Bioscience M.Sc. Program

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.

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 admitted students are required to take a written assessment exam when they arrive on Campus. The exam will focus on mathematics and basic sciences. 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 works with admitted students to develop a study plan if needed. Students are encouraged to prepare for the assessment by refreshing the general knowledge gained from their undergraduate education before arriving at KAUST. The remedial study plan requirements must be satisfactorily completed, in addition to the University degree requirements.

The M.Sc. Requirements

Core courses (9 credits)
Elective courses (6 credits)
Lab rotation- optional for MS/PhD with approval of the advisor (3 credits)
Research/capstone experience (18 credits)
Graduate seminar 398 (non-credit) – all students are required to register and receive a satisfactory grade for three semesters during their M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees (three seminars in each program)
Completion of one Winter Enrichment Program (WEP)

Core Courses (9 credits)

Track 1: Cell and Molecular Biology (choose 3 of 4)

B 204	Genomics	3
B 213	The Cell: Structure, Development and Physiology II	3
B 224	The Cell: Structure, Development and Physiology I	3
B 241	Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab	3

B 241: not optional

Track 2: Biophysics and Bioimaging (choose 3 of 4)

B 201	Biophysics	3
B 214	Biomolecule Structure and Function	3
B 241	Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab	3
B 316	Foundations in Bioimaging	3

B 241: not optional

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

Elective Courses (6 credits)

Track 1: Cell and Molecular Biology

B 206/BioE 206	Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology	3
B 211	Fundamentals of Molecular Microbiology	3
B 214	Biomolecule Structure and Function	3
B 316	Foundations in Bioimaging	3
B 317	Advanced Environmental Microbiology	3
B 320	Stem Cells and Molecular Medicine	3
B 321	Epigenetics and Chromatin	3
B 327	Introduction to Nanopore Sequencing
BESE 300	Fundamental Skills in Bioinformatics	3

Others upon approval of the academic advisor

Track 2: Biophysics and Bioimaging

B 204	Genomics	3
B 206/BioE 206	Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology	3
B 211	Fundamentals of Molecular Microbiology	3
B 213	The Cell: Structure, Development and Physiology II	3
B 224	The Cell: Structure, Development and Physiology I	3
B 318/BioE 318	Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine	3
B 323	Advanced Bioimaging	3
B 325	Advanced Biomacromolecular NMR Spectroscopy	3
BESE 300	Fundamental Skills in Bioinformatics	3
BioE 319	Biomaterials and Biomedical Devices	3

Others upon approval of the academic advisor

The elective courses (which exclude research and internship credits) are designed to allow students to tailor their educational experience to meet individual research and educational objectives, with the permission of the academic advisor.

Compulsory lab rotation (B 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 bioscience research groups in order to aid them in the selection of an academic advisor. Rotation assignments will be made by the mutual approval of designated faculty and students.

M.Sc. Thesis

Students wishing to pursue the thesis option must complete total of 18 research/capstone credits, with a minimum of 12 credits of thesis research (297).

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.

M.Sc. Non-Thesis

Students wishing to pursue the non-thesis option must complete a total of 18 research/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
Additional directed research