Office of Admissions
LUMS DHA, Lahore Cantt. 54792, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92 42 3560 8000 Ext.: 2177
The LUMS PhD Chemistry programme, offered by the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE), comprises of the traditional areas of chemical sciences, as well as interdisciplinary research projects interfacing Chemistry with various fields, including Biology, Medicine, Physics, Environmental and Material Science and Engineering. The programme prepares students to think scientifically and conduct high-quality research independently.
The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at SBASSE is comprised of a diverse group of research-active faculty members. The teaching and research labs are well equipped with state-of-the-art experimental facilities and equipment. Students work closely with faculty who have published research articles in highly prestigious and high impact international journals including Nature, Nature Materials, Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., Journal of the American Chemical Society, Nano Letters and ACS Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, among several others.
Faculty members at the Department have developed impactful international collaborations with prominent national and international research groups in the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia. These collaborations are instrumental in keeping the faculty abreast of the latest developments in the field, and to use advanced technology platforms and high-tech equipment currently not available anywhere in Pakistan.
The faculty research groups are actively working to develop world-class research programmes in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Macromolecular Chemistry, Green Synthesis/Catalysis, Renewable Energy Technologies, Drug Discovery, Medicinal Chemistry, Healthcare and Environmental Remediation.
To graduate, students must earn a total of 42 credit hours from which 18 must be from coursework and 24 from research work/thesis. Major milestones that must be achieved for the successful completion of the PhD degree include the Comprehensive (Qualifying) Examination, Thesis Proposal Defence and PhD Thesis Defence.
Applicants must meet the minimum eligibility criteria in order to be considered for admission to the programme.
The PhD Chemistry degree at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) is a four-year programme.
Admission is purely merit-based and rests solely on the following criteria:
Academic Record;
Performance in Admission Tests;
Application Review;
Research Statement;
Submission of Complete Online Application, Application Processing Fee, and Supporting Documents by the stipulated deadline;
Letters of Recommendation; and
Interview Performance (If shortlisted)
NOTE:
These are the minimum requirements that applicants need to fulfil in order to be eligible to apply. Fulfilment of these criteria does not guarantee admission to LUMS. Admission decisions made by the University are final.
A minimum of 18 years of education leading to a degree programme is required for applying to the PhD Chemistry Programme.
Applicants who hold a Bachelor's degree of less than four years duration 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 obtained a CGPA of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4) or First Division (in the annual system) in their Master's degree and at least a CGPA of 2.4 (on a scale of 4) or 60% marks in their Bachelor’s degree.
Applicants who have their Master’s degree with a CGPA computed over any scale other than 4.0 will be required to submit a letter/revised transcript from their respective university or submit a letter from HEC affirming that the applicant meets the CGPA requirement for PhD admission. For further information, please visit www.hec.gov.pk.
Applicants applying for the PhD Chemistry Programme must have a Master's degree in any one of the following areas:
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Materials Science or Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Other closely related disciplines
NOTE:
A. Local Applicants
Applicants to the PhD Chemistry Programme are required to take the following two (2) admission tests in order to be considered for Fall 2025 admission:
LUMS Graduate Admission Test (LGAT); and
LUMS SBASSE Subject Test in Chemistry
Exemption for applicants who have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test
Applicants who have taken the Graduate Record Examination GRE (General) (through the Educational Testing Service (ETS), 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 LUMS SBASSE Subject Test in Chemistry.
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 Chemistry, 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.
Subject Test Guidelines:
Please visit the following link; Subject Test Guidelines
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:
Note:
Completion of all steps is mandatory. Application, documents, or fees received after the stipulated deadline will not be processed.
Shortlisted applications will be reviewed by the relevant committee to finalize the admission decision. Applicants are encouraged to provide complete information regarding their academic achievements, research reports, attended workshops, and extracurricular activities 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
Applicants will be shortlisted based on their Academic record, Admission Test Scores, and Interviews. The interview session will include your research presentation followed by a Q & A session.
Research Statement
The Research Statement is a summary of your research accomplishments, current work, and future direction and potential of your work. A research statement is mandatory for all PhD applicants.
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:
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:
Note:
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. Regional 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
The PhD programmes at LUMS are fully funded for 4 years of education. Additionally, PhD candidates are given a monthly stipend as per University policy.
Students are required to pay general security (refundable) at the time of admission.
Particulars | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Credit Hours | 6 | 6 | 3 | 15 |
PKR | PKR | PKR | PKR | |
Admission Fee | 138,130 | - | - | 138,130 |
Tuition Fee | 274,980 | 274,980 | 137,490 | 687,450 |
Semester Registration Fee | 44,020 | 44,020 | - | 88,040 |
General Security | 57,580 | - | - | 57,580 |
Total | 514,710 | 319,000 | 137,490 | 971,200 |
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 |
To learn more about the University's Refund Policy, please click here.
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:
Please refer to the Admission Criteria tab.
Please refer to the Admission Criteria tab.
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.
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.
You should recheck the completion and proper submission of your online application.
The application cannot be submitted after the deadline.
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".
You should submit all your transcripts latest by the Online document submission deadline. Copy of your degree can be submitted later.
Applicants to the PhD programme must have a CGPA of 3.0 or above (on a scale of 4) at the time of application submission.
Admission to the LUMS PhD programme is purely merit based and there are no quotas.
The recommendation letters can be from a faculty member who has had a reasonable opportunity to evaluate you academically.
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.
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.
No, there are no age restrictions.
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.
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.
Applicants can get equivalence through the following process: http://hec.gov.pk if required.
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.
LUMS provides a well-maintained residential environment for international students.
Please visit the link for visa requirements: https://international.lums.edu.pk/.
LUMS provides funding to PhD students in terms of Scholarship and Research assistantship. The University’s policy is to admit students purely on merit, regardless of their financial status or background. The PhD Programmes at LUMS offers a fully-funded scholarship which covers the following:
Teaching assistantships are another opportunity that may be available to doctoral students for additional financial assistance, subject to faculty approval. If a student receives funding from another source, the said amount of fee waiver and/ or scholarship allowance given by LUMS would be adjusted accordingly. Please note that the fee waiver and/ or scholarship funding is approved initially for one year and is renewable based on academic performance.
The Lahore University of Management Sciences, (LUMS), Pakistan and TWAS offer fellowships to young scientists from developing countries (other than Pakistan) who wish to pursue research towards a PhD in Natural Sciences and Engineering. For further information, please visit the link https://sbasse.lums.edu.pk/twas-lums-phd-fellowships.
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.