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Admissions Standards
General Instructions for
Applications
International Students
Transfer Students
Requirement for Transfer
Students
Transfer of Courses
Transfer of Credits
Limitation on
Transfer of Courses for Graduation
Visiting Students
Academic Advising
Feedback to Students
Class Attendance
Study outside the Classroom
The Grading System
Prerequisite Courses
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
Repeating a Course
Change of Major
Withdrawal from a
Semester or the University
Reactivation of
Academic Status after Withdrawal
Non-Credit Courses
Monitoring of Students'
Academic Progress
Student Examination &
Evaluations
Graduation Requirements
Declaration of Graduation
The Graduation Process
Graduation Academic Status
Graduation with Honors
Graduation Ceremony
Academic Probation
Academic Suspension
Academic Dismissal
Re-admission Following Dismissal
Appeal of
Satisfactory Academic Progress Standard
Mitigating Circumstances
Administrative Support Staff
Course Auditing
Undergraduate Admissions Standards are based on the following four
components.
1. The type of high school diploma held by the student (i.e., natural
science or management or humanities)
2. The weighted average of high school GPA
3. General aptitude test scores, and
4. General admissions test scores.
The weights assigned to each of the four components may vary depending on the
student’s diploma track as follows.
1. Natural science track:
High school GPA (50%) + General Aptitude Test GAT
(30%) + admission test (20%)
2. Managerial track and Humanities:
High school GPA (60%) + General Aptitude Test GAT
(40%)
Based on the weighted scores, the top ranking applicants are admitted to KAU
as preparatory year students. The number of admissions may vary from year to
year depending on the capacity. Students who successfully complete the
preparatory year are then considered for admission to the FEA. Students who fail
to meet the GPA requirements for the preparatory year are given an extension of
one semester to improve their GPA. If a student still fails to meet the GPA
requirements, he / she cannot proceed further in the admissions process.
The application form must be filled out completely via KAU admissions portal
(internet) and must reach the Office of Admissions and Registration.
1. Along with the completed application form, the applicant must submit
the following documents:
o Photocopy of Guardian's Family Card, National ID, Iqama.
o Scanned copy of passport.
o Original transcripts of High School (or equivalent).
o Transfer and visiting students must submit an official transcript
from the university or university from which they are transferring or
visiting.
o Good Conduct Certificate and Letter of Recommendation for foreign
students
o Four recent passport-size photographs.
o Standardized Test Scores (TOEFL, IELTS etc.). If standardized test
scores are unavailable, students must schedule an appointment for an
institutional placement test.
This does not apply to applicants from outside Saudi Arabia whose status will
depend on their interview.
2. Applicants from academic backgrounds other than the Saudi Secondary
School system must fulfil the following admissions criteria based on the
IGCSE Admission Requirements and Grades as prescribed by the Ministry of
Education:
o 8 IGCSE (O) Level Courses with no less than grade C
OR
o 5 IGCSE (O) Level Courses with no less than grade C and ONE
Advanced (A) level with grade no less than D.
OR
o 5 IGCSE (O) Level Courses with no less than grade C and TWO
Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level with grade no less than grade D.
IGCSE Admission Requirement
Alternatives
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O-Level Courses
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Minimum Grade
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A-Level Courses
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Minimum
Grade
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AS-Level Courses
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Minimum
Grade
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8
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C
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-
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-
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-
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-
|
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5
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C
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1
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D
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-
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-
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5
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C
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-
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-
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2
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D
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3. A personal interview is required. Foreign students may be interviewed
by phone or after arrival to Saudi Arabia.
4. Applicants will be notified of the Admissions Committee's decision
following receipt of completed application and supporting credentials and
after all placement test scores are available.
5. Foreign students are required to complete the visa information sheet
along with the application.
6. After an applicant has been notified of the Admissions Committee's
decision, he / she should submit the Medical File and Emergency Contact
Information Form to the Office of Admissions and Registration.
FEA accepts international students from around the globe. The admissions
requirements also apply to international applicants interested in studying at
KAU. KAU can arrange student visa for applicants outside the Kingdom. The
requirements are as follows:
1. Application supported by all required documents as listed above in
section 3.2.2.
