Earth Science & Engineering Program

In the Earth Science and Engineering (ErSE) program at KAUST, faculty and their students engage in interdisciplinary research to understand and model geophysical and geological processes in the complex and changing nature of our planet. The ErSE curriculum provides graduate-level education in earth sciences and their applications in four distinct specializations represented by four tracks:

Geophysical Fluids and Climate System Science
Geophysics
Geology
Machine Learning in Geosciences

The program is rich with opportunities, for both M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, with a focus on modern computational and advanced data-analysis as well as laboratory and field methods to study geoscience problems. Depending on the chosen track, students in this program receive broad training in numerical methods, mathematical modelling, geophysics and/or geology. M.Sc. students have an option to participate in scientific research activities that include computational and mathematical modelling or field- and/or lab study projects (M.Sc. with thesis). Ph.D. candidates in the program conduct original research publishable in international high-ranking peer-reviewed journals.

Terminology

M.Sc. students - students entering the M.Sc. program with a Bachelor degree.

Ph.D. students:

Type I – students entering the M.Sc./Ph.D. program with only a Bachelor degree
Type II – students entering the Ph.D. program with a relevant Master degree

Entry date is considered as an arrival date to KAUST.

Summary of M.Sc. and Ph.D. Requirements:

ErSE_requirements

Summary of Program Timelines:

ErSE_timeline

View Online ErSE Program Guide

University Course List & Syllabi

Assessment Test

Students are admitted to KAUST from a wide variety of programs and backgrounds. In order to facilitate the design of an appropriate study plan for each individual student, all M.Sc. and Ph.D. (Type I) incoming students will be required to take a written assessment during orientation week. There is no grade for the assessment. The purpose of the assessment is to determine whether students have mastered the prerequisites for undertaking graduate level courses taught in the program. The Academic Advisor uses the results of the assessments to design, if necessary, a remedial study plan with a list of courses aimed at addressing content areas that may impede a student from successful completion of the degree requirements

Students are encouraged to prepare for the assessment by refreshing the general knowledge gained from their undergraduate education before arriving at KAUST.

Students will be tested on the following subjects:

1. Engineering Mathematics

2. Physics and Mechanics

3. Chemistry and Thermodynamics

Each examination is 25 minutes long, consists of 12 multiple choice questions, and are taken one after the other in the week before the semester formally starts. All examinations are taken online using your KAUST Blackboard account.

In what follows, an outline of the material covered in each of these examinations is given in the document and below.

Engineering Mathematics

1. Concept of the limit and its properties. The calculation of limits. One- and two-sided limits.
Continuity. The Intermediate Value Theorem.
2. Definition of the derivative. Differentiation from first principles. Derivatives for standard
functions including the exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and hyperbolic functions.
Product, quotient, and chain rules. Higher-order derivatives. Derivatives of inverse
functions. Implicit and parametric differentiation. The Mean Value Theorem and Rolle’s
theorem. Differentiability.
3. Application of the derivative to finding the gradient of a tangent to a curve. Stationary
points. Maxima and minima problems. The differential and its application to errors. Rates of
change problems.
4. The primitive function and anti-differentiation. The indefinite integral. Techniques of
integration including substitution, parts, partial fractions, trigonometric substitutions, and t-
substitutions.
5. The definite integral and Riemann integration. Application of the integral to area and
volume. The first and second Fundamental Theorems of Calculus. Improper integrals.
6. Sequences and infinite series. The geometric and telescoping series. Alternating series.
Convergence and divergence of an infinite series. Test for convergence including the nth
term test, direct and limit comparison tests, the integral test, ratio and root tests, alternating
series test. Absolute and conditional convergence. The Alternating Series Estimation
Theorem.
7. Power series. Properties of power series. Radius of convergence. Taylor and Maclaurin
series. Application of power series. Taylor polynomials.
8. Complex numbers, Argand diagram, modulus-argument and polar forms, de Moivre’s
theorem, exponential form.
9. Vectors. Vector addition and multiplication by a scalar. Properties of vectors. Unit vectors
and direction angles. The scalar dot and vector cross products and their associated
properties. The scalar triple product. Vector identities. Application of vectors to three-
dimensional analytic geometry. Equations of lines and planes in space.

Recommended Reading Material
1. Calculus, J. Stewart. Eight Edition (2015, Cengage Learning).
2. How to Integrate It: A Practical Guide to Finding Elementary Integrals, S. M. Stewart
(2018, Cambridge University Press).

Physics and Mechanics

Physics component
1. Electric charge. Electric fields. Coulomb's law.
2. Gauss’ law and applications of this law.
3. Electric potential. Capacitance and dielectrics.
4. Current, resistance, and resistivity.
5. Direct current circuits. Voltmeters and ammeters (both ideal and real). RC circuits.
6. Magnetic fields. Gauss’ law for magnetism.
7. Magnetic forces. Sources of the magnetic field. The Biot-Savart law and Ampère’s
law.
8. Electromagnetic induction. Faraday’s law. Lenz’ law.
9. Displacement current. Maxwell’s equations.

