Applying to KAUST
We are now accepting applications for Spring 2017. Apply now!
Application Requirements
KAUST requires a minimum TOEFL score of 79 on the IBT (Internet Based Test) or 6.0 on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The KAUST admissions code is 4107. Only official TOEFL or IELTS scores will be accepted. TOEFL or IELTS scores for tests administered by an educational institution for admission to that particular institution are not acceptable.A TOEFL or IELTS score is not required if the applicant received a degree from an accredited institution in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.
KAUST does not require the GRE exam for admission. However, we strongly encourage students to take the GRE general test. A high quantitative score on the GRE will enhance a student's application. Official test results should be sent directly from ETS. The KAUST admissions code is 4139. The average GRE quantitative score for admitted students is currently 774 out of 800.
Submit an official complete university Transcript/ Mark sheets/ Graduation Certificate/ Academic Record from every institution previously attended. A scan of the official transcript provided by the university in the native language must be uploaded into the online application along with the certified English translation. Your transcript must include the university grading scale for all documents submitted. If offered admission, an official final transcript must be sent to the Office of Admissions prior to arrival (during the onboarding process) in a sealed envelope to:
Office of Admissions
Graduate Affairs
Building 9, Suite 4328
4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal, Jeddah 23955-6900
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
You must have three letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf.
Letters of recommendation are important and should be written by
professors or advisors under whom you have pursued research or taken
courses in your major field of study. Recommendation letters should be
submitted through the application directly from the recommender.
Recommenders should provide details about how he/she knows your work, as
well as comparative statements (e.g., top 1% of class, best in past
five years, etc.), and insight into your research ability.Graduate Affairs
Building 9, Suite 4328
4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal, Jeddah 23955-6900
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Also please add your Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Financial Support
All admitted students receive the benefits of the KAUST Fellowship which supports students for the duration of their graduate studies. The benefits of the KAUST Fellowship include:- Full tuition support
- Monthly living allowance (ranging between $20,000-30,000 annual, depending on qualifications and progression through degree programs)
- Housing*
- Medical and dental coverage*
- Relocation support
Contact the Office of Admissions
Mailing Address
Graduate Affairs
Engineering Building (Building 9), Suite 4328
4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal 23955-6900
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
admissions@kaust.edu.sa
Online Application Form
Please fill out and submit the form below
Apply Now!
M.S. Degree
We are now accepting applications for Spring 2017. Apply now!
Admissions
Admission to the M.S.
program requires the satisfactory completion of an undergraduate BS
degree in a relevant or related area, such as Engineering, Mathematics
or the Physical, Chemical and Biological Sciences.
General Degree Requirements
The M.S. degree at KAUST is a 36-credit program. Students are expected to complete the M.S.
degree in three semesters and one summer session. Degree requirements
are divided into three sections: (1) Core Curriculum; (2) Elective
Curriculum; and (3) Research/Capstone Experience.
- Core
Curriculum (9-15 credits): This portion of the degree program is
designed to provide a student with the background needed to establish a
solid foundation in the discipline over and above undergraduate studies.
- Elective
Curriculum (9-15 credits): This portion of the degree program is
designed to allow each student to tailor his/her educational experience
to meet individual research and educational objectives. Depending upon
the program and the objectives, this may be met by added coursework or
by additional research experience.
- Research/Capstone Experience
(12 credits): The details of this portion of the degree program are also
uniquely determined by the student and his/her advisor and will involve
a combination of research and other capstone experiences that build on
the knowledge gained in coursework.
At least thirty-six (36)
degree credits must be completed in graduate-level courses and research
projects. These courses should be 200-level or above and must be
approved by the program advisor.
Thesis Requirements
Students
pursuing the Thesis option must apply by the eighth week of their
second semester. Thesis students are expected to conduct research and
compose the thesis during the summer and subsequent fall semesters. A
minimum of 6 credits of thesis research (297) is required, although it
is expected that a student will enroll in 12 credits of MS thesis work.
With permission of the M.Sc. thesis advisor, a
student who enrolls in only 6 credits of thesis research may use one of
the following options to earn the six remaining credits of degree
requirements:
- Internship: Research-based summer internship (295). Students are only allowed to take one internship.
