MS Biology

Overview

Department of Biology offers an MS Program with two streams of specialization: Molecular & Cell Biology and Bioinformatics. These programs comprise of a modern curriculum including Molecular & Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Signaling, Genetics and Genomics, Advanced Methods in Biology and Computational Biology for MCB stream; and Biostatistics, Computational Biology, Topics in System Biology, Advanced Methods in Biology, Protein Informatics and Computational Genomics for the Bioinformatics stream. In addition to these courses there is a list of elective courses for the both streams. Didactic as well as problem-based learning approaches including seminars will be employed for imparting theoretical knowledge to students while hands-on training in experimental aspects will be carried out in state-of the-art 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. For their research work, students will have an extensive menu of topics to choose from which include: Structural biology, antiviral drug discovery, vaccine research, Cancer research, cell cycle, stem cells, cell signaling, epigenetics, plant disease resistance, regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, genome evolution, computational biology and virology. Students may also design research projects in other (or newly emerging) areas after consulting with the relevant faculty members who have expertise in those areas.

The programs are designed to not only expose students to recent advancements in Molecular & Cellular biology and Bioinformatics but to also instill in them the ability to critically review and evaluate scientific literature. Our MS graduates are expected to find jobs in academic institutions and corporations within Pakistan and abroad; those wanting to further their education will be able to secure admission in PhD Programs in LUMS or other top-tier universities on fully-funded scholarships.

* The medium of instruction at LUMS is English for all degree programmes offered. Assessments are accepted in English only.

Structure

To graduate, students must obtain a total of 30 credit hours from which 24 are to be derived from courses and 6 from thesis research or additional courses/review in case of non-thesis option. The “Thesis” option is encouraged for the students who are keen to pursue their PhD degree. Students may also choose the “Non-Thesis” option; such students will be required to take additional courses and must write a review paper.

Molecular and Cell Biology Stream

Fall (Year 1)	Credits	Spring (Year 1)	Credits
Advanced Methods in Biology	3	Advanced Biochemistry	3
Computational Biology	3	Cell Signaling	3
Advanced Molecular & Cell Biology	3	Genetics and Genomics	3
	9		9

Fall (Year 2)	Credits	Spring (Year 2)	Credits
Elective 1	3	Elective 2	3
Thesis I/ Literature Review (non-thesis)*	3	Thesis II/ Literature Review (non-thesis)*	3
	6		6

Bioinformatics Stream

Fall (Year 1)	Credits	Spring (Year 1)	Credits
Advanced Methods in Biology	3	Advanced Biochemistry	3
Computational Biology	3	Cell Signaling	3
Biostatistics	3	Genetics and Genomics	3
	9		9

Fall (Year 2)	Credits	Spring (Year 2)	Credits
Elective 1	3	Elective 2	3
Thesis I/ Literature Review (non-thesis)*	3	Thesis II/ Elective 3(non-thesis)*	3
	6		6

* Students pursuing MS (non-thesis) option will have to take a Literature Review course supervised by a Faculty and write a review paper
**MS (non-thesis) must enroll in an elective course

Important Dates

MS (Computer Science / Electrical Engineering / Mathematics / Physics / Biology / Chemistry)

Activity	Date
Online Application Deadline (PST)	20 Mar 2018	05:00 pm
Deadline to submit supporting documents	21 Mar 2018
Online Application Deadline (PST) -- LUMS UG Continuing Students	20 Mar 2018	05:00 pm
Deadline to submit supporting documents - LUMS UG Continuing Students	21 Mar 2018
LGAT & SBASSE Subject Test administration for MS/PhD	08 Apr 2018
Deadline to take GRE	08 Apr 2018
Admission decisions	01 Jun 2018 to 31 Jul 2018

Notes:

The University reserves the right to change dates and deadlines for admissions. Please keep informed of any changes by visiting www.lums.edu.pk periodically as well as the LUMS online application site.

Minimum Eligibility Criteria for Fall 2018 Admissions

Applicants must meet the minimum eligibility criteria in order to be considered for admission to the Graduate Programme. Meeting this criteria does not guarantee admission to the Graduate programme.

The Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) offers MS Programme in Biology of two years’ duration.

Admission is purely merit-based and rests solely on the following criteria:

Academic record
Performance in the Admission Tests
Completed application form along with all supporting documents
Interview Performance (if applicable)

Academic Requirements for Fall 2018 Admissions

A minimum of 16 years of education is required for applying to the MS Programme in Biology.

Applicants are expected to have obtained their Bachelor’s (or Masters) degree from national or foreign institutions that are accredited or recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

Applicants applying to the MS Programme in Biology must have their Bachelor’s (or Masters) degree in any one of the following areas:

Biology
Biochemistry
Bioinformatics
Molecular Biology
Microbiology
Genetics
Other closely related discipline

Applicants may also have the following degrees:

MBBS
BDS
Pharm-D.

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 (i.e., 4 years Bachelor’s degree or 2 years BSc. degree and 2 years MSc. degree). Applicants with professional degrees (including, MBBS, BDS, Pharm-B) must have Second Division or above in order to be considered eligible for the MS Programme.