Mechanics component
1. Statics of particles. Forces and moments (torques).
2. Equilibrium of rigid bodies. Centres of mass and centroids
3. Moments of inertia.
4. Stress and strain due to axial loading. Torsion
5. Pure bending. Beam analysis
6. Kinematics of particles (using energy and momentum methods). Newton’s second
law.
7. Planar kinematics of rigid bodies.
8. Planar kinetics of rigid bodies (using equations of motion and energy and momentum
methods).

Recommended Reading Material
1. Sears and Zemanskys University Physics: With Modern Physics. Young, H. D., Freedman,
R. A., Ford, A. L., and Sears, F. W. (Addison-Wesley, 2021).
2. Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Statics and Dynamics (Twelfth edition). Ferdinand P. Beer,
E. Russell Johnston, David F. Mazurek, Phillip J. Cornwall, and Brian P. Self (McGraw-Hill,
2019).

Chemistry and Thermodynamics

Chemistry component
1. Matter and energy. What is chemistry? Atoms, molecules, and ions. Substances, ele-
ments, and mixtures. Changes and properties of matter. Periodic Table, Periodic Law.
Chemistry divisions. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
2. Scientific method: observation, law, hypothesis, experiment, data, results, and theory.
Accuracy and precision. Significant figures. Scientific notation. Basic experimental
quantities. Unit conversion. Basic statistics for data analysis.
3. Timeline of atomic theories and models. Elementary particles. Quantum numbers for
different orbitals. Electron configuration of atoms. Valence electrons and the octet rule.
4. Atomic/ionic radius. Electron affinity. Electronegativity. Ionization energy.
Polarizability. Isoelectronic configurations.
5. Lewis structures. Covalent, ionic, and metallic bonds.
6. Molecular geometry. The valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory.
7. Intermolecular interactions. Phase changes. Gaseous, liquid, and solid states.

Thermodynamics component
1. Fundamentals of thermodynamics.
2. Work and heat. The zeroth and first laws of thermodynamics.
3. Pure substances.
4. The second law of thermodynamics.
5. An ideal gas.
6. Carnot cycle.
7. Entropy.

Recommended Reading Material
1. Denniston, K. J.; Topping, J. J.; Dorr, D. R. Q.; Caret, R. L., General, Organic, and
Biochemistry, McGraw-Hill, 10th edition, 2020.
2. Smoot, R. C.; Smith, R. G.; Price, J., Chemistry: A Modern Course, Merrill Publishing
Company, 1990.
3. Chang, R.; Overby, J., Chemistry, McGraw-Hill, 13th edition, 2019.
4. Goldberg, D. E., Fundamentals of Chemistry, McGraw-Hill, 5th edition, 2007.
5. Gaffney, J.; Marley, N., General Chemistry for Engineers, Elsevier, 1st edition, 2018.
6. Çengel, Y. A.; Boles, M. A., Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, McGraw-Hill, 5th
edition, 2006.

Courses

ErSE Core Courses

Core courses designed to provide students with the background needed to establish a solid foundation in the program area.

Geophysical Fluids and Climate System Science Track Requirements

Core Courses (12 credits). Choose at least 4 - at least 2 from ErSE and at least one from AMCS:

ErSE 201	Geophysical Fluid Dynamics I	3
ErSE 211	Global Geophysics	3
ErSE 213	Inverse Problems	3
ErSE 253	Data Analysis in Geosciences	3
AMCS 206	Applied Numerical Methods	3
AMCS 231	Applied Partial Differential Equations I	3
AMCS 251	Numerical Linear Algebra	3
AMCS 252	Numerical Analysis of Differential Equations	3

Geophysics Track Requirements

Core Courses (12 credits). Choose at least 4 - at least 2 from ErSE and at least one from AMCS:

ErSE 210	Seismology	3
ErSE 211	Global Geophysics	3
ErSE 213	Inverse Problems	3
ErSE 253	Data Analysis in Geosciences	3
AMCS 206	Applied Numerical Methods	3
AMCS 231	Applied Partial Differential Equations I	3
AMCS 251	Numerical Linear Algebra	3
AMCS 252	Numerical Analysis of Differential Equations	3

Geology Track Requirements

Core Courses (12 credits). Choose at least 4 courses:

ErSE 211	Global Geophysics	3
ErSE 217	Structural Geology	3
ErSE 221	Magmatic Processes	3
ErSE 223	Geological Systems of Arabia	3
ErSE 253	Data Analysis in Geosciences	3
ERPE 210	Fundamentals of Carbonate Geology	3
ERPE 211	Data integration for Geomodelling	3
ERPE 221	Geoscience Fundamentals (only for non-geologists)	3

Machine Learning in Geosciences Track Requirements

Core Courses (12 credits). Choose at least 4 courses:

ErSE 213	Inverse Problems	3
ErSE 222	Machine Learning in Geosciences	3
ErSE 253	Data Analysis in Geosciences	3
AMCS 251	Numerical Linear Algebra	3
CS 229	Fundamentals of Machine Learning	3
STAT 220	Fundamentals of Statistic	3

Elective Courses

Elective courses designed to allow students to tailor their educational experience to meet individual research and educational objectives, with the permission of the academic advisor.

