Graduate Admission.

Graduate Admission

Application forms

Each applicant is required to complete an application form which can be obtained from:

Admission Section

Collage of Graduate Studies

Kuwait University

P.O. Box 5969  Safat 13060

Kuwait

Required documents

The completed application form is to be submitted together with the following documents. 

1.       The completed “Letter of Recommendation” forms (to be sent directly to the Collage of Graduate Studies by the recommender).

2.       A final transcript showing grades obtained in undergraduate courses (original or certified copy).

3.       The Bachelor’s degree (Original or certified copy).

4.       A valid language examination result.

5.       A copy of passport for confirming the accuracy of English name.

6.       A copy of Civil Identity Card.

7.       Three personal colored photographs [size 4 cm. x 6 cm.].

8.       Completed form entitled “Consent of Employer” in the case of employed applicant who wants to be admitted as a part-time student.

9.       Completed form entitled “Application for Full-time Study” in the case of applicant who wants to be admitted as a Full-time student.

10.    Original or certified copy of Master’s degree transcript for those are applying for admission to the Ph.D. program

For more details, applicants can refer to a booklet entitled “Guidelines on Applications for Admission to Graduate Programs”.

Master’s Degree Program

Admission requirement

1.  The applicant should have a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent conferred by Kuwait University or by another academic institution recognized by Kuwait University.

2.  The applicant must have a minimum overall average of 2.67 points on a scale of 4.00 or equivalent. The average of the applicant’s field of specialization should not be less than 3.00 points on a scale of 4.00 or the level requirement mentioned in this paragraph:

a)  Recipients of Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from Kuwait University or the equivalent of that degree, if they are applying for admission to programs in the faculty of Medicine

b)  Applicants who had previously studied graduate courses at Kuwait University provided that the graduate credits passed are not less than 12, and the allover average in all courses studied is not less than 3.00 points on the scale of 4.00.

3.   The applicants must have a good command of the language of instruction used for the program he/she wants to join. If the Language of instruction is Arabic, the applicant must be proficient in another language determined by the concerned academic department. Details of Language requirements are included in the booklet entitled “Guidelines on Application for Admission to Graduate Programs”.

4.   An employed applicant who wants to be admitted as a part-time student has to submit a written consent of the employer.

5.  An employed applicant who is admitted as a full-time student must submit a written decision on scholarship awarded by concerned authority in order to be allowed to register.

6.  The applicant must fill the additional conditions which are approved by CGS and required by the program to which he/she wants to join. Such condition may include passing preliminary tests and/or any additional courses.

7.   The applicant should not have been academically dismissed from the program to which he/she is applying for admission.

8.  The applicant should not have had disciplinary action taken against him/her by any academic institution.

9.   The applicant should not have obtained a Graduate Diploma from the same program.

Regular admission

An applicant who satisfies all the requirements for admission is given regular admission status.

Provisional admission

An applicant is given provisional admission status in the following two cases

a)     If he/she satisfied all the requirements for regular admission and the Program Committee recommends admission on condition that the applicant passes some additional courses for a maximum of 15 credit hours. The credits of these additional courses shall not be counted as part of requirements for the study program, and the grades obtained shall not be included in the calculation of the overall average. The student admitted on this condition should register for all the required additional courses during the first semester of his/her admission, and the registration should be for a normal study load as stipulated in the by-laws. In exceptional cases and with the approval of both the program committee and the collage of graduate studies, some of the required courses may be postponed to the second semester his/her admission. If the provisionally admitted student passes the required courses with an overall average of 3 (3.00) points (on the scale of 4) his/her admission status is changed to regular. Otherwise he/she is academically dismissed from the program.

b)   If he/she satisfies he requirements of Article nine (9) of chapter four with the exception of paragraph 2, and the applicant is a disabled person who has a minimum overall average of 2.33 points and a specialization average of al least 2.50 points on the scale of 4.00 in undergraduate curses. The admitted student has to obtain an overall average of 3.00 points [Very Good] or above at the end of the first semester in order to continue with study. Otherwise he/she is dismissed from the program.

Requirements for Master’s Degree Program with Thesis

1.     Successfully completing all prescribed courses [with a minimum of 21 credits]

2.     Obtaining an overall of 3.00 points on a scale of 4.00.

3.     Passing a Defense Exam of the completed and submitted Thesis.

Requirements for Master’s Degree Program without Thesis

1.     Successfully completing all prescribed courses [with a minimum of 33 credits]

2.     Obtaining an overall of 3.00 points on a scale of 4.00.

3.     Submitting a supervised project.

4.     Passing the Comprehensive Examination.

Graduate Diploma

The student who does not fulfill all the requirements for Master’s Degree, may be awarded a Graduate Diploma by the Collage of Graduate Studies, provided that he/she has passed a minimum of twenty one (21) credits of graduate courses (500 level or above). The Comprehensive Examination and the thesis are not required for the Diploma, but the student must have an overall average of at least 2.67 points.

Time limit for completing studies

The minimum time limit for completing the requirements of Master’s Degree is twelve months. The student has to complete all the requirements within 2 years if he/she is full-time and 3 years if he/she is part-time. The maximum time limits allowed are 4 years for full-time students and 5 years for part-time students.

In the case of students who have been admitted after studying graduate courses at Kuwait University or for whom courses studied at other academic institutions have been approved, one semester will be deducted from the normal period for completing Master’s degree requirements for every six (6) approved credits and time fractions are ignored.

(updated April 2019)