You must submit an official, complete academic record from every higher education institution you have previously attended. This may include a university transcript, mark sheets, graduation certificate, or another official academic record. The documents must show the courses taken, the credits awarded (where applicable), the grades received, the final grade or award, and the grading scale used.
If you have not yet completed your current degree, you may submit your most recent available academic record, such as a partial transcript, an unofficial transcript, a screenshot from your institution's student records system, or other official evidence of your academic progress. We understand that many institutions do not issue final official transcripts before our application deadlines. If you receive an offer of admission, you will be required to provide your final, official transcript before enrolling at KAUST.
If your official transcript is not in English, you must upload both the original transcript in the native language and a certified English translation as part of your online application.
All transcripts submitted must include the institution's grading scale. If you are admitted, an official final transcript must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions by the awarding institution before you arrive at KAUST. Instructions on how to arrange this will be provided if you receive an offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t finished my current degree yet. Can I submit a partial transcript?
Yes, you can. 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.
What is the minimum GPA required to get entry into KAUST?
Typically students
admitted to KAUST will have received grades which put them near the top of
their class. We do however look at applications holistically and will consider
the overall quality of the application before taking a decision whether or not
to progress your application.
Your CV (or resume) should be a full but concise record of your personal
details, educational history, relevant experience and interests. As a minimum
it should contain:
- Your full name (as written in your
passport or national ID)
- Your date of birth
- Your correspondence address
- Your
contact details (phone and email)
- A record of which institutions you have
attended post-high school (including start and finish dates)
- A list of qualifications
taken and qualifications pending (including award level, title, start and
finish dates)
- A record of any relevant work experience
- Research and
publications (please include abstracts where appropriate)
- Other skills and
interests (note that we are interested in extra-curricular interests as this
gives a sense of how you will engage socially and culturally on campus)
Your statement of purpose should be a 750-word (approximately) statement concerning your past work, preparation for your intended field of study, relevant background and interests, academic plans, and career objectives.
In the statement, you should describe your reasons for applying to the program for which you are seeking admission.
You are required to provide the contact details of three referees who can provide letters of recommendation in support of your application. Please provide an academic or professional email address for each referee. Personal email addresses are not accepted.
Applicants are normally expected to nominate academic referees. However, if you completed your most recent higher education qualification more than three years before submitting your application, you may nominate professional referees instead.
The statement they will be asked to provide should include details about how they know your work, comparative statements (e.g., top 1% of class, best in past five years, etc.), and insight into your research ability.
Before entering your referees' details into the application form, you should contact them to ensure they are willing to provide a reference and are able to submit it within the required timeframe.
Reference requests are sent automatically to your referees as soon as you enter their details into the application form; they are not held until you submit your application. You do not need to upload letters of recommendation as part of your application, as referees will submit their references directly through the admissions system.
We expect to receive all references within seven calendar days of the application deadline. If your references are not received within this timeframe, the progress of your application may be delayed.
After submitting your application, you can continue to manage your referee details through the admissions portal. You can add or replace referees, update their contact information, send reminder emails, and track the status of your reference requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to submit the 3 letters into the portal?
No, we will contact your nomination recommenders as part of the admissions process.
Do I need to contact these recommenders in advance?
As a courtesy you may wish to make your recommenders aware of your application and that they may be contacted by KAUST for a recommendation.
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KAUST is a community of over 120 nationalities, and the language of instruction in our programs is English. To ensure everyone admitted to KAUST is able to learn, collaborate, and thrive we require applicants provide official evidence of English proficiency.
At KAUST we accept the following English proficiency examinations:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) 7 overall, with at least 6.5 in all individual sections
*Note: IELTS Online is accepted.
- TOEFL iBT (Internet-based Test) 5 overall, with at least 4.5 in all individual sections, the KAUST Admissions code is 4107
*Note: TOEFL Home Edition is accepted.
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic 71 overall, with at least 67 in all individual sections
- Cambridge C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency 185 overall, with at least 176 in all individual sections
Scores are valid for two years from the test date. Only official academic results will be accepted. Tests administered by an educational institution for admissions to that particular institution are not acceptable.
We do not accept the following as evidence of English language proficiency:
- Medium of Instruction (MOI) certificates.
- The Duolingo English Test (except for Visiting Student applicants).
- TOEFL MyBest™ Scores (superscores).
- IELTS One Skill Retake results.
Important notes:
- An English test score is not required if you earned a degree through in-person study at an accredited institution in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand. This exemption applies only to degrees physically completed in these countries. Degrees completed by distance learning, or through satellite campuses, joint programs, or branch institutions located outside of these countries, do not qualify for an exemption.
- An English test score is not required if you have previously completed a degree taken at KAUST’s campus in Thuwal.
- You may submit your application without an English proficiency score; however, if admitted, you must provide results that meet our minimum requirements before enrolment. Because admission is highly competitive, we strongly encourage you to include valid scores at the time of application to strengthen your overall profile.