1. Welcome to KFUPM Rules and Regulations of Graduate Studies
Prof. Salam A. Zummo
Dean of Graduate Studies
Sep. 11, 2014

2. Overview at KFUPM Founded in 1963
Composed of 7 colleges and 18 departments
State-of-the-art IT center, Library, infrastructure
Recognized as the leading science and engineering school in the whole region
Research is supported by:
Deanship of Scientific Research
Research Institute
Six National Centers of Research Excellence
KACST funds for faculty and graduate students
National Science and Technology Plan (NSTP) 2

3. New Admits for Semester 1413

4. New Admits Distribution – 141

5. Active Students Distribution – 1415

6. Active Master Students – 1416

7. Active PhD Students – 141 7

8. Full-time Master and PhD students

9. New Strategic Plan 2012 – 2020 Vision: Mission:
To be globally known for quality graduate programs that attract and develop prominent students and lead to quality research.
Mission:
To guide, support and develop graduate programs towards the highest level of excellence that serve national needs and beyond in:
Creating and disseminating knowledge.
Producing quality research.
Recruiting and retaining prominent graduate students. 9

10. New Strategic Plan 2012 – 2020 Goals:
Ensure globally competitive graduate programs.
Ensure significant contribution to knowledge and innovation.
Attract and retain quality of graduate students locally and internationally.
Develop graduates personally, academically and professionally.
Provide high quality services and efficient management that respond to faculty and student’s needs. 10

11. Important Policies
Every semester, all FT (FT/RA/LB/GA) students must pass a minimum of 09 credit hours .
This is a very strict policy to insure FT status and smooth progress in the degree program.
Students must submit their Degree Plans by mid of the second semester of enrolment.
Every student should declare his thesis/dissertation advisor and topic by the end of the second semester of enrolment. 11

12. Important Policies
The minimum time period between thesis/dissertation proposal approval and the planned public oral defence is:
04 months with one-semester difference for MS thesis.
09 months with two-semester difference for PhD dissertation.
Allow for at least one month for processing in the Department, College and Deanship of Graduate Studies.
A student who defends his thesis/dissertation in a semester is assigned an IC grade.
The IC grade will be changed into NP once the final bound theses/dissertations is submitted. 12

13. Important Policies – PhD
All PhD students are required to:
Pass the PhD Comprehensive Exam within 04 semesters of enrolment at max.
Comprehensive exam can be attempted twice at max upon recommendation of the Dept.
Must attempt the comprehensive exam in 3rd semester.
Submit dissertation proposals within 06 semesters of enrolment at max.
Failing to progress according to set deadlines may lead to issuance of Warnings or even dismissals from the PhD program.
PhD students should pass the comprehensive examination as part of the Seminar course XXX-699.
Hence, PhD students must register XXX-699 in 3rd semester.
This course is a pre-requisite to registering the PhD Pre-Dissertation XXX-711. The course is graded as pass or fail. 13

14. Expectations from RAs/LBs
A typical RA or LB shall spend his time as follows:
Spend 15 hours per week on department services (teaching, or admin)
Equivalent to teaching 6 contact hours (e.g. 2 LAB sessions)

15. KFUPM Expectations from Students
Work Ethics and Integrity:
Teaching: Utilize the full time of the LAB or lecture session with experiments/assignments/report writing, etc.
Research: Produce original research and results, and cite sources of information
KFUPM does not allow the following practices:
Working outside campus by any means or in any way.
Working on-campus on unofficial jobs (such as helping undergraduate students in reports, etc).
Violating the Ethics and Integrity code will result in terminating the contract regardless of academic performance

16. “Graduate Studies” tab in Portal
GradWeb
Online Clearance for FT and PT Students.
ID card system for PT students
E-print for thesis/dissertation uploading in Library

17. “Graduate Studies” tab in Portal
GradWeb:
Requests and approvals are fully online (no paper, more accurate data entry, easy to track and very efficient).
Current available services:
Online submission/tracking/view/printing of Degree Plan.
Academic Summary of the student (all info we know about the student!!)
Services to be provided this year:
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor Selection (coming very soon).
Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Submission (coming soon).
Oral defense request (coming very soon).
Graduation requests (coming soon).
Many other services to be added...

18. Familiarizing with Terms & Procedures
Academic Petitions
Provisional and Regular Status
Degree Plan
CGPA and Warning Policy
Thesis/Dissertation Proposal & Committee Formation
Public Oral Defense of Thesis/Dissertation
Readmission 18

19. Academic Petitions
Specific Form available on the website of Graduate Studies (from homepage, Current Students Forms  Miscellaneous  Academic Petition
It can be used for:
Changing Provisional status to Regular.
Changing status from Pre-Graduate to Graduate.
Accepting/waiving GRE/TOEFL/Deficiency Courses etc.
Transferring Credits from an unfinished degree at another institution.
Waiving pre-requisites of courses with strong justification.
Registering more/less than allowed credit hours.
For more information please check FAQs (from homepage, Current Students  FAQ) 19

20. Flow of Academic Petition
Student (Initiation)
Department’s Graduate Coordinator (Approval)
Department Chairman (Approval)
Dean of Graduate Studies
(Final Approval)
Registrar (Proper Action) 20