- Broadening Experience Courses: Courses that broaden a student's MS experience.
- Ph.D.
Level Courses: Courses numbered 300 or greater. Any course in the
Ph.D. core requirements that is passed with a minimum grade of B– may
be used towards meeting the core Ph.D. requirements of the program if
the student chooses to continue for a Ph.D. degree at KAUST.
Students
are permitted to register more than 12 credits of M.S. thesis research
as necessary and with the permission of the thesis advisor.
Committee Structure and Thesis Defense
A
committee comprised of the M.S. thesis advisor and two other faculty
members performs the evaluation of satisfactory completion of M.S.
thesis work. The chair of the committee must be a faculty member within
the program. One external faculty member, or one Research Scientist may
be allowed. The evaluation of M.S. thesis credits comprises of a
satisfactory or unsatisfactory grade. The requirement of a public
seminar based on the student's work is left to the discretion of the
M.S. thesis advisor.
The student is responsible for scheduling
the thesis defense date with his/her supervisor and committee members.
It is advisable that the student submits a written copy of the thesis to
the thesis committee members at least two weeks prior the defense date.
Non-Thesis Option
Research
requirement: A minimum of 6 credits of directed research credits (299)
is required. Summer internship credits may be used to fulfill the
research requirement provided that the summer internship is
research-based. Summer internships are subject to approval by the
student's academic advisor.
Students must complete the remaining credits through one or a combination of the options listed below:
- Broadening Experience Courses: Courses that broaden a student's M.S. experience.
- Ph.D.
Level Courses: Courses numbered 300 or greater. Any course in the Ph.D.
core requirements that is passed with a minimum grade of B– may be used
towards meeting the core Ph.D. requirements of the program if the
student chooses to continue for a Ph.D. degree in at KAUST.
- Internship: Research-based summer internship (295). Students are only allowed to take one internship.
It
should be noted that a student might be able to also combine courses to
satisfy the six-credit requirement. For example, a student could take
one Ph.D.-level course and one graduate-level course in another program.
A student may not enroll in two summer internships.
Thesis format requirements are described in the KAUST Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines.
Students
may select a KAUST faculty member from another program to act as a
research advisor (for either thesis or directed research), but must
provide a one-page description of the research and an explanation of how
such research would be relevant to the degree program. Upon approval by
the program and the Dean, the faculty member would be allowed to act as
an affiliated faculty member and advisor for the student.
Please Note: Degree Programs may have additional requirement to those listed above.
Program Descriptions
The
Master's and Doctoral degree program requirements represent general
university-level expectations. The specific details of each degree
requirements are outlined in the descriptions of the individual degree
programs.
Ph.D. Program
We are now accepting applications for Spring 2017. Apply now!
Admissions
Ph.D.
students apply for and enter a specific degree program. A faculty
advisor is either immediately designated (in the case of a student being
recruited by a specific faculty member) or temporarily assigned; in the
latter case, the student is expected to identify a research advisor by
(at the latest) the end of the first year.
There are three phases and associated milestones for Ph.D. students:
- Passing a qualifying exam;
- Passing an oral defence of the dissertation proposal
- Dissertation phase with a final defense milestone.
Ph.D. Degree Requirements
Ph.D.
program requires the successful completion of at least 96 credit hours,
(inclusive of previous Masters Degree coursework). Qualification and
advancement to candidacy are contingent upon: (i) successfully passing
Ph.D. coursework, (ii) designating a research advisor, (iii)
successfully passing a qualifying exam, and (iii) writing and orally
defending a research proposal. Possible outcomes include pass, failure
with complete retake, failures with partial retake, and failure with no
retake. Students not permitted to retake the exam, or who fail the
retake, will be dismissed from the University. The maximum allotted time
for advancement to candidacy for a student entering with a M.S. degree
is two years; three years for students entering with a B.S.
Satisfactory
participation in KAUST's Summer Session and Winter Enrichment Period
(WEP) is mandatory. Summer Session courses are credit bearing and apply
toward the degree. WEP courses do not earn credit towards the degree.
