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Unified Regulation for Graduate Studies at the Saudi Universities
CHAPTER 5: ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION.
Admission Requirements
Article Twelve
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 suggestion by Department’s and Colleges’ Councils.
Article Thirteen
For Admission to the Graduate Studies, the following general requirements should be satisfied:
1. The applicant must be a Saudi national or must have an official scholarship to the Graduate Studies (for non-Saudis);
2. The applicant must have a university degree from a Saudi university or from another recognized university;
3. He/she must have a record of good behavior and be medically fit.
4. Recommendation letters should be submitted from two of his/her former professors; A no-objection letter from his/her employer is required, if the applicant is willing; and
6. Applicants for doctoral programs must enroll on a full-time basis.
The Board of each university can add any other general requirements as necessary.
Article Fourteen
Admission to a postgraduate diploma requires an undergraduate performance of not less than ‘good’ (C grade).
Article Fifteen
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+) 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.
Article Sixteen
Admission to a Doctoral degree program requires a minimum overall performance of at least ‘very good’ (B) in the Master’s degree program if this degree is from a university with a letter-grading system. The Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies Council may add other necessary admission requirements as per the recommendation of the Department Council and the support of the College Council.
Article Seventeen
A graduate student may be admitted to a Master or Doctoral program other than his/her original field of study as per the recommendations of the Councils of Department and the College concerned, together with the approval of the Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies.
Article Eighteen
The concerned department may require a student in a Master’s or Doctoral program to take a number of deficiency courses for a maximum period of three semesters with the following considerations:
1. The deficiency courses must be completed at the first attempt with a grade not less than ‘good’ (C);
2. The cumulative GPA in all deficiency courses must not be less than ‘very good’ (B);
3. Registration for the intended graduate studies program will not commence until the deficiency courses are passed. The Department concerned may allow the student to enroll in such graduate courses if only one or two deficiency courses remain;
4. The time period required for completing the deficiency courses is not considered part of the maximum residency period for the degree in question; and
5. Deficiency courses are not included in the GPA calculation for graduate studies
Article Nineteen
Admission and registration of graduate students should be conducted through the Deanship of Graduate Studies in coordination with the Deanship of Admission and Registration.
Article Twenty
A student cannot enroll in two graduate programs at the same time.
Postponement and Withdrawal
Article Twenty-one
A student admission may be postponed for not more than two semesters based on the approval of the relevant Department Council, the Dean of the College concerned, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. This period of postponement will not be included as part of the maximum residency period allowed for completing the degree.
Article Twenty-two
Studies may only be postponed following the approval of the relevant Department Council, and Dean of the College concerned, and the Dean of Graduate Studies according to the following:
1. The student must have finished at least one semester or more and completed a good part of his thesis;
2. Postponement must not exceed four semesters (2 academic years);
3. The student must submit a postponement request two weeks before the beginning of the semester; and
4. The postponement period is not included in the maximum residency period required for the degree.
Article Twenty-three
The student can request to withdraw from the semester subject to the following conditions:
1. He/she must submit the form for withdrawal before the final examination;
2. Approval of the Department Council together with the approvals of the Dean of the College concerned and the Dean of Graduate Studies, are required;
3. This semester must not be from any additional period of extension given to the student; and
4. The semester will be considered as part of the postponement period mentioned in Article 22.
Withdrawal
Article Twenty-four
If a student withdraws voluntarily from graduate studies, and decides to return, all the admission requirements must be met.
Discontinuance
Withdrawal: the student retrieves totally his file from the University.Withdrawal: the student retrieves totally his file from the University.
Article Twenty-five
A student would be considered to have voluntarily discontinued his/her program and would be dismissed in the following cases:
1. If he is accepted in the program and doesn’t register during the registration period;
2. If he/she registers in a semester but does not attend classes in that semester.
Dismissal and Readmission
Article Twenty-six
The Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies may decide to dismiss a student if:
1. The student gains admission to graduate studies but does not register during the registration period;
2. he/she does not pass the deficiency courses mentioned in Article Eighteen
3. he/she withdraws or discontinues from the program for one semester without an acceptable excuse;
4. he/she does not show his seriousness in studying or does not fulfill his academic duties according to Article Fifty-two;
5. his/her GPA is below “B” for two consecutive semesters;
6. he/she exceeds the postponement periods mentioned in Article Twenty-two;
7. There is evidence of scientific dishonesty in the student’s course of study or during his thesis work, or if the rules and regulations of the university are violated;
8. he/she does not pass the comprehensive examination (if required) on the second attempt;
9. The Thesis Committee disqualifies the thesis for defense or does not accept it following the defense; and
10. His program remains incomplete following the expiry of the maximum residency period according to Article Thirty-six.
Article Twenty-seven
In extremely limited cases, a student’s file can be reinstated if the 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 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.
Additional Attempts
Article Twenty-eight
Paragraph (5) of Article 26 may be exempted to give a student an additional attempt at graduating for one or two semesters (maximum) as per the recommendations of both the Department and College Councils and the approval of the Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies.
Article Twenty-nine
Paragraph (5) of Article 26 may be exempted to give a student an additional attempt at graduating not exceeding two semesters following the approval of the University Council based on the academic advisor’s report and the recommendations of the Department, College, and Deanship of Graduate Studies Councils.
Transfer
Article Thirty
A student can transfer from one recognized university to the University as per the recommendation of both the 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 Department Council will recommend the transfer of credits, to be approved by the Councils of the College and the Deanship of Graduate Studies.
Article Thirty-one
A 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:
1. The student satisfies the admission and any other requirements deemed necessary by the Department.
2. Credit hours earned at the University may be counted, if the new Department approves its compatibility with the new program to be ransferred to. These credits will be included in the GPA calculation.
3. The student should not have been previously dismissed for any of the reasons indicated in Article Twenty-six.
4. The period spent in the previous major will be considered part of the maximum residency period for the degree in question.
5. Only one change of major is allowed during the maximum residency period for the degree in question.
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