CHAPTER 4: NEW PROGRAMS

Article (7)

The University Board will set detailed standards to approve the graduate programs based on the recommendations of the Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies after consideration of the following:

1. There should be sufficient faculty members of the rank of professor and associate professor specialized in the program. In addition, sufficient research facilities including laboratories, computer resources, etc., should be available to ensure the success of the program together with the assurances regarding the quality of teaching, research, and supervision of research.

2. The Department should have acquired sufficient experience in managing undergraduate programs if the new program is for a master’s degree. If it is for a doctorate degree, experience in managing master’s program is required.

3. The number of students expected to enroll in the program should be sufficient to guarantee the continuation of the program.

Article (7-1)

The Academic Department willing to offer a new graduate studies program should take into consideration the following rules:

1.      The Department should coordinate with the Deanship of Graduate Studies and other academic departments to avoid Double-Acting and duplication of an effort.

Article (8)

With consideration of the requirements in Article Seven, the Department submits to the College Council a detailed proposal of the program explaining the following:

1.      The objectives of program and the need of the Saudi society for it;

2.      The nature of the program from its academic and professional standpoint and its scientific approach;

3.      The importance of the program and its justification after reviewing what other departments are offering in the same area of specialization in the University and other universities in the Kingdom;

4.      The facilities available or what will be procured by the Department to assure the promotion of high academic and professional quality for the program, especially, in the major research areas identified by the Department;

5.      Faculty stability and turnover during the previous five years;

6.      The CV’s of all faculty members in the Department and other faculty members in the University who are involved in the program in question.

Article (8-1)

The Department concerned has to prepare the proposal of the new program according to the six points mentioned in Article 8, taking the following into consideration:

1.      To identify and point out the major and main courses and minor fields of the new program.

2.      To identify and pinpoint the academic requirements of the Degree, course of the program, number of Credits approved for each course and also the distribution of courses into compulsory and optional courses and the dissertation or the research project in both Arabic and English.

3.      The program should include at least, two academic units which aim to enable students to acquire the methods of scientific research and to use its techniques and tools.

4.      The dissertation for (a master’s degree) should not exceed ten  credits  (units).

5.      The weight of dissertation for (Ph.D. Degree) by course work and dissertation should not exceed 12 credits (units), whilst the weight of dissertation for (Ph.D. Degree) by dissertation and some courses should not exceed 30 credits, but not less than 20.

6.      To itemize each course in the program in both Arabic and English.

7.      To assign a symbol and a number for each course in the program in both Arabic and English, according to the system carried out in all graduate studies courses, which has been approved by Deanship of Graduate Studies Council (DGSC).

8.      After approval of the department council, the proposal of the new program is upraised to the college Council which upraises it to the Deanship of Graduate Study council, after approval of college council.

9.      The proposal of the new program is to be presented through the form (Application for establishing a graduate study program) which is available at the website of DGSC on the Internet. The form contains all information needed to prepare the new program.

10.  The department should fulfill a comparative study between the new program and other similar programs at several universities, to get benefit of positive constructive and avoid negatives, and to point out how the new program is outstanding compared with other similar programs in Saudi universities.

11.  Before presenting the new program to the Deanship of Graduate Studies, and according to the decision of Deanship of Graduate Studies Council, the Department has to send the new program to some institutes or experts inside the Kingdom or abroad for further study and examination, so as to get recommendation for approval, and after that the program is to be raised to the council of Deanship of Graduate Studies, together with the external report attached to the approval Application. Regarding that, there must be a good coordination with the Vice-Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research about the matter of fees (if any) for the assessment procedure and this should be done before any step in contacting the external institute or the Experts.

Article (9)

The Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies will review the program proposal and coordinate its requirements and other existing program requirements, if any, to avoid duplication of effort. If the Council is satisfied, it may recommend that the program be approved by the University Board.

Article (9-1)

1.      The Graduate Studies programs committee (formed by D.G.S.C) has to study and examine all proposals of new programs before presenting to D.G.S.C.

2.      The committee mentioned above examines the new programs to assure and confirm that every program has fulfilled the rules, requirements and criteria of the Unified Regulation for Graduate Studies in Saudi Universities, and its Implementing Rules, and to suggest any modifications required in the contents of programs.

3.      After fulfilling required changes or modifications, the committee recommends to upraise the proposal of the program to D.G.S.C.

4.      The committee raises its minutes and recommendations to the Dean of Graduate Studies for approval.

Article (10)

Any adjustments in the curriculum, program requirements, or admission requirements should be approved by the University Board as per recommendations of the Council of the Deanship of the Graduate Studies in coordination with the department concerned.

Article (10-1)

1.      At the beginning of each academic year, every department should point out its executive objectives for Graduate Studies programs offered by the department. A copy of the objectives must be sent to D.G.S.C.

Article (10-2)

1.      Every two years (or within 5 years as maximum), the department should prepare academic reports to evaluate, periodically, all graduate studies programs offered by the department.

2.      The department vision about any changes or modifications in the courses, program requirements or rules of acceptance (if needed) should be raised to Faculty Board. The recommendations of the Department Council and faculty board about the required changes in the program should be raised to D.G.S.C.

3.      The program suggested to be modified and evolved is to be prepared on the Application Form; all courses should be numbered according to the system approved by DGSC.

4.      Before presenting or performing the required change or modification, to the Deanship of Graduate Studies Council, and according to the decision of DGSC about this matter, the Department must send the above mentioned program to external institutes or experts (just like treating a new program). The external report must be raised, together with the Application form, for changing or evolving the program.

5.      Graduate Studies Programs Committee should study and examine the mentioned program and recommend to be raised to the DGSC.

6.      The DGSC studies the mentioned program and recommends to the University Board, for approval.

Article (11)

Combined graduate programs can be established between two or more Departments or between two or more Colleges according to guidelines approved by the University Board based on the recommendations of the Council of the Deanship of Graduate Studies in coordination with the Departments concerned. 

Article (11-1)

1.      If a college wishes to establish or institute a conjoint program between two or more departments (or two fields) each department nominates two or more from staff members to meet together to put a conjoint visualization for the suggested program. After being studied in each council of the two departments, the program should be raised to the college council for approval, then to be raised to the DGSC, which after studying the program raises the recommendation to the University Board. Then after approval by University Board, the department which first suggested the program will take the role of supervision of the program.

2.      If two or more colleges wish to establish or institute a conjoint program between two or more departments (or fields) in two or more colleges, each department nominates two or more from the staff members to meet and put a conjoint visualization for the suggested program.

After studying the program by each council of each department, the proposal is to be appraised to the councils of the faculties concerned and then to be raised to the DGSC for study and to raise the recommendation to the University Board. After approval by the University Board, the faculty which first suggested the program will take the role of supervision of the program.

3.      Acceptance procedures in the conjoint program will be applied according to general acceptance conditions.

4.      The Unified Regulation for Graduate Studies in Saudi Universities and its Implementing Rules are applicable to all conjoint graduate studies programs.

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