LAHORE - The interest shown in the job-oriented computer science education particularly at the Punjab University College of Information Technology (PUCIT) is evident from the fact that as many as 40401 candidates applied for admission of which 4245 appeared in the entry test for 4-years BS (Hons) programmes in the semester 2009-10 against 330 seats. The college provides BS (Hons) in three disciplines viz Computer Science, IT and Software Engineering in the morning and afternoon sessions. The last merit list showed 69.67 per cent marks for admission. This percentage of merit increased as compared to last year that was 67.21 in BS- SE, 68.58 in BS-CS and 67.54 in BS-IT. In the two disciplines of MSc, Geographical Information Service (GIS) and IT, as many as 1099 candidates applied for admission against 220 seats in the morning and afternoon sessions of which 991 students appeared. The merit showed 62.98 per cent, also highest than the last year. In the MS, MPhil programme, 127 candidates applied for admission of which 115 appeared for entry test against 15 seats. In the PhD programme, ten applied and nine appeared of which only one has qualified. The first merit list was displayed on August 29 and the last merit list was displayed on August 31st and the admissions were swiftly completing. The PUCIT has introduced PhD programme for the first time this year to which the MPhil pass students of the same college will move over to 10 seats of PhD, while the entry test was open for aspirants outside the college of which only one qualified. There are five PhD teachers already working in the prestigious constituent college of the University. Set up in 2002, the College has earned repute in IT education at graduate and postgraduate level. As such it attracted highest number of candidates than any other University or institution in the IT education. The PUCIT Principal Dr Syed Mansoor Sarwar said the College has become major IT professional producing institution to meet the ever-increasing need of PhD faculty in computer science and IT. The most talented students with higher merit in Intermediate opt for BS (Hons) 4 years programme. The MS, MPhil 18 years education leading to PhD in Computer Science is also an ambitious programme to produce highly professional manpower in IT and computer science for teaching as well service to software houses. The most encouraging is the interest shown by talented girls in Computer Science education whose ratio is not below 40 per cent in the classrooms of every discipline. The college also provides short courses for professional and PITB skill development programmes at its sprawling computer lab having over 1000 latest computers.