2. Medical Report confirming medical fitness to study
3. Visa Application Form has to be filled
4. Two passport size photographs
5. Full scanned copy of passport (include all pages and ensure that the
passport is valid for at least one year)
6. A letter from the Guardian confirming that they support the
application
7. Confirmation if the student will be staying with her Guardian or at
Campus.
8. Copy of High School certificate and copy transcript from the school
9. Stamped copy transcript from the college (if the student is a transfer
student)
10. A signed letter written by the student states
a. Full name
b. Nationality
c. Passport number
d. Place and date of issue
e. The high school you graduated from and its location (city and
country)
f. The college you are studying at and its location
g. Your major
h. Visa processing fee
Transfer applicants must meet all the admission criteria for freshmen
applicants listed in the following section and submit official transcripts of
all academic work attempted at other colleges or universities in conjunction
with their completed application packets. Students transferring from
colleges/universities where English is the medium of instruction are not
required to take the English proficiency test.
Transfer applicants must be in good academic standing at the college or
university from which they are transferring. A student who is not entitled to
continue studies at the institution from which he /she is transferring will not
be admitted to until he /she is eligible for readmission to the former
institution.
FEA accepts transfers from other colleges and universities under the
following conditions:
1. The student should be enrolled at a recognized university or college
by the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education.
2. The student must not have been dismissed from that university for
disciplinary reasons.
All transfer applications are submitted to the Admissions and Academic
Standing Committee which studies the application and ensures that the applicant
fulfills the following requirements:
o Transfer applicants have to have completed at least one semester of a
minimum of 12 credits or more in a recognized institution of higher
education.
o Transfer applicants should submit their transcript of record together
with the syllabus and course descriptions for courses they seek to transfer.
o Transferred Courses may be considered for transfer only if a grade of
not less than C (70%) was obtained in the course.
o The decision regarding which credits are awarded is made by the
Admissions and Academic Standing Committee in consultation with the
appropriate academic departments.
o A maximum of 36 credit hours in each degree program will be accepted
for transfer. Of those 36 credit hours, a minimum of 18 credit hours must be
in the major.
o Once accepted, the student has to fully withdraw from the previous
college and has to submit the original High School Certificate to the
Admissions office at KAU.
o In order to seek transfer of credits, the student must submit the
original transcript and detailed official course descriptions.
o Courses completed within the last 5 years are transferable. Courses
older than 5 years will be considered on a case by case basis.
o A course from another university or college using the Quarter Hour
Credit system may be approved to fulfill requirements.
o Only those courses with a grade of C or higher will be considered for
transfer.
o Transferred courses will fulfill specific degree requirements only when
they are comparable in content and level and are applicable to the student’s
degree program.
o Courses are transferred as credit only. No grade points are assigned to
transfer credit hours for purposes of calculating grade point averages.
Transfer credit is designated on student’s academic transcript with the
grade of NP.
o A course is transferable if its content matches a minimum of 80% of an
equivalent course at FEA.
o Course(s) completed through correspondence and / or distance learning
are not transferable.
o Only courses taken at academic institutions approved by the Saudi
Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) are transferable for college credit.
Students who have successfully completed A-Levels or the International
Baccalaureate (IB) may receive credits based on their exam results.
Students can transfer credits from courses they pursued as visiting students
to other universities as follows:
o The student must obtain an approval from the program director to
transfer credits if he / she wants to apply as a visitor to other
universities.
o No transfer fee is charged.
o Only courses taken at an academic institution that is approved by the
Saudi Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) are transferable.
o Only those courses with a grade of C or higher will be considered for
transfer.
o No transfer of credits will be issued for summer courses taken locally
(within Jeddah) if the same course is being offered at the same time within
FEA.
To protect the integrity of the College’s degree programs, limits are placed
on the number of credit hours that may be transferred from another institution
to fulfill degree requirements. No more than 50% of the hours required for
graduation with a bachelor’s degree will be accepted for transfer from another
institution of higher education. A student must complete at least 60% of her
upper division (junior/senior) courses at FEA.