The required coursework is outlined below:
M.S. Degree
- Core courses
- Elective courses
Ph.D. Degree
- Two or more courses at the 300 level
- Graduate seminar if required by the program.
Students
entering the program with a relevant M.S. from another institution may
transfer coursework toward the requirements of the M.S. degree listed
above upon approval of the program.
Students entering the program
with a M.S. from KAUST may transfer coursework toward both the M.S. and
Ph.D. requirements listed above upon approval of the program and based
on their program of study at KAUST.
Students entering with a
B.S. from another institution may transfer in up to 9 credits of
graduate level coursework towards the above requirements upon approval
of the program. In addition, students entering with a B.S. may also
qualify to earn a M.S. degree by satisfying the MS degree requirements
as part of the Ph.D. program.
Some degree programs may require a
diagnostic entrance exam as a basis for admission, and students may be
required to complete additional coursework depending on their
degree-granting institution. If the M.S. degree is from a subject other
than the Ph.D. degree program, there may be additional courses required
and specified by the advisor.
Candidacy
Achieving
Ph.D. candidacy is contingent upon successfully passing a qualifying
examination, acceptance by the research advisor of a written research
proposal and successfully passing an oral examination. Details should be
confirmed in the individual degree program material. click here for a list of eligible faculty advisors for any degree program.
Passing
the qualification phase is achieved by acceptance of all committee
members of the writtesn proposal and a positive vote of all but, at
most, one member of the oral exam committee. If more than one member
casts a negative vote, one retake of the oral defense is permitted if
the entire committee agrees. A conditional pass involves conditions
(e.g., another course in a perceived area of weakness) imposed by the
committee, with the conditional status removed when those conditions
have been met. Once constituted, the composition of the qualification
phase committee can only be changed upon approval by both the faculty
research advisor and the division dean.
Dissertation Research Credits
Besides
coursework (6 or more credit hours), dissertation research (course
number 397) must be earned during the first (proposal preparation and
defense) and second phases of the Ph.D. program. A full-time workload
for Ph.D. students is considered to be 12 credit hours per semester
(courses and 397) and 6 credit hours in summer (397 only). There is a
minimum residency requirement (enrolment period at KAUST) of 2.5 years
for students entering with an M.S. degree, 3.5 years for students
entering with a B.S. degree. The maximum enrolment period is 5.0 years,
extendable upon approval of both the faculty research advisor and the
division dean.
Dissertation and Dissertation Defense
The
Dissertation Defense is the final exam of the Ph.D. degree. It involves a
public presentation of the results of the dissertation research
followed by a question and answer session. The Dissertation and Defense
committee consists of 4 members of which at least 3 must be KAUST
faculty members. The committee Chair plus one other member must be an
affiliated faculty member. The committee must also include one external
examiner who must write a report on the thesis and attend the thesis
defense. Qualified Visiting Professors may be involved as on-campus
committee members. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the
dissertation committee of his/her progress and meet deadlines for
submitting defense date and graduation forms. It is expected that
students will submit their dissertations to their committee six weeks
prior to the defense date in order to receive feedback from the
committee members in a timely manner. However, the advisor may approve
exceptions to this expected timeline. The dissertation format
requirements are described in the KAUST Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines.
The
result of the defense will be made based on the recommendation of the
committee. There are four possible results: (1) Pass: the student passes
the exam and the dissertation is accepted as submitted; (2) Pass with
revisions: the student passes the exam and the student is advised of the
revisions that must be made to the text of the dissertation; (3)
Failure with retake: normally this means the student must do more
research to complete the dissertation. The student must revise the
dissertation and give another oral examination within six months from
the date of the first defense; and (4) Failure: the student does not
pass the exam, the dissertation is not accepted, the degree is not
awarded, and the student is dismissed from the University.
Program Descriptions
The
Master's and Doctoral degree program requirements listed above
represent general university-level expectations. The specific details of
each degree requirements are outlined in the descriptions of the
individual degree programs.
