Academic Programs and Degrees

KAUST offers only graduate degrees, and the research agenda provides the foundation for the master’s and doctoral levels of education. For General Degree Program Guidelines, click here.

KAUST offers the following two degrees:

• The M.S. degree - which can be a terminal graduate degree or may serve as a gateway to the Ph.D. program. The M.S. degree typically takes three semesters and a summer to complete (18 months). The degree allows flexibility for internships, research, and academics. Learn more about M.S. degree requirements.


• The Ph.D. degree - is typically a three- to four-year post-master's degree. The Ph.D., involves original research, culminating in a research dissertation. Learn more about Ph.D. degree requirements.

KAUST offers degrees in 11 fields of study. All of KAUST’s course offerings are now available for review and download below:

1. Applied Mathematics and Computational Science (AMCS)
2. Bioscience (B)
3. Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE)
4. Chemical Science (ChemS)
5. Computer Science (CS)
6. Earth Science and Engineering (ErSE)
7. Electrical Engineering (EE)
8. Environmental Science and Engineering (EnSE)
9. Marine Science (MarSE)
10. Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)
11. Mechanical Engineering (ME)

All courses at KAUST are taught in English. KAUST maintains flexibility in its fields of study and curricular design in order to attract highly qualified students with diverse agendas and backgrounds. This flexibility helps keep KAUST competitive internationally and ensure that its programs are accepted by, and its credits interchangeable with, the degree programs at other universities around the world.