M.S. Degree Requirements:

The Master's Degree (M.S.) is awarded upon successful completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours. A minimum GPA of 3.0 must be achieved to graduate.

The M.S. degree has the following components:

Assessment Test and Prep-courses (100 level courses)
Core Courses
Elective Courses
Graduate Seminar (non-credit)
Winter Enrichment Program
Research/Capstone Experience

Students are expected to complete the M.S. degree requirements in three semesters and one Summer Session.

It is the sole responsibility of the student to plan her/his graduate program in consultation with her/his advisor.

MS Degree Timeine PNG

Master's 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 MS and MS/PhD incoming students will be required to take an 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 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.

Applied Physics Assessment Test Subjects

Applied Physics students will be tested on the following subjects:

Basic Principles of General Chemistry
Basic Principles of Physics
Engineering Mathematics
Linear Algebra
Ordinary Differential Equations

1. Basic Principles of General Chemistry

Topics included in the General Chemistry assessment test:

Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter
Principles of atomic structure
Periodic variation in physical and chemical properties of the elements
Chemical bonding: Formal charge and Lewis structure, Polarity, Molecular geometry and hybridization of atomic orbitals
Intermolecular forces
Chemical Kinetics & Equilibrium
Acids and bases
Electrochemistry
Stoichiometry

Recommended References:

Chang, R., & Goldsby, K. A. (2016) Chemistry. 11th Ed. McGraw-Hill, 2016. ISBN-13: 978-0078021510 (or any other edition).
Silberberg, Martin S., Principles of General Chemistry, McGraw-Hill, 2013.
Online reference: Averill, Bruce, and PatriciaEldredge, General Chemistry: Principles, Patterns, and Applications, FlatWorld Knowledge, Inc., 2013.

Sample questions from previous tests.

2. Basic Principles of Physics

Topics inluded in the Principles of Physics assessment test:

Newtonian Physics:

Kinematics (motion with constant acceleration in one and two dimensions).
Dynamics (Newton's Laws of motion).
Work-Energy theorem, potential energy and energy conservation.
Momentum, impulse and collisions.

Electromagnetism:

Electric fields, Coulomb's law, electric potential and potential energy, electric flux (Gauss's law).
Direct-current circuits, resistors and capacitors is series and in parallel, theory of metallic conduction, power distribution systems.
Magnetic field, motion of charged particles within uniform magnetic fields, magnetic force on current-carrying conductors, forces between parallel conductors.
Electromagnetic Induction: Faraday's and Lenz's Laws, motional electromotive force, induced electric fields.

Quantum Physics:

The photoelectric effect.
Wave particle duality, probability and uncertainty.
Electron waves, de Broglie wavelength.
Atomic spectra, energy levels and the Bohr model of the atom.
Wave function interpretation.

Thermodynamics:

Calorimetry and phase changes.
Equations of state, molecular properties of matter.
Kinetic-molecular model of an ideal gas.
Work done during volume changes.
Paths between thermodynamics states .
Kinds of thermodynamic processes.
1st law of thermodynamics and Internal Energy.
2nd law of thermodynamics. Carnot cycle and entropy.

Oscillations and Waves:

Mathematical description of a wave.
Energy in wave motion.
Speed of waves.
Superposition of waves.
Standing waves.
Reflection, Refraction, critical angle and total internal reflection.
Diffraction from a single, double slits and around objects. Interference patterns including double-slit interference.

Recommended References:

Young, Hugh D., et al. University Physics with Modern Physics. Addison-Wesley, 2011 (or any undergraduate general physics textbook).
Online Reference: Elert, Glenn. "Welcome." Viscosity – ThePhysics Hypertextbook.

Sample questions from previous tests.

3. Engineering Mathematics and Basic Calculus

Topics included in the Engineering Mathematics assessment test:

Functions and Models (including graphical representation of functions)
Limits
Derivatives (including graphical and physical interpretation of derivatives)
Anti-derivatives and definite integrals.
The classes of functions used to develop these concepts are: polynomial, rational, trigonometric exponential and logarithmic.
Integration (by parts, substitutions, partial fractions, approximation of integrals and improper integrals)
Infinite sequences and series
Convergence tests
Power series
Taylor polynomials and series
Taylor's Remainder Theorem

Recommended References:

Banner, Adrian. The Calculus Lifesaver: All the Tools You Need to Excel at Calculus. Princeton, NJ, USA: Princeton University Press, 2009, ISBN-13: 978-0691130880
Strang, Gilbert. Calculus. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley-Cambridge Press, 2010, ISBN 978-09802327-4-5
Zill, Dennis G., and Warren S. Wright. Advanced Engineering Mathematics. Burlington, Ma: Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2018, ISBN-13: 978-1284105902
Stewart, James. Essential Calculus: Early Transcendentals. Australia: Brooks/Cole, 2013, ISBN-13: 978-1133112280

Online Recommended References:

Calculus: Early Transcendentals by James Stewart

Sample questions from previous tests.

