Earth Science and Engineering MS Program
ErSE MS students must choose one of the available tracks. Students in the Geophysical Fluids and Climate System Science track study flow and transport processes both beneath and above the Earth's surface, including ocean and atmospheric circulation, flows in subsurface porous media, transport of dust and anthropogenic pollutants in atmosphere and ocean, and their effect on climate. Students in the Geophysics track focus on seismology, geophysics, geodynamics and geomechanics. The Geology track covers (carbonate) sedimentology and stratigraphy, petrology/geochemistry and structural geology. The Machine Learning in Geosciences track equips graduate students with the fundamentals of machine learning (ML) methods and their applications to geoscience problems.
The Master of Science (MS) degree comprises Thesis and non-Thesis options. It is awarded upon successful completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours. A minimum GPA of 3.0 must be achieved to graduate. Individual courses require a minimum of a B- for course credit.
Duration of Study
Students are responsible for planning their graduate program in consultation with their Academic Advisor. Students must meet all deadlines and be aware that most core courses are offered once per year. Students must complete the MS degree as follows:
- MS (non-thesis) three Semesters and one Summer Session
- MS (thesis) four Semesters and one Summer Session.
Students must complete their Thesis by the end of the fourth Semester (not including the second Summer Session). Students who require additional time to complete their Thesis must apply for an extension per the time limits and extensions policy.
Assessment Test
To facilitate the design of a tailored study plan for each student, all admitted MS students must take a written assessment test when they arrive on campus. The assessment determines whether students have mastered the prerequisite knowledge for undertaking graduate-level courses taught in the program. Students must prepare for the test by refreshing the general knowledge gained from their undergraduate education before arriving at KAUST.
Three topics are covered by the assessment test for the program:
- Engineering Mathematics
- Physics and Mechanics
- Chemistry and Thermodynamics
Each examination is 25 minutes long, consists of 12 multiple-choice questions, and is taken one after the other in the week before the semester formally starts. Additional information about the three topics, including the covered material and references, will be provided to students in advance of the test.
In the case of failure in one or more topics of the assessment test, MS students can take topic-specific 100-level courses to refresh their undergraduate background and will be graded Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) for these courses but do not receive academic credit toward their degree. In case of failure in two or all three topics, students must take at least one (in case of two failed exams) or at least two (in case of three failed exams) 100-level courses in topics selected in consultation with their Academic Advisor.
MS Course Requirements
MS students must complete the following requirements:
- Core Courses (12 credits)
- Elective Courses (12 credits)
- Research/Capstone (12 credits)
- Graduate Seminar (non-credit)
- Winter Enrichment Program (non-credit)
Core and Elective Courses must be technical courses and cannot be substituted with Research, Internship, or non-technical Courses to fulfill degree requirements.
Core Courses (12 credits)
Core Courses provide students with the background needed to establish a solid foundation in Earth Science and Engineering. Students in all the four tracks must choose at least four courses from the list below and be aware that they are offered only once per academic year and some only every other year.
Elective Courses (12 credits)
Elective Courses within each track allow students to tailor their educational experience to meet individual research and academic objectives with the permission of the Academic Advisor. Students must choose 4 courses (12 credits) from any 200/300 level courses at KAUST. ErSE Core Courses listed above can also be considered Elective Courses. The courses listed below provide suggestions for students in the four tracks:
Geophysical Fluids and Climate System Science Track
| AMCS 206 | Applied Numerical Methods | 3 |
| AMCS 231 | Applied Partial Differential Equations I | 3 |
| AMCS 251 | Numerical Linear Algebra | 3 |
| CE 202 | Advanced Transport Phenomena | 3 |
| ErSE 301 | Geophysical Fluid Dynamics II | 3 |
| ErSE 305 | Multiphase Flows in Porous Media | 3 |
| ErSE 309 | Thermodynamics of Subsurface Reservoirs | 3 |
| ErSE 330 | Pore-Scale Modeling of Subsurface Flow | 3 |
| ErSE 353 | Data Assimilation | 3 |
| ME 200A | Incompressible Flows | 3 |
| MSE 200 | Mathematics for Material Science and Engineering | 3 |
Geophysics Track
| AMCS 206 | Applied Numerical Methods | 3 |
| AMCS 231 | Applied Partial Differential Equations I | 3 |
| AMCS 251 | Numerical Linear Algebra | 3 |
| AMCS 252 | Numerical Analysis of Differential Equations | 3 |
| ERSE 326 | Computational Geophysics | 3 |
| ErSE 327 | Multiscale Modeling of Geological Reservoirs | 3 |
| ErSE 328 | Advanced Seismic Inversion | 3 |
| ErSE 331 | Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) in Earth Sciences | 3 |
| ErSE 360 | Mathematical Methods for Seismic Imaging | 3 |
| ERPE 221 | Geoscience Fundamentals | 3 |
| ERPE 230 | Rock Mechanics for Energy Geo-Engineering | 3 |
| ERPE 315 | Energy Geoscience | 3 |
| MSE 200 | Mathematics for Material Science and Engineering | 3 |
Geology Track
Machine Learning in Geosciences Track
| AMCS 211 | Numerical Optimization | 3 |
| AMCS 251 | Numerical Linear Algebra | 3 |
| CS 201 | Introduction to Programming with Python | 3 |
| CS 229 | Machine Learning | 3 |
| ErSE 305 | Multiphase Flows in Porous Media | 3 |
| ErSE 328 | Advanced Seismic Inversion | 3 |
| ErSE 331 | Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) in Earth Sciences | 3 |
| ErSE 353 | Data Assimilation | 3 |
| ERPE 221 | Geoscience Fundamentals | 3 |
| MSE 200 | Mathematics for Material Science and Engineering | 3 |
| STAT 220 | Probability and Statistics | 3 |
Graduate Seminars (non-credit)
A minimum of two Semesters of ERPE/ErSE 398 - Graduate Seminar with Satisfactory grades must be completed within the duration of the MS degree program. Within a Semester, students must attend a minimum of 8 seminars to receive a Satisfactory (S) grade. The seminars can be chosen from any Graduate Seminar series offered by the PSE division. Students who fulfill the minimum requirement of two Semesters of ERPE/ErSE 398 do not need to register for additional Graduate Seminars, although they are highly encouraged to attend the seminars.
