSC / equivalent (Computer Engineering)Official · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria50%
- SSC / equivalent (Computer Engineering)Official · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria17%
Masters (MS or MPhil)
- Admission test (HAT-1 or NU test)Official · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria50%
- Bachelor academic recordOfficial · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria50%
PhD
- Admission test (HAT-Subject or NU test)Official · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria60%
Minimum 60% in the test is required first.
- Interview to assess research potentialOfficial · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteria40%
Who can apply
Computing programmes (CS, SE, AI, DS, Cyber Security): at least 60% in SSC and 50% in HSSC or equivalent, with Mathematics studied at HSSC level. Pre-Medical students who have passed additional Mathematics, or are awaiting that result, may apply. Students awaiting HSSC results can apply.
Bachelors (BS)
Official · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteriaBS Computer Engineering: at least 60% in SSC and 60% in HSSC, with Pre-Engineering (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) or ICS (Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics).
Masters (MS or MPhil)
Official · FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteriaMS CS, SE, AI, DS and Cyber Security: 16 years of education in a computing field (BE Computer or Software Engineering included), with at least 60% marks or CGPA 2.00 out of 4.00.
18 years of education in a relevant subject with at least 60% or CGPA 3.00 in the MS/MPhil. Applicants with CGPA 2.90 to 2.99 can be admitted provisionally through a zero semester of 9 credit hours.
One admission cycle a year (Fall) is published, with the same test, eligibility and merit rules for every campus. You choose a campus when applying; campus migration later depends on merit, seats and approval.
Computing programmes and course outlines
Bachelors (BS)
Bachelor of Science (Computer Science)Official · FAST-NUCES BS(CS) programme details and study plan +54 years134 credit hoursChiniot, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, PeshawarNCEAC accredited19 core courses listed
Courses from the university's tentative study plan; the degree needs at least 134 credit hours and CGPA 2.00. The programme page also describes a Technopreneurship specialisation stream. NCEAC lists accredited batches at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Chiniot-Faisalabad. The Multan campus has no NCEAC record listed yet.
Core courses
- Programming Fundamentals
- Calculus and Analytical Geometry
- Object Oriented Programming
- Digital Logic Design
- Data Structures
- Linear Algebra
- Computer Organization and Assembly Language
- Operating Systems
- Software Design and Analysis
- Theory of Automata
- Computer Networks
- Design and Analysis of Algorithms
- Artificial Intelligence
- Database Systems
- Software Engineering
- Information Security
- Cloud Computing
- Final Year Project I and II
- Computing Internship
Bachelor of Science (Software Engineering)Official · FAST-NUCES BS(SE) programme details and study plan +54 years134 credit hoursChiniot, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, PeshawarNCEAC accredited19 core courses listed
Courses from the university's tentative study plan; at least 134 credit hours. NCEAC lists accredited batches at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Chiniot-Faisalabad. In August 2026 NCEAC gave the Chiniot-Faisalabad programme a Y category for two years and noted repeated breaches of its intake cap.
Core courses
- Programming Fundamentals
- Object Oriented Programming
- Digital Logic Design
- Computer Organization and Assembly Language
- Data Structures
- Introduction to Software Engineering
- Operating Systems
- Software Requirements Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computer Networks
- Design and Analysis of Algorithms
- Software Design and Architecture
- Information Security
- Database Systems
- Software Construction & Development
- Software Quality Engineering
- Cloud Computing
- Fundamentals of Software Project Management
- Final Year Project I and II
Bachelor of Science (Artificial Intelligence)Official · FAST-NUCES BS(AI) programme details and study plan +54 years134 credit hoursChiniot, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, PeshawarNCEAC accredited20 core courses listed
Courses from the university's tentative study plan; at least 134 credit hours. NCEAC lists accredited batches at Islamabad, Karachi and Chiniot-Faisalabad; Lahore (June 2025) and Peshawar (December 2021) hold zero-visit approvals.
