Plant Science

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 goal of the Plant Science (PS) program is to develop a thorough understanding of plant growth and function under challenging environmental conditions, such as those found in Saudi Arabia. The fundamental biology of plants is studied at a range of levels (e.g. genomic, proteomic, metabolomics), and the interactions of plants with their environment, both abiotic (heat, salt and drought) and biotic (pathogens and symbionts) are investigated. Application of this knowledge will allow development of plants with enhanced tolerance to environmental stresses and help to establish sustainable agriculture systems in arid regions of the world.

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 (12 credits) 

• Elective courses (6 -12 credits) 

• Research/capstone experience (12 -18 
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