FEA welcomes exchange students from other accredited universities and
colleges. Specific documents are required to process the acceptance:
1. An original up-to-date transcript from your University
2. Official letter from your college stating that they agree upon you
coming and studying at KAU
3. List of courses that the student would like to study at FEA.
Furthermore, KAU can process the visiting student visa to Saudi Arabia.
Please refer to “International Students” (section 3.2.3) to know the
requirements.
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 after graduating.
For every academic department, there are faculty academic advisors and the
average advising load per advisor per year is 80 students. FEA faculty is
available for their students for 10 office hours per week where students can set
up appointments. In addition to these 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 have to earn 60 points in order to pass the course. 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.
For a bachelor’s degree, a student is expected to put in six hours outside of
classroom for a 3 Credit course on assignments, textbook reading, and case
preparations per week.
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.
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Letter
Grade
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Limits
of Mark
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Description of grade
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A+
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95 - 100
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Exceptional
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A
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90 – less than 95
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Excellent
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B+
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85 - less than 90
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Superior
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B
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80 - less than 85
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Very Good
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C+
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75 - less than 80
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Above Average
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C
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70 - less than 75
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Good
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D+
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65 - less than 70
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High-Pass
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D
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60 - less than 65
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Pass
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F
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less than 60
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Fail
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IP
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-
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In-Progress
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IC
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-
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In-Complete
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DN
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-
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Denial
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NP
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60 and above
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No grade Pass
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NF
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less than 60
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No grade Fail
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W
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-
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Withdrawn
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WP
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-
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Withdrawn with Pass
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WF
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-
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Withdrawn with Fail
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AU
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-
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Audit
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Some courses require prerequisite or co-requisite course(s). With the help of
the academic advisor, students must ensure all co-requisite and prerequisite
course(s) are taken in the set order in the plan of study. Any exceptions
regarding the waiver of either a co-requisite or a prerequisite must be
supported by the academic advisor with written justification and approved by the
Program Director. The approved waiver must then be submitted to the Registrar.
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.
Dropping a course is whereby a student informs the administration that he
/she will drop a course in which he / she is currently enrolled. During the
first two weeks of a semester (see ‘Academic Calendar’) a student may drop a
course without penalty and no grade will appear on his / her transcript.
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 his / her 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.
A student may repeat a course in order to improve a poor grade and / or to
meet graduation requirements with the approval of his / her academic advisor and
program director within the maximum time limits required for graduation provided
that the following conditions apply.
o A student is allowed to repeat courses in which he / she received a
grade lower than C.
o A student may repeat a course in which he / she obtained a grade D or
D+ once.
o A student may repeat a failed course i.e. a course in which he / she
received a grade F or DN twice. However, if a student fails a course again,
he / she has the following three options:
1. Take an alternative course equivalent in content to the failed
course.
2. Undertake an additional Independent Study such as writing a
research paper, summarizing articles or undertaking a project under the
supervision and the approval of the Program Director of the said program
as well as the instructor of the failed course.
3. Take the course outside the College as a transfer course with
prior approval as per the policy for transfer of credits)
o A grade of “IC” is not allowed for a repeated course.
o When a course is repeated, the old grade will still appear on the
transcript.
o A student will not be allowed to graduate with a grade of F for any
course that is required for his / her major.
The decision to change an academic major is a matter of great significance
and should be pursued only after thoughtful deliberation. Initially a student
specifies the intended academic major on the Undergraduate Admission Application
form. However, the student has the right to change the major. Students who
change majors must meet all the requirements of the new major. Completion of the
new-major requirements may extend the duration of a student’s academic studies.
A student who elects to withdraw from the semester or from the College must
obtain and complete a "Student Clearance" Form, which is available at the
Registrar’s Office. A student who withdraws during the withdrawal period (see
‘Academic Calendar’) will receive a grade of “W” on courses in which she is
enrolled.
o If a student withdrew and decided to return to his / her studies by
resuming the academic status, he / she is required to fully complete the
Re-activation form provided that the gap does not exceed two calendar years.
o If a student withdrew and decided to return to his / her studies after
two calendar years, he / she must re-qualify for re-admission.
o Students who apply for re-admission should meet all admission
requirements for new applicants and must follow policies and procedures
applied at the date of re-entry.
