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 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 M.Sc. Requirements
- Core courses (12 credits)
- Elective courses (9 credits)
- Research/capstone experience (15 credits)
- Graduate seminar 398 (non-credit) – all students are required to register and receive a satisfactory grade for every semester of the program they attend
- Completion of one Winter Enrichment Program (WEP)
Core Courses (12 credits)
To complete these twelve credit hours, students should register for three core courses (12 credits) among those listed in the master’s course List and compulsory lab rotation (three credits).
Compulsory lab rotation (ChemS 296): in addition, all incoming M.Sc. students are required to enroll into a rotation course during their first semester in the program. The goal of this course is to introduce students to various ChemS research groups to aid them in the selection of an academic advisor. Rotation assignments will be made by the mutual approval of designated faculty and students.
Students with a pre-identified advisor may spend their entire rotation period in a given lab with the approval of this advisor and program chair.
These core courses are designed to provide students with the background needed to establish a solid foundation in the program area.
Elective Courses (9 credits)
The elective courses (which exclude research, internship credits, and IED 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.
M.Sc. Thesis
The thesis defense committee, which must be approved by the dean, must consist of at least three members and typically includes no more than four members. At least two of the required members must be KAUST faculty. The chair plus one additional faculty member must be affiliated with the student’s program. This membership can be summarized as:
| Member |
Role |
Program Status |
| 1 |
Chair |
Within program |
| 2 |
Faculty |
Within program |
| 3 |
Faculty or approved research scientist |
Outside program |
| 4 |
Additional faculty or research scientist |
Inside or outside KAUST |
Notes:
- Members 1-3 are required, member 4 is optional
- Co-chairs may serve as member 2, 3, or 4, but may not be a research scientist
- Members 2 and 3 must use primary affiliation only
- 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
View a list of faculty and their affiliations here.
Under exceptional circumstances where students are not able to complete a thesis after fulfilling all other M.Sc. requirements, a non-thesis (course only) option could be permitted with approval of the academic advisor and the program chair. The ChemS program looks at this option as a last resort only in the occasions of extreme significance that effect students’ ability to complete their thesis.