4. Linear Algebra

Topics included in the Linear Algebra assessment test:

Vector spaces and linear mappings between such spaces
Introduction to vector spaces
Basis and dimension
Rank of a matrix
Determinants
Inverse of a matrix
Eigenvalues and diagonalization
Similarity
Positive definite matrices
Orthogonal and unitary matrices and transformations
Orthogonal projections
Gram-Schmidt procedure
Solving systems of linear equations
Applications of linear systems
Cramer's rule
Linear transformations
Isomorphism
Parallelepipeds

Recommended References:

Linear Algebra and Its Applications, David C. Lay, Addison-Wesley/Pearson, ISBN: 978-0321385178.
Linear Algebra: Concepts and Methods, Martin Anthony & Michele Harvey, Cambridge University Press, ISBN:978-0-521-27948-2.

Online Recommended References:

A First Course in Linear Algebra, by Robert A. Beezer

Introduction to Linear Algebra, by Gilbert Strang

Sample questions from previous tests.

5. Vector Analysis and Ordinary Differential Equations

Topics included in the ODE assessment test:

Direction Fields (visualize the solution(s) of an ordinary differential equation without actually solving the equation.)
Solving simple ordinary differential equations
Classification by order
Linearity and homogeneity
Autonomous differential equations
Asymptotic behavior
Equilibrium points and stability
Solutions by numerical schemes
Euler's method

Recommended References:

J. Robinson, An Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations, Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 978-0521533911.
J. Polking, A. Boggess, D. Arnold, Differential Equations with Boundary Value Problems, Pearson, ISBN: 978-0131862364.
M. Tenenbaum, H. Pollard, Ordinary Differential Equations, Dover Publications, ISBN: 978-0486649405.
J. Robinson, Differential Equations, Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 978-0521533911.

Online Recommended References:

Elementary Differential Equations with Boundary Values Problems, by William F. Trench

Sample questions from previous tests.

Core Courses

This portion of the degree is designed to provide a student with the background needed to establish a solid foundation in the program area.   M.S. students are required to complete twelve (12) credits (4 courses) with success to fulfill the core course requirements. The required courses are

EE 221 – Electromagnetic Theory

MSE 225 - Electronic Properties of Materials

AP 220 – Statistical Physics

AP 228 – Advanced Quantum Mechanics

Individual courses require a minimum of a 'B-'to earn the course credit.

Elective Courses

The elective courses are designed to allow students to tailor their educational experience to meet individual research and educational objectives with the permission of the academic advisor. Electives can be selected from either AP or any other related program. The following list of courses contains those courses most appropriate to complete the AP degree, organized by themes. Students may select four courses from any 200 or 300 level courses. Research credits, internship credits, and IED courses will not count toward electives.

