Planning tool
Degree and intake
Official Study page as of 21 September 2026. Spring is Ph.D. only. This is a planning tool, not an official KAUST decision. Recheck Study.
Spring 2027 is Ph.D. only
Official timeline: Spring entry is not open for M.S. or M.S./Ph.D. Use Fall 2027 (opens 28 September 2026, closes 3 January 2027).
Spring 2027 Ph.D. is open
Closes 27 September 2026. Decisions 8 November 2026. Semester starts 17 January 2027. Dates are tentative.
You normally need a relevant master’s. You may apply to only one academic programme this year.
Fall 2027 M.S.
Opens 28 September 2026, closes 3 January 2027. Official Study table listed Fall 2027 for every M.S. still open on 21 September 2026. Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship was already marked closed.
Fall 2027 M.S./Ph.D.
Same Fall dates: open 28 September 2026, close 3 January 2027. One application covers both degrees. Not every field offers the pathway — see the grid below (AMCS, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Science, ECE, Mechanical Engineering, Plant Science, Statistics).
Fall 2027 Ph.D.
Opens 28 September 2026, closes 3 January 2027. Decisions 14 February 2027. Semester starts 29 August 2027. Official Study table listed Spring & Fall 2027 for every Ph.D. field except TIE (M.S. only, already closed).
Three degree shapes
M.S., Ph.D., and the combined track
Master’s
Fall entry only. Positioned for the job market or a later Ph.D. Official homepage: graduates are “well-positioned to excel in the current job market or thrive in a Ph.D. degree.”
Ph.D.
Spring and Fall intakes. Research-intensive, for academic or industrial research careers. You normally need a relevant master’s; declare a professional master’s if that is what you hold.
M.S./Ph.D. pathway
One application cycle covers both degrees. You complete M.S. requirements, then continue to the Ph.D. without a second KAUST admissions contest. You can start after a bachelor’s. Not every field offers it — see the grid. Official FAQ: you only go through the application cycle once.
Official 2027 grid
What was open on 21 Sep 2026
Copied from the Study table. Recheck that page before you treat a cell as open — TIE was already marked closed.
| Programme | M.S. | M.S./Ph.D. | Ph.D. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics and Computational Science | Fall 2027 | Fall 2027 | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Applied Physics | Fall 2027 | — | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Bioengineering | Fall 2027 | — | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Bioscience | Fall 2027 | — | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Chemical Engineering | Fall 2027 | Fall 2027 | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Chemistry | Fall 2027 | Fall 2027 | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Computer Science | Fall 2027 | Fall 2027 | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Earth Science and Engineering | Fall 2027 | — | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | Fall 2027 | Fall 2027 | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Energy Resources and Petroleum Engineering | Fall 2027 | — | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Environmental Science and Engineering | Fall 2027 | — | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Marine Science | Fall 2027 | — | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Material Science and Engineering | Fall 2027 | — | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Fall 2027 | Fall 2027 | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Plant Science | Fall 2027 | Fall 2027 | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Statistics | Fall 2027 | Fall 2027 | Spring & Fall 2027 |
| Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship | Fall 2027 — applications closed | — | — |
Credit and internships
What else the official pages offer
Graduate credit from another institution may count toward a Master’s. Up to 9 credits of equivalent graduate courses can meet a major-track requirement if the Graduate Chair confirms equivalence.
Internships: master’s students and undergraduates in their final or second-to-last year can apply across 100+ faculty projects, flexible dates. Short courses in AI, machine learning, and data science exist for undergraduates and early-career professionals — those are not the Fellowship.
Core Labs are staffed; students get free equipment training during operating hours. Research is the point of the campus, not an add-on after coursework.
Pick on the official Study page
Faculty lists and Apply buttons live there. This table is a snapshot, not a substitute.
Official Site — Study →Last updated 21 Sep 2026.