KUST attained the status of degree-awarding institution vide NWFP ordinance No. XXIII of 2001 and the subsequent notification No. Legis: 1 (12) 2001/4451-56, of August 30, 2001. The university was founded with four institutes - Institute of Information Technology, Institute of Management Sciences, Institute of Education and Research and Department of Microbiology. These offered two-year and four-year
bachelor degrees and two-year
master degrees in 2004. Later on, the university was expanded by establishing departments in Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology (Dr. Farzana Perveen has established the department of Zoology at KUST from the beginning and brings it up) and Microbiology. These departments offer B.S. (Hons.), M.Sc., M.Phil. and Ph.D. degree programs. The first vice chancellor of the university was Prof. Dr. Sher Ali Khan Shinwari. KUST is ranked 22 in the general category of the
Higher Education Commission (Pakistan) rankings. ==Faculties==