Fundamentals in Physics

• MSE 226 - Thermodynamics & Equilibrium Processes

• MSE 227 - Applied Quantum Mechanics

• AP 230 - Condensed Matter Physics

• ME 308 - Introduction to Plasma Physics and Magneto-hydrodynamics

Experimental Techniques and Characterization

• EE 203 - Solid-State Devices Fabrication

• AP 210 - Spectroscopy of Solids

• ME 348 - Introduction to Spectroscopy and Laser Diagnostics

• MSE 307 - Materials Characterization

• MSE 315 - Thin Film Science and Engineering

Materials

• MSE 228 – Biomaterials

• MSE 229 - Polymeric Materials

• MSE 230 - Materials and Energy

• MSE 311 - Soft Materials

• MSE 313 - Functional Oxides

• MSE 316 - Magnetic Materials

• MSE 318 - Nanomaterials

• MSE 320 - Solar Cell Materials and Devices

• MSE 322 - Semiconductor Materials

• MSE 324 – Photophysics of Organic Semiconductors

• ME 317 A, B – Mechanics of Composite Materials and Structures

Device Physics

• AP 320 - Introduction to Nanoelectronics

• AP 390 – Contemporary Topics in Applied Physics

• EE 206 - Device Physics

• EE 306 - Electronic and Optical Properties of Semiconductors

Optoelectronics and Photonics

• EE 231 - Principles of Optics

• EE 208 - Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices

• EE 332 - Optical Waves in Crystals

• MSE 321 - Optical Properties of Materials

Theoretical and Computational Physics

• AMCS 201 - Applied Mathematics I

• AMCS 202 - Applied Mathematics II

• AMCS 231 - Applied Partial Differential Equations I

• AMCS 331 - Applied Partial Differential Equations II

• AMCS 252 - Numerical Analysis of Differential Equations

• AMCS 255 - Advanced Computational Physics

• CS 229 – Machine Learning

• AP 330 - Many-Body Theory in Condensed Matter

• MSE 314 - Ab-initio Computational Methods

• AMCS 353 - Advanced Topics in Wave Propagation

• ME 305 A, B – Computational Fluid Dynamics

• ME 319 A, B – Computational Solid Mechanics

Graduate Seminar

All students are required to register AP Graduate Seminar course (AP 398) and receive a Satisfactory grade for three semesters during the MS degree to complete the degree requirement.

Winter Enrichment Program

Students are required to satisfactorily complete at least one full Winter Enrichment Program (WEP).

Research/Capstone Experience

This program only allows the M.S. thesis option:

Designation of Academic Advisor
The first step for students applying for thesis is to identify an M.c. academic (thesis) advisor. Students are required to select a faculty member affiliated with the program to supervise the thesis research. The list of faculty members affiliated with the AP program is available on the Applied Physics program main page, click here.
Students may choose to do thesis research with a nonaffiliated faculty member. The potential non-affiliated academic (thesis) advisor must request the program's approval to become a project-affiliated advisor for the specific thesis project before commencing the research work.

Thesis Credits Registration
Students are required to complete a minimum of 12.0 credits of thesis research (AP 297). Students are permitted to register for more than 12.0 credits of M.S. thesis research as necessary and with the permission of the academic (thesis) advisor.

M.S. Thesis Timeline and Extension
M.S. students and their academic advisors need to define the thesis timeline at the time the thesis application is submitted. Students are expected to complete the M.S. thesis degree requirements by the end of their second fall semester (third semester). M.S. students may apply to extend into the spring semester (fourth semester) by submitting the request for extension to complete the M.S. thesis.

Thesis Defense and Submission
M.S. students are expected to form a thesis examination committee, submit a written thesis document, and defend their thesis to complete the thesis research requirements.

M.S. Thesis Committee Formation
Once the thesis is ready to be examined/defended, students have to form the thesis examination committee and set the date for the oral defense. Students are required to submit the thesis formation committee form at the beginning of the semester in which they intend to defend their thesis.

Thesis Committee Members Selection Criteria  

The thesis defense committee must consist of at least three members and typically includes no more than four members as:

Member	Role	Program Status
1	Committee Chair	Affiliated faculty member
2	KAUST Faculty	Affiliated faculty member
3	KAUST Faculty	Non-affiliated faculty member
4	Additional faculty or research scientist	Inside or outside KAUST

  Notes:  

Members 1-3 are required, member 4 is optional  
Member 1: committee chair must be AP faculty member or KAUST faculty member affiliated with AP program  
Member 2: must be AP faculty member  
Member 3: KAUST faculty member not affiliated with the program  
Co-chairs may serve as member 2, 3, or 4, but may not be a research scientist  
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, 3 or 4 depending upon their affiliation with the student's program, they may also serve as co-chairs  
Visiting professors may serve as member 4

Thesis Defense

 An oral defense of the M.Sc. thesis is required, although it may be waived by the dean's office under exceptional circumstances. Public presentation and all other details related to the format of the oral defense are left to the discretion of the thesis committee. The oral thesis defense must be completed two weeks before the last day of classes of the graduating semester. Students must set the date of the thesis defense with the committee members by the time students submit their thesis committee formation form.   Thesis Document  Students must follow the KAUST Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines available on the KAUST Library website when they write their thesis. The division urges students to submit the thesis to the examining committee no later than two weeks prior to the defense. However, the committee chair sets the final requirement for the submission timeline.   

Thesis Defense Evaluation

Students defending their thesis will receive one of these two outcomes, pass or fail. A pass is achieved when the committee agrees with no more than one dissenting vote, otherwise the outcome is a fail. In case of a pass, students are required to send a copy of the M.Sc. thesis approval form within two days after the thesis defense to the GPC. In the case of a fail, the academic (thesis) advisor must inform the GPC immediately to take the necessary action.