IDB-KAUST Joint PhD Scholarship Program
Scholarships
sponsored jointly by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
(KAUST) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to study at KAUST.
About the Program
The
IDB-KAUST PhD Scholarship Program was established in 2012 within the
scope of the IDB Merit Scholarship Program and the KAUST PhD Program.
Under the scholarship program, citizens of IDB member countries are
eligible to apply for the scholarship to study at KAUST for a full-time
4-year PhD. The Program is jointly funded by IDB and KAUST to award 5
scholarships annually. The scholarship is a fully funded program as per
the KAUST rules and procedures will be supported throughout the eligible
duration of the study program. Visit the KAUST Admissions page for PhD
program details.
Requirements
The candidate must be:
- A citizen of an IDB member country (visit the IDB Merit Scholarship Program for a full listing of member countries)
- Age not over 35 years
- Engaged
in full-time employment in an academic, research or development
institute in the home country and the application is nominated by that
institution
- Meets the eligibility criteria of the IDB Merit Scholarship Program
- Have a firm admission offer at the KAUST for a PhD program
Selection
of candidates under this joint program will be within the scope of the
IDB Merit Scholarship Program. Interested candidates must follow these
criteria and procedures to apply for the scholarship. Information about
IDB and KAUST is available from their respective websites.
Contact
Scholarship Division
Islamic Development Bank
Qasr Khuzam,
Al Malik Khalid Road,
Jeddah 21432,
Saudi Arabia
Tel. (9662) 646 6833 / 6835
Fax. (9662) 646 6887
e-mail:scholar@isdb.org
website: www.isdb.org
If you have questions concerning admission to KAUST please email: admissions@kaust.edu.sa
See KAUST's admissions requirements for more information.
KAUST Research Centers
Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials, Explore Center
Catalysis, Explore Center
Clean Combustion, Explore Center
Computational bioscience, Explore Center
Desert Agriculture, Explore Center
Extreme Computing, Explore Center
Others, Explore Center
About KAUST
Join us @ XploreScholarship-
General Degree Requirements
The M.S. degree at KAUST is a 36-credit program. Students are expected to complete the M.S. degree in three semesters and one summer session. Degree requirements are divided into three sections: (1) Core Curriculum; (2) Elective Curriculum; and (3) Research/Capstone Experience.- Core Curriculum (9-15 credits): This portion of the degree program is designed to provide a student with the background needed to establish a solid foundation in the discipline over and above undergraduate studies.
- Elective Curriculum (9-15 credits): This portion of the degree program is designed to allow each student to tailor his/her educational experience to meet individual research and educational objectives. Depending upon the program and the objectives, this may be met by added coursework or by additional research experience.
- Research/Capstone Experience (12 credits): The details of this portion of the degree program are also uniquely determined by the student and his/her advisor and will involve a combination of research and other capstone experiences that build on the knowledge gained in coursework.
Thesis Requirements
Studentspursuing the Thesis option must apply by the eighth week of their second semester. Thesis students are expected to conduct research and compose the thesis during the summer and subsequent fall semesters. A minimum of 6 credits of thesis research (297) is required, although it is expected that a student will enroll in 12 credits of MS thesis work. With permission of the M.Sc. thesis advisor, a student who enrolls in only 6 credits of thesis research may use one of the following options to earn the six remaining credits of degree requirements:
- Internship: Research-based summer internship (295). Students are only allowed to take one internship.
- Broadening Experience Courses: Courses that broaden a student's MS experience.
- Ph.D. Level Courses: Courses numbered 300 or greater. Any course in the Ph.D. core requirements that is passed with a minimum grade of B– may be used towards meeting the core Ph.D. requirements of the program if the student chooses to continue for a Ph.D. degree at KAUST.
Committee Structure and Thesis Defense
A committee comprised of the M.S. thesis advisor and two other faculty members performs the evaluation of satisfactory completion of M.S. thesis work. The chair of the committee must be a faculty member within the program. One external faculty member, or one Research Scientist may be allowed. The evaluation of M.S. thesis credits comprises of a satisfactory or unsatisfactory grade. The requirement of a public seminar based on the student's work is left to the discretion of the M.S. thesis advisor.The student is responsible for scheduling the thesis defense date with his/her supervisor and committee members. It is advisable that the student submits a written copy of the thesis to the thesis committee members at least two weeks prior the defense date.
