Home/ KAUST Fellowship/ How to Apply

One form. No fellowship essay.

How to apply

You apply for a graduate programme. The Fellowship is attached to admission. Official how-to lives at admissions.kaust.edu.sa/how-to-apply. Start the live application from the current Apply button on that site or the Study page — do not hunt for a second “fellowship portal.”

Official five steps

Application tracker

Copied from the official How to Apply page. This is a planning tool, not an official KAUST decision.

All five official steps are ticked. Open the live portal from How to Apply.

Official five steps

From programme pick to submit

  1. 1

    Find a programme

    KAUST lists 17 STEM M.S. and Ph.D. fields on Study. Read faculty profiles and research areas. You may list faculty on M.S./Ph.D. and Ph.D. applications; you do not need a confirmed advisor first. You can apply to only one academic programme per year.

  2. 2

    Check the Admission Timeline

    Spring 2027 is Ph.D. only and closes 27 September 2026. Fall 2027 (M.S., M.S./Ph.D., Ph.D.) opens 28 September 2026 and closes 3 January 2027. Dates are tentative. See Deadlines.

  3. 3

    Gather documents

    Transcripts, CV, ~750-word statement of purpose, three referees (institutional emails), passport or Saudi national ID, English score if you have one. Full checklist on Documents.

  4. 4

    Create an account and upload

    Use the current Apply link on How to Apply or the programme buttons on Study. The historic hostname apply.kaust.edu.sa did not resolve when this guide was checked on 21 September 2026 — always start from the official admissions site so you land on the live portal. You can log back in as documents arrive.

  5. 5

    Submit

    There is no application fee. After submit you cannot edit unless Admissions asks. You can still manage referees (add, replace, remind, track). Check status by logging back into the portal. One application at a time; unsuccessful applicants may reapply the next year.

After you hit submit

Five-stage review

Official process page: Admission Process.

1

Submit. Portal before the round deadline.

2

Admission review. Completeness check. Missing items can pause the file; they will contact you.

3

Faculty review committee. Ranking against the pool. Shortlist for interview.

4

Academic interview and/or test. Online, with faculty in your area. Background, interests, career goals. Reply quickly — the timeline page says prompt interview responses help you get a timely decision.

5

Decision by email. Each round has a published notification date. Wait until that date before chasing. Offers have a short acceptance window; silence can withdraw the place. Decisions are final. KAUST does not give individual feedback.

Faculty

Do not wait for a supervisor email

Official FAQ: you do not need a faculty advisor before applying. You do not need to email professors first. After submission, Admissions reviews M.S./Ph.D. and Ph.D. files; well-qualified candidates are forwarded to faculty, who may then reach out. Listing faculty you want to work with is the designed path. Cold-emailing every PI is optional extra, not a requirement — and it will not replace a complete portal file.

Referees — timing trap

Requests go out the moment you type the email

Reference requests are sent as soon as you enter referee details — they are not held until you submit. Ask people first. Use academic or professional addresses; personal Gmail-style addresses are not accepted. Academic referees are the default. If your last higher-education qualification finished more than three years ago, professional referees are allowed. They should say how they know your work, how you compare (top 1% of class, best in five years), and what they think of your research ability.

KAUST expects all references within seven calendar days of the application deadline. Late letters can delay the file. After you submit you can still replace a referee and send reminders in the portal. You do not upload the letters yourself.

Open the official portal

Free to apply. No separate Fellowship form. If the apply hostname changes, the button on the official admissions site is the one that matters.

Official Site — How to Apply →

Last updated 21 Sep 2026.