Geophysical Fluids and Climate System Science Track Requirements

Elective Courses (12 credits). Choose at least 4 courses:

ErSE 202	Computational Groundwater Hydrology	3
ErSE 294	Contemporary Topics in Earth Sciences	3
ErSE 301	Geophysical Fluid Dynamics II	3
ErSE 303	Numerical Methods of Geophysics	3
ErSE 304	Geophysical Continuum Mechanics	3
ErSE 305	Multiphase Flows in Porous Media	3
ErSE 307	Atmospheric Chemistry and Transport	3
ErSE 309	Thermodynamics of Subsurface Reservoirs	3
ErSE 330	Pore-Scale Modeling of Subsurface Flow	3
ErSE 353	Data Assimilation	3
ErSE 394	Contemporary Topics in Earth Science	3

AMCS 312	High Performance Computing	3
AMCS 350	Spectral Methods for Uncertainty Quantification	3
CE 202	Advanced Transport Phenomena	3
CS 207	Programming Methodology and Abstractions	3
CS 229	Machine Learning	3
ME 200A	Fluid Mechanics	3
MSE 200	Engineering Mathematics	3

Geophysics Track Requirements

Elective Courses (12 credits). Choose at least 4 courses:

ErSE 201	Geophysical Fluid Dynamics I	3
ErSE 212	Geophysical Geodesy and Geodynamics	3
ErSE 214	Seismic Exploration	3
ErSE 215	Geomechanics I	3
ErSE 217	Structural Geology	3
ErSE 218	Geophysical Field Methods	3
ErSE 221	Magmatic Systems	3
ErSE 222	Machine Learning in Geoscience	3
ErSE 260	Seismic Imaging	3
ErSE 294	Contemporary Topics in Earth Science	3
ErSE 304	Geophysical Continuum Mechanics	3
ErSE 315	Geomechanics ll	3
ErSE 323	Igneous Geochemistry	3
ErSE 327	Multiscale Modeling of Geological Reservoirs	3
ErSE 328	Advanced Seismic Inversion	3
ErSE 331	Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) in Earth Sciences	3
ErSE 360	Mathematical Methods for Seismic Imaging	3
ErSE 394	Contemporary Topics in Earth Science	3

AMCS 312	High Performance Computing	3
AMCS 350	Spectral Methods for Uncertainty Quantification	3
CE 202	Advanced Transport Phenomena	3
CS 207	Programming Methodology and Abstractions	3
CS 229	Machine Learning	3
ERPE 310	Stratigraphy	3
ERPE 311	Carbonate Diagenesis	3
ERPE 315	Energy Geoscience	3
ERPE 370	Experimental Methods in Research - DSP	3
ME 305	Advanced MEMS Devices and Technologies	3
MSE 200	Engineering Mathematics	3

Geology Track Requirements

Elective Courses (12 credits). Choose at least 4 courses:

ErSE 210	Seismology	3
ErSE 212	Geophysical Geodesy and Geodynamics	3
ErSE 214	Seismic Exploration	3
ErSE 218	Geophysical Field Methods	3
ErSE 219	Field geology	3
ErSE 226	Marine Geology – The Oceanic Crust	3
ErSE 294	Contemporary Topics in Earth Sciences	3
ErSE 323	Igneous Geochemistry	3
ErSE 331	Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) in Earth Sciences	3
ErSE 394	Contemporary Topics in Earth Science	3

ERPE 200	Energy and the Environment	3
ERPE 220	Sediments: Properties and Processes	3
ERPE 230	Rock Mechanics for Energy Geo-Engineering	3
ERPE 310	Stratigraphy	3
ERPE 311	Carbonate diagenesis	3
ERPE 315	Energy Geoscience	3
ERPE 370	Experimental Methods in Research – DSP	3
MarS 326	Coral Reef Ecology	3
MarS 335	Oceanography	3

Machine Learning in Geosciences Track Requirements

Elective Courses (12 credits). Choose at least 4 courses.

ErSE 201	Geophysical Fluid Dynamics I	3
ErSE 211	Global Geophysics	3
ErSE 301	Geophysical Fluid Dynamics II	3
ErSE 303	Numerical Methods of Geophysics	3
ErSE 305	Multiphase Flows in Porous Media	3
ErSE 353	Data Assimilation	3
ErSE 210	Seismology	3
ErSE 214	Seismic Exploration	3
ErSE 260	Seismic Imaging	3
ErSE 294	Contemporary Topics in Earth Science	3
ErSE 328	Advanced Seismic Inversion	3
ErSE 331	Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar	3
ErSE 360	Mathematical Methods for Seismic Imaging	3
ErSE 394	Contemporary Topics in Earth Science	3

AMCS 241	Stochastic Processes	3
AMCS 211	Numerical Optimization	3
AMCS 308	Stochastic Num.: Simulation & Data Sci.	3
AMCS 312	High Performance Computing	3
AMCS 350	Uncertainty Quantification	3
CS 204	Data Structure and Algorithms	3
CS 201	Introduction to Programming with Python	3
CS 207	Programming Methodology and Abstractions	3
CS 220	Data Analytics	3
CS 323	Deep learning for Visual Computing	3
CS 331	Stochastic Descent	3
CS 340	Computational Methods in Data Mining	3
CS 341	Advanced Topics in Data Management	3
ERPE 221	Geoscience Fundamentals	3
ME 200A	Fluid Mechanics	3
MSE 200	Engineering Mathematics	3

Research/Capstone Experience

The details of this portion of the degree are uniquely determined by students with the permission of the academic advisor and will involve a combination of research and other capstone experiences. Students are expected to work weekly a minimum of 3 hours/week per each research credit they are registered for. MLG track students are strongly encouraged to include a summer internship at a high-tech company that requires machine learning applications.