Core courses
- Programming Fundamentals
- Object Oriented Programming
- Digital Logic Design
- Data Structures
- Programming for AI
- Linear Algebra
- Computer Organization and Assembly Language
- Database Systems
- Fundamentals of Software Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence
- Operating Systems
- Design and Analysis of Algorithms
- Knowledge Representation & Reasoning
- Computer Networks
- Neural Learning
- Computer Vision
- Cloud Computing
- Information Security
- AI Engineering
- Final Year Project I and II
Bachelor of Science (Data Science)Official · FAST-NUCES BS(DS) programme details and study plan +44 years134 credit hoursIslamabad, Karachi, LahoreNCEAC accredited18 core courses listed
Courses from the university's tentative study plan; at least 134 credit hours. NCEAC lists accredited batches at Islamabad and Lahore; Karachi holds a zero-visit approval (September 2023).
Core courses
- Programming Fundamentals
- Object Oriented Programming
- Digital Logic Design
- Data Structures
- Introduction to Data Science
- Linear Algebra
- Database Systems
- Computer Organization and Assembly Language
- Artificial Intelligence
- Operating Systems
- Design and Analysis of Algorithms
- Data Analysis and Visualization
- Computational Statistics
- Computer Networks
- Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence
- Information Security
- Data Mining
- Final Year Project I and II
Bachelor of Science (Cyber Security)Official · FAST-NUCES BS(CY) programme details and study plan +44 years137 credit hoursIslamabad, Karachi, LahoreNCEAC accredited18 core courses listed
Courses from the university's tentative study plan; at least 137 credit hours. NCEAC lists accredited batches at Islamabad and Karachi; Lahore holds a zero-visit approval (June 2025).
Core courses
- Programming Fundamentals
- Object Oriented Programming
- Digital Logic Design
- Data Structures
- Cyber Security
- Computer Organization and Assembly Language
- Computer Networks
- Fundamentals of Software Engineering
- Database Systems
- Operating Systems
- Cryptography and Network Security
- Design and Analysis of Algorithms
- Artificial Intelligence
- Information Security
- Digital Forensics and Incident Response
- Secure Software Design
- Cloud and Application Security
- Final Year Project I and II
Bachelor of Science (Computer Engineering)Official · FAST-NUCES BS(CE) programme details and study plan +24 years140 credit hoursChiniot, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, PeshawarPEC accredited20 core courses listed
Engineering programme with a separate merit formula. Courses from the university's tentative study plan; at least 140 credit hours. The university's FAQ says all its engineering programmes are PEC accredited or approved; PEC's own list was not checked.
Core courses
- Applied Calculus
- Applied Physics
- Linear Circuit Analysis
- Programming Fundamentals
- Object Oriented Programming
- Electronic Devices and Circuits
- Discrete Structures
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Signals and Systems
- Digital Logic Design
- Probability and Statistics
- Microprocessor Interfacing and Programming
- Digital Signal Processing
- Data Communication & Networks
- Software Engineering
- Computer Organization and Architecture
- Database Systems
- Operating Systems
- Digital Design
- Final Year Project I and II
Masters (MS or MPhil)
Master of Science (Software Project Management)Official · FAST-NUCES programmes offered by campus +12 yearsKarachi, Lahore
Requires two years of software development experience in addition to a 16-year science degree.
Master of Science (Computational Intelligence)Official · FAST-NUCES programmes offered by campus +12 yearsIslamabad, Lahore
Meant for engineering (other than computer and software engineering), mathematics and physics graduates.
Master of Science (Applied Artificial Intelligence in Health Sciences)Official · FAST-NUCES programmes offered by campus +12 yearsIslamabad
For graduates of medical and life sciences fields such as MBBS, Pharm-D, DPT and biotechnology.
PhD
Campuses
Islamabad campus
Main campusIslamabad
Offers every computing bachelors programme (CS, SE, AI, DS, Cyber Security, Computer Engineering) and the widest MS list, including MS CS, SE, AI, DS, Cyber Security and Computer Engineering. University headquarters (FAST House, G-9/4) is also in Islamabad.
Lahore campus
Lahore
Offers BS CS, SE, AI, DS, Cyber Security and Computer Engineering, plus MS CS, DS and Cyber Security and PhD Computer Science.
