Chemical Engineering 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 to four semesters. Satisfactory participation in every KAUST summer session is mandatory.
The M.Sc. Requirements
- Core courses (12 credits)
- Elective courses (12 credits)
- 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)
- Completion of M.Sc. thesis
Core Courses (12 credits)
To complete these twelve credit hours in CE, students should register for four core courses as listed below.
| CE 201 | Chemical Thermodynamics | 3 |
| CE 202 | Advanced Transport Phenomena | 3 |
| CE 203 | Advanced Reaction Engineering | 3 |
| CE 336 | Membrane Science and Membrane Separation Processes | 3 |
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)
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.
| CE 300 | Sustainable Process Design | 3 |
| CE 394 | Contemporary Topics in CE | 3 |
Graduate Seminar
Attendance to all scheduled CE seminars is mandatory.
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 |
Outside program, Inside KAUST |
| 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.