ErSE 295	Master's Internship	3-12
ErSE 297	Master's Thesis Research	3-12
ErSE 299	Master's Directed Research	3-12

M.Sc. Degree Requirements:

ErSE master’s students must choose one of the available tracks. Students in the Geophysical Fluids and Climate System Science track study flow and transport processes both beneath and above the Earth’s surface, including ocean and atmospheric circulation, flows in subsurface porous media, transport of dust and anthropogenic pollutants in atmosphere and ocean, and their effect on climate. Students in the Geophysics track focus on seismology, geophysics, geodynamics and geomechanics. The Geology track focuses on (carbonate) sedimentology and stratigraphy, petrology/geochemistry and structural geology. The Machine Learning in Geosciences track equips graduate students with the fundamentals of machine learning (ML) methods and their applications to geoscience problems.

It is the responsibility of students to plan their graduate program in consultation with their academic advisor. Students are required to meet all deadlines. Students should be aware that most core courses are offered only once per year.

The Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree comprises thesis and non-thesis options. It is awarded upon successful completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours. A minimum GPA of 3.0 must be achieved to graduate. Individual courses require a minimum of a B- for course credit. Students are expected to complete the M.Sc. degree in three semesters. Satisfactory participation in every KAUST summer session is mandatory

The non-thesis option is available in the ErSE Program.

Ph.D. (Type I) students who don’t complete the M.Sc. thesis requirement will not be eligible to earn the M.Sc. degree.

01. M.Sc. Course Requirements

Core Courses (12 credits)
Elective Courses (12 credits)
M.Sc. Thesis Research or Research/Capstone Experience (12 credits) designed to provide students with the research experience
Graduate Seminar (ErSE 398, non-credit) – all students are required to register and receive S grade for every semester until graduation with only one (1) unsatisfactory (U) grade permitted; 12 seminars minimum will be organized by the ErSE Program; students are required to attend 9 to pass; students must attend 6 of 9 in their resident program; students are optional to take at most 3 seminars in other programs of the PSE division; students can only attend 1 seminar in one week (to avoid extreme scenarios like attending 5 seminars in one week)
Successful completion of one Winter Enrichment Program (WEP)

02. M.Sc. Non-Thesis

Students wishing to pursue the non-thesis option must complete a total of 12 capstone credits, with a minimum of 6 credits of the Master’s Directed Research (ErSE 299). Students must complete the remaining credits through one or a combination of the options listed below:

Master’s Internship (ErSE 295): research-based summer internship; students are only allowed to take one internship. Summer internships are subject to approval by the student’s Academic Advisor and the Division.
200 or 300-level courses

Also, all students are required to register and receive a satisfactory grade for every semester of the Graduate Seminar (ErSE 398, non-credit) they attend and complete one Winter Enrichment Program (WEP).

03. M.Sc. Thesis Defense

Students wishing to pursue the thesis otion must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA. A minimum of 12 credits of Master's Thesis Research (ErSE 297) is required. Students are permitted to register for more than 12 credits of ErSE 297h with the permission of the academic advisor. The selected academic advisor must be a fulltime program-affiliated assistant, associate or full professor at KAUST. The faculty not affiliated with the ErSE Program can become project-affiliated for the only specific thesis project upon program-level approval. Project-affiliation approval must be completed prior to commencing research.

A written thesis and an oral defense of the M.Sc. thesis are required. The students have to submit a final copy of the thesis to the thesis committee members at least two weeks prior to the defense date.

04. M.Sc. Thesis Defense Committee

The thesis defense committee, which must be approved by the dean, consists of three KAUST faculty. If additional expertise is needed the committee could be extended, subject to dean’s approval. At least two committee members must be affiliated with the program. The chair may be any KAUST faculty familiar with the program rules. This membership can be summarized as:

Member	Role	Program Status
1	Chair	Within or outside program
2	Faculty	Within program
3	Faculty	Within or outside program
4	Additional faculty or research scientist	Within or outside program

Notes:

Members 1, 2, and one of 3 or 4 are required
Co-chairs may serve as member 2 or 3
Adjunct professors and professors emeriti may retain their roles on current committees, but may not serve as chair on any new committees
Professors of practice and research professors may serve as members 2 or 3 depending upon their affiliation with the student’s program, they may also serve as co-chairs
Visiting professors may serve as member 3

View a list of faculty and their affiliations here.