Applicants who have obtained their degrees from institutions that are not listed with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, will be required to obtain an equivalence certificate from HEC. For further information please visit: www.hec.gov.pk

Applicants completing their degree requirements after June 30th, 2018 will not be considered for Fall 2018 admissions.

Admission Eligibility Criteria for LUMS SBASSE Continuing Students

BS - MS Programme

BS students graduating in 2018 from SBASSE with a Subject CGPA (SCGPA) of ≥ 3.0 in their BS degree are eligible to apply.

Following are the application categories:

SBASSE students who have obtained a Subject CGPA (SCGPA) of ≥ 3.0 in their BS degree are exempt from LGAT and LUMS SBASSE Subject Test. Application submission deadline for this category of students is March 20, 2018. Please visit the following link to apply for this programme: https://admissions.lums.edu.pk.
SBASSE students who have obtained a Subject CGPA (SCGPA) of ≥ 3.0 in their BS degree applying across departments will be required to take the SBASSE Subject Test in the subject they want to pursue their MS in. LGAT is waived off for this category of students but they must successfully register for LUMS SBASSE Subject Test through LUMS Online admission system on or before March 20, 2018. Please visit the following link to apply for this programme: https://admissions.lums.edu.pk.

Note:

SBASSE students with a SCGPA of < 3.0 must take LGAT and SBASSE Subject Tests. They are expected to apply through the regular admission process. Application submission deadline for this category of students is March 20, 2018.

Please visit the following link to apply: https://admissions.lums.edu.pk

Admission Test Requirement for Fall 2018 Admissions

Applicants to the MS Programme in Biology are required to take the LUMS Graduate Admission Test (LGAT), which is comprised of quantitative, verbal, and analytical sections. In addition, applicants are required to take the SBASSE Subject Test in Biology.

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 (ETS) USA during the last two years ( test taken on or after April 08, 2016) and obtained an aggregate score of 300 in the quantitative and verbal sections may choose not to take the LGAT.
Applicants who have taken the GRE Subject Test in Biology or Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology through the Educational Testing Service (ETS) USA during the last two years (test taken on or after April 08, 2016) and obtained a score at the 60th percentile or above may choose not to take the SBASSE Subject Test in Biology.

Applicants residing outside Pakistan are required to take the GRE - General Test as well as the GRE - Subject Test in Biology or Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology through the Educational Testing Service, ETS USA. For further information; please visit www.ets.org.

Note:

LGAT and SBASSE Subject Test Scores will be valid only for one academic year. The LGAT and SBASSE Subject Test scores will be used for application evaluation, hence will not be disclosed to the applicants.

LGAT and LUMS SBASSE Subject Test will be scheduled at the same time in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi on April 08, 2018.

Please also note that GRE scores must be reported to LUMS officially from the testing agency. The college code for reporting GRE (General) and GRE Subject Test scores to LUMS is 0679.

Subject Test Guidelines:

Please visit the following link; Subject Test Guidelines

Supporting Documents Requirement for Fall 2018 Admissions

Applicants must complete and submit their online application form on or before March 20, 2018; 5:00 pm (PST). The application form can be accessed online at http://admissions.lums.edu.pk. In addition, all applicants are required to submit all supporting documents to the LUMS Admissions Office on or before March 21, 2018.

Application Processing & LUMS Test Registration fee (if applicable)

The application processing fee of Rs. 1000 (SBASSE MS/PhD Programmes)
LGAT & LUMS SBASSE Subject Test Registration Fee of Rs. 800 (SBASSE MS/PhD Programmes)

Payment Procedure

After the successful submission of the online application form through the LUMS Online account on or before the application submission deadline, applicants will be able to print a system generated Application Processing and LUMS Test Registration (if applicable) Fee payment voucher. For further details regarding Fee payment options Click here

Proof of Payment

A stamped copy of the payment voucher or a confirmation email of an online banking transaction constitutes proof of payment. Applicants are required to send a copy of payment proof along with all other required supporting documents as ONE package on or before the stipulated deadline.

Applicants must print and paste the “Mailing label” on the envelope before sending it to the LUMS Office of Admissions. Applications or documents received after the stipulated deadline will not be processed.

Interview performance

Short listed applicants may be requested to appear for an interview.

FAQs

What are the admission requirements for MS Programme?

Please visit the following link for the minimum eligibility criteria; https://admission.lums.edu.pk/graduate-programmes

Do you require any test for admission to the MS Programme?

Please visit the following link for admission test details; https://admission.lums.edu.pk/testing

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 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?

You should apply for financial aid while submitting your online application. The application form for the financial assistance is within the online admission application.

Whom should I ask to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf?

The recommendation letters can be from a faculty member who has had a reasonable opportunity to evaluate you academically.

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 helpdeskao@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?

Applications submitted after the deadlines are not accepted.

How can I submit the application processing and test fee (if applicable)?

After the successful submission of the online application form you will be able to print a system generated Application Processing and LUMS Test Registration (if applicable) Fee payment voucher. Please print the fee voucher for making payments at Allied Bank Branches throughout Pakistan. The voucher can be paid:

Online, immediately by visiting https://admission.lums.edu.pk/student-payment-options-0 or

In cash, the next day by presenting the payment voucher along with the requisite amount at any Allied Bank branch throughout Pakistan.

How do I inform about a change in the 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 helpdeskao@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?

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.

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