Karachi campus
Karachi
Offers BS CS, SE, AI, DS, Cyber Security and Computer Engineering, plus MS CS, SE, AI, DS, Cyber Security and Computer Engineering. The university says Karachi offers weekend programmes.
Peshawar campus
Peshawar
Offers BS CS, SE, AI and Computer Engineering, plus MS CS, MS Data Science and PhD Computer Science. Hostel available.
Chiniot-Faisalabad campus
Chiniot
Located between Chiniot and Faisalabad. Offers BS CS, SE, AI and Computer Engineering, plus MS CS, MS Data Science and PhD Computer Science. Hostel available.
Multan campus
Multan
Newest campus. Offers BS Computer Science, BS Software Engineering and BS Artificial Intelligence. Hostel available.
What it costs
| Programme | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All BS programmesBachelors | PKR 12k/credit houras of 2026From the Fall 2026 semester, for all batches. A 15 credit hour semester is PKR 180,000 in tuition. Add a one-time PKR 30,000 admission fee, a PKR 20,000 refundable security deposit and PKR 2,500 per semester for the Student Activities Fund. | Official · FAST-NUCES fee structure (w.e.f. Fall 2026) +1 |
| All MS programmesMasters | PKR 12k/credit houras of 2026Same rate as bachelors from Fall 2026. | Official · FAST-NUCES fee structure (w.e.f. Fall 2026) |
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
Merit scholarships (full tuition)
For the top three position holders of each examination board in the year of admission, and the top three on each campus's NU admission merit list. Covers full tuition for four years if semester GPA stays at 3.0 or above.
Interest-free study loans
For students who cannot afford fees. Repayment starts three months after graduation or on employment, and must finish within four years.
Provincial endowment scholarships (PEEF, Sindh, BEEF) and Punjab Honhaar
External need-cum-merit schemes the university lists, including the Sindh Government Endowment Board scholarship that covers full tuition.
Prime Minister's National ICT Scholarship (Ignite)
Listed by the university as an external sponsorship for ICT degrees.
OSAF, FANA and Ihsan Trust assistance
Financial assistance from the Old Students Association of FAST, FAST Alumni of North America and Ihsan Trust for students who cannot pay the full fee.
HEC scholarships for MS and PhD
Cover tuition, a monthly stipend and a book allowance.
Companies that recruit from here
Runs campus hiring· Holds a recruitment drive, test or interview day on this campus.
- Systems Limited2025
On-campus recruitment drives at the Lahore campus on 2 May 2024 and 21 April 2025 for CS, DS, SE and other graduating batches.
- GoSaaS2025
Recruitment drives at the Lahore campus in 2024 and 2025.
At the career fair· Listed as an employer at the university's own career or job fair.
Industry partner· Has a formal tie with the university: a lab, an MoU, an advisory board seat.
- Systems Limited2022
Signed an MoU with FAST-NUCES Lahore in April 2022 for training and development of students.
- ArhamSoft2022
Signed an MoU with the Lahore campus in September 2022, including a MERN stack bootcamp for students.
- Mindstorm Studios2021
Signed an MoU with the Lahore campus in September 2021 on industry-academia linkage.
- Confiz2025
Represented on the Corporate Advisory Board of the FAST School of Management, Lahore (7th meeting, November 2025).
- Rapidev2024
Signed an MoU with the Islamabad campus on 2 April 2024 covering talent acquisition and recruitment events.
Each link says how the company is tied to the university and where that is published. It is not a claim that the company hires only from here, or that a degree from here guarantees an interview.
How to actually get in
- Pick one test route and prepare for it. For bachelors you choose one of the NU Admission Test, SAT or NTS NAT. The NU test for computing is half advanced mathematics and has negative marking, with no calculators.
- The test is 50% of merit for computing (HSSC 40%, SSC 10%). For Computer Engineering the test is only 33% and HSSC is 50%.
- Computing needs Mathematics at HSSC. Pre-Medical students must pass additional Mathematics, or be awaiting that result, to apply.
