Environmental Science and Engineering

Entry requirements

Admission to the Master of Science (M.S.) program requires the satisfactory completion of an undergraduate science degree in a relevant or related area, such as Engineering, Mathematics or the Physical, Chemical and Biological Sciences.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The Environmental Science and Engineering Program (EnSE) prepares students to work on many of the world’s most pressing challenges related to water security and the environment, focusing around the intersection of water, energy and food nexus, and sustainable processes.

This program comprises four focus areas: Water Quality, Chemistry, and Treatment; Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology; Environmental Systems and Analysis; and Materials for Environmental Science and Engineering.

Students entering the program enroll in a set of core courses and then take technical elective courses that cover important areas in water and wastewater treatment technologies, water desalination, biotechnologies for resource recovery from waste streams, microbiological safety of water reuse, sustainability and management, surface science and materials for water, energy and environment. The core- plus elective courses will equip a student for a successful and productive career in these fields.

The Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree 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. Students are expected to complete the M.Sc. degree in three semesters. Satisfactory participation in every KAUST summer session is mandatory.

Course requirements:

• Core courses (9 credits) 

• Elective courses (thesis: 9 credits; non-thesis: 15 credits) 

• Research/capstone experience (thesis: 18 credits; non-thesis 12 credits) 

• Graduate seminar 398 (non-credit)– all students are required to register and receive a satisfactory grade for every semester of the program they attend 

• Completion of one Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) 


M.S. thesis option and M.S. Non-thesis option for graduation.

Fees and funding

See University website