Non-Thesis Option
Research requirement: A minimum of 6 credits of directed research credits (299) is required. Summer internship credits may be used to fulfill the research requirement provided that the summer internship is research-based. Summer internships are subject to approval by the student's academic advisor.Students must complete the remaining credits through one or a combination of the options listed below:
- Broadening Experience Courses: Courses that broaden a student's M.S. experience.
- Ph.D. Level Courses: Courses numbered 300 or greater. Any course in the Ph.D. core requirements that is passed with a minimum grade of B– may be used towards meeting the core Ph.D. requirements of the program if the student chooses to continue for a Ph.D. degree in at KAUST.
- Internship: Research-based summer internship (295). Students are only allowed to take one internship.
Thesis format requirements are described in the KAUST Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines.
Students may select a KAUST faculty member from another program to act as a research advisor (for either thesis or directed research), but must provide a one-page description of the research and an explanation of how such research would be relevant to the degree program. Upon approval by the program and the Dean, the faculty member would be allowed to act as an affiliated faculty member and advisor for the student.
Please Note: Degree Programs may have additional requirement to those listed above.
Program Descriptions
The Master's and Doctoral degree program requirements represent general university-level expectations. The specific details of each degree requirements are outlined in the descriptions of the individual degree programs.Ph.D. Program
We are now accepting applications for Spring 2017. Apply now!
Admissions
Ph.D. students apply for and enter a specific degree program. A faculty advisor is either immediately designated (in the case of a student being recruited by a specific faculty member) or temporarily assigned; in the latter case, the student is expected to identify a research advisor by (at the latest) the end of the first year.There are three phases and associated milestones for Ph.D. students:
- Passing a qualifying exam;
- Passing an oral defence of the dissertation proposal
- Dissertation phase with a final defense milestone.
Ph.D. Degree Requirements
Ph.D. program requires the successful completion of at least 96 credit hours, (inclusive of previous Masters Degree coursework). Qualification and advancement to candidacy are contingent upon: (i) successfully passing Ph.D. coursework, (ii) designating a research advisor, (iii) successfully passing a qualifying exam, and (iii) writing and orally defending a research proposal. Possible outcomes include pass, failure with complete retake, failures with partial retake, and failure with no retake. Students not permitted to retake the exam, or who fail the retake, will be dismissed from the University. The maximum allotted time for advancement to candidacy for a student entering with a M.S. degree is two years; three years for students entering with a B.S.Satisfactory participation in KAUST's Summer Session and Winter Enrichment Period (WEP) is mandatory. Summer Session courses are credit bearing and apply toward the degree. WEP courses do not earn credit towards the degree.
The required coursework is outlined below:
M.S. Degree
- Core courses
- Elective courses
- Two or more courses at the 300 level
- Graduate seminar if required by the program.
Students entering the program with a M.S. from KAUST may transfer coursework toward both the M.S. and Ph.D. requirements listed above upon approval of the program and based on their program of study at KAUST.
Students entering with a B.S. from another institution may transfer in up to 9 credits of graduate level coursework towards the above requirements upon approval of the program. In addition, students entering with a B.S. may also qualify to earn a M.S. degree by satisfying the MS degree requirements as part of the Ph.D. program.
Some degree programs may require a diagnostic entrance exam as a basis for admission, and students may be required to complete additional coursework depending on their degree-granting institution. If the M.S. degree is from a subject other than the Ph.D. degree program, there may be additional courses required and specified by the advisor.
Candidacy
Achieving Ph.D. candidacy is contingent upon successfully passing a qualifying examination, acceptance by the research advisor of a written research proposal and successfully passing an oral examination. Details should be confirmed in the individual degree program material. click here for a list of eligible faculty advisors for any degree program.Passing the qualification phase is achieved by acceptance of all committee members of the writtesn proposal and a positive vote of all but, at most, one member of the oral exam committee. If more than one member casts a negative vote, one retake of the oral defense is permitted if the entire committee agrees. A conditional pass involves conditions (e.g., another course in a perceived area of weakness) imposed by the committee, with the conditional status removed when those conditions have been met. Once constituted, the composition of the qualification phase committee can only be changed upon approval by both the faculty research advisor and the division dean.