05. M.Sc. Thesis Defense Evaluation

06. Submission of M.Sc. Thesis Defense Results

07. Final Approval and Thesis Submission

08. M.Sc. Degree Under M.Sc./Ph.D. Program

Ph.D. (Type I) students can apply to receive M.Sc. degree under M.Sc./Ph.D. program. Before the actual M.Sc. Thesis Defense, all points below need to be fulfilled:

Successful completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be achieved to graduate, individual courses require a minimum of a B- for course credit.
12 credits of Master Thesis Research (ErSE 297), as a part of 36 credits requirement
Four ErSE Core Courses (total 12 credits) and four Elective Courses (total 12 credits)
Students are required to register and receive S grade for every semester until graduation with only one (1) unsatisfactory (U) grade permitted
Completion of one Winter Enrichment Program (WEP)

Steps to Follow:

Step 1. Apply for Master with Thesis. Fill the form_6. The application deadline for graduating in:

Fall 2022 – August 28
Spring 2023 – January 22
Summer 2023 – May 28

Step 2. Submit Petition for M.Sc. Thesis Defense Examination. The deadline to defend the Thesis is no later than two (2) weeks before the last day of a semester (Fall, Spring, or Summer). Fill the form_1. The petition period for graduating in:

Fall 2022 – from August 28 to September 08
Spring 2023 – from January 22 to February 02
Summer 2023 – from May 28 to June 01

Step 3. Before the Defense, submit your Thesis to the Office of the Registrar for format checking. Also, use Turnitin on the Blackboard to reveal and fix plagiarism, if to be found.

Step 4. Submit Results of M.Sc. Thesis Defense Examination. Fill the form_2.

The student, who fails the Thesis Defense, is allowed to retake it and then graduate with M.Sc. degree. The further pursue of Ph.D. degree won’t be permitted.

Step 5. After the Thesis Defense submit the copyright form to the Office of the Registrar and the GPSA.

Step 6. Submit Final Approval of M.Sc. Thesis Requirements. Fill the form_3.

Step 7. After the successful M.Sc. Thesis Defense, the student is automatically reenrolled, with the approval of Academic Advisor, to pursue Ph.D. degree within M.Sc./Ph.D. program. No additional procedures are required from the student.

Step 8. Student has to start from scratch Ph.D. research, meaning that NONE of the material that was used for M.Sc. Thesis can be used for Ph.D. Dissertation.

Step 9. Student has the right to withdraw from M.Sc./Ph.D. program and finish with the obtained M.Sc. degree. Fill the Withdrawal from KAUST form.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements:

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is designed to prepare students for research careers in academia and industry.

There is a minimum residency requirement at KAUST of three and a half years for students entering with a bachelor’s degree and two and a half years for students entering with a master’s degree. A minimum GPA of 3.0 must be achieved to graduate. Individual courses require a minimum of a B- for course credit.

The Ph.D. degree includes the following steps:

Securing an academic advisor
Successful completion of program coursework
Passing the qualifying examination
Passing the dissertation proposal defense to obtain candidacy status
Preparing, submitting and successfully defending a doctoral dissertation

Ph.D. Course Requirements

The required coursework varies for students entering the Ph.D. degree with a bachelor’s degree or a relevant master’s degree. Students holding a bachelor’s degree must complete all program core/mandatory courses and elective courses outlined in the master’s degree section and are also required to complete the Ph.D. courses below. Students entering with a bachelor’s degree will qualify to earn a master’s degree by satisfying the master’s degree requirements.

Students entering the Ph.D. degree with a relevant M.Sc. degree must complete the requirements below, though additional courses may be required by the academic advisor. Upon approval of the advisor, Ph.D. students are allowed to choose the relevant courses from the entire ErSE curriculum, as well as from the curriculums of other KAUST programs.

Ph.D. Courses

At least three courses that comprise at least two 300-level courses, at least two courses should be from the ErSE curriculum for students coming with a master’s from another university or a different KAUST program and at least one 300-level course from ErSE curriculum for students with M.Sc. from KAUST ErSE
Graduate seminar 398 (non-credit) – all students are required to register and receive a satisfactory grade for every semester of the program they attend

Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) – students who completed WEP while earning the M.Sc. are not required to enroll in a full WEP for a second time during the Ph.D.

Ph.D. Qualifying Exam

UNDER MAINTENANCE

Designation of Dissertation Advisor

The selected academic advisor must be a full-time program-affiliated professor at KAUST. Students may also select an academic advisor from another program at KAUST. The academic advisor can only become project affiliated for the specific dissertation project with program level approval. Project affiliation approval must be completed prior to commencing research.

View a list of faculty and their affiliations here.

Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Defense

The dissertation proposal defense is the second part of the qualification milestones that must be completed within one year after passing the qualifying exam to become a Ph.D. candidate. Students have to submit to the Ph.D. dissertation proposal committee a written research proposal and pass an oral research proposal defense.

The Ph.D. dissertation proposal defense committee, which must be approved by the dean, consists of three members. If additional expertise is required the committee could be extended, subject to dean’s approval. The chair can be any KAUST faculty member familiar with the program rules. Two committee members must be KAUST faculty affiliated with the program and one must be a KAUST faculty outside the program.

