History
The University Board determines the number of students to
be admitted each year for the graduate studies as per the recommendations of the
Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies and suggestions by Department and
College Councils.
A student cannot enroll in two graduate programs at the same time. The
student studying in a graduate program must not be simultaneously enrolled in
any other program, neither in bachelor’s nor in graduate studies.
Graduate Admissions Standards
Graduate Admissions Procedure
Documents Required for
Registration
International Graduate Students
Admissions Deferment
Academic Advising
Feedback to Students
Class Attendance
Study outside the Classroom
Dropping or Adding a Course
Procedure for Adding a Course
Procedure for Dropping a Course
Withdrawal from a Course
Procedure for Withdrawal
from a Course
Rejoining a Course after
Withdrawal
Program Discontinuance
Dismissal from the Program
Readmission after Dismissal
Transfer of Students,
Courses and Credits
Transfer Procedure
Change of Major
The Grading System
Monitoring of Students'
Academic Progress
Administrative Support Staff
Graduation Requirements
Declaration of Graduation
The Graduation Process
1. The applicant must have a university degree from a Saudi university or
from a recognized university (Must be recognized by MOHE).
2. He / she must have a record of good behavior and be medically fit.
3. Recommendation letters should be submitted from two of the applicant
former professors.
4. Admission to a postgraduate diploma requires an undergraduate
performance of not less than ‘good’ (C grade).
5. Admission to a master’s degree program requires a minimum overall
undergraduate performance of ‘very good’ (B). However, the Council of the
Deanship of Graduate Studies can waive this condition for ‘upper good (C+).
Also the Council of Deanship of Graduate Studies can waive this condition
for Good (C) as per recommendation of the Department Council and the support
of the College Council in some programs which are nominated and identified
by the University Board, given that the undergraduate major GPA is not less
than ‘very good’ (B). The Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies can
add other requirements as per the recommendations of the Department Council
and the support of the College Council.
To be admitted to any graduate studies program, the following steps are
followed.
1. All students interested in the graduate program of their choice at FEA
need to apply online through the KAU website. Applicants should provide
clear contacts information to the Office of Graduate Studies so that they
can communicate with the students to finalize their admission and
registration procedures.
2. The deanship screens the applications based on the following
requirements:
a. Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from a Saudi or accredited
university
b. Admission exam results
c. English proficiency test
d. Resume
e. Two letters of recommendation
f. Employer's approval in writing for pursuing graduate study (if
candidate is an employee of a government agency).
3. The applicant must submit undergraduate certificate, transcripts
together with identification documents and all other required application
materials. When all requirements and conditions mentioned in the Unified
Regulation are fulfilled, the file is sent to the department concerned to
calculate the cumulative GPA in the undergraduate majors only for those with
‘upper good,’ and to confirm that the candidate has scored ‘very good’ in
the major, the applicant's name is added to the list of competitors (to be
one of those who will study the program).
The candidate who applies to study in a field other than his original
field, or who is accepted or transferred from another university, the
courses to be counted in his cumulative GPA should be identified, according
to the rules decided as special implementing rules for the academic
department.
4. After counting the cumulative GPA, the concerned academic department
starts to proceed the written or oral tests, and interviews (if necessary).
Copies of all rolls of each accepted candidate must be kept in the concerned
department. In addition, copies of all rolls for each candidate (accepted
and unaccepted) are sent to the Deanship of Graduate Studies.
5. Applicants are granted admission in accordance with their overall
evaluation in admission tests and interview as well as the maximum number
permitted for admissions established for the concerned program in the
concerned academic year.
6. Following the completion of the admissions tests and interviews, those
applicants who satisfy the admission requirements are selected.
7. Completed applications are then sent to the FEA’s Associate Dean for
Graduate Studies who, in turn, sends them to the concerned department chair
within FEA for consideration to finalize admissions decisions and send the
final decisions to Deanship of Graduate Studies.
8. The Deanship of Graduate Studies in coordination with the Deanship of
Admissions and Registration inform the students accordingly by way of an
acceptance letter indicating the admission status of the student. Student’s
status will be one of the following.
i. Accepted.
ii. Provisionally accepted.
iii. Rejected
9. Rejected students are entitled to receive a letter specifying the
results of their admission tests and interview.