Program Courses and Descriptions

MSE 226 - Thermodynamics & Equilibrium Processes

Prerequisite or Co-Requisite: MSE 200 or any AMCS Course

The course offers a modern fundamental understanding of the main concepts and practical applications of thermodynamics in materials science. The following major topics are discussed: review of the laws of classical thermodynamics, introduction to statistical thermodynamics phase equilibria, including phase diagrams, theory of solutions, chemical reactions involving gasses and condensed matter, Elligham diagrams, surface and interfacial phenomena and thermodynamics at the nanoscale.

MSE 227 - Applied Quantum Mechanics

Prerequisite or Co-Requisite: MSE 200 or any AMCS Course

Introduction to non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Summary of classical mechanics and electrodynamics. Postulates of quantum mechanics, wave functions, operator formalism and Dirac notation. Stationary state problems, including quantum wells and tunneling. Harmonic oscillator. Time evolution. Approximation methods for time-independent as well as time-dependent interactions.

AP 230 - Condensed Matter Physics

Prerequisite: MSE 225 This course aims at establishing solid foundations in condensed matter physics. Prior to take this class, students should be familiar with basic electronic properties of materials (such as MSE225) and standard applied mechanics (such as MSE227). Starting with the band theory of solids and tight-binding model, it covers the semiclassical theory of metals, and addresses the concepts and Bloch states, Fermi surface and quantum oscillations, as well as scattering rates, beyond the relaxation time approximation. Then, electron liquid theory is addressed and basics concepts related to electron-electron interactions are covered, including the Stoner criterion, the Ha rtree-Fock approximation, Fermi and Luttinger liquids, and charge/spin density waves. Finally, superconductors are considered, including London, Ginzburg-Landau and BCS theories.

ME 308 - Introduction to Plasma Physics and Magneto-hydrodynamics

Prerequisite: ME 200 ab; AMCS 201 and AMCS 202.

Motion of charged particles; Statistical behavior of plasmas. Vlasov and Fokker-Planck equations and derivation of fluid models for plasmas; closure problem and models. Dispersive waves in plasmas. Ideal and non-ideal magneto-hydrodynamics. Exact solutions. Alfvén and shock waves in MHD. MHD instabilities.

EE 203 - Solid-State Devices Fabrication

Semiconductor material and device fabrication and evaluation: capacitors and field-effect transistors. Semiconductor processing techniques: oxidation, diffusion, deposition, etching, photolithography. Lecture and laboratory.

AP 210 - Spectroscopy of Solids

This course provides an introduction to the spectroscopy of solids. The first part covers fundamentals including, electromagnetic radiation, light sources, spectral analysis of light, and light detection. The second part will discuss light-matter interaction, covering dielectric responses of matter, transitions in the visible and near-visible spectral range, and selection rules. Finally, different spectroscopy techniques are reviewed and their application to different material classes including organic, hybrid, and inorganic materials are discussed.

ME 348 - Introduction to Spectroscopy and Laser Diagnostics

Prerequisite: ME 241 or ME 243 or equivalent

Fundamentals of microwave, infrared, Raman, and electronic spectroscopy. Laser-based diagnostic techniques for measurements of species concentration, temperature, pressure, velocity, and other flow field properties. Topics: rotational, vibrational, and electronic transition frequencies; spectral line shapes and line-broadening mechanisms; nuclear spin effects electronic spectra of atoms and molecules; absorption; emission; laser induced fluorescence (LIF); Rayleigh and Raman scattering methods; Mie theory; laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and particle image velocimetry (PIV); applications and cases Laser Diagnostics for Thermal Engineering.

MSE 307 - Materials Characterization

Prerequisite: None.

This course will introduce the basic principles of materials characterization and the common characterization techniques available at KAUST. It will cover the following topics: Diffraction methods: basic principles, interaction of radiation and particle beams with matter, XRD, scattering techniques; Spectroscopic methods; Imaging: optical including confocal microscopy, scanning, transmission electron, scanning tunneling and field ion microscopy; Microanalysis and Tomography: energy dispersive, wavelength dispersive, Auger Processes, Electron, Ion and Atom Probe Tomography, SIMS, photoelectron spectroscopy; thermal analysis: DTA, DSC. Lab visits and demonstrations will be scheduled to the class to discuss some case studies.

MSE 315 - Thin Film Science and Engineering

Prerequisite: None.

