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Admissions

Admission Requirements (MPhil)

  1. Graduate students with minimum 16 years of education in Social Sciences (International Relations, Strategic Studies, Political Science, Peace & Conflict Studies, Economics, Media Studies, Mass Communication or equivalent) OR Information Technology/ Computer Science OR any Engineering discipline from a recognized university with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.0 out of 4.0 can compete for the admission which will be based on Merit policy of Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
  2. The applicants are required to pass the NIISS admission test with a minimum score of 60%  and successfully fulfil the requirements of the interview process.

Sample Admission Test

The admission test will consist of 100 marks in total. A minimum score of 60% is required in the written test to qualify for an interview. The written examination duration is 120 minutes. The successful candidates will be interviewed by NIISS faculty, and the interview will carry a total of 30 marks.
The assessment of the candidate will consist of four parts:

a) reading comprehension, analytical, and critical thinking skills;
b) writing proficiency and research aptitude;
c) understanding of intelligence and security domain, and
d) understanding of both international and domestic matters.

1

Section 1: 20 Marks

The candidate will be provided with an article to produce a critical review, in order to assess their reading comprehension, as well as their critical and analytical skills.

2

Section 2: 10 Marks

To evaluate a candidate’s proficiency in research methodologies, a set of 10 questions will be given, focusing on the fundamentals of Social Science research methods.

3

Section 3: 20 Marks

To assess a candidate’s comprehension of the domains of intelligence and security, a set of 10 questions will be given, focused on the essential principles related to these fields.

4

Section 4: 20 Marks

Candidates are required to compose a 200-word critical review on one of the following areas.

  1. Domestic Issues
  2. Regional Issues
  3. International Issues
5

Interview: 30 Marks

Candidates attaining a score of 60% or above in the admission test will qualify for an interview. The final grading of candidates will be determined through mutual consultation among the faculty, led by the director in the interview.