10. A graduate student may be admitted to a other than his/her original
field of study as per the recommendations of the Councils of Academic
Departments and the College concerned, together with the approval of the
Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies.
11. Provisionally accepted students are required to pass the appropriate
preparatory program devised for them to help them qualify for the graduate
program they are applying for after acquiring the necessary knowledge and
skills needed to undertake the concerned program. The structure and the
content of preparatory programs will vary according to the requirements set
by each department for each program.
After the fulfillment of all admission conditions, the candidate can apply to
Graduate Studies within the identified admission period which will be proclaimed
according to the fixed schedule.
Candidates should bring their following documents to be finally registered.
1. An authorized copy of graduation documents.
2. An authorized copy of degrees record (transcripts).
3. Two academic recommendations from the candidates’ previous
instructors.
4. A copy of the identity card/Passport.
5. Four passport size photos (4 x 3).
6. Good testimonial certifying honest conduct.
7. Complete Application Form, in Arabic and English.
8. Fulfil the required level in TOEFL exam (or in an equivalent exam
acceptable to KAU) except those candidates whose certificates are issued
from English-speaking countries such as the UK, the USA, Australia, etc.
If the applicant is non-Saudi, he/she must bring the following documents in
addition to those specified in section 3.5. above.
1. The official letter for the scholarship.
2. A copy of valid passport.
All papers and documents (except passport and application form) MUST BE
authorized by Saudi officials or by the Saudi embassy in the candidate’s country
of residence.
Studies may only be postponed following the approval of the relevant Academic
Department Council, and Dean of the College concerned, and the Dean of Graduate
Studies according to the following.
o The student must have finished at least one semester or more, or
completed a good part of his thesis;
o Postponement must not exceed four semesters (2 academic years);
o The student must submit a postponement request two weeks before the
beginning of the semester;
o The postponement period is not included in the maximum residency period
required for the degree.
If there is a department approval and support of Dean of the College and Dean
of Graduate Studies, then the study can be postponed during the stage of
deficiency courses, mentioned in Article 18, regarding the following.
o The student should have passed at least one semester of deficiency
courses.
o The student has the right to postpone only one semester during study of
deficiency courses.
o The student must apply for postponement at least two weeks prior to the
beginning of the semester.
o The postponement is not included in the maximum residency period
required for passing the deficiency courses mentioned in Article 18.
o The postponement period is included in the periods of postponement
periods mentioned above.
There is a strong tradition of faculty-student interaction within FEA as part
of student learning and growth. Students have easy access to study material and
discussion groups formed and run by faculty members and teaching assistants. In
addition to regular instruction, students are encouraged to discuss their degree
majors, any additional study needs, career choices, and/ or exploring further
education opportunities after completing their graduate program. In addition to
their regular office hours, faculty can be contacted through e-mail and
telephone.
The KAU policy requires that students be informed about their progress on an
ongoing basis. Grades and assignments are returned in a timely fashion. In
addition, students may also receive informal feedback about their homework,
assignments or periodic tests from their instructors through e-mail or
in-person. The final grades are uploaded to the university online system (ODUS)
no later than 72 hours after completion of an examination.
It is expected that students shall maintain classroom attendance. Students
who miss 25% of the total classes get a FAIL grade. Instructors discuss these
and other course policies on the first day of class. These policies are also
included in the course syllabus.
Students must complete all individual and group assignments and are expected
to stay engaged both inside and outside of the classroom as a part of their
learning process. On average, a student is expected to put in at least six hours
outside of classroom for a 3 Credit course on assignments, textbook reading, and
case preparations per week.
A student may drop and/or add course(s) according to the dates specified in
the Academic Calendar. During the initial period, a student may add and/or drop
courses without academic penalty. Added and/or dropped courses should be within
the minimum and maximum required credit hour load. A student may drop a course
without a penalty, no grade will appear on his / her transcript.
A student may add a course during the first week of classes to substitute for
a course that he / she has officially dropped or to increase his / her course
load, so long as the addition of this course does not result in exceeding the
course load limit.
