Department of Judicial Studies

College of Judicial Studies and the Regulations

 

By the Department of Judicial Studies

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

All Praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessing be upon prophet Mohamed Bin Abdullah (Peace Be Upon Him), his family and companions.

Welcome, our dear brother the postgraduate student of the Department of Judicial Studies in the College of Judicial Studies and the Regulations, and we pray to Allah to grant you success in your studies, and present these guidelines for your to act accordingly during your study years.

 

• Degree programs administered by the department
• Master of Judicial Studies
• Ph.D. in Judicial Studies

• Course of study in Master and Ph.D. programs
• Course of study in Master program in curricula and thesis

Period of study: An academic year divided into two consecutive semesters, each consists of 16 units of study. Total number of units of study adds up to 32.

Number of units of study in thesis: 18 units.

• Course of study in Ph.D. program in curricula and thesis

Period of study: A full academic year with 12 units of study.

Number of units of study in thesis: 58 units.

• Admission requirements in Master and Ph.D. programs

• Admission requirements in Master program

1. An applicant must be a Saudi citizen or has obtained an official postgraduate scholarship assigned to non-Saudis.
2. An applicant must have obtained a university degree from a Saudi university or other accredited universities.
3. An applicant must be of good conduct and behavior and physically fit.
4. An applicant must provide two scientific recommendations from professors who taught them.
5. An applicant must obtain the approval of their reference if they were employees.
6. Applicants could be graduates from the Department of Judicial Studies, the Department of Shari'ah 'Islamic Law' or the Higher Department in Al-Haram Institute.
7. If an applicant is a graduate of the Affiliation Program, he should have obtained an "excellent" grade.  

 

• Admission requirements in Ph.D. program

1. An applicant must be a Saudi citizen or has obtained an official postgraduate scholarship assigned to non-Saudis.
2. An applicant must have obtained a university degree from a Saudi university or other accredited universities.
3. An applicant must be of good conduct and behavior and physically fit.
4. An applicant must provide two scientific recommendations from professors who taught them.
5. An applicant must obtain the approval of their reference if they were employees.
6. Applicants for Ph.D. should be exclusively dedicated to study, but an exception could be granted by the University Council when the need arises.
7.  An applicant must have obtained a Master's Degree in Judicial Studies, Legal Policy or Jurisprudence (the latter requires the study of some complementary subjects).

Courses in Master Program:

First Semester
	Subject	Title	Number of Units	Course Number
	1	Fundamental Applications	2	5501510
	2	Jurisprudence of Contracts	2	5501511
	3	Introduction to the Legal Policy and Regulations	2	5501512
	4	Administrative Judiciary	2	5501513
	5	Rules and Applications of Maqasid	1	5501514
	6	Legal Procedures	2	5501515
	7	Legal Practice	1	5501516
	8	Human Rights	1	5501517
	9	Conciliation and Arbitration	1	5501518
	10	Jurisprudence of Censure and Prescribed penalties	2	5501519
	Total		16

 

 

 

Second Semester
	Subject	Title	Number of Units	Course  Number
	1	Judicial Rules	2	5501520
	2	International Jurisprudence	2	5501521
	3	Research Hall	1	5501522
	4	Cases of Legal Policy	2	5501523
	5	A Critical Study of the Laws of Positive Laws	2	5501524
	6	Jurisprudence of Criminal Law	2	5501525
	7	Evidencing Based on Indications	2	5501526
	8	Investigation	1	5501527
	9	Judicial Regulations	2	5501528
	Total		16
	Thesis		18	5501699
	Sum Total		50

 

Courses in Ph.D. Program:

First Semester - Second Semester
	Subject	Title	Number of Units	Course Number
	1	Judicial Precedents	4	5501710
	2	Follow-up and Criticism of Judicial Research	4	5501711
	3	Text Study of Judiciary Books	4	5501712
	Total		12
	Thesis		58	5501999
	Sum Total		70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitions:

Academic Year: Two main semesters and a summer term if there was any.

Semester: A period that is no less than 15 weeks, during which courses are studied, and does not include periods of registration and final exams.

Summer Term: A period that is no longer than eight weeks, during which study hours are doubled for every course, and does not include periods of registration and final exams.

Regular Study Time: The period that is available to meet the requirements of an educational level.

Course: Subjects that are studied within a specific frame as part of the approved study plan in every specialization (program) during a semester or an academic year. Every course has a number, code and detailed description of its terms that distinguish it from other courses in terms of content and level. It also features a special agenda administered by the department for follow-up, assessment and development, and some courses could have one or more prior or simultaneous requirements.

Course Code: A code consists of four characters. The first and second ones –from the left- stand for the college code and the third and fourth represent the department code.