Thin films and coatings are the material building blocks of many modern and pervasive technologies ranging from electronics to optics and photovoltaics and from anti-counterfeiting to glazings and hard coatings. The fundamentals and atomistics of thin film growth are discussed in detail. Deposition techniques for thin films and coatings are presented, including physical and chemical vapor depositions, molecular beam epitaxy, atomic layer deposition and low-pressure plasma processes. Organic thin film deposition. Solution-processing and printing of inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic thin films. Artificially structured and chemically modulated layered and nanocomposite materials. Ex-situ/in-situ characterization of thin films and coatings.

MSE 228 – Biomaterials

Prerequisite: None.

This course offers a basic understanding of the concepts underlying the design and selection of materials for use in biological applications. It focuses on

both hard and soft tissue materials. The class addresses modern topics including biosensors, surface and interface functionalization. Further topics include: A brief introduction to relevant tissue types: anatomy, biochemistry and physiology; concepts of biocompatibility, host response, material degradation, testing and selection criteria; an overview of current research on biomechanics and its relevance to prosthesis design and tissue engineering; basic concepts of drug delivery and molecular biomechanics.

MSE 229 - Polymeric Materials

Prerequisite: None.

This course describes polymerization processes; polymer solutions (Flory-Huggins model and application to polymer blends); polymer chain conformations; calculation of end-to-end distribution function W(r) for short range interacting chains; rotational isomeric state scheme and temperature dependence; chain with long range interactions (excluded volume effect); radius of gyration; the crystalline and amorphous states of polymers; the glass transition (configurational entropy model); mechanical, electrical and optical properties and characterization of polymers.

MSE 230 - Materials and Energy

This course is intended as a review of the challenges facing materials scientists working in renewable energy and sustainability science and technology. It aims to give the student a birds-eye view of the current topics in energy harvesting and storage materials. The potential of various energy harvesting approaches will be discussed in the context of energy needs facing the world. This will be done with particular focus on materials innovations required to improve the state of the art. After this thorough introduction, the course will discuss solar power and electrochemical energy storage in more depth.

MSE 311 - Soft Materials

Prerequisite: None.

This course covers chemical and physical aspects of soft materials such as gels, polymers, lipids, surfactants and colloids; physical chemistry of soft materials; phase transformations and self-assembly; the role of intermolecular and surface forces in determining morphology and hierarchy. Membranes, catalysis, drug delivery, flexible and stretchable materials and devices.

MSE 313 - Functional Oxides

Prerequisite: MSE 227

Fundamental concepts relevant to functional oxides will be reviewed, including common structures, defect chemistry and reactions, Brouwer diagrams, Ellingham diagrams, Heckman diagrams, ionic and electronic transport and tensor notation. The physics, materials, and applications for the following classes of functional oxides will be covered: linear dielectrics, ferroelectrics, multiferroics, piezoelectric, pyroelectrics, electro optics, thermoelectrics and semiconducting oxides. Selected technological applications will be reviewed including.

MSE 316 - Magnetic Materials

Prerequisite: None.

This course introduces fundamental concepts in modern magnetic materials together with the electronic properties of magnetic hybrid structures. (i) Diamagnetism, para-magnetism, ferromagnetism and anti-ferromagnetism will be introduced and the microscopic origin of magnetism will be addressed (metals, semiconductors, oxides, insulators, etc.). (ii) Experimental techniques to investigate magnetism and magnetic behavior will be mentioned (X-ray dichroism, Magneto-Optical Kerr effect, etc...). (iii) Advanced applications of modern magnetic materials will be presented and the electronic properties as well as magnetization dynamics of magnetic hybrid structures will be covered.

MSE 318 – Nanomaterials

Prerequisite: None.

This course describes the most recent advances in the synthesis, fabrication and characterization of nanomaterials. Topics to be covered: Zero-dimensional nanomaterials, including nanoparticles, quantum dots and nanocrystals; one dimensional materials including nanowires and nanotubes; two (2)-dimensional materials: including self-assembled monolayers, patterned surfaces and quantum well; three (3)-dimensional nanomaterials: including Nano porosity, nanocomposites, block copolymers and supra-crystals. Emphasis on the fundamental surface and size-related physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials; and their applications in bio sensing, nanomedicine, catalysis, photonics and Nano electronics.

MSE 320 - Solar Cell Materials and Devices

Prerequisite: None.

This course will provide the students with an up-to-date basic knowledge of the physical and chemical principles of materials used in solar cells of various kinds including but not limited to technologies such as: 1) silicon-based solar cells, 2) CIGS, CIS and other inorganic thin film solar cells, 3) multi-junction solar cells, 4) nanoparticles and quantum dots solar cells, 5) organic and hybrid solar cells and 6) thermal and concentrator solar power generation.

