King Abdullah University of Science and Technology admission requirements, majors

What are the key facts about King Abdullah University of Science and Technology?

The key facts about KAUST in one table, from the Ministry of Education list¹ and the university's official pages²³; each one is detailed in the sections below.

What colleges and majors does King Abdullah University of Science and Technology offer?

KAUST spreads 15 graduate programmes over 5 colleges². The largest is the Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE) with 5, and the smallest is the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship with 1.

7 of these majors have a full tiswa guide on the courses and the job market, linked in the last column. The names are copied as KAUST writes them on its own page².

What are the admission requirements at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology?

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a graduate research university on the Red Sea coast at Thuwal, with no bachelor degrees. It offers 15 master's and PhD programmes in four academic divisions plus a master's in technology innovation and entrepreneurship, and every admitted student gets a fellowship covering full tuition with a living allowance and housing. Here are the programmes by division and the admission rules as the university writes them.

KAUST publishes the following admission rules³, which we carry over as the official page states them:

• KAUST is a graduate-only university: there is no bachelor degree, and you apply directly for a master's or PhD in one of its programmes.
• For the master's you need a science bachelor in a relevant or related field, such as engineering, mathematics or the physical, chemical or biological sciences.
• For the PhD you need a science bachelor or master's in a relevant or related field.
• The minimum English score is 81 on the TOEFL iBT or 6.5 on IELTS, and only official scores are accepted.
• You do not need TOEFL or IELTS if your degree is from an accredited institution in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand.
• The GRE is not required, but the university strongly encourages it, and a high quantitative score strengthens your application.
• You upload an official transcript from every institution you attended with a certified English translation, three recommendation letters from professors or advisors you studied or did research with, and your CV.

What do you study in each KAUST programme?

From each programme page on the KAUST site we carried over the description, the length, the way it is taught and the careers the university lists:

Computer Science (CS): The KAUST Computer Science programme trains you to build computational infrastructure and apply computational methods across many fields. It has six tracks: artificial intelligence, computer systems, high performance computing, theoretical computer science, visual computing and computational biosciences.⁴

Careers the university lists: AI research, Technology companies, PhD and academic work.

Marine Science (MarS): Marine science at KAUST uses the university's Red Sea location: the programme studies the Red Sea ecosystem and conventional and extreme marine ecosystems, from molecular and genomic biology and microbiomes to corals, fish and marine conservation.⁴

Careers the university lists: Red Sea and eco-tourism projects, Environmental agencies, Scientific research.

Environmental Science and Engineering (EnSE): Environmental science and engineering prepares you for sustainability challenges in water, energy and food, with focus areas including water treatment, desalination, microbiology and resource recovery. It has thesis and non-thesis options, with courses such as aquatic chemistry, applied statistics and environmental sustainability.⁴

Careers the university lists: Water and desalination companies, Energy and sustainability, Environmental regulators.

Is study at KAUST free?

Every student admitted to KAUST receives the KAUST Fellowship for the length of their graduate studies. It covers full tuition, a monthly living allowance of between $20,000 and $30,000 a year depending on qualifications and progress, housing, medical and dental cover, and relocation support.³

The university notes that charges may apply to housing and medical cover for dependants. If you will move with your family, ask about these costs before accepting.³

How long is the KAUST master's, and how is it split?

The master's is 36 credits, and you are expected to finish it in three semesters and one summer session. The credits split into core courses of 9 to 15 credits, electives of 9 to 15 credits, and 12 credits of research or capstone work.⁵

You choose a thesis or non-thesis option. Thesis students apply by the eighth week of their second semester, research and write over the summer and the following fall, and need at least six credits of thesis research.⁵

How long is the KAUST PhD?

The PhD requires three and a half years of residency if you enter with a bachelor's and two and a half years with a master's. It has three phases: passing a qualifying exam, an oral defence of the dissertation proposal, then the dissertation phase ending with a final defence.⁶

The qualifying exam matters: a student not allowed to retake it, or who fails the retake, is dismissed. Taking part in the summer session and the Winter Enrichment Period is mandatory.⁶

What are KAUST's academic divisions?

KAUST's programmes sit in four divisions: biological and environmental science and engineering (environment, marine and plant science), biomedical sciences (bioscience and bioengineering), computer, electrical and mathematical science and engineering (applied mathematics, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and statistics), and physical science and engineering (chemical engineering, chemistry, earth systems, materials and mechanical engineering), plus a master's in technology innovation and entrepreneurship.⁴

If you are in the final year of a science bachelor and thinking about KAUST, start early on TOEFL or IELTS, ask for recommendation letters from professors you did research with, and take the GRE if you can, since it strengthens your application even though it is not required.

Where else can you study the KAUST majors?

If KAUST does not admit you, the same majors appear at other universities on our list:

• Biology: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Mathematics: University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Computer science: AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), AOU (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah) and UQU (Makkah)
• Electrical engineering: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah) and UQU (Makkah)
• Chemical engineering: IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin) and UOH (Hail)
• Chemistry: University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PNU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Mechanical engineering: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)

Where does the KAUST information on this page come from?

Every figure and name on this page was copied by hand from official pages. These are the sources we used,:

• kaust.edu.sa

Before you apply, read the unified admission guide and the university transfer guide.