New programmes, more seats at Cusat for 2026–27

Kochi: Admissions to the 2026–27 academic year at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) will see significant changes, including the introduction of five new programmes, an increase in seat strength across several streams and a revised scoring pattern for the Common Admission Test (CAT).University officials said the overall intake will rise by around 10% as capacity will be expanded in at least eight programmes. The newly introduced courses are BTech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science; a five-year Integrated MSc in Econometrics and Data Science; a five-year Integrated MA in Hindi Language and Literature; MTech in Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing; and Bachelor of Vocation (Honours) in Data Science and Analytics, which replaces the earlier three-year BVoc programme.Junaid Bushiri, Cusat VC, the changes are aimed at aligning academic offerings with emerging industry needs while strengthening traditional disciplines.Seat strength has been enhanced significantly in law, engineering and science streams, said James Varghese, director of academic admissions. Intake for the five-year BBA LLB (Honours) programme has been increased to 84 seats, while the five-year BCom LLB (Honours) will now offer 42 seats. The two-year LLM programme has been expanded to 40 seats.At the School of Engineering, intake for BTech Computer Science and Engineering has been fixed at 143 students. Seats for BTech in Safety and Fire Engineering has been increased to 90, and Naval Architecture and Ship Building to 44.Integrated science programmes have also been revised. The five-year Integrated MSc in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry will have 18 seats each, while the Integrated MSc with a major in Environmental Science and Technology has been increased to 24 seats.Significant changes have been introduced to CAT 2026. Candidates will receive four marks for each correct answer, with one mark deducted for every wrong response. Varghese said candidates who fail to attempt at least one question will be disqualified and excluded from the rank list.The test code 101 pattern for BTech admissions has also been modified. Applicants must now secure a minimum normalised score of 10 in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry combined, replacing the earlier requirement of separate qualifying marks for each subject.For MBA admissions, the group discussion component has been removed from rank list preparation and marks obtained in the Plus Two examination will now be considered. The university has also formally notified part-time BTech programmes for the coming academic year.To address the ongoing shortage of accommodation, the university officials said plans are underway to construct two additional hostels in the next academic cycle, including one for women and another for international students.