A student can request to drop a course subject to the following conditions
o He/she must submit the form for dropping before the final examination
o Approval of the Department Council together with the approvals of the
Dean of the College concerned and the Dean of Graduate Studies, are required
o This semester must not be considered from the additional attempts given
to the student
o This semester will be considered as part of the postponement period.
In addition, the following conditions apply.
o The student must not drop the courses of two successive semesters.
o The student must apply for dropping before four weeks left to the start
of final exams. The application should not be considered, except after the
approval of Dean of Graduate Studies.
o Approvals from the Department Council and Deans of the college and
Graduate Studies are required
o The dropout semester is included within the postponed periods mentioned
above.
A student who drops a course after the second week of classes but before the
twelfth week of classes will receive a grade of “W”. A student may not drop a
course after the beginning of the twelfth week of classes. The following
conditions apply.
o A grade of “W” indicates that the student withdrew from the course
without penalty and is not calculated into the CGPA. No credit is received
for the course.
o A withdrawn course must be repeated to receive a numerical grade for
the course if the course is required for the major.
o A student will be allowed to withdraw from the same course for a
maximum of two times.
o Repeating a withdrawn course more than twice will be reviewed on a
case-by-case basis.
The student must meet with his / her instructor and academic advisor prior to
withdrawing from a course. To withdraw from a course a student must complete a
“Course Withdrawal” Form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office for processing.
o If a student has withdrawn voluntarily from graduate studies, and then
decided to return, all the current admission requirements must be met.
o If the student has withdrawn voluntarily and then decided to return,
the department can count for him / her all or some of deficiency courses
that student has already studied before withdrawal.
o The main or major courses been studied by the student before withdrawal
should not be counted for him / her.
A student would be considered to have voluntarily discontinued his/her
program and would be dismissed in the following cases.
o If he / she is accepted in the program and doesn’t register during the
registration period
o If he / she registers in a semester but does not attend classes in that
semester.
The Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies may decide to dismiss a
student if:
o The student gains admission to graduate studies but does not register
during the registration period.
o The student does not pass the deficiency courses.
o The student withdraws or discontinues the program for one semester
without an acceptable excuses.
o The student does not show his seriousness in studying or does not
fulfill his academic duties according to the stipulated guidelines.
o The student's GPA is below “B” for two consecutive semesters.
o The student exceeds the postponement periods mentioned above.
o There is evidence of academic dishonesty in the student’s course of
study or during his/her thesis work, or if the rules and regulations of the
university are violated.
o The student does not pass the comprehensive examination (if required)
at the second attempt.
o The Thesis Committee disqualifies the thesis for defense or does not
accept it following the defense.
o The student's program remains incomplete following the expiry of the
maximum residency period.
In extremely limited cases, a student’s file can be reinstated if the
Academic Department and College Councils support his/her readmission request,
with justification. The readmission is to be approved by University Board based
on the recommendations of the Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies with
the following considerations.
1. If the period between dismissal and the application for readmission
exceeds six semesters, the student will be treated as a new applicant
regardless of the number of credit hours he earned before.
2. If the period between dismissal and the application for readmission is
6 semesters or less, the student may be asked to repeat some courses. These
courses will be identified by the Academic Department and College Councils
and approved by the Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies. The credit
hours earned from the time of readmission will be counted in his GPA
calculation. The previous period attended in the program by the student will
be counted as part of his/her maximum residency period for the degree in
question.
However,
1. The student who has been dismissed for more than six semesters, should
be treated as a new applicant
2. The student who has withdrawn conclusively from the university cannot
be registered again.
A student can transfer courses from one recognized university to the
University as per the recommendation of both the Academic Department and College
Councils and the approval of the Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies
after consideration of the following.
1. The student must satisfy the admission requirements and other
departmental requirements as necessary.
2. The student must not be dismissed, for any reason, from the university
from which he is transferring.
3. The number of credit hours earned will be calculated according to the
following:
(a) Courses under consideration should not have been taken more than
six semesters preceding the application.
(b) The topics of the credit hours to be transferred must meet the
current program requirements.
(c) The percentage of the credit hours to be transferred must not be
more than 30% of the new program requirements.
(d) The grade of the transferred courses should not be less than Very
Good (B).
(e) The transferred credit hours will not be included in the GPA
calculation.
