1. Required Qualifications

Full Admission Requirements

Candidates must have a Bachelor degree with a minimum CGPA score of 3.0 out of 4.0 or equivalent (e.g. an upper second-class honours degree) in Electrical engineering, Electronic engineering, Communication engineering, Computer engineering or Computer science. Candidates with degrees in other pertinent specializations may also be considered. In such cases, candidates will be asked to submit course descriptions along with their transcripts.

Candidates must have achieved a minimum level of proficiency in English in the form of a TOEFL score of 550 or equivalent (e.g. a minimum IELTS score of 6.0). The following exceptions may apply:

• A native speaker of English who has completed his/her undergraduate education in an English medium institution in a country where English is the official language.
  
• A candidate admitted to and graduated from an English medium institution that can provide evidence of acquiring a minimum TOEFL score of 500 or its equivalent (e.g. a minimum IELTS score of 5.0) upon admission to the undergraduate program.

In addition to satisfying all the above, candidates must undergo an interview to determine the suitability of the student for undertaking the programme of work.

Candidates wishing to enrol on the course on a part-time basis must satisfy the University authorities that their employer will provide the time for the student to attend the University as specified below.

Conditional Admission Requirements

Applicants with lower qualifications (a minimum CGPA score of 2.5 out of 4.0, or a minimum lower second-class honours degree, or their equivalent) and/or lower English language proficiency (a minimum TOEFL score of 530, or a minimum IELTS score of 5.5, or their equivalent) may be admitted to the program in special circumstances.

Such applicants will be given conditional admittance and they must produce by the end of the first 6 months of registration satisfactory evidence that they have the ability to carry out research effectively. This will be assessed as follows:

• The student must submit a satisfactory initial progress report three months after the first registration.
  
• The student must achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 550 or its equivalent (e.g. a minimum IELTS score of 6.0) by the end of the first 6 months of registration.

If the student fails to satisfy the above conditions, then his/her registration will be terminated.

2. Availability of Places

Number of Places

The maximum number of students who can be admitted to the programme is directly dependent on the number of University academic staff that can supervise M.Sc. students.

Admission Policy

In all cases, admission will be on a competitive basis. The selection of candidates will be made on the basis of their application form, supporting documents, and their performance in the interview. Selection will take into account factors such as the candidates’ graduation average or G.P.A. score, their qualifications and previous experience, their CV, their reference forms, and their potential to succeed.

3. Duration of Study

Full-Time and Part-Time Study

Students will be admitted on both a full-time and part-time basis. Full-time study involves approximately 40 hours of research effort per week for 48 weeks per year. Part-time study involves approximately 20 hours of research effort per week for 48 weeks per year.

Part-time students are required to attend the University for at least two hours per week to meet with their supervisor. Employers should, however, try to enable their students to attend the University for one day a week. This is particularly important for experimentally based projects.

Minimum and Maximum Periods of Study

The minimum period of study will be 18 months from the date of first registration in the case of full-time registration and 30 months from the date of first registration in the case of part-time registration. This study period includes the time taken to write-up the thesis.

The maximum period of study will be 36 months from the date of first registration in the case of full-time registration and 60 months from the date of first registration in the case of part-time registration. This study period includes the time taken to write-up the thesis. In exceptional cases, an extension of registration may be granted.

4. Application Procedure

Project Selection

The applicant may select from the list of available research projects published by the University, or alternatively may suggest his/her own project. In the latter case, the applicant must consult with a potential supervisor and must ascertain whether or not this supervisor would be prepared to recommend his/her proposal to the relevant head of department. Candidates may seek guidance from the Director of Postgraduate Studies on the appropriate supervisors to consult.

Submission of Application

Applicants should complete an application form and forward it, along with supporting documentation, to the Director of Postgraduate Studies. In addition, applicants should forward the reference letter forms to three nominated referees. Applications must be made by the Application Deadlines published by the University.

The following items should be included with the application form:

• A certified copy of the applicant’s Bachelor certificate along with an official transcript.
  
• Evidence of English language proficiency, e.g. TOEFL or IELTS results.
  
• Four recent passport size photographs.
  
• A photocopy of the applicant’s passport.
  
• A photocopy of Khulasat Al-Qaid (for UAE Nationals).
  
• A detailed Curriculum Vita (CV).
  
• Evidence of the ability to pay fees, e.g. sponsorship letter.

All documents supplied for admission purposes are the property of the University and will not be returned regardless of whether the applicant is accepted or not.

The Director of Postgraduate Studies will acknowledge receipt of properly completed application forms, once verification of the supporting documentation has been carried out.

Registration

Successful candidates will be notified by the Director of Postgraduate Studies and will be required to register formally with the University.

Admission is valid only for the academic semester specified in the admission letter. If an applicant is given admission and for some reason does not register but intends to join the University in the following semester, then he/she should submit a written request to the Director of Postgraduate Studies not later than one month before the beginning of the semester. Admission consideration for the following semester will depend on availability of places.

5. Fees

Disclaimer

Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research reserves the right to modify the published scale of tuition and other fees without prior notice, at any time before the beginning of an academic semester/term. The most up to date tuition and fees information is available from the Director of Postgraduate Studies.

Admission Deposit

All students admitted to the programme, on conditional or non-conditional basis, are required to pay a non-refundable and non-transferable seat reservation deposit of AED 5,000. This deposit will be credited to the student’s account upon registration. The deposit must be paid to Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research within one month of the admission letter date.

Normal Tuition Fees

The tuition fees for the programme are AED 85,000. This covers the experimental work and writing up of the thesis over the minimum period of study (18 months for a full-time registered student and 30 months for a part-time registered student).

Writing-Up Reduced Fees

By the end of the minimum period of study the student, depending on his/her progress, may be transferred to “Writing-Up Status”. In this case:

• The student will be charged a monthly “Writing-Up Status” reduced fees until he/she submits the thesis for examination. The “Writing-Up Status” fees are AED 1,000 per month for a full-time registered student, and AED 600 per month for a part-time registered student.
  
• The student will have limited access to resources. This will only include access to email, general-purpose computing and internet facilities, and the library.
  
• The student will not be entitled to substantive supervision. Supervision, in this case, will be limited to advising the student on the methodology and form of presentation of the thesis, and assisting the student to plan for the viva voce thesis examination.

Fees during Revisions

Students who are required to carry out major revisions to their thesis by the external examiner will be asked to pay reduced fees similar to the “Writing-Up Status” fees, indicated above, until the work is completed.

Payment and Penalties

Students paying normal tuition fees may be allowed to pay their fees on a quarterly basis (one payment every 3 months in advance). The registration of students who fail to pay the due amount on time will be suspended until they do so. Access to laboratories, computing resources and supervisors will also be denied until the required payment is made.

Refunds

Students who leave the programme, or who are asked to leave the programme, will be entitled to a refund of their fees. Refunds of fees will be made on a monthly pro-rata basis calculated from the date of first registration. Students who leave the programme, or who are asked to leave the programme part-way through a month will be charged full fees for that month.