Due to the advancement of technology for data generation and data collection, zettabytes of data are being generated daily in many organizations. With the exponential increase in the volume of data, it becomes essential to discover hidden useful patterns from these large volumes. Data Science refers to the extraction of knowledge from large amounts of data. It is a process that uncovers important insights from huge amounts of raw data. More precisely we define data science as the use of sophisticated data analysis tools to discover previously unknown, valid patterns and relationships in large data sets.
The MS Data Science program at ITU will provide a comprehensive introduction to data science procedures; build theoretical and conceptual foundations of key data science tasks such as classification, association rule mining and clustering; discuss analysis and implementation of algorithms; and introduce emerging state-of-the-art research areas such as recommender systems, privacy preserving data mining, big data and business analytics. Emphasis will be placed on the design and application of efficient and scalable algorithms. The students will get hands on experience through the implementation of algorithms and use of software in assignments and the course project.
Why MS Data Science at ITU?
- Prestigious Research Groups:
- ITU’s Data Science Lab (DSL) is a pioneer in the field with a proven and award winning track record of high quality research.
- ITU’s Scientometrics Lab, Intelligent Machines Lab, Ihsan Lab and Bismil Lab are also involved in cutting-edge research in the data science and related fields.
- Strong Publication Track Record: ITU’s different research groups have published more than 25 research papers in the highly prestigious data science venues in the last couple of years.
- Bright Career Prospects: Six alumni of these research groups are proceeding with their doctoral studies in the top ranked universities of the world.
- Real World Projects: Due to ITU’s close collaboration with PITB and Government of the Punjab, you would get an opportunity to work on real world, challenging, and socially relevant problems and datasets.
Employment Opportunities:
Data has swept into every industry and business function and is now one of the most important factors of success, alongside labor and capital. This enormous growth of data has resulted in a high demand for data scientists world-wide. Here are some pointers to show this high demand:
- Data Scientist is rated the best job in America for 2017, with a median base salary of $110,00. (Source: Glassdoor).
- There are approximately 215,000 open job positions in Data Science (Source:Indeed.com).
- There are currently about 31,000 openings for Statistician positions in the US (LinkedIn), offering an average salary of $77,000 (Glassdoor).
- In the field of Business intelligence, there are around 14,000 openings in the US (LinkedIn) at a $88,000 base salary.
Other career options include data scientist, data engineer, data analyst, statistician, data manager, data architect, business analyst.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must fulfill the following criteria in order to be considered for admission into the MSDS program at ITU:
- Completion of at least 16 years of education
- An undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Telecom Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Accounting, Economics, Management Sciences, Management and Technology, and MSc Mathematics or any other related field, from an HEC recognized university*
- Scored 50% marks or above in matriculation, or equivalent examination.
- Scored 50% marks or above in intermediate, or equivalent examination.
- Scored at least 50% in the annual system, or CGPA of at least 2.0, in the terminal degree (Percentage will only be considered if CGPA is not mentioned on the transcript)
- Scored at least 50% in the ITU Graduate Admissions Test
- Those candidates who do not possess a strong CS background will be required to complete mandatory pre-required CS courses to compensate for their deficiency. The actual number of these courses will be decided at the time of admission
Details*
Required concepts and skills for MS Data Science/ MS Computer Science include: data structures, calculus, linear algebra and programming ability
General Notes
Note: Per HEC rules, candidates who have completed 12 years of education and obtained degrees other than Matriculation (SSC) or Intermediate (HSSC) may be required to obtain an equivalence certificate from the Inter Board Committee of Chairman (IBCC), Islamabad.
Admission Test
The ITU Graduate Admission Test will be held at the ITU campus in Arfa Software Technology Park in Lahore.
For information about dates please click here here.
Entry Test Pattern
Sample Test
Fee Structure
New Intake 2025
| Semesters | Tuition Fee | University Dues | Semester Wise Total Fee |
| First Semester | 93,000 | 45,900 | 138,000 |
| Second Semester | 93,000 | 38,250 | 131,250 |
| Third Semester | 65,000 | 40,000 | 105,000 |
| Fourth Semester | 65,000 | 40,000 | 105,000 |
| Total Degree Fee | 316,000 | 163,250 | 479,250 |
- A lump sum tuition fee will be charged for the semester as per the total required credit hours according to the approved roadmap/program structure of the respective degree program.
- The fee for a summer semester, course repeat/improvement will be charged Rs.10,400/per credit hour.
Total Annual Cost Per Student (Approx.)
Cost Per Student (2024-2025) in PKR |
|
| Total Annual Cost Per Student (Approx) | 721639 |
|---|---|
| Subsidy from Provincial Government | 66824 |
| Subsidy from Federal Government | 85514 |
| Subsidy from ITU Endowment & investment incomes | 334301 |
| Student’s Contribution | 235000 |
- Total Annual Cost Per Student (Approx.)