MSE 322 - Semiconductor Materials

Prerequisite: None.

The course covers the physico-chemical and electronic properties of advanced semiconductor materials other than Si and GaAs. The materials that will be covered include elemental semiconductors such as Ge and carbon (in the form of carbon nanotubes and graphene), compound semiconductors such as III-V and II-VI compounds, and wide-band gap semiconductors such as carbides and nitrides. Special classes of semiconductors such as oxides, chalcogenides, and polymeric semiconductors will be included. In each material category, the material processing and fabrication of select devices will be discussed including 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional devices. Measurement protocols for the devices will be presented.

MSE 324 – Photophysics of Organic Semiconductors

This course offers an introduction to electronic processes in conjugated organic materials nowadays used in many different optoelectronic devices such as lightemitting diodes and organic solar cells. The theoretical basics of electronic transitions and excited states (excitons) are discussed first, followed by an overview of basic measurement (spectroscopy) techniques. Furthermore, emission spectra of single molecules,ensembles, and aggregates are reviewed and basic concepts of energy transfer and photoexcitations in conjugated polymers are introduced. Finally, the course offers an overview of technological applications of semiconducting organic materials and an introduction to advanced (time-resolved) spectroscopy and data analysis techniques.

ME 317 A, B – Mechanics of Composite Materials and Structures

Prerequisite: ME 211a; ME 212a; ME 317b requires ME 317a.

Introduction and fabrication technologies. Elastic response of composite materials (especially fiber and particulate reinforced materials) from the fabrication to the in-service structure. Up scaling strategies from the microstructure to the single ply: kinematic and static bounds, asymptotic expansion and periodical homogenization. Up scaling strategies from the single ply to the structural scale: elastic deformation of multidirectional laminates (lamination theory, ABD matrix). Mechanics of degradation in composite materials: fiber-matrix debonding, plasticity, micro cracking and induced delamination. Tools for description of non-linear effects: damage mechanics for laminates, applications of fracture mechanics. Aging and fatigue. Basic criteria-based theories will also be reviewed, including first ply failure, splitting and delamination. Basic experimental illustration will include: hand lay up of a simple laminate, characterization using full field measurement of its material properties.

AP 320 – Introduction to Nanoelectronics

This class explores quantum transport in mesoscopic devices. It addresses quantum transport in clean systems, including quantum conductance interference effects in nanodevices such as Aharonov-Bohm effects, and quantum oscillations. Properties of two-dimensional electron gases and nanowire will be discussed. The effect of disorder is discussed from Knudsen regime, including size effects, to drift-diffusion model and quantum corrections to conductance including weak and strong localization, universal conductance fluctuation. Finally, single electron transistor, Coulomb and Pauli spin blockade regimes will be presented.

AP 390 – Contemporary Topics in Applied Physics

The goal of this class is to enhance the student's critical thinking and methodology in research areas related to Applied Physics. This course is built on an advanced research topic considered as highly relevant for technology applications such as, but not limited to advanced memory concepts, single electron transistors, two dimensional Dirac electronics, innovative solar cells, novel laser sources etc. It covers both fundamental and applied aspects, and engages the student in examining the technological potential and limitations of scientific breakthroughs in this field. The advanced research topic depends on the teaching faculty and changes every year.

EE 206 - Device Physics

Structural properties of materials. Basic quantum mechanics of electrons in solids. Band theory and trap states. Charge transport, band conduction and hopping conduction. Optical properties of materials. Piezoelectric and ferro-electric phenomena. Magnetic effects in materials. Physical phenomena will be related transistors, light emitters, sensor and memory devices.

EE 306 - Electronic and Optical Properties of Semiconductors

The course discusses in detail the theory behind important semiconductor based experiments such as Hall Effect and Hall mobility measurement, velocity-field measurement, photoluminescence, gain, pump-probe studies, pressure and strain dependent studies. Theory will cover: Band structure in quantum wells; effect of strain on band structure; transport theory; excitons, optical absorption, luminescence and gain.

EE 231 - Principles of Optics

Prerequisites: basic knowledge of electromagnetic, signals and systems, and linear algebra.

Basic principles of optics. Topics include classical theory of diffraction, interference of waves, study of simple dielectric elements such as gratings and lenses, analysis of Gaussian beams, elements of geometrical optics, Waveguides, interferometers and optical resonators. The course aims at equipping the student with a set of general tools to understand basic optical phenomena and model simple optical devices.

