Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) was founded in 1990 by a group of professional architects, designers and artists who believed that Karachi was in critical need of a school of excellence encompassing the disciplines of Fine Art, Design and Architecture.
The School is registered as a not-for-profit, non-commercial institution and is managed by an Executive Committee, through the office of the Executive Director. The Executive Committee and the Executive Director work with an independent Board of Governors that includes distinguished educationists, artists, architects, industrialists, bankers and media persons. In addition, the Government of Sindh nominates three members of the Board and the Governor of Sindh fulfils the role of the official patron of the School. IVS was granted an independent charter by the Government of Sindh in June 1994, thereby empowering it to award its own degrees. It was the fourth private institution of higher learning in Pakistan to be given that status. Admission to the School is strictly based on merit, as determined by an aptitude test, an interview process and a weightage criterion.