Important Rules and Policies

A. Duration of Study

1. The Maximum duration of study is 4 years for master students.
2. Student should register a minimum of two courses per semester (min. 6 hr)
3. The supervisor should send a report every semester about the status and the progress of his student.

B. Drop and Postponement

- Admission Postponement

Department Councils, College Deans and the Dean of Graduate Studies may approve postponement of students’ admission into a program for a maximum period of two semesters; the period will not be counted within the time limit for obtaining the degree.

- Registration Postponement

Department Councils may approve postponement of students’ registration under the following condition:

1. The student must have successfully completed at least one semester in the program or covered a substantial part of the thesis.
2. Requests for postponement should be submitted at least two weeks before the start of the semester.
3. Postponement Period will not be counted within the maximum time limit for obtaining the degree.
4. Defer the application, applicant should have a reasonable excuse to defer or change the start date of study (Like visa issue, family issue….)

However, Master student cannot postponement more than one semester during his program.

- Drop of Courses

A drop of courses will not be entertained after the announced registration dates are over. Some consideration could be given to the students within one week of the beginning of classes to drop the course.
A student registered in a program will not be able to add or drop a course on the second week of the program in the University unless he has obtained the permission from the Head of Department responsible for the program.
If a student decides to drop a course at the beginning of the second week, it will be called a withdraw instead of drop courses. The maximum number of courses that student can withdraw during his program will be only two courses.
The maximum number of courses that student can withdraw during the whole program period will be only two courses.

- Drop of a Semester

The student may (after registering) drop all courses of the semester according to the following regulations:

1. Submit a request to the Head of the Department at least five weeks before the final exam period.
2. The student should receive approval from the Department Council and Deans of both College and Graduate Studies.
3. Semester should not be part of the additional opportunity period.
4. Semester counts as part of postponement period.
5. The student shall be considered as having failed all courses he registered in (in the dropped semester) if not abiding by the above rules of dropping.

However, Master student cannot drop more than one semester during his program.

C. Withdrawal and Interruption

- Withdrawal

A student who voluntarily withdraws from a master program will be treated as a new applicant on deciding to rejoin. All updates of conditions will be applied to his case. The withdrawal becomes effective when accorded with the following regulations:

1. The student should apply (for withdrawal) to the Deanship of Graduate Studies before the commencement of final exams.
2. The Deanship of Graduate Studies ought to notify both the Deanship of Admission and Registration and the relevant department of a student’s withdrawal in two-week time from the date of completion of withdrawal procedures.

- Interruption of Study

The student shall be considered as a dropout and his record as closed in the following cases:

1. If accepted in the program and did not register on time.
2. If registered in the courses and did not attend them.

D. Transfer between Discipline

1. Transfer of student from one discipline to another would be restricted within the acceptance of both disciplines involved. Disciplines will decide on the basis of their criterion to allow the transfer.
2. A graduate student can transfer from the non-thesis program to the thesis program if the student gets approval from one of the faculty to be his supervisor.
3. Local graduate Students are allowed to transfer from thesis program to non-thesis program.
4. International graduate students are allowed to transfer from the thesis program to non-thesis program excluding students that have a scholarship from King Saud University to pursue their degree.