Winter Enrichment Program (non-credit)
All students must register for WE 100 and successfully complete one Winter Enrichment Program (WEP), usually taken in the first year of study.
MS Thesis
Students planning to pursue the Thesis Option must complete a minimum of 12 credits of Thesis Research (ErSE 297). Students are expected to work weekly a minimum of 3 hours/week per each research credit they are registered for.
Thesis Application
Students must secure a Thesis Advisor, submit the MS Thesis Application form, and have it approved by the Program Chair no later than by the end of week 8 of their second Semester. The form is available on the webpage of the Office of the Registrar. The application form must include a short description of the proposed MS Thesis project, endorsed by the Thesis Advisor, and a timeline for completion.
Students wishing to pursue the Thesis option must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA. The Thesis Advisor must be a program-affiliated Faculty member. A KAUST Faculty member not affiliated with the program can become project-affiliated for the specific Thesis project and serve as Thesis Advisor with the Program Chair’s approval. Project-affiliation approval must be completed before commencing the research.
Students who meet the graduation requirements of the non-Thesis track may drop the Thesis option before the end of their third Semester. Students who are not able to complete their Thesis after this deadline will face academic dismissal.
Thesis Committee Formation
The MS thesis defense committee must include a minimum of three members and may have up to four members. The committee structure is outlined as follows:
| Member |
Role |
Affiliation |
| 1 |
Faculty |
Primary affiliation within the student’s program |
| 2 |
Faculty |
Primary affiliation within the student’s program |
| 3 |
Faculty |
Primary affiliation outside the student’s program |
| 4 |
Faculty or Research Scientist |
Affiliation within or outside of KAUST |
Notes:
-
The committee must be approved by the Dean.
- Members 1-3 are mandatory, while member 4 is optional.
- The student’s advisor serves as the chair of the committee. If the advisor holds a primary affiliation within the student’s program, then they act as member 1. If the advisor has a secondary or one-time affiliation within the student’s program, then they act as member 3.
- The student’s co-advisor may serve as member 4.
- Adjunct Professors and Professors Emeriti may continue serving on existing Committees but may not serve as Chair on new Committees.
- Professors of Practice, Research Professors and Visiting Professors may serve as member4.
- Once approved, any changes to the committee require the approval of both the student's advisor and Dean.
Petition to Defend Thesis
Students must submit a petition to defend their Thesis by the deadline published in the Academic Calendar. Students are responsible for scheduling the Thesis Defense Date. All committee members must attend the Defense. Students must defend their Thesis and obtain the final approval of the Defense within their duration of study (4 Semesters).
Thesis Defense Results
The format of the Oral Defense is left to the discretion of the Thesis Committee. At the end of the Final Defense, students will be evaluated with one of the following outcomes:
- Pass: The Committee agrees with no more than one dissenting vote. The Thesis must be archived within two weeks of the defense, and the student must send the Thesis Result Form to the GPSA within two days of the defense.
- Pass with Conditions: All committee members must agree on the required conditions. If they cannot agree, the Dean will make the final decision. The student has up to three months to meet these conditions, unless the Committee unanimously agrees to change the deadline.
- Fail with Retake: If conditions cannot be met within three months, or more than one member casts a negative vote, one retake of the defense is allowed. The retake must occur within six months of the original defense unless the Committee unanimously agrees to a shorter timeline. If the student fails the retake, they will be dismissed from the University. The Committee Chair must immediately inform the GPSA to initiate the necessary actions.
- Fail Without Retake: The decision must be unanimous, resulting in the student’s dismissal from the University. The Committee Chair must inform the GPSA immediately to take the necessary actions.
Additional Guidelines:
- Students who have exceeded their duration of study must apply for an extension as per the Time Limit and Extension Policy. All conditions must be fulfilled by the end of the extension period, which takes precedence over the Committee’s set deadlines.
- The outcome of the Thesis Defense must be recorded by submitting the Thesis Defense Evaluation Form to the Office of the Registrar within two days of the defense.
- Additionally, students must submit the Defense Results Form by the deadline published in the Academic Calendar.
- The required forms are available on the webpage of the Office of the Registrar.
Thesis Document
Students must follow the Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines available from the KAUST Library when they write their Thesis. Once the Thesis is ready to be examined, students must determine the Defense date with the agreement of all members of the Thesis Committee.
Thesis Archiving
Students must archive their Thesis in the KAUST Library within two weeks from issuance of the final result form. This must not exceed the duration of study or the deadline published in the Academic Calendar.
MS Non-Thesis
Students wishing to pursue the non-Thesis option must complete a total of 15 capstone credits, with a minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 credits of Directed Research (ERPE/ErSE 299). Students must complete the remaining 3 to 9 credits through one or a combination of the options listed below:
- Summer Internship (ERPE/ErSE 295) – students can only take one Internship (6 credits)
- Additional 200/300-level technical Courses