For MS Batch 2024
| Semesters | Tuition Fee | Other Dues | Sem. Wise Total Fee |
| Fall-2025 | 62,000 | 38,250 | 100,250 |
| Spring-2026 | 62,000 | 38,250 | 100,250 |
| 124,000 | 76,000 | 200,500 |
- A lump sum tuition fee will be charged for the semester as per the total required credit hours according to the approved roadmap/program structure of the respective degree
- The fee for a course repeat/improvement will be charged For MS Programs: Rs.10,400/per credit hour.
Fee for International Students
| Particular | Fee for the International Students |
| Admission Fee | 50$ |
| University Dues (Per Semester) | 200$ |
- A 5% annual increment has been implemented on all dues.
- Revised approved fee structure will be implemented from Fall-2025 session.
Program Structure
Degree Structure
The MS Data Science degree at ITU will develop real-world problem-solving skills using data science, which will differ from typical classroom problems. At ITU, we believe in the solution of problems with high social impact. The curriculum will also take into consideration the needs of the industry including stakeholders in business, social media, education, health, and entertainment. The MS program will prepare students to actively contribute to various fields, related to data science, such as computer vision, big data analytics, scientometrics, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and computer security.
Recommended Courses:
The following core courses are much recommended to be completed before entering the MS (DS) program.
- Programming Fundamentals (Core Programming Course)/OOP
- Data Structures & Algorithms OR Design & Analysis of Algorithms
- Database Systems
- Linear Algebra/Calculus/Statistics
| Semester I | ||||
| Sr. # | Course Title | Lecture | Lab | Credit Hours |
| 1. | Tools and Techniques for Data Science (core) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2. | Statistical and Mathematical Methods for Data Analysis (core) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 3. | Machine Learning (core) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 8 | 1 | 9 | |
| Semester II | ||||
| Sr. # | Course Title | Lecture | Lab | Credit Hours |
| 4. | Elective I | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 5. | Big Data Analytics | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 6. | Deep learning | 3 | 3 | |
| 7. | Research Methodology | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 10 | 0 | 10 | |
| First-Year Credit Hours | 18 | 1 | 19 | |
| Semester III | ||||
| Sr. # | Course Title | Lecture | Lab | Credit Hours |
| 8. | Elective II | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 9. | Thesis I | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 6 | |
| Semester IV | ||||
| Sr. # | Course Title | Lecture | Lab | Credit Hours |
| 10. | Elective III | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 11. | Thesis II | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 6 | |
| Second-Year Credit Hours | 12 | 0 | 12 | |
| Total Degree Credit Hours | 30 | 1 | 31 | |
| Core Course | ||||
| HEC-Recommended Specialization Courses | ||||
| Elective Course | ||||
| Research Thesis | ||||
The tentative list of graduate electives to be offered during the degree program is provided below.
| Graduate Electives |
| Computer Vision |
| Blockchain |
| Deep Learning |
| Theory and Application of Virtual Reality |
| Spatial Data Science |
| Natural Language Processing |
| Theory of Automata- II |
| Medical Image Computing |
| Advanced Algorithms Analysis |
| Machine Learning |
| Cyber-Physical Systems |
| Introduction to Speech Processing |
| LLM and Generative Models |
| Remote Sensing: Data & Methods |
| ML and DL Ops |
| Cyber Security |
*Please note that the list of electives is subject to change.
Probation Policy
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- First-year students are required to maintain a minimum 1.50 CGPA; and from Second year onwards 2.00 CGPA to continue their studies at ITU and as a result of failing to achieve so, their admission will be revoked.
- For 2nd year and onwards, graduate students who earn a CGPA less than 2.50 shall be placed on Academic probation. The students on probation shall receive their results with a warning. After two warnings, if a student fails to improve his/her CGPA to 2.50 or above, and receives an academic probation for the third time, his/her name shall be removed from the University rolls.
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Note: All students on 2nd probation will be allowed to enroll only for repeat courses in the next semester.
| Level & Year | Regular
(CGPA) |
Probation
(CGPA) |
Revoke
(CGPA) |
| Graduate
1st Year |
2.50 & above | 1.50-2.49 | Less than 1.50 |
| Graduate
2nd Year and Above |
2.50 & above | 1.50-2.49 | Less than 1.50 |
Minimum Degree Requirement
Each department in the University shall certify its students to the Examinations Department for the award of degrees. The minimum requirement for the award of an undergraduate degree shall be a CGPA of 2.00 (on 4.00 scale).
Time Limit for the Completion of Degree
Time limit for the completion of the 4 years’ Undergraduate degree and Graduate/M.Phil. shall ordinarily be four years and two years respectively from the beginning of the first course counted towards the degree. However, a 4 years’ degree program can be extended up to 6 years and a 2 years’ degree program can be extended up to 4 years.
Credit Hour Requirements for Thesis
For the Graduate Thesis, a minimum of 16 credit hours must be completed.