Non-credit courses do not count as credits attempted or credits earned and do
not influence the standards of satisfactory academic progress.
All students must satisfactorily progress through the chosen program of study
in order to remain enrolled and graduate. The College evaluates both qualitative
and quantitative factors to confirm students are mastering the program content
and progressing at a rate that will allow successful completion of the academic
program within the maximum timeframe permitted for graduation.
The faculty monitors academic progress of all students on an ongoing basis. The
key monitoring indicators include student GPA scores as well as feedback
received from faculty members. The GPA scores that are indicative of progress,
or warrant a warning or dismissal from the undergraduate programs are clearly
stated and published in the faculty manual (articles 9-30). The specifics are
outlined as follows.
If a student’s GPA score falls below 2.0 out of 5.0, the student receives three
consecutive (and, with rare exception, a fourth) warnings. Beyond this, they are
dismissed. Students are expected to complete the undergraduate degree in four
years, which may, under exceptional circumstances, be extended to six years. The
university board may grant a student additional two years extension as the last
resort. If the student does not succeed in improving his/her GPA score and / or
fails to graduate with the maximum eight years, he/she is dismissed.
Examinations and other forms of evaluation are administered by the instructor
throughout the semester and as specified in the course syllabus. All instructors
must provide one or more examinations or other evaluations of students’ work by
the midpoint of the semester. Under no circumstances will a student’s grade in a
course be based solely on a final examination score. All courses offered for
academic credit require a final examination. Final examinations may vary in
structure and content according to the nature of the specific course. Final
examinations are scheduled at the end of each semester and are administered
according to an official final examination schedule published by the Registrar’s
Office. The weight given to the final examination in determining the course
grade shall be as specified in the course syllabus distributed to students
during the first or second meeting of the class.
Students must complete their graduation requirements within a maximum time
frame (MTF) that is equivalent to 150% of the normal program length. A student
who fails to complete all program requirements within the MTF will be dismissed
and ineligible to earn a bachelor’s degree.
In order to qualify for the Bachelor degree, the students must successfully
complete the designated credit hours in their desired discipline with a minimum
GPA of 2.0. Credit hours are distributed across university requirements, faculty
requirements, and departmental requirements.
The university requirements stipulate that all students are required to
successfully complete 14 hours of Arabic language and Islamic Studies. The
Arabic language courses comprise 6 credit hours (ARAB 101, 102), and Islamic
Studies courses comprise 8 credit hours (ISLS 101, 201, 301, 401).
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 her academic advisor to review with his / her all
the requirements for graduation. Then, the student has to submit his / 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.
A student will graduate under the following status based on his / her
Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).
Excellent with
Honors 4.75 – 5.00
Excellent
4.50 – 4.74
Very Good
4.00 – 4.49
Good
3.75 – 3.99
Average
2.75 – 3.74
Pass
2.00 – 2.74
The First Honor will be awarded to students who earn a minimum of 4.75 out of
5.00 as their CGPA; the Second Honor will be awarded to students who earn
4.25-4.74 out of 5.00 as their CGPA upon graduation, provided that they do not
earn the grade of “F” or “DN” at any point during their academic study at the
College.
The Graduation ceremony is held at the end of each Spring semester for
bachelor degree students who have completed all graduation requirements.
Graduating students are required to attend unless excused by the Vice Dean of
Academic Affairs. Students who have to complete up to six credit hours in the
summer session in order to complete their graduation requirements, may also
apply to participate in the Commencement Ceremony. Refer to the section on
Graduation Advising and Application for Degree to learn more about the
graduation process.