21. Provisional & Regular Status
Students admitted with academic conditions are on PROVISIONAL STATUS
Academic conditions could be GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, deficiency courses, etc.
Students must fulfil admission conditions within the first semester of enrolment.
Once a student fulfils all academic conditions, he should submit an academic petition to change status to Regular status. 21

22. The HOLD List List of students who are still on Provisional Status.
It is prepared at the mid of every semester.
Students in the HOLD list must change their status to Regular status by clearing all admission conditions.
Students failing to do so will be put on registration hold and will not be allowed to confirm registration for the coming semester.
FT/RA/LB students on HOLD will have their contracts/stipends put on HOLD  Affect scholarship severely 22

23. Degree Plan
Available online through the “Graduate Studies” tab in your KFUPM Portal.
A list of courses that will be counted towards earning a degree.
Prevents a student from taking unnecessary courses that may not be counted towards his degree.
Must be prepared in consultation with advisor/coordinator in compliance with the general degree plan in the Graduate Bulletin
Students must submit their Degree Plans by mid of the second semester of enrolment at maximum. 23

24. GPA & Warning Policy
Graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00.
Every semester, students whose GPAs fall below 3.00 are discussed in the Graduate Council
Issue Warning, Severe Warning or dismissal letters.
Failure to raise the GPA above 3.00 will result in dismissal from the program.
FT/RA/LB students may be given a single chance and then dismissal will be issued.
In extreme cases of very low performance (e.g., securing F or DN or D grades), FT/RA/LB students may be dismissed from the first semester. 24

25. Starting your Thesis Research
Start deciding on your thesis supervisor and initial topic as early as possible (DO NOT wait for your coursework completion).
You might want to select some of your course term projects as introduction to your thesis work.
This way, you will be ready to submit the proposal by the time you end the course work. 25

26. Thesis/Dissertation Proposal & Committee
Thesis/Dissertation is required from all M.Sc. and PhD students.
Not required from students enrolled in non-thesis degrees.
Proposal and Committee should be approved by Department and College Councils and by Deanship of Graduate Studies.
All the required forms available on DGS website.
Please refer to the chapter on Thesis in the Graduate Bulletin 26

27. Public Oral Defense of Thesis/Dissertation
A public oral defense is required from all M.Sc. and PhD students as a part of their degrees.
The oral defense form has to be submitted at least 2 weeks before the intended date of defense.
Must satisfy the minimum time gap between proposal submission and oral defense (mentioned before).
Oral defense is ONLY allowed during Weeks 2 through 15 of regular semesters (Not allowed in summer semesters and final exam periods!!!). 27

28. Readmission Needed for the following students:
Have been inactive even for one semester.
Have dropped ALL courses in a semester.
Have not confirmed registration according to Registrar deadlines.
FT/RA/LB students are NOT allowed to drop a semester or withdraw from ALL courses.
A student can get re-admission for 3 times at max.
The form should be submitted at least 4 weeks before the start of the intended semester to the department.
Being inactive for more than 6 semesters require a fresh application with a new academic record!!! 28

29. Typical Degree Progress - FT MSc Students
Admission
1st Semester
- Register 3 courses
2nd Semester
- Register 3 courses + 599
- Submit degree plan
- Select thesis advisor and preliminary thesis topic
3rd Semester
- Register 2 remaining courses + 610
- Select thesis committee
- Submit thesis proposal
4th Semester
- Thesis defense and degree completion 29

30. Typical Degree Progress - PT MSc Students
Admission
1st Semester
- Register 2 courses
2nd Semester
- Register 2 courses
- Submit degree plan
3rd Semester
- Register 2 courses + 599
- Select thesis advisor and preliminary thesis topic
4th Semester
- Register 2 courses
- Select thesis committee
- Submit thesis proposal
5th Semester
- Work on thesis
6th Semester
- Thesis defense and degree completion 30

31. Typical Degree Progress - FT PhD Students
Admission
1st Semester
- Register 3 courses
2nd Semester
- Register 3 courses
- Submit degree plan
3rd Semester
Register 3 courses + 699
Attempt/pass Comprehensive Exam
Select dissertation topic and supervisor
4th Semester
- Register remaining course + 711
- Pass Comprehensive Exam as a final chance
5th Semester
Register 712
Select dissertation committee
Submit & defend dissertation proposal
6th and 7th Semesters
Work on dissertation research
Thesis defense and degree completion 31

32. Common Mistakes
Not being in touch with Department and Graduate Studies.
Not doing registration confirmation at the beginning of every semester (detailed explanation can be acquired from the Registrar Office)
Dropping ALL courses and NOT applying for re-admission for next semester (PT students mainly).
Not fulfilling admission conditions within the first semester. (Please read the conditions in admission letters carefully).
Not registering 610 (or 712) after getting an IP grade!!!
Delaying the seminar course (599) to last semester!!!
Not checking the university student regularly. 32

33. Both are available on our website www.kfupm.edu.sa/gs
Important Note
Please read the Graduate Bulletin carefully and check the FAQ’s document.
Both are available on our website 33

34. THANK YOU