Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University admission requirements, majors

What are the key facts about Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University?

The key facts about PNU 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 Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University offer?

PNU spreads 88 bachelor and diploma programmes over 16 colleges². The largest is the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (health foundation year) with 12, and the smallest is the College of Education and Human Development with 1.

42 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 PNU writes them on its own page².

What are the admission requirements at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University?

Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University is a public university for women in Riyadh. It offers 88 programmes in 16 colleges, from medicine, engineering and computing to law, languages and design and arts, with diplomas at the Applied College. Here are the majors by college, the admission rules and weighted score formula, and how the foundation year works, as published by the Deanship of Admission and Registration.

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

• Admission is for Saudi women or the daughters of a Saudi mother, and you apply through the unified admission platform.
• You must have sat both Qudrat and Tahsili, including secondary graduates from outside the Kingdom.
• If more than five years have passed since your secondary certificate, you can apply to paid programmes only.
• For the health colleges foundation year, no more than one year may have passed since your secondary certificate.
• For sports sciences and physical activity, your body mass index must not exceed 27.
• You cannot be admitted if you already hold a bachelor degree, are enrolled or admitted at another university, or have a previous record at PNU.
• Saudi applicants need no documents; the data is retrieved electronically.

How is the weighted score calculated at Princess Nourah University?

Princess Nourah University uses one weighted score for most colleges: 30% secondary school, 30% Qudrat and 40% Tahsili. It applies to the health colleges foundation year, nursing, the science colleges of engineering, science, computing, business and sports sciences, the humanities colleges and the Applied College.³

The exception is the College of Languages: 50% secondary school, 15% Qudrat, 15% Tahsili and 20% for the STEP English test. If translation or linguistics is your goal, STEP makes a real difference to your score.³

What is the foundation year at Princess Nourah University and how are majors assigned after it?

Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and the health and rehabilitation sciences majors start with the health colleges foundation year, and engineering starts with its own foundation year. After the foundation year you are assigned to a programme by your GPA and the seats available.⁴

One condition for assignment in the health colleges is passing all foundation-year courses within two academic years, and medicine and dentistry require a higher GPA than the other health colleges. The other colleges, such as nursing, computing, science, business, law, languages and design, admit you directly to the major.⁴

What is the direct admission track for academically outstanding students?

Academically outstanding students have a track that guarantees the major after passing the foundation year without competing for it, in programmes such as medicine and surgery, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy and the engineering programmes. Staying on it requires a high GPA after the foundation year; otherwise you are assigned through the normal process.⁴

Applying to this track does not cancel your application to the health or engineering foundation year; the two are considered independently.⁴

Which new and less common majors does Princess Nourah University offer?

Princess Nourah University offers one of the widest ranges of majors for women in the Kingdom. Engineering includes aerospace, mechatronics and robotics, and renewable energy; computing includes artificial intelligence, the internet of things and data science; science includes actuarial and financial mathematics and bioinformatics.²

Design and arts includes film and animation and film, theatre and music production, which require passing an artistic skills test. Health includes audiology and balance, speech-language and swallowing pathology, and clinical nutrition.²

If you are aiming for medicine or engineering at PNU, Tahsili is 40% of your score and the foundation year decides your major, so work hard from the first semester. If languages are your goal, prepare for STEP early.

How much is the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University stipend?

PNU pays a monthly stipend that depends on the type of major⁵: SR 1,000 a month (monthly stipend, health, science, computing, design and arts, business, engineering and sport sciences) and SR 850 a month (monthly stipend, humanities and social sciences, languages, education, law and the Applied College).

The stipend compared across eight universities, with pay day and the IBAN steps, is in the student stipend guide.

Where else can you study the PNU majors?

