By the tiswa editorial team, from the official sources listed at the end of this guide. How we write our guides
A student applies for a transfer with a single preference, is refused, and only afterwards learns they could have ranked ten. This is an example, but it points at a feature of the University of Tabuk that people overlook: the internal transfer service in the academic portal lets you rank up to ten preferences in priority order. That matters, because you have one real chance.
What does internal transfer mean at the University of Tabuk?
It means changing your college or major inside the same university. The service page on the university site describes it as a request made electronically through the academic portal and run by the Deanship of Admission and Registration,1 sitting under the general admission rules governed by the study and examinations regulation.3 Moving between universities is a separate service with its own page, covered in our guide to transferring between universities.
What are the conditions for internal transfer at the University of Tabuk?
The service page lists fourteen conditions. These are the main ones:1
| Condition | Detail |
|---|---|
| Student status | Your academic status must be regular |
| Earlier transfer | You must not have transferred or changed major before |
| GPA | A cumulative GPA of at least 2, based on two semesters excluding summer |
| Plan hours | You must not exceed half of your current major’s plan hours |
| Semester cap | Four for a bachelor’s degree, two for a diploma |
| What counts | Excuses, postponement, withdrawal, interruption, closed enrolment and academic dismissal |
| Health majors | A cumulative GPA of at least 4 and a weighted percentage of at least 80% |
| College of Medicine | Transfers into it are open only to students from health majors |
| Deadline | Requests after the announced date are not accepted |
Note that the semester cap counts excuses and postponements, and the GPA excludes the summer term, so summer work will not lift it before you apply.
How many semesters count against you?
The cap is four semesters for a bachelor’s degree and only two for a diploma.1 What matters more is that the page counts excuses, postponement, withdrawal, interruption, enrolment closure and academic dismissal, which means every semester that has passed whether you studied in it or not. Take an example: a bachelor’s student studies two semesters, postpones the third, studies the fourth. The counter reads four, with no room to wait another. Count from your record, not only from what you studied.
How do you apply in the academic portal?
- Sign in to the academic portal
The request is wholly electronic, and nothing on paper replaces it.1
- Confirm your location and college
Check the college you are currently in before choosing a major.
- Press the change-major icon
It changes your college and specialisation together.
- Rank your preferences
You can enter up to ten, in priority order. Order them by what you really want, and do not settle for one.
- Submit the request
Submitting is not acceptance.1
- Save the request
Then watch its status: “Entered” means under review, “Accepted” needs no action, “Not accepted” shows the reason.
How do you build your list of ten preferences?
Start with a blank page and three columns: the major’s name, your GPA against its condition, and why you want it. Write every major you would accept studying, then cross out any you wrote under pressure rather than interest. What remains is your real list. An example, not a real case: a Business student with a 3.2 GPA wants a technical major. She puts what she truly likes at the top, then two majors close to it in course content, then a business major she would accept if nothing else comes through. That way she does not leave the request with nothing.
Check each preference’s conditions on its own. A health major, for instance, asks for a GPA of 4 and a weighted percentage of 80%, so if you do not reach them, having it on your list adds nothing but hope. Put in a preference that meets its conditions instead. For any choice that needs an interview or a test, confirm the requirements on the college site.
Timing matters too. If you are in your third semester and the counter reads three, your last chance is near, so apply in the earliest announced window and do not wait. If you are in your first semester there is no rush, because the GPA is taken over two semesters anyway, so spend the time reading the study plans you are considering and asking older students about them.
What happens to your courses after the request is accepted?
The university matches your courses to the new major’s plan. Equivalent courses are recorded on your transcript, and non-equivalent ones are recorded too.1 One detail is dangerous: if your request is accepted, the summer courses you registered are deleted automatically, and you cannot transfer and re-register summer courses together. So do not register summer courses while expecting your transfer to be accepted. Read your degree plan to decide where to begin.
Is there a restriction on moving into the College of Medicine?
Yes. Transfers into the College of Medicine are open only to students from health majors.1 If you are in a non-health major, there is no route, however good your GPA. Other health majors need a GPA of 4 and a weighted percentage of 80%, clearly harder than the rest. If you are still choosing among several paths, read the best majors in Saudi Arabia and the guide to choosing a major.
What mistakes are common in transfer requests?
The first is a single preference. The second is counting semesters by study alone and forgetting excuses and postponement. The third is registering summer courses, then being accepted and watching them vanish. The fourth is waiting for the last day, since a request after the closing date is never accepted. If your GPA is close to the line, read how to raise your GPA before wasting the attempt.
And if the request is refused, remember the transfer is a single use. Compare it with withdrawing and reapplying before you decide.
