The administration of the University of Karachi (KU) has decided to temporarily halt PhD admissions in around 10 departments for the 2025 academic session, due to the unavailability of required PhD-qualified faculty members.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Board of Advanced Studies and Research (BASR), chaired by Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mehmood Iraqi.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Dr Iraqi confirmed that PhD admissions have been suspended in specific departments. He said a similar step was taken earlier for the Law School, as it also lacked the necessary faculty. "If we allow admissions in these departments without adequate teaching staff, students will suffer due to a lack of proper research guidance and course instruction," he added. He clarified that this is a temporary move until faculty availability improves.
Departments where both MPhil and PhD admissions have been suspended include: Health & Physical Education and Sports Science, Criminology, and the Sheikh Zayed Islamic Research Centre's Islamic Banking and Finance programmes.
Departments where only PhD admissions have been halted, while MPhil still being offered, include: English Linguistics, General History, International Relations, Pharmacy Practice, Islamic Studies with Computer Science Technology (under Sheikh Zayed Centre), Pakistan Study Centre, and the Marine Reference Collection and Resource Centre.
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