The University will place a student who fails to maintain a CGPA of at least
2 on academic probation. The University will also place a student on probation
if he /she fails to maintain a minimum completion rate of two-thirds of her
attempted credits (67%) at the end of each academic year for the following
semester. Academic probation is a serious warning that the quality of the
student’s work has not met the minimum standards and that the student’s
continued enrollment is in jeopardy. During the probationary period, the student
must correct the CGPA and/or minimum credit completion shortfall. A student
cannot remain on probation for more than two consecutive semesters and those who
fail to reestablish satisfactory progress at the end of the second semester will
be suspended. Students on academic probation will be subject to the following
additional requirements.
o A student on probation may register for 11 to 12 credits hours of
course load for the semester
o A student on probation will be required to repeat course(s) in which he
/ she received a grade "F" if it is required as a program or general
education requirement. He / she will also be strongly recommended to repeat
"D" grades to improve his / her CGPA
o A student must follow up with his / her academic advisor on his / her
performance and academic load.
o The University will dismiss any student at the end of the first
probationary semester if it is not mathematically possible for his / her to
reestablish satisfactory progress at the end of a second probationary
semester.
A student on academic probation for two consecutive semesters, who fails to
reestablish satisfactory academic progress, will be suspended for one regular
semester. In addition, students who are deemed unable to successfully complete
all program requirements prior to the expiration of the MTF will be dismissed
without the benefit of probation.
A student who returns to the College after a first suspension must earn a
minimum CGPA of 2. In addition, he / she must achieve a minimum completion rate
of 67% of his / her attempted credits in the semester following suspension. If
he / she fails to do so, the student is dismissed. A dismissed student may be
granted permission to apply for admission under a different major and a
different ID (see section on “Readmission to the College Following Dismissal”).
A dismissed student may apply for readmission after one semester has passed.
The applicant must demonstrate to the Vice Dean of Student Affairs and the
applicable Program Director the ability and determination to successfully resume
his / her studies. Any time not enrolled in the College after beginning a
program counts toward the calculation of the maximum timeframe for completing
all graduation requirements. Therefore, students may only return after dismissal
if it is mathematically possible to graduate within MTF and with a CGPA of 2.0
or higher.
Students have the right to appeal a dismissal action taken as a result of the
application of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress. A student must
first discuss the problem with his / her advisor and Program Director and, if
the problem remains unresolved, the student may appeal to the Vice Dean of
Academic Affairs. All appeals must be made in writing and the student bears the
burden of demonstrating why the action was inappropriate. The decision of the
Vice Dean of Academic Affairs is final and not subject to additional appeal at
the College. Students who successfully appeal a dismissal will be placed on
academic probation for the next semester.
The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress may be temporarily waived by
the Vice Dean of Student Affairs if the student can demonstrate that exceptional
circumstances negatively impacted his / her academic performance. Such requests
must be submitted in writing and the student bears the burden to demonstrate the
unique nature and resolution of the negative circumstance and the ability to
maintain satisfactory academic progress going forward. Examples include, but are
not limited to, illness or family death that adversely affected his / her
academic performance
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.
The Program Director and the Course Instructor must approve all requests by
students, and individuals from outside the college to audit a course that has
not reached its maximum enrollment. Only those with appropriate educational
background will be authorized to audit a course. It is the responsibility of the
Program Director and the Course Instructor to ensure that an auditor of a course
will not have a negative effect on the quality or the conduct of the course. In
no case will more than ten percent of the enrollees in a course be auditors.
Registration for auditing students should take place during the Drop/Add period.
o All auditors are required to declare at the time of enrollment whether
the audit is an “evaluated audit” or a “non-evaluated audit”:
o Those who register for an evaluated audit will receive a grade of “A-S”
(audit satisfactory) or “A-U” (audit unsatisfactory) based upon their
performance on all course requirements for regular students.
o Those who register for a non-evaluated audit will not be evaluated and
receive no grade on their audit record. The record will reflect the
designation “A-N” (audit non-evaluated).
o The Registrar will maintain a record of all course audits and will provide
individual auditors a record of their audit(s) upon request.
The individual responsible for auditing a course is:
o Encouraged to attend all lectures, laboratories or other scheduled
class activities to obtain the maximum educational benefits from the course
and cause minimal disruption by irregular attendance.
o Permitted to take examinations, submit written work for evaluation and
participate in assigned group learning activities only if registered for an
evaluated audit.
o Authorized to use the FEA Library and self-access computer labs on a
space available basis.
o Not authorized to use FEA medical or recreational facilities (unless it
is a case of emergency).
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