| Lahore College for Women University | |
| Motto: | 'Discipline Ensures Success' |
| Established: | 1922 |
| Vice Chancellor: | Prof. Dr. Shagufta Naz[1] |
The Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) (Urdu: {{Nastaliq|جامعہ خواتین کالج لاہور) Is a public university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded in 1922 with a capacity of 60 students, it now has a full-time enrollment of about 15,000 students and admits students at Intermediate, Graduate, Masters and Ph.D. levels.[2]
Founded as an intermediate residential college, named Sir Ganga Ram High School, in 1922, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) was initially situated on Hall Road, Lahore, accommodating 60 students and 13 staff members.[3] [4] By 1950, it relocated to its current location on Jail Road, expanding its capacity to 600 students. In the same year, LCWU partnered with the University of the Punjab, offering 18 undergraduate programs, which expanded to 14 graduate programs within two years. Further academic expansion saw the introduction of postgraduate English classes in 1940, Honors classes in 1949, B.Sc. classes in 1955, and post-graduate classes in Economics and Physics in 1966. By 1979, the curriculum extended to Islamic studies, political science, and psychology.
LCWU achieved administrative and financial autonomy in 1990, marking a significant milestone.[5] On August 13, 1999, it gained the status of a degree-awarding institution and was promoted to a Women University on September 10, 2002.[5]
Recognizing the value of social sciences and liberal arts, LCWU maintains a strong focus on these fields. The Department of English, the oldest post-graduate department with over 70 years of existence. Other disciplines, including Urdu, Punjabi, Islamic studies, international relations, political science, fine arts, Pakistan studies, mass communication, and gender and development studies are available at graduate and postgraduate levels.
The Intermediate College of LCWU is affiliated with the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore, contributing significantly to female professional education in the province.
Since its recognition as a university, LCWU has sought to enhance higher education standards, engaging with national industries and forming international university partnerships. In 2021, the university established the Department of Software Engineering.
The main library of the university (Sciences, Computer Science and Arts) stocks books, magazines and publications as well as national newspapers.
Besides the main library there are seminar libraries in the post-graduate departments
There is a book bank maintained by the Social Work Department. Deserving and needy students are provided with textbooks.
To facilitate co-curricular activities and sports, there are student societies and clubs. Presidents and secretaries of these societies are nominated by the teachers. By participating in these activities the students win prizes. The Shaukat Ara Niazi Gold Medal is awarded to students on the basis of best performance in literary pursuits.