PhD Academic Policy

Duration of Study

The expected length of the PhD program is eight semesters and four summer sessions. The PhD degree includes the following steps:

Securing a Dissertation Advisor
Successful completion of program coursework
Passing the Qualifying Exam (Pre-Proposal)
Passing the Dissertation Proposal Defense to obtain Candidacy status
Preparing, submitting, defending, and archiving a doctoral dissertation

Qualifying Exam Results

At the conclusion of the Qualifying Exam, students will receive one of the following outcomes:

Pass: The student has successfully passed the exam.
Fail with Retake: The student must retake the exam within the next qualifying exam period or by the milestone deadline, whichever comes first. If significant issues are identified, the Committee may recommend additional actions, including academic sanctions (e.g., probation) or the implementation of a study plan
Fail without Retake: The student has not passed the qualifying exam. This decision requires a unanimous vote by the Committee and endorsement by the Dean.

The final Qualifying Exam Results must be submitted to the GPSA within two (2) business days, regardless of the outcome. The GPSA will coordinate the collection of all required signatures.

Dissertation Proposal Defense

The Dissertation Proposal Defense aims to demonstrate that students have the ability and are adequately prepared to undertake PhD level research in the proposed area. This preparation includes necessary knowledge of the chosen subject, a literature review, and preparatory theory or experimentation.

The Dissertation Proposal Defense is the second part of the qualification milestones that must be completed to become a PhD candidate. PhD students must successfully defend the Dissertation proposal by the end of their fifth Semester after commencing the PhD program. . However, it is recommended students pass the Dissertation Proposal Defense by the end of their Fourth Semester after commencing the PhD program.

Expectations for the Proposal Defense

The Proposal Defense Committee is Dean-approved (via the Proposal Committee Form).
The Proposal should include 1) a Literature Review; 2) a statement of the research problem being addressed and the novelty (i.e., what new contribution will be explored); 3) an outline of the methodology to address these research questions; 4) detail of preliminary results or analysis towards these research objectives; 5) a description of the research plan for future activity, together with a timeline for completion.
The Proposal (less than 30 pages or 12,000 words; excluding references) should be provided to the Committee at least 10 days before the scheduled Defense date.
Students will prepare a 30-minute presentation that focuses on an introduction to the problem (i.e., research motivation), an elaboration of the research questions (i.e., the novelty and innovation), a description of relevant research activities, preliminary analysis and results (i.e., the research progress) and a description of the remaining research plans and efforts required for completion (i.e., the plan).
The remaining time will be allocated to questioning students on the contents and scope of their research. In the event of a public Defense, the audience will be asked to address their questions to students directly.
On completion of this round of questioning, the audience will be asked to leave the room, and the Committee will directly address their questions to students. These can cover all aspects of candidature and should be designed to establish (and test) the knowledge and understanding of the chosen research topic. After questioning, students are requested to leave the room, and their performance will be deliberated.

Proposal Defense Results

At the end of the proposal Defense, students will be evaluated as follows:

Pass: The student successfully passes their proposal.
Fail with Retake: The student is invited to retake the defense within three months or by the milestone deadline, whichever comes first. If substantial issues are identified, the Committee may prescribe a course of action, which may include but is not limited to, academic sanctions (probation/dismissal), or a study plan.
Fail Without Retake: The student has unsuccessfully defended their proposal, resulting in the termination of their candidacy. For a "Fail Without Retake" decision, the Committee’s vote must be unanimous and endorsed by the Dean.

Students who successfully pass the Dissertation proposal Defense are deemed PhD Candidates. At the end of the proposal Defense, a PhD Proposal Results Form must be completed and submitted to the GPSA within 2 business days .

Dissertation

The Dissertation is the final milestone of the PhD program. Students must complete the following:

Petition to Defend Dissertation/ Form Dissertation Defense Committee
Defend Dissertation
Archive Dissertation

Petition to Defend Dissertation

Students must determine the Defense date with the agreement of all members of the Dissertation Defense Committee. It is the sole responsibility of students to submit the required documents in consultation with the GPSA and the Dissertation Academic Advisor by the deadline published in the Academic Calendar and at least 2 months prior to the Defense date .

Students must defend their Dissertation and obtain the final approval of the Dissertation Defense by the end of their fourth year (8 Semesters and 4 Summer Sessions).

Dissertation Defense Results

The format of the Oral Defense is left to the discretion of the dissertation 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 dissertation must be archived within two weeks of the defense, and the student must send the 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 Dissertation Defense must be recorded by submitting the Dissertation Defense Evaluation Form to the GPSA within two business days of the defense, regardless of the outcome.
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.

Dissertation Document

Students must follow the Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines available from the KAUST Library when they write their dissertation.

Dissertation Archiving

Students must archive the Dissertation in the KAUST Library two weeks from the defense date. This must not exceed the deadline published in the Academic Calendar. The required form is available from the Office of the Registrar.