EE 208 - Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices

Materials for optoelectronics, optical processes in semiconductors, absorption and radiation, transition rates and carrier lifetime. Principles of LEDs, lasers, photo detectors and solar cells. Designs, demonstrations and projects related to optoelectronic device phenomena.

EE 332 – Optical Waves in Crystals

Prerequisite: EE 233.

Propagation of laser beams: Gaussian wave optics and the ABCD law. Manipulation of light by electrical, acoustical waves; crystal properties and the dielectric tensor; electro-optic, acousto-optic effects and devices. Introduction to nonlinear optics; harmonic generation, optical rectification, four-wave mixing, self-focusing and self-phase modulation.

MSE 321 - Optical Properties of Materials

Prerequisite: None.

AMCS 201 - Applied Mathematics I

Prerequisites: Advanced and multivariate calculus and elementary complex variables. AMCS 201 and 202 may be taken separately or in either order. No degree credit for AMCS majors.

Part of a fast-paced two-course sequence in graduate applied mathematics for engineers and scientists, with an emphasis on analytical technique. A review of practical aspects of linear operators (superposition, Green's functions and Eigen analysis) in the context of ordinary differential equations, followed by extension to linear partial differential equations (PDEs) of parabolic, hyperbolic and elliptic type through separation of variables and special functions. Integral transforms of Laplace and Fourier type. Self-similarity. Method of characteristics for first-order PDEs. Introduction to perturbation methods for nonlinear PDEs, asymptotic analysis, and singular perturbations.

AMCS 202 - Applied Mathematics II

Prerequisites: Advanced and multivariate calculus and elementary complex variables. AMCS 201 and 202 may be taken separately or in either order. No degree credit for AMCS majors.

Part of a fast-paced two-course sequence in graduate applied mathematics for engineers and scientists, with an emphasis on analytical technique. A review of linear spaces (basis, independence, null space and rank, condition number, inner product, norm and Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization) in the context of direct and iterative methods for the solution of linear systems of equations arising in engineering applications. Projections and least squares. Eigen analysis, diagonalization and functions of matrices. Complex analysis, Cauchy-Riemann conditions, Cauchy integral theorem, residue theorem, Taylor and Laurent series, contour integration and conformal mapping.

AMCS 231 - Applied Partial Differential Equations I

Prerequisites: Advanced and multivariate calculus and elementary complex variables.

First part of a sequence of courses on partial differential equations (PDE) emphasizing theory and solution techniques for linear equations. Origin of PDE in science and engineering. Equations of diffusion, heat conduction and wave propagation. The method of characteristics. Classification of PDE. Separation of variables, theory of the Fourier series and Fourier transform. The method of Green's functions. Sturm-Liouville problem, special functions, Eigen function expansions. Higher dimensional PDE and their solution by separation of variables, transform methods and Green's functions. Introduction to quasi-linear PDE and shock waves.

AMCS 331 - Applied Partial Differential Equations II

Prerequisites: Multivariate calculus, elementary complex variables, ordinary differential equations. Recommended: AMCS 231 or AMCS 201.

Second part of a sequence of courses on partial differential equations (PDE) emphasizing theory and solution techniques for nonlinear equations. Quasi-linear and nonlinear PDE in applications. Conservation laws, first-order equations, the method of characteristics. Burgers' equation and wave breaking. Weak solutions, shocks, jump conditions and entropy conditions. Hyperbolic systems of gas dynamics, shallow-water flow, traffic flow and bio-fluid flow. Variational principles, dispersive waves, solitons. Nonlinear diffusion and reaction-diffusion equations in combustion and biology. Traveling waves and their stability. Dimensional analysis and similarity solutions. Perturbation methods. Turing instability and pattern formation. Eigenvalue problems. Stability and bifurcation.

AMCS 252 - Numerical Analysis of Differential Equations

Prerequisites: Familiarity with Taylor series, norms, orthogonal polynomials, matrix analysis, linear systems of equations, eigenvalues, differential equations, and programming in MATLAB or a similar language.

The course covers theory and algorithms for the numerical solution of ODEs and of PDEs of parabolic, hyperbolic and elliptic type. Theoretical concepts include: accuracy, zero-stability, absolute stability, convergence, order of accuracy, stiffness, conservation and the CFL condition. Algorithms covered include: finite differences, steady and unsteady discretization in one and two dimensions, Newton methods, Runge-Kutta methods, linear multistep methods, multigrid, implicit methods for stiff problems, centered and upwind methods for wave equations, dimensional splitting and operator splitting.

