Explains QS Subject Rankings in simple language. Recommends steps to be taken by universities and departments to include their names in the ranking list.

1. Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood
University of the Punjab
METHODOLOGY

2. • Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) – a British
company founded in 1990
• The world’s most popular source of
comparative data about university
performance
• Subject ranking is one of its ranking
products – started in 2011
• Annual list to help prospective students
identify the world’s leading universities in
51 individual subject areas

3. Broad
Subject
Areas
Arts & Humanities
Engineering & Technology
Life Sciences & Medicine
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences & Management

4. Arts & Humanities
• Archaeology
• Architecture
• Art & Design
• Classics & Ancient History
• English Language & Literature
• History
• Linguistics
• Modern Languages
• Performing Arts
• Philosophy
• Theology, Divinity & Religious
Studies

5. Engineering & Technology
• Computer Science & Information Systems
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil & Structural Engineering
• Electrical & Electronic Engineering
• Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering
• Mineral & Mining Engineering
• Petroleum Engineering

6. Life Sciences & Medicine
• Agriculture & Forestry
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Biological Sciences
• Dentistry
• Medicine
• Nursing
• Pharmacy & Pharmacology
• Psychology
• Veterinary Science

7. Natural Sciences
• Chemistry
• Earth & Marine Sciences
• Environmental Studies
• Geography
• Geology
• Geophysics
• Materials Sciences
• Mathematics
• Physics & Astronomy

8. Social Sciences & Management
• Accounting & Finance
• Anthropology
• Business & Management Studies
• Communication & Media Studies
• Development Studies
• Economics & Econometrics
• Education & Training
• Hospitality & Leisure Management
• Law & Legal Studies
• Library & Information Management
• Politics
• Social Policy & Administration
• Sociology
• Sports-related Subjects
• Statistics & Operational Research

9. Methodology

10. Weightings Vary in Subjects

11. Academic Reputation
• Global survey of academics
• Respondents are asked to list up to 10 national
and 30 international best universities in their
subject
• Not able to select their own institution
• 100,000+ votes from academics in 5 years

12. Employer Reputation
• Global survey of employers
• Employers are asked to identify up to 10 national
and 30 international institutions they consider
excellent for the recruitment of graduates
• Also asked to identify the disciplines from which
they prefer to recruit
• 50,000+ votes from employers in 5 years

13. Citations Per Paper
• Citations data from SCOPUS database spanning a
5-year period
• A minimum publication threshold for each subject
• Self-citations are excluded

14. H-index
• A way of measuring both the productivity and
impact of the published work of a scholar
• ‘N’ number of publications having ‘N’ number of
citations

15. Institution Prerequisites
• Minimum required score for the academic and/or
employer reputation indicators – 150 academic
responses, 300 employer responses
• Five-year threshold for number of papers
published in the given discipline – 80 for
Pharmacy, 30 for Education, etc.
• Offer undergraduate or taught postgraduate
programs in the given discipline

16. Institutions Evaluated and Published
by Subject in 2021

17. Things to Do at University Level
• Focus on university ranking
• University ranking committee/directorate
• Contact with QS staff
• Timely preparation and submission of data
• Focus on research productivity
• Infrastructure, funds, incentives, culture, etc.
• Focus on reputation
• Image of teaching and research in media (print, electronic, and social)
• University website
• Support from alumni and employers
• Word of mouth

18. Things to Do at Department Level
• Publish papers in SCOPUS indexed, relevant, and high-quality journals
• Maintain author profile in SCOPUS database
• Clearly mention affiliation information in papers
• Collaborate in research with national and international authors
• Timely submit the list of academics and employers with relevant and
correct information
• Activate alumni associations, media campaign, etc. to create a better
image
• Keep an eye on QS subject scoring for your university

19. For any queries, please contact at:
khalid.im@pu.edu.pk