Course Number: A course number consists of three characters. The first from the left defines the course level. It is four or less for assistive courses or supplementary requirements and up to eight for final levels. The second character represents the scientific area of expertise of the course within a specific specialization. The third character stands for the course sequence within the scientific area of expertise. If necessary, a fourth character would be added to represent differences within the same course in terms of the number of units or title or content.

Study Units: A study unit is a weekly lecture which is no less than 50 minutes in class or a field or a scientific lesson which is no less than 100 minutes.

Academic Warning: A notification that is sent to a student in the case of having a cumulative GPA less than the minimum required in the regulation.

Semester or Yearly Performance Score: This is the grade set aside from the final grade in the course in exchange for the student's tests, research, and educational activities related to the course in question within a specific period of time.

Final exam: An exam that is held once at the end of the semester.

Final Exam Grade: This is the grade points earned by a student in each course in the final exam of the semester.

Final Grade: This is the total class performance score in one semester added to the final exam grade for every course on a scale to 100.

Comprehensive Exam: A high-level tool for measurement of capabilities which showcases the level of thought, analysis and deduction that qualifies a student to hold a degree in a specific level.

Grade: This is the percentage or alphabetical code of the final grade earned by a student in any course.

Incomplete Grade: A grade that is temporarily given to a student if he fails to complete the course requirements in time, and is represented in the academic record by the symbol (ic).

In-Progress Grade: A grade that is temporarily given to a student if a course normally requires more time than one semester, and is represented in the academic record by the symbol (ip).

Denial Grade: A grade that is given to a student if he was deprived from continuing his study or entering the final exam of the course for exceeding the absence limits, and is represented in the academic record by the symbol (dn).

Withdrawn: A grade that is given to a student in all courses of the semester if his request for withdrawing from study or canceling it was granted, and is represented in the academic record by the symbol (w).

Symbol Q: A symbol that defines a student caught cheating or attempting to do so on the final exam of a course, or breaking the rules and regulations of the exam process, and it does not stand for any grade.

Semester or Yearly GPA: is the quotient of the total grades a student has secured divided by the total points of the courses he studied in any semester or academic year. It is calculated by multiplying the points of one unit by its double in one academic year by the grade level that was earned by the student in each course he studied.

Cumulative GPA: is the quotient of the total grades a student has secured in all courses that he has studied since enrolling in the program, including the units that he failed more than one time or re-studied, divided by the total points of the units of these courses.

General Grade: It measures the level of academic achievement of a student over his studies and how he met the requirements of the graduate programs.

Pullout: It is the case of a student conclusively pulling out his papers from the university.

Discontinuation: Failing to register in time or to commence studies after registration for a period that is no less than three weeks into the semester or six weeks into the academic year for those who had completed one semester at least.

Cancelation: It is the case when a student, who had completed a semester at least, failed to register or pursue his studies due to his absence without a stated justification.

Termination: Ending the student's enrollment and not allowing him to continue his studies.

Postponement of Acceptance: A grace period that is given to a student after accepting him, provided that it must not exceed two semesters, and after which he should commence his studies. This period will not be counted as part of the period needed to obtain the degree – or of a period of the postponement of study.

Deletion: A request to delete the courses of a semester or an academic year before the final exam, and its duration would be counted as part of the periods of study postponement.

Complementary Subjects

The department concerned may require a student applying for Master and Ph.D. programs to pass a number of complementary courses from an earlier stage in a period that does not exceed three semesters. The following aspects should be taken into consideration:

1. He should pass the complementary course in the first time with a grade that is no less than (Good).
2. His Cumulative GPA in the complementary courses should be of no less than (Very Good).
3. A student cannot be registered in a postgraduate program unless after passing the complementary courses. The department may authorize the registration in the postgraduate courses, if a student has only one or two complementary courses left to pass.
4. The duration to pass the complementary courses should not be counted as part of the period prescribed to obtain the degree.
5. Complementary courses would not be counted as part of the cumulative GPA of the postgraduate program.
6. A sabbatical leave is not required to study complementary courses, and those who are studying these courses do not enjoy the rights of university students.
7. The department may authorize a student's enrollment in postgraduate courses if he met the acceptance requirements with only one or two complementary courses left to pass in accordance with the following:

 

• These courses should not make up over 25 percent of the units of complementary courses.
• His GPA in the complementary courses he had passed should be of no less than Very Good.
• Students who could not pass complementary courses due to compelling circumstances may apply again for enrollment in the same specialization.
• Complementary courses should not courses that a student had studied before, or the department would state a reason why he should re-study it.

Postponement of Acceptance:

It is permissible – with the approval of the council of the department concerned and the deans of the college and postgraduate studies – to postpone the acceptance of a student, provided that the postponement period does not exceed two semesters. . This period will not be counted as part of the maximum period for obtaining the degree. To ask for a postponement, an accepted student needs to fill the prescribed form and present it to the head of the department concerned before the start of study for review by the department's council.