- Budget by credit hour. From Fall 2026 tuition is PKR 12,000 per credit hour at every campus, so a heavier semester costs more.
- Top board and merit-list positions win full tuition. The top three on each campus merit list receive merit scholarships.
- The window is short. In 2026 applications ran from 20 May to 30 June, with tests in the first ten days of July and classes in mid-August.
About National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
The National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES) was set up under a Federal Charter granted by Ordinance No. XXIII of 2000, dated 1 July 2000. It describes itself as the first multi-campus private sector university under a federal charter. At its start it took over four computer science institutes that the Foundation for Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) ran in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar, which is why students call it FAST.
The FAST foundation was established in 1980 and registered as a charitable institution. It chose higher education as its focus in 1985, and the university says FAST offered Pakistan's first undergraduate programme in Computer Science. Headquarters are at FAST House, G-9/4, Islamabad.
Today the university has six campuses: Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Chiniot-Faisalabad and Multan. Every campus offers BS Computer Science, BS Software Engineering and BS Artificial Intelligence. Data Science and Cyber Security are offered at Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, and BS Computer Engineering at five campuses. Computing is taught through the FAST School of Computing at each campus, with MS and PhD programmes in computer science and related fields.
Fees are charged per credit hour, the same rate at every campus, and the admission test, eligibility rules and merit formula are common across campuses.
Sources
- FAST-NUCES tentative admission schedule 2026read 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES eligibility and selection criteriaread 2026-09-17
Page marked last updated 10 August 2026.
- FAST-NUCES how to applyread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES admission test patternread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES fee structure (w.e.f. Fall 2026)read 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES financial assistance and scholarshipsread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES admissions FAQ, Fall 2026read 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES programmes offered by campusread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES university historyread 2026-09-17
- FAST foundation pageread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES BS(CS) programme details and study planread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES BS(SE) programme details and study planread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES BS(AI) programme details and study planread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES BS(DS) programme details and study planread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES BS(CY) programme details and study planread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES BS(CE) programme details and study planread 2026-09-17
- NCEAC accreditation record: NUCES Islamabadread 2026-09-17
- NCEAC accreditation record: NUCES Lahoreread 2026-09-17
- NCEAC accreditation record: NUCES Karachiread 2026-09-17
- NCEAC accreditation record: NUCES Peshawarread 2026-09-17
- NCEAC accreditation record: NUCES Chiniot-Faisalabadread 2026-09-17
- FAST-NUCES Lahore campus news listread 2026-09-17
Lists GoSaaS recruitment drives (2024 and 2025) among campus news items.
- FAST Lahore news: Systems Limited recruitment (April 2025)read 2026-09-17
- Systems Limited newsroom: MoU with FAST-NUCES Lahoreread 2026-09-17
Seen via search results; ProPakistani reported the same MoU on 6 April 2022.
- FAST Lahore news: Tajir Pakistan recruitment (April 2025)read 2026-09-17
- FAST Lahore news: LAAM recruitment (April 2025)read 2026-09-17
- FAST Lahore news: dubizzle labs recruitment drive (May 2024)read 2026-09-17
- FAST Lahore news: DevSinc recruitment session (March 2022)read 2026-09-17
- FAST Lahore news: MoU with Ebryx (September 2023)read 2026-09-17
- FAST Lahore news: MoU with ArhamSoft (September 2022)read 2026-09-17
- FAST Lahore news: MoU with Mindstorm Studios (2021)read 2026-09-17
- FAST Lahore news: FSM Corporate Advisory Board 7th meetingread 2026-09-17
- Rapidev LinkedIn page (MoU with FAST-NUCES Islamabad, April 2024)read 2026-09-17
Seen via search result excerpts only.
Whole profile last checked 2026-09-17.
Every claim here is labelled
Admission dates, tests, merit formulas and fees change every cycle, and not all of it is published in one place. Every claim here is labelled with its source and how well established it is. Treat the university's own admissions page as the last word, and tell me when something is out of date.
Nobody pays to be listed here, and nothing on this page is sponsored. Universities cannot buy a higher position or have a profile removed on request, though I will correct anything that is wrong.
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