AMCS 255 - Advanced Computational Physics

This course covers a selection of advanced topics related to computational physics. Based on prior knowledge in calculus and linear algebra, the following topics are considered: Lagrangian formalism, symmetries and conservation laws, stability and bifurcation, multi-body problems and rigid bodies, linear and nonlinear oscillations, Hamiltonian formalism, canonical transformations and invariances, Liouville's theorem, discrete Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms, Hamilton Jacobi theory, transition to quantum mechanics and relativity fields.

CS 229 – Machine Learning

Prerequisites: linear algebra and basic probability and statistics. Familiarity with artificial intelligence recommended.

Topics: linear and non-linear regression, nonparametric methods, Bayesian methods, support vector machines, kernel methods, Artificial Neural Networks, model selection, learning theory, VC dimension, clustering, EM, dimensionality reduction, PCA, SVD and reinforcement learning.

AP 330 – Many-Body Theory in Condensed Matter

Prerequisite: AP 228 This course introduces techniques and concepts in many-body quantum physics in condensed matter. Fundamental theoretical tools such as second quantization, Green's function formalism, as well as Feynmann diagrams will be introduced and applied to selected topics such as weak localization, interacting electron systems, superconductivity.

MSE 314 - Ab-initio Computational Methods

Prerequisite: MSE 227

Introduction into the theory and application of materials modeling techniques. Comparison of analytical and numerical methods. Introduction into basic numerical algorithms. Fundamentals of density functional theory. Band structure approaches for crystalline solids. Introduction into commercial and freeware computer packages. Advanced applications of ab-initio computational techniques.

AMCS 353 - Advanced Topics in Wave Propagation

This course starts from the basic linearized theory of wave phenomena: examples are chosen from electromagnetics, acoustics, elastics and other subjects and exposes the recent developments in wave propagation. The topics include : basic concepts in wave propagation; waves in layered media; scattering, transmission and reflection; waves in random media, effective medium properties, resolution analysis; applications in wave functional materials and imaging and numerical techniques in techniques in solving wave equations in heterogeneous media. Basic knowledge on eigenvalue problem, fourier transform, linear algebra, vector analysis is desired.

ME 305 A, B – Computational Fluid Dynamics

Prerequisite: ME 200 a, b or equivalent; AMCS 201 and AMCS 202 or equivalent; ME 305b requires ME 305a.

Introduction to floating point arithmetic. Introduction to numerical methods for Euler and Navier-Stokes equations with emphasis on error analysis, consistency, accuracy and stability. Modified equation analysis (dispersion vs. dissipation) and Von Neumann stability analysis. Finite difference methods, finite volume and spectral element methods. Explicit vs. implicit time stepping methods. Solution of systems of linear algebraic systems. Higher-order vs. higher resolution methods. Computation of turbulent flows. Compressible flows with high-resolution shock-capturing methods (e.g. PPM, MUSCL, and WENO). Theory of Riemann problems and weak solutions for hyperbolic equations.

ME 319 A, B – Computational Solid Mechanics

Prerequisite: AMCS201 and AMCS202 or equivalent; ME 211 A, B or ME 212 A, B (may be taken concurrently); ME 319B requires ME 319A.

Variational principles in linear elasticity. Finite element analysis. Error estimation. Convergence. Singularities. Adaptive strategies. Constrained problems. Mixed methods. Stability and convergence. Variational problems in nonlinear elasticity. Consistent linearization. The Newton-Rahpson method. Bifurcation analysis. Adaptive strategies in nonlinear elasticity. Constrained finite deformation problems. Contact and friction. Time integration. Algorithm analysis. Accuracy, stability, and convergence. Operator splitting and product formulas. Coupled problems. Impact and friction. Space-time methods. Inelastic solids. Constitutive updates. Stability and convergence. Consistent linearization. Applications to finite deformation viscoplasticity, viscoelasticity and Lagrangian modeling of solids.

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Ph.D. Degree Requirements:

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is designed to prepare students for research careers in academia and industry.
It is offered exclusively as a full-time program.

There is a minimum residency requirement at KAUST of 3.5 years for students entering with a B.S. degree and 2.5 years for students entering with an M.S. degree. A minimum GPA of 3.0 must be achieved on all Doctoral coursework. Individual courses require a minimum of a B- to earn course credit.

Students pursuing Ph.D. degree are required to complete the following degree requirements to earn the degree:

Ph.D. Degree Timeline:

MSE PHD Timeline 2019

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Course List & Syllabi

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Ph.D. Degree Requirements:

Ph.D. Degree Timeline:

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