Below are the key dates in the KAUST admissions timeline for entry in 2025. These dates are indicative, and may vary depending on the volumes of applications received. To receive the earliest possible decision from the University, please ensure that you have provided all required documentation in full and are responsive to any invitation to attend interviews and tests. If the decision date stated here that is relevant to your application has passed, please check your email (including your junk mail) and application portal before contacting the Admissions Office for advice.
Spring 2025 Admission
Spring 2025 admission is only open to MS/PhD and PhD applicants.
| Activity | Date (Round 1) |
|---|---|
| Applications open | 15 August 2024 |
| Applications close * | 1 October 2024 |
| Decisions sent to applicants | 14 November 2024 – 1 December 2024 |
| Spring semester starts | 26 January 2025 |
* Any application received after this deadline will be automatically rolled into Round 2
Fall 2025 Admission
Fall 2025 admission is open to Postgraduate Diploma, M.S. and Ph.D. applicants.
| Activity | Round 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 15 August 2024 | |
| Applications close | 11 January 2025 | |
| Decisions sent to applicants | 27 February – 2 March 2025 | |
| Fall semester starts | 31 August 2025 | |
After Round 2 has closed, the University will accept applications on a rolling-basis for as long as we have space left in our incoming class, which will vary by degree and program. Many programs will have closed. We strongly recommend therefore that you should apply by the Round 2 deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no cost to submit an application to study at KAUST.
You can only submit 1 application at a time to KAUST. If you are unsuccessful applying for one year, you will be able to re-apply the next year. Additionally, you are only able to apply to one academic program per year.
You may edit your application before you submit it, however, after submission it is not possible to make changes. If KAUST requires additional information while evaluating your application, we will reach out to you.
There is no separate application for the KAUST Fellowship. All admitted students automatically receive the KAUST Fellowship, except those funded through specific partnership or externally sponsored programs. If you are admitted, the details of the KAUST Fellowship will be outlined in your offer letter.
Admitted students receive the KAUST Fellowship, which covers the entire cost of your tuition in addition to providing accommodation, health insurance, and relocation assistance, and more. Benefits may vary if you are being admitted through a partnership or sponsorship agreement.
On average, our students spend around $1,320 per month, which the stipend of the KAUST Fellowship more than covers.
Our students choose to participate in many activities around KAUST and Saudi Arabia, including rock climbing, scuba diving, snorkeling, golf, and more.
You can check the status of your application by logging into the admissions portal.
KAUST will release your results as soon as a final admissions decision is made. We do not have a decision release schedule, however, we endeavor to provide timely decisions as quickly as possible.
Please refer to the above tables for application open/close dates.
Yes, we
are aware many institutes issue official transcripts after our application
deadlines. If you are unable to submit an official transcript before the
application deadline, please submit a partial transcript, a screenshot from
your university’s academic record system, or other similar evidence of your
current academic history. However, before you are admitted into KAUST, you
will be required to submit your final, official academic transcripts.
Typically students admitted to KAUST will have received grades which put them near the top of their class. Typically, 90% of admitted applicants have a GPA above 3.3, and 75% have a GPA above 3.5 on a 4-point scale (or equivalent). The minimum permitted GPA is 3.0.
You will not submit the recommendations directly. In the application portal you will provide the recommenders’ contact information and then we will contact your nominated referees during the admission process to have them submit the letters on your behalf.
Yes, the 3 recommenders should be aware of your application and aware that they will be contacted through the admissions process. Recommendations are confidential and will be submitted online by your recommenders directly to KAUST. Your recommenders will be prompted to do so based on the contact information you supply in the application, so it is important that you enter a valid email address.
Yes, you still need to provide an official test score.
The Admissions Office will contact you to advise on the deadline for submitting your test scores, and how you should do this. Please note that it is your responsibility to book a suitable test and provide scores by the deadline, so please plan this carefully.
No, these costs are not covered by the Fellowship.
Absolutely. Our students have access to our Core Labs during operation hours.
Yes. Our Core Labs are staffed by experts who can show our students how to use equipment and conduct their research independently.
Our Core Labs team provides free training all year round on all the equipment in our laboratories.
Students live in the Harbor, usually in units with private bedrooms and a shared common area and kitchen. There is also family accommodation for students who are married and/or have children living on campus with them.
KAUST is a campus university, which means that facilities are close to hand and students live together in a single community. We are a very international university and have people from many cultures living closely alongside each other. It is western in style, but in a distinct Saudi Arabian context.
Yes, though there are restrictions on how many and where they can stay. You will be provided with information about this in the Student Handbook when you arrive.
Unfortunately students are not allowed to keep or bring pets to the University.
Students who have scholarships that provide supplementary support such as for travel to a conference or the purchase of a computer, are eligible for a KAUST Fellowship. More substantive costs such as tuition, relocation and living costs should be declared to the University as soon as it is confirmed so that we can consider whether it affects KAUST Fellowship benefits. Students who are sponsored by other universities, companies, or other sources are welcome to apply, however, if admitted, they will not receive the KAUST Fellowship in addition to their external sponsorship.
KAUST receives applications from all over the world and therefore the Admissions staff is knowledgeable of different education systems and grading scales. Please simply submit your transcripts including your overall grade in it’s original format, and our team will be able to evaluate it.
You do not need a faculty advisor before applying. Upon submission, M.S./Ph.D and Ph.D. applications will be reviewed by KAUST Admissions staff. Well-qualified candidates will be forwarded to faculty who may contact them to discuss their suitability for the program and research at KAUST.
No, you do not need to contact faculty members before applying. In the application, M.S./Ph.D and Ph.D. applicants can list the faculty members they are most interested in working with. Faculty members may then reach out to some well-qualified candidates to discuss their suitability for the program and research at KAUST.
Unfortunately KAUST is not able to provide waivers to our English proficiency requirements, nor are we able to pay the costs associated with the English language proficiency exam.
Submission of a General GRE score is not a compulsory requirement of the KAUST application however; you are welcome to submit your scores if you believe they would enhance your application.
If your official transcripts or grade reports are not originally in English and the college or university you attended does not provide a translation of your transcript into English, you must provide an official translation of your transcript into English. You may find and select a translation service of your choice, however KAUST is unable to provide referrals. Any costs associated with a translation will be your responsibility. It is preferable that your college or university provides an English translation of your official transcript if possible.
M.S./Ph.D. combines your admission to M.S. and Ph.D. into a single track. You'll complete all the requirements for the M.S. and Ph.D. programs, however, you'll only have to go through the KAUST application cycle once. You can begin this once you complete an undergraduate degree.
Students are generally encouraged to apply for a Ph.D. program if they have an appropriate MS degree. In rare cases, students may be eligible for a second MS in a different program from their first masters.
Applicants should normally be 18 years of age prior to enrollment, and not more than 30 years for an MS degree or 35 years for a PhD degree. Saudi students applying to the University with industry or government scholarships are exempt from the maximum age requirement.
Graduate credit hours transferred from other programs may be applied to meet any Master's requirement. Up to 9 credits worth of graduate courses taken from another university or program that are equivalent in level and content to designated courses in the degree program may be counted towards meeting the major track requirement if their equivalence is confirmed by the Graduate Chair.
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