Dissertation Research Credits
Besides coursework (6 or more credit hours), dissertation research (course number 397) must be earned during the first (proposal preparation and defense) and second phases of the Ph.D. program. A full-time workload for Ph.D. students is considered to be 12 credit hours per semester (courses and 397) and 6 credit hours in summer (397 only). There is a minimum residency requirement (enrolment period at KAUST) of 2.5 years for students entering with an M.S. degree, 3.5 years for students entering with a B.S. degree. The maximum enrolment period is 5.0 years, extendable upon approval of both the faculty research advisor and the division dean.Dissertation and Dissertation Defense
The Dissertation Defense is the final exam of the Ph.D. degree. It involves a public presentation of the results of the dissertation research followed by a question and answer session. The Dissertation and Defense committee consists of 4 members of which at least 3 must be KAUST faculty members. The committee Chair plus one other member must be an affiliated faculty member. The committee must also include one external examiner who must write a report on the thesis and attend the thesis defense. Qualified Visiting Professors may be involved as on-campus committee members. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the dissertation committee of his/her progress and meet deadlines for submitting defense date and graduation forms. It is expected that students will submit their dissertations to their committee six weeks prior to the defense date in order to receive feedback from the committee members in a timely manner. However, the advisor may approve exceptions to this expected timeline. The dissertation format requirements are described in the KAUST Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines.The result of the defense will be made based on the recommendation of the committee. There are four possible results: (1) Pass: the student passes the exam and the dissertation is accepted as submitted; (2) Pass with revisions: the student passes the exam and the student is advised of the revisions that must be made to the text of the dissertation; (3) Failure with retake: normally this means the student must do more research to complete the dissertation. The student must revise the dissertation and give another oral examination within six months from the date of the first defense; and (4) Failure: the student does not pass the exam, the dissertation is not accepted, the degree is not awarded, and the student is dismissed from the University.
Program Descriptions
The Master's and Doctoral degree program requirements listed above represent general university-level expectations. The specific details of each degree requirements are outlined in the descriptions of the individual degree programs.IDB-KAUST Joint PhD Scholarship Program
About the Program
The IDB-KAUST PhD Scholarship Program was established in 2012 within the scope of the IDB Merit Scholarship Program and the KAUST PhD Program. Under the scholarship program, citizens of IDB member countries are eligible to apply for the scholarship to study at KAUST for a full-time 4-year PhD. The Program is jointly funded by IDB and KAUST to award 5 scholarships annually. The scholarship is a fully funded program as per the KAUST rules and procedures will be supported throughout the eligible duration of the study program. Visit the KAUST Admissions page for PhD program details.Requirements
The candidate must be:- A citizen of an IDB member country (visit the IDB Merit Scholarship Program for a full listing of member countries)
- Age not over 35 years
- Engaged in full-time employment in an academic, research or development institute in the home country and the application is nominated by that institution
- Meets the eligibility criteria of the IDB Merit Scholarship Program
- Have a firm admission offer at the KAUST for a PhD program
Contact
Scholarship DivisionIslamic Development Bank
Qasr Khuzam,
Al Malik Khalid Road,
Jeddah 21432,
Saudi Arabia
Tel. (9662) 646 6833 / 6835
Fax. (9662) 646 6887
e-mail:scholar@isdb.org
website: www.isdb.org
If you have questions concerning admission to KAUST please email: admissions@kaust.edu.sa
See KAUST's admissions requirements for more information.
KAUST Research Centers
Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials, Explore Center
Catalysis, Explore Center
Clean Combustion, Explore Center
Computational bioscience, Explore Center
Desert Agriculture, Explore Center
Extreme Computing, Explore Center
Others, Explore Center
About KAUST
Join us @ XploreScholarship