Member	Role	Program Status
1	Chair	Within or outside program
2	Faculty	Within or outside program
3	Faculty	Outside program

Notes:

Co-chairs may serve as members 2 or 3
Adjunct professors and professors emeriti may retain their roles on current committees, but may not serve as chair on any new committees
Professors of practice and research professors may serve as members 2 or 3 depending upon their affiliation with the student’s program, they may also serve as co-chairs
Once constituted, the composition of the proposal committee can only be changed with the approval of both the academic advisor and the dean.
This committee should also make itself available for subsequent periodic review meetings with students. The composition of the committee could change over time.
View a list of faculty and their affiliations here.

Dissertation Committee Formation

To graduate, Ph.D. candidates have to finalize the Ph.D. dissertation, form a Ph.D. dissertation defense committee, and successfully defend a Ph.D. dissertation.

The Ph.D. dissertation defense committee, which must be approved by the dean, consists of four mandatory members. If additional expertise is required the committee could be extended, subject to the dean’s approval. Three of the mandatory members must be KAUST faculty and one must be an external examiner who is external to KAUST. The chair can be any KAUST faculty familiar with the program rules. At least two committee members must be KAUST faculty affiliated with the program, and one must be a KAUST faculty outside the program. The external examiner must write a report on the dissertation and attend the dissertation defense either in person or remotely.

Member	Role	Program Status
1	Chair	Within or outside program
2	Faculty	Within program
3	Faculty	Within or outside program
4	External Examiner	Outside KAUST

Notes:

The chair cannot be the academic advisor
Co-chairs may serve as either members 2 or 3
Adjunct professors and professors emeriti may retain their roles on current committees, but may not serve as chair on any new committees
Professors of practice and research professors may serve as members 2 or 3 upon their affiliation with the student’s program, they may also serve as cochairs

Visiting professors may serve as member 2 or 3 depending upon their affiliation

The only requirement with commonality with the proposal committee is the academic advisor, although it is expected that other members will carry forward to this committee.

If students have a co-supervisor, this person can be considered one of the four mandatory members required, provided they come under the categories listed (i.e. meets the requirements of the position).

View a list of faculty and their affiliations here

https://www.kaust.edu.sa/en/study/faculty

Oral Defense and Result Submission

The Ph.D. requires the passing of the defense and acceptance of the dissertation. The final defense is a public presentation that consists of an oral defense followed by questions and may last a maximum of three hours.

Students must determine the defense date with agreement of all the members of the dissertation committee, meet deadlines for submitting graduation forms and inform the committee of their progress. It is the students’ responsibility to submit the required documents to the graduate program coordinator (GPC) at the beginning of the semester they intend to defend. The required documents include (i) the list of proposed committee members, including the external examiner (and a CV of the external examiner, (ii) a current CV of the student, (iii) a current transcript, (iv) a list of publications, and (v) a final draft of the Ph.D. dissertation.

Students must submit the written dissertation to the committee one month prior to the defense date in order to receive feedback.

There are four possible outcomes from the dissertation final defense:

Pass
Pass with conditions
Retake
Fail without retake
A pass is achieved when the committee agrees with no more than one dissenting vote. In the instance of a pass with conditions, the entire committee must agree on the required conditions, and if they cannot, the dean decides. The deadline to meet conditions is three months after the defense date, unless the committee unanimously agrees to reduce it. If the conditions will take three months or more, or more than one member casts a negative vote, one retake of the defense is permitted. The deadline to complete the retake is as decided by the defense committee with a maximum of six months after the defense date, unless the committee unanimously agrees to change it. Students who fail without retake or who fail the retake will be dismissed from the University.

Evaluation of the Ph.D. dissertation defense is recorded by submitting the result of the Ph.D. dissertation defense examination form within three days after the defense to the Office of the Registrar.

Submission of Dissertation and final approval form

All graduation candidates will submit the final thesis/dissertation directly to the KAUST Repository .Formatting review will be done in the repository workflow. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Registrar HelpDesk registrarhelpdesk@kaust.edu.sa and your GPC. Please use the step-by-step user guide HERE.

Q&A

Q: How do I know if I am ready to archive?

A: You will have the final PDF file of your thesis complete (along with all supplementary files)

Q: How do I get my advisor’s final approval for archiving?

A: After you send the Turnitin report to your advisor, you can initiate their final approval for you to archive HERE.

Q: What’s the first thing I do to start the archiving process?

A: go to the KAUST Repository and “submit an item”: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/

Q: Do I have to have an ORCID before archiving?

A: Yes, you do. http://orcid.kaust.edu.sa

Q: I want to hold making my thesis public for up to a year (embargo). How do I do this?

A: This is part of the repository submission process (see user guide for screenshots).

