MS Software Engineering

Program Information

The MS Software Engineering program is designed to provide high-quality graduate education in software engineering to meet the growing national and international demand for skilled professionals. The program develops students’ conceptual, technical, analytical, communication and research abilities so they can address complex software and system challenges in modern computing environments.

The program emphasizes core software engineering concepts, engineering practices, software design patterns, collaborative problem-solving, academia–industry linkage, and applied research. It also prepares students for doctoral studies in software engineering and related computing fields.

Program Duration: The program comprises 30 credit hours and is structured over three regular semesters. The first two semesters are dedicated to coursework, while the third semester is allocated to thesis research. The minimum duration is 1.5 years, and the maximum duration for completion is 4 years. A summer semester may be used for deficiency or leveling courses where required.

Program Outline

Each candidate is required to successfully complete 30 credit hours with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 on a scale of 4.0.

Sr. No.	Category	Cr. Hrs.
a)	Core Courses	9
b)	Domain Elective Courses	6
c)	General Elective Courses	9
d)	Thesis	6
Total	-	30

a) Core Courses (9 Cr. Hrs.)

Course Name	Code	Cr. Hrs.
Advanced Requirements Engineering	SESD5213	3
Advanced Software System Architecture	SESD5223	3
Software Testing and Quality Assurance	SESD6253	3

b) Domain Elective Courses (6 Cr. Hrs.)

Following is a non-exhaustive list of domain elective courses. New elective courses may be added to this list.

Course Name	Code	Cr. Hrs.
Software Measurement and Metrics	SESM5313	3
Component Based Software Engineering	SESD6273	3
Advanced Formal Methods	SESE5133	3
Advanced Human-Computer Interaction	SESE5123	3
Agile Software Development Methods	SESD5263	3
Empirical Software Engineering	SESE5113	3
Advanced Software Project Management	SESM6323	3
Software Engineering Methods	SESE6143	3

c) General Elective Courses (9 Cr. Hrs.)

Following is a non-exhaustive list of elective courses. New elective courses may be added to this list. Students may be recommended to make their choice of electives, in the light of a soft specialization within the field.

Course Name	Code	Cr. Hrs.
Research Methodology	SERM5403	3
Software Risk Management	SESM5343	3
Software Configuration Management	SESM5333	3
Reliability Engineering	SEST6653	3
Complex Networks	SENS5543	3
Agent Based Modeling	SEST5623	3
Machine Learning	SEAD5453	3
Artificial Intelligence	SEAD6433	3
Semantic Web	SEST5643	3
Big Data Analytics	SECP6073	3
Data Science	SEAD5443	3
Computer Vision	SEAD6493	3
Advanced Computer Networks	SENS6523	3
Cloud Computing	SEST5673	3
Software Verification and Testing	SESM5533	3
Advanced Image Processing	SEAD6483	3
Formal Specification and Design Techniques	SEST5683	3
Natural Language Processing	SEAD5463	3
Deep Learning	SEAI5903	3
Topics in Artificial Intelligence	SEAI5913	3
Large Language Models	SEAI5923	3
Pattern Recognition	SEAI5933	3
Computational Intelligence	SEAI5943	3
Topics in Computer Vision	SEAI5953	3
Advanced Algorithms Analysis	SECS5803	3
Advanced Theory of Computation	SECS5813	3
Advanced Computer Architecture	SECS5823	3
Advanced Operating Systems	SECS5833	3
Theory of Programming Languages	SECS5843	3
Advanced Database Systems	SECS5853	3
Topics in Information Retrieval	SEDS5703	3
Tools & Techniques in Data Science	SEDS5713	3
Research Trends in Internet of Things (IoT)	SEDS5723	3
Advanced Data Mining	SEDS5733	3
Statistical & Mathematical Methods for Data Science	SEDS5743	3
Distributed Data Processing	SEDS5753	3

Eligibility Criteria

At least 2.00/4.00 CGPA or 50% marks from an annual system in BS Computer Science/Software Engineering/Information Technology or equivalent.
Pre-requisite courses will be determined as per HEC policy, where applicable. The University may recommend deficiency courses after reviewing the candidate’s academic background and knowledge

Selection Criteria

Weightage of Previous Academics	Weightage of Admission Test	Weightage of the Interview	Total
20%	50%	30%	100%

Fee Structure with Scholarship

Program Name: MS Software Engineering

Admission Fee: 28,000

Per Credit Hour Fee	1st Sem Total Fee	1st Installment	1st Installment with 25% Scholarship	1st Installment with 30% Scholarship	1st Installment with 50% Scholarship	1st Installment with 75% Scholarship	Total Credit Hours	Total Fees (Incl Admission Fees)
15,000	163,000	95,500	78,625	75,250	61,750	44,875	30	478,000

Tentative Study Road Map

Semester I (12 Cr. Hrs.)

Sr. No.	Course Title	Cr. Hrs.	Type
1	Advanced Requirements Engineering (Core Course – I)	03	Core
2	Advanced Software System Architecture (Core Course – II)	03	Core
3	Research Methodology (General Elective – I)	03	General Elective
4	Domain Elective – I	03	Domain Elective

Semester II (12 Cr. Hrs.)

Sr. No.	Course Title	Cr. Hrs.	Type
1	Software Testing and Quality Assurance (Core Course – III)	03	Core
2	General Elective – II	03	General Elective
3	General Elective – III	03	General Elective
4	Domain Elective – II	03	Domain Elective

Semester III (06 Cr. Hrs.)

Sr. No.	Course Title	Cr. Hrs.	Type
1	MS Thesis	06	Thesis

Career Opportunities

Software Engineering focuses on the systematic design, development, testing, and maintenance of sophisticated software systems. The MS Software Engineering program prepares students for professional careers in software development, research, and advanced technical roles by exposing them to the complete software development life cycle, including requirements engineering, system design, modeling, algorithm development, implementation, testing, and maintenance.

Graduates may pursue careers in:

Software Development and Engineering
Software Architecture and System Design
Software Testing and Quality Assurance
Software Project Management
Research and Development
Requirements Engineering
Data Science and Analytics
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Cloud Computing and Distributed Systems
Emerging Technology Domains
Academic and doctoral research pathways

The program also supports career growth in Pakistan’s expanding technology sector and prepares graduates for high-impact roles in both local and global software industries.

Criteria for Award of Degree

To qualify for the award of the MS Software Engineering degree, a student must complete the prescribed degree requirements, including 24 credit hours of coursework from the approved course list and 6 credit hours of thesis. Overall, each candidate is required to complete a total of 30 credit hours with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 out of 4.0.