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 M.Sc. Requirements
- Core courses (12 credits)
- Elective courses (12 credits)
- M.Sc. thesis research or research/capstone experience (12 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)
Choose at least 4 - at least 2 from ErSE and at least one from AMCS:
These core courses are designed to provide students with the background needed to establish a solid foundation in the program area.
Elective Courses (12 credits)
Fluid Earth Systems Courses
| ErSE 202 | Computational Groundwater Hydrology | 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 306 | Ocean Modelling | 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 |
Solid Earth Systems Courses
Earth Systems Courses from Other Programs (for Both Tracks)
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.
Research/Capstone Experience (12 credits)
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.
M.Sc. Thesis
Students wishing to pursue the thesis option must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA. A minimum of 12 credits of thesis research (297) is required. Students are permitted to register for more than 12 credits of M.Sc. thesis research with the permission of the academic advisor. The selected academic advisor must be a fulltime program-affiliated assistant, associate or full professor at KAUST. This advisor can only become project-affiliated for the 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. It is advisable that students submit a final copy of the thesis to the thesis committee members at least two weeks prior to the defense date.
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.
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 directed research (299).
Students must complete the remaining credits through one or a combination of the options listed below:
- Broadening experience courses: courses that broaden a student’s M.Sc. experience
- Internship: research-based summer internship (295) – students are only allowed to take one internship
- Ph.D. courses: courses numbered at the 300 level
Winter Enrichment Program (WEP)
Students are required to satisfactorily complete at least one full Winter Enrichment Program (WEP).
Graduate Seminar
All students are required to register and receive a satisfactory grade in the graduate seminar (non-credit) for every semester of the program they attend.