Program Related Forms and Other Documents

General Information

Academic Calendar 2022-2023

ErSE Program Guide 2022-2023

Graduate Student Handbook 2022-2023

Registration

Credits Add-Drop Form

Transfer Credit

Completing In Absentia

Enrollment

Change of Program - Academic Advisor

Application for Travelling Scholar Status

Withdrawal from KAUST

Graduation

Form_1 Petition for M.Sc. Thesis Examination

Form_2 Results of M.Sc. Thesis Examination

Form_3 M.Sc. Thesis/Ph.D. Dissertation Final Approval

Form_4 Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal

Ph.D. Dissertation Procedure

Form_5 Ph.D. Final Defense Petition Form

Form_6 Application for Master with Thesis

Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines

KAUST Repository Guide

Request for Time Extension to Complete Degree

1. ASK US QUESTIONS

2. APPLY NOW

3. ASSESSMENT TEST

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What should I know about Graduate Seminar (X 398) as a Ph.D. student?

X = {Chem, CE, AP, MSE, ErSE, ERPE, ME}

1. 12 seminars minimum will be organized by the program.

2. Students are required to attend 9 to pass.

3. Students must attend 6 of 9 in their resident program.

4. Students are optional to take at most 3 seminars in other programs of the PSE division.

5. Students can only attend 1 seminar in one week (to avoid extreme scenarios like attending 5 seminars in one week).

6. Fourth year Ph.D. (Type I) and third year Ph.D. (Type II) students will be asked to present (~20 min) their research as a necessary preparation for the Dissertation Proposal Defense, no publications are required to be eligible to present.

For Chem Program:

All Ph.D. (Type I) students, who started Fall 2022 or earlier, are required to register and receive satisfactory (S) grade for six (6) semesters during their graduate program.
All Ph.D. (Type II) students, who started Fall 2022 or earlier, are required to register and receive S grade for four (4) semesters during their graduate program.
Students admitted in Spring 2023 or later are required to register and receive S grade for every semester until graduation with only one (1) unsatisfactory (U) grade permitted

For AP and MSE Programs:

All Ph.D. (Type I) students, who started Fall 2022 or earlier, are required to register and receive satisfactory (S) grade for seven (7) semesters during their graduate program.
All Ph.D. (Type II) students, who started Fall 2022 or earlier, are required to register and receive S grade for four (4) semesters during their graduate program.
Students admitted in Spring 2023 or later are required to register and receive S grade for every semester until graduation with only one (1) unsatisfactory (U) grade permitted

For CE, ErSE, and ME Programs:

Students are required to register and receive S grade for every semester until graduation with only one (1) unsatisfactory (U) grade permitted

For ERPE Program:

All students, who started Fall 2022 or earlier, are required to register and receive a satisfactory (S) grade for every semester of the program they attend, except for the last semester of graduation; the attendance of the Graduate Seminar is optional for the graduation semester
Students admitted in Spring 2023 or later are required to register and receive S grade for every semester until graduation with only one (1) unsatisfactory (U) grade permitted

What should I know about Graduate Seminar (X 398) as a M.Sc. student?

X = {Chem, CE, AP, MSE, ErSE, ERPE, ME}

1. 12 seminars minimum will be organized by the program.

2. Students are required to attend 9 to pass.

3. Students must attend 6 of 9 in their resident program.

4. Students are optional to take at most 3 seminars in other programs of the PSE division.

5. Students can only attend 1 seminar in one week (to avoid extreme scenarios like attending 5 seminars in one week).

For Chem, AP, and MSE Programs:

All M.Sc. students, who started Fall 2022 or earlier, are required to register and receive satisfactory (S) grade for three (3) semesters during their graduate program
Students admitted in Spring 2023 or later are required to register and receive S grade for every semester until graduation with only one (1) unsatisfactory (U) grade permitted

For CE, ErSE, and ME Programs:

Students are required to register and receive S grade for every semester until graduation with only one (1) unsatisfactory (U) grade permitted

For ERPE Program:

All students, who started Fall 2022 or earlier, are required to register and receive a satisfactory (S) grade for every semester of the program they attend, except for the last semester of graduation; the attendance of the Graduate Seminar is optional for the graduation semester
Students admitted in Spring 2023 or later are required to register and receive S grade for every semester until graduation with only one (1) unsatisfactory (U) grade permitted

How can I know the type of program affiliation for a faculty?

Step 1. View a list of Faculty members and their affiliations here.

Step 2. Open the profile of selected Faculty.

Step 3. Check the "Affiliations" section:

On the top you will see primary affiliation, the following affiliations are secondary.

How can I audit a course?

A step-by-step guide is available in this User Guide for Registration.

Please be reminded of the following points about formally auditing courses:

Audit courses will be reflected on your transcript.
Credits earned will be listed as 0 (zero).
You will receive a Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) grade for audit courses, based on the grading criteria set for individual courses.
Given that audit courses are not credit-bearing, they will not directly count towards your degree requirements, nor impact your Cumulative Grade Point Average.
Course registration rules remain the same for audit courses. Students are responsible for ensuring their registration is accurate for each semester/session of registration.
As with regular courses, class participation will be required as they are with your regular credit-bearing courses.
Similar to regular courses, prerequisites for audit courses will have to be met in advance of registration.
Audit courses may be a prerequisite for a credit-bearing course only if an S (satisfactory grade) is achieved.
Audit courses must be approved by your Academic Advisor before registration.
The add/drop deadline remains the same for audit courses, including changing the course's status to or from audit.