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

• Medicine: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IAU (Dammam), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), QU (Buraidah), REU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Sulaiman Alrajhi University (Al-Bukayriyah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Dentistry: IAU (Dammam), Jazan University (Jazan), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), REU (Riyadh), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah) and UQU (Makkah)
• Pharmacy: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), IAU (Dammam), Jazan University (Jazan), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), REU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Physical therapy: Jazan University (Jazan), Jouf University (Sakaka), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Public health: University of Bisha (Bisha), IAU (Dammam), Jazan University (Jazan), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Radiology: Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif) and UOH (Hail)
• Clinical nutrition: University of Bisha (Bisha), Jazan University (Jazan), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KSU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Psychology: Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), IMSIU (Riyadh), UJ (Jeddah), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Taif University (Taif), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Respiratory therapy: AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), Jazan University (Jazan), KSU (Riyadh), Taibah University (Madinah) 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), KAUST (Thuwal), 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), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah) and UQU (Makkah)
• Industrial engineering: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), KAU (Jeddah), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
• Aerospace engineering: KAU (Jeddah) and KFUPM (Dhahran)
• Nursing: AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IAU (Dammam), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), REU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Sulaiman Alrajhi University (Al-Bukayriyah), 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), KAUST (Thuwal), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), 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)
• Artificial intelligence: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), UJ (Jeddah), KKU (Abha), PMU (Khobar), REU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Taibah University (Madinah), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah) and UQU (Makkah)
• Software engineering: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KSU (Riyadh), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), REU (Riyadh), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
• Information technology: AOU (Riyadh), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), KAU (Jeddah), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk) and Taif University (Taif)
• Cybersecurity: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AOU (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KKU (Abha), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), REU (Riyadh), Taibah University (Madinah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
• Data science: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Taibah University (Madinah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Information systems: AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), AOU (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), IMSIU (Riyadh), 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), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
• Mathematics: University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KAUST (Thuwal), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Physics: University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Biology: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KAUST (Thuwal), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Chemistry: University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KAUST (Thuwal), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Business administration: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IAU (Dammam), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Sulaiman Alrajhi University (Al-Bukayriyah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
• Marketing: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AOU (Riyadh), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
• Supply chain management: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), UJ (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Taibah University (Madinah), UBT (Jeddah) and Mustaqbal University (Buraidah)
• Human resources: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), IMSIU (Riyadh), UJ (Jeddah), KKU (Abha), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), UBT (Jeddah), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah) and UQU (Makkah)
• Finance: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), PMU (Khobar), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Sulaiman Alrajhi University (Al-Bukayriyah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
• Economics: IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), Taif University (Taif) and UQU (Makkah)
• Accounting: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), AlMaarefa University (Riyadh), AOU (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KFUPM (Dhahran), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Sulaiman Alrajhi University (Al-Bukayriyah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UPM (Madinah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
• Law: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), Mustaqbal University (Buraidah), UQU (Makkah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
• Early childhood education: Jouf University (Sakaka), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Taif University (Taif), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Translation: UJ (Jeddah), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Najran University (Najran), SEU (Riyadh) and UT (Tabuk)
• English language: AOU (Riyadh), University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Graphic design: Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), IMSIU (Riyadh), UJ (Jeddah), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), PMU (Khobar), QU (Buraidah), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah) and UQU (Makkah)
• Interior design: University of Bisha (Bisha), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), UJ (Jeddah), Najran University (Najran), PMU (Khobar), QU (Buraidah), UT (Tabuk), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail), UPM (Madinah) and UQU (Makkah)
• Sharia: University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), Jouf University (Sakaka), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Najran University (Najran), QU (Buraidah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), UT (Tabuk), Taif University (Taif), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Media and communication: University of Bisha (Bisha), IMSIU (Riyadh), Islamic University of Madinah (Madinah), UJ (Jeddah), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), SEU (Riyadh), Taibah University (Madinah), Taif University (Taif), UBT (Jeddah), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Tourism and hospitality: University of Bisha (Bisha), Jazan University (Jazan), UJ (Jeddah), KAU (Jeddah), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KKU (Abha), KSU (Riyadh), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Shaqra University (Shaqra), Taibah University (Madinah), UBT (Jeddah), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)
• Social work: IMSIU (Riyadh), KFU (Al-Ahsa), KSU (Riyadh), QU (Buraidah), UHB (Hafar Al-Batin), UOH (Hail) and UQU (Makkah)

Which fee mistakes do students make at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University?

• Missing this rule: The stipend goes to a regular student who is Saudi, born to a Saudi mother, the mother of a Saudi citizen or on an official external scholarship, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2 out of 5, for the programme's duration counted from the admission semester including apology and transfer semesters; SAR 10 a month goes to the student fund.⁵
• Missing this rule: It is deposited automatically on the 27th of every Gregorian month, and stops when the programme duration is exceeded, on deferral or apology, on dropping out, and when the cumulative GPA falls under 2.⁵
• Missing this rule: Summer is paid to students who were regular in the second semester; a student who apologised or deferred the second semester is paid only if she registers in summer and does not apologise, at the end of the summer term.⁵
• Missing this rule: The excellence reward is SAR 1,000 for every major, paid automatically at the end of the academic year to a student with a semester GPA of 4.50 or more in both the first and second semester, with at least 12 GPA hours in each (graduates are exempt in the graduation semester).⁵
• Missing this rule: A new or transferred student opens a current account at Riyad Bank and enters the IBAN in the academic system under student affairs services; the stipends office answers at dsa_rewards@pnu.edu.sa, 0118243722 and 0118243562.⁵

Where does the PNU 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,:

• pnu.edu.sa

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