Marine Science PhD Program

Program Mission:
To advance fundamental and applied marine science through innovative research, education, and technology - leveraging the unique natural laboratories of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, as well as an extensive international network- to understand and conserve marine ecosystems and enable sustainable use of ocean resources. The program prepares future leaders in marine science, driving solutions for biodiversity protection, climate resilience, and sustainable ocean economies, in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and global sustainability goals.

Program Goals:
• Advance KAUST’s leadership in Red Sea and global marine research.
• Train graduate students to have disciplinary expertise and cross-disciplinary skills.
• Foster innovation and application of marine science for societal benefit in Saudi Arabia and internationally.
• Build capacity in marine conservation, climate adaptation, and sustainable ocean economies.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

Knowledge and Understanding:
• K1: Contribute original insights into marine ecology, oceanography, and biogeochemistry.
• K2: Critically evaluate and integrate complex interactions among physical, chemical, and biological processes in marine systems.
• K3: Advance knowledge of the molecular and genomic bases of marine organism function and adaptation through original research and methodological innovation.
• K4: Situate Red Sea and Arabian Gulf research within global debates on sustainability, conservation, and sustainable ocean economies.

Skills:
• S1: Lead independent research projects that generate new knowledge in marine science.
• S2: Develop and apply advanced quantitative and computational models to address complex marine science questions.
• S3: Innovate or adapt cutting-edge technologies to extend the frontiers of marine ecosystem research and restoration.
• S4: Communicate scientific results at a level that influences the international research community and policy-making bodies.

Values, Autonomy, and Responsibility:
• V1: Model ethical leadership and mentor others in best research practices.
• V2: Shape strategies for sustainable marine ecosystem use at national and international levels.
• V3: Lead multidisciplinary teams and collaborations across institutions and cultures.
• V4: Advance global ocean stewardship through sustained scientific and policy engagement.

PhD Course Requirements

Students entering the PhD Program must complete the requirements below.

At least two 300-level courses (6 credits)
Graduate Seminar (non-credit)
Winter Enrichment Program (non-credit)

The Academic Advisor may request the completion of additional courses. Courses taken while pursuing the KAUST MS degree cannot be counted towards the PhD course requirements. Courses must be technical courses and cannot be substituted with Research, Internship, or Broadening Courses to fulfill degree requirements.

Graduate Seminars (non-credit)

All students must register for BESE 398 and receive a Satisfactory grade for a minimum of five Semesters. For more details about BESE Seminars, please contact your GPSA.

Winter Enrichment Program (non-credit)

All students must complete the Winter Enrichment Program (WE 100) for credit at least once during their studies at KAUST. Students who have previously completed WEP will be exempt from this requirement in their future studies.

PhD Candidacy

In addition to the coursework requirements, students must successfully complete the required PhD candidacy milestones to progress toward PhD candidate status. These milestones are as follows:

A subject-based qualifier (pre-proposal meeting)
PhD Proposal Defense

Once students have advanced to candidacy, students are designated as PhD or Doctoral Candidates.

Qualifying Exam

The qualifier known in the program as 'The Pre-Proposal Committee Meeting' is a research update meeting to determine progress and readiness toward the PhD Proposal Defense. Students must pass the Pre-Proposal Committee Meeting by the end of the third semester after commencing the PhD degree. However, it is recommended students pass the Pre-Proposal Committee Meeting by the end of their Second Semester after commencing the PhD program. Students who complete their Proposal Defense within three Semesters do not have to complete the Pre-Proposal Committee Meeting.

Membership of the Pre-Proposal Committee must consist of 2 Faculty from within the program (Dissertation Advisor + 1 other) and 1 from outside of the program. Although not required, the membership of this Committee could be retained for the Proposal Defense Committee.

Expectations for the Qualifier (Pre-Proposal Meeting):

The suggested time of the meeting is 45-60 minutes.
Student is evaluated on their overall progress during the last academic year, focusing on the status of research, research milestones, and plans for the following academic year. It is expected that a broad topic has been determined by this stage.
The student will provide a short (<30 minutes; 8-12 slides) presentation on the state of their research, i.e., what is the research question they are answering (the knowledge gap), how they will do this (the approach), what remains to be done (the activity).
The presentation will be followed by a brief Q&A from the Committee (10 min).
The Committee will then meet separately with the Dissertation Advisor (i.e., the student will be excused) to discuss the student's progress, performance, and expectations (optional, 5 min).
The Committee will meet separately with the student (i.e., the Dissertation Advisor will be excused) to inquire about the relationship between the student and Dissertation Advisor (project feedback; project support; discussion of expectations; etc.) (optional, 5 min).

The student will be given verbal and written feedback (10 mins) regarding the following:

Research topic
Methodology and plan
Overall performance

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 GPC and the Dissertation 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). Students must follow the Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines available on the KAUST Library webpage when they write their Dissertation.

Formation of Dissertation Defense Committee

The PhD dissertation defense committee must include a minimum of four members and may have up to five members. The composition of the committee is outlined as follows:

Member	Role	Affiliation
1	Chair	Primary or alternative affiliation within the student’s program
2	Faculty	Primary or alternative affiliation within the student’s program
3	Faculty	Primary or alternative affiliation outside the student’s program
4	External examiner	Affiliation outside of KAUST
5	Faculty or Research Scientist	Affiliation within or outside of KAUST

Notes:

The committee must be approved by the Dean.
Members 1-4 are mandatory, while member 5 is optional.
The student’s advisor serves as the chair of the committee and must use the affiliation within the student’s program.
Either member 1 or member 2 must have primary affiliation within the student’s program.
The student’s co-advisor may serve as member 5.
Professors of Practice and Research Professors may serve as members 1-3 or 5, depending on their affiliation and whether they are the student’s co-advisor. They cannot be the advisor of the student and cannot serve as the chair of the committee.
Adjunct Professors and Professors Emeriti may continue serving on committees in the roles they had at the time of their departure but are not permitted to serve on new committees.
Visiting Professors may only serve as member 5, but they are not permitted to serve as external examiner.
Once approved, any changes to the committee require the approval of both the student's advisor and the Dean.

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 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.

Dissertation Document

Students must follow the Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines available from the KAUST Library.

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.