If you would like to audit courses unofficially and not have audit courses listed on your transcript, then please email the course instructor directly to obtain his/her approval, copying blackboard@kaust.edu.sa, so you can gain access to course material, once approved. Please do not register to unofficially audit courses via the course registration page. Any registration for audit courses via the registration page will be treated as an official audit.

If you have questions about auditing courses, please speak with your Academic Advisor and/or GPSA.

Should you face any difficulties registering for formal audit courses, please email registrarhelpdesk@kaust.edu.sa.

What is the deadline to defend my M.Sc. Thesis?

The deadline to defend the Thesis is no later than two (2) weeks before the last day of a semester (Fall, Spring, or Summer).

Is there minimum number of credits I have to receive for Doctoral Dissertation Research (X 397) to complete the Ph.D. degree?

X = {Chem, CE, AP, MSE, ErSE, ERPE, ME}

There is no fixed minimum value of credits for X 397.

How my stipend will change along the pursuing degree?

1. Masters only students will receive stipends as per the offer of admission for the tenure of their program.

2. Students admitted to the M.Sc./Ph.D. program will receive a master’s stipend at the onset of their program. At the recommendation of the program, once students complete 36 credits of the program requirements, they will receive a stipend increase. The second stipend increase will be applied after total 66 credits are completed. The stipend will additionally rise with successful passing Dissertation Proposal.

3. Students admitted to the Ph.D. program will receive stipends as per the offer of admission. Upon completion of 30 credits, students will receive a stipend increase. The stipend will additionally rise with successful passing Dissertation Proposal.

I am enrolled in the M.Sc./Ph.D. program. From which moment I will be officially considered as a Ph.D. student?

You are considered as a Ph.D. student from the very first day of the enrollment. Pursuing Ph.D. degree is the main goal of the M.Sc./Ph.D. program, thus by definition you are Ph.D. student. Yes, you are entering it with only a Bachelor degree, however you are not obliged to obtain M.Sc. degree under this program. The defense of M.Sc. degree is recommended by the University, although it’s your free choice.

Are there online or hybrid classes in the Academic Year 2022-2023?

No.

Can I start courses in the Academic Year 2022-2023 distantly without entering KAUST?

No.

Can I register for courses before arriving to KAUST?

Yes, you can. However, make sure to meet the requirements of course in terms of attendance, homework, etc.

What are the exact values to get Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) grades?

KAUST does not have a mandatory grading rubric. The determination of a Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) grade is at the discretion of the instructor.

Who can be eligible for External Committee Member?

1. Be affiliated with another university/institute than KAUST.

2. If a professor is retired, he/she should have Emeritus title.

3. If a professor moved to other university/institute during the procedure, he/she should have Adjunct title.

4. KAUST visiting professor can't be External Committee Member.

What is the length of my vacation?

Graduate students may take vacation days during each academic year, defined by the published Academic Calendar. Unused vacation days do not carry over to the following year. All M.Sc. with Thesis and Ph.D. students must discuss their vacation plans with their Academic Advisors at least four (4) weeks prior to the proposed vacation.

• M.Sc. Degree, Non-Thesis: M.Sc. graduate students (Non-Thesis) are entitled to an annual vacation that is defined as the official University holidays and intersession days.

• M.Sc. Degree with Thesis: Upon transitioning into the M.Sc. with Thesis program, students are entitled to two weeks’ vacation (inclusive of any Eid holidays) for the duration of the degree program. Students receive Saudi National Day, Founding Day, and any other national holidays in addition.

• Ph.D. Degree: Ph.D. students are entitled to annual vacation, limited to three (3) weeks. In addition, they receive Eid holidays and any other national holidays.

M.Sc. with Thesis and Ph.D. students, with authorization from the student’s Academic Advisor, can work through the Eid periods taking the corresponding number of days at a later/prior time during the same year.

Extra vacation time requires approval by the Division and the Dean of Graduate Affairs.

For the reference, see Graduate Student handbook.

Should I register for Thesis Research (X 297) during my M.Sc./Ph.D. program?

X = {Chem, CE, AP, MSE, ErSE, ERPE, ME}

1. If you are not planning to get M.Sc. degree and want to finish ONLY with Ph.D. degree, then you need to register ONLY for Doctoral Dissertation Research (X 397) until the graduation.

2. If you are planning to obtain M.Sc. degree during the M.Sc./Ph.D. program, then you need to receive 15 credits of Chem 297 (for Chem Program) or 12 credits for all other programs (CE, AP, MSE, ErSE, ERPE, ME), as a part of M.Sc. requirements.

The pursue of M.Sc. degree is optional and not required by the M.Sc./Ph.D. program. However, along the way, you may decide for personal reasons to withdraw from the program. So, the result of your work will be at least earning M.Sc. degree.

Can I register for courses before passing assessment test?

No.

What is maximum length of Ph.D. program?

4-5 years is maximum period to get Ph.D. degree.

What is maximum length of M.Sc./Ph.D. program?

6-7 years is maximum period to get Ph.D. degree.