(f) The Academic Department Council will recommend the transfer of
credits, to be approved by the Councils of the College and the Deanship
of Graduate Studies.
A student can transfer his / her major through the following steps:
o The student should apply to the head of the academic department for
transfer from one field to another or from a program to another inside the
same department.
o Application for transfer from a department to another in the same
college is to be raised to the Dean of the College.
o Application for transfer to another college is to be raised to the
Deanship of Graduate Studies.
o Application for transfer from another university (Saudi or foreign)
must be raised to the Dean of Graduate Studies accompanied by official and
authorized details: The state of the student, the courses he has passed, and
course content, the number of credits and the grade the student achieved in
each course.
The student’s major can be changed at the University according to the
recommendations of the Department and College Councils and the approval of the
Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies taking the following into
consideration:
o The student satisfies the admission and any other requirements deemed
necessary by the Department
o Credit hours earned at the University may be counted, if the new
Department approves its compatibility with the new program to be transferred
to. These credits will be included in the GPA calculation
o The student should not have been previously dismissed
o The period spent in the previous major will be considered part of the
maximum residency period for the degree in question
o Only one change of major is allowed during the maximum residency period
for the degree in question
Students’ performance is evaluated through assigned classwork, homework, and
assignments as well as through scheduled examinations. A letter grade based on
the aggregate numerical score is given to students as follows in line with the
grade distribution policy of the University.
Letter
Grade
|
Limits
of Mark
|
Description of grade
|
A+
|
95
- 100
|
Exceptional
|
A
|
90
– less than 95
|
Excellent
|
B+
|
85
- less than 90
|
Superior
|
B
|
80
- less than 85
|
Very Good
|
C+
|
75
- less than 80
|
Above Average
|
C
|
70
- less than 75
|
Good
|
D+
|
65
- less than 70
|
High-Pass
|
D
|
60
- less than 65
|
Pass
|
F
|
less than 60
|
Fail
|
IP
|
-
|
In-Progress
|
IC
|
-
|
In-Complete
|
DN
|
-
|
Denial
|
NP
|
60
and above
|
No
grade Pass
|
NF
|
less than 60
|
No
grade Fail
|
W
|
-
|
Withdrawn
|
WP
|
-
|
Withdrawn with Pass
|
WF
|
-
|
Withdrawn with Fail
|
AU
|
-
|
Audit
|
Students in the graduate programs are required to maintain a minimum of B
grade in two consecutive semesters to continue the program as well as graduate.
If he/she does not maintain this average, the student is dismissed. Students
have to complete their graduate degrees within eight semesters; if not they are
dismissed. This is mandated by article 39 of the graduate studies bylaws passed
by the higher education ministry.
The FEA administrative staff strives to provide the best services to
students. They work closely with students to serve as guide on course selection,
registering for classes online, maintaining course records, and transcripts
requests. In addition, students have access to departmental assistants. The
departmental assistants also help students organize student club gatherings, and
student-led lectures and seminars.
After completing all of the degree requirements, a student should apply for
his /her graduation. For this purpose, he / she is required to ensure the
following.
1. Completed all the course requirements as per his approved degree plan.
2. Obtain a GPA of at least 3.75 out of 5 as part of the requirement of
the KAU graduate studies regulations (CGPA of at least 3.00 out of 4.00).
The following conditions apply to students enrolled in thesis-based degrees
only.
1. Passed the thesis/dissertation course successfully with “NP” grade.
2. Submitted Oral Defense Report to the Deanship of Graduate Studies.
3. Final thesis/dissertation write-up is approved by the Dean of Graduate
Studies.
Upon completion of the above requirements, the student has to begin the
process of graduation.
One semester before a student expects to graduate, he / she must obtain the
Application for Degree Form from the Registrar’s Office. Failure to apply for
the degree and to successfully complete the semester’s coursework will delay the
student’s graduation
The student must refer to his / her academic advisor to review with him / her
all the requirements for graduation. Then, the student has to submit him / her
completed Application of Degree Form to the Registrar’s Office. After completing
all degree requirements and receiving all course grades, a student has to
complete the “Graduation Clearance Form” which is available at the Registrar’s
Office in order to finalize the graduation procedures.
|