Postponement of Study:

It is permissible– with the approval of the council of the department concerned and the deans of the college and postgraduate studies – to postpone a student's study, in accordance with the following:

1. The student should have passed a semester or more or completed a considerable part of the thesis.
2. The total postponement period should not exceed four semesters (two academic years).
3. The student should apply for postponement before the start of the semester by at least two weeks.
4. The postponement period would not count as part of the maximum period for obtaining the degree.

The postponement should be as follows:

1. A student who seeks to postpone study should fill the prescribed form and present it to the head of the department concerned during the academic period of time referred to in the academic calendar of the Deanship of the Postgraduate Studies.
2. The Dean of the Postgraduate Studies can make exceptions for students who fall behind the prescribed period of time after providing appropriate justifications.
3. A postponement should not be effective except after the approval of the deans of the college and postgraduate studies.
4. The Deanship of the Postgraduate Studies would notify the student's employer if a sabbatical leave is needed.
5. A postponed student should be considered a regular student during the postponement period, and he does not enjoyed student rights. He does not have duties either.
6.  After the expiry or discontinuation of the postponement period, the student applies a request for recommending a supervisor if his thesis subject was approved before the postponement.
7. A student has the right to request a postponement if he has at least one semester left during the period specified and referred to by Article 36 in the postgraduate studies' bylaw, provided that he would apply for postponement before the (final) semester by at least two weeks.

Deletion of courses:

The student may request to delete all the semester courses in accordance with the following:

1. He should apply a deletion request before the final exam.
2. His request should be approved by the department council as well as the deans of the college and postgraduate studies.
3. This semester should not be a part of the additional opportunities.
4.  This semester should be counted as part of the postponement periods referred to by Article 22.

Deletion should be as follows:

5. The student who wants to get courses deleted should fill in the prescribed form and present it to the head of the department concerned before the start of final exams by at least five weeks for review by the department's council.
6. The Deanship of Postgraduate Studies would notify the employer of the deletion if the student is on a sabbatical leave.
7.  The student should not have exhausted all postponement periods.
8. A student who had his courses deleted does not enjoy the rights of university students.

Pullout:

If the student had willingly pulled out from the postgraduate studies, then he wanted to re-enroll, he would be subject to admission requirements in place at the time of re-enrollment.

Discontinuation:

A student is considered a dropout and his registration is canceled in the following cases:

1. If the student was accepted for study and failed to register in time.
2. If the student registered in a semester and failed to commence his study at the semester.

Termination:

A student's registration is terminated by the Postgraduate Studies Deanship Council in the following cases:

1. If a student was accepted in the postgraduate program and failed to register in time.
2. If a student failed to pass the complementary courses in accordance with the terms set by Article 18 of the postgraduate regulation.
3. If he pulled out or discontinued his study for one semester without an acceptable excuse.
4. If he was proved to be unserious about his study or violated any of his academic duties in accordance with Article 52 of the postgraduate regulation.
5. If his cumulative GPA dropped below "very good" grade in two consecutive semesters.
6. If he exceeded the postponement periods prescribed by Article 22 of the postgraduate regulation.
7. If the student violated the academic integrity, whether during the courses or thesis writing, or carried out an action that breaches the university's regulations and traditions.
8. If he failed to pass the comprehensive exam – if any- after allowing him to retake it once.
9. If the thesis examination committee concluded it was unfit for discussion or if it was not accepted after discussion.
10. If the student failed to obtain the degree within the maximum time frame limit in accordance with Article 36 of the postgraduate regulation.
11. A student who discontinued his study for one semester would have his registration dismissed if he failed to provide an acceptable excuse.
12.  A student can have his registration terminated if his cumulative GPA dropped below "very good" grade in two consecutive semesters after taking into account the provisions of Article 28 and its executive rules in the postgraduate regulation.  
13. A student can have his registration terminated if he violated the university's regulations and traditions through not abiding by any of the admission requirements stipulated in the executive rules of Article 13 of postgraduate regulation, or any terms set by the department when it authorized the student's admission.
14. The fifth condition in both Articles 55 and 56 as well as the executive rules of Article 58 of postgraduate regulation should be taken into consideration when the registration of a student, whose thesis had been declared to be unfit for discussion or had not been accepted after discussion, is terminated.
15. A student can have his registration terminated if a member of the thesis discussion committee reported that the student violated the academic integrity during the thesis writing.

Re-enrollment:

In cases of extreme necessity, a student who had his enrollment cancelled can re-enroll if he was held back from continuing his studies by compelling circumstances that can be accepted by the councils of the department and college. Re-enrollment should be based on a recommendation from the Postgraduate Studies Deanship Council and a decision by the University Council in accordance with the following:

1. A student who had his re-enrollment cancelled before over six semesters would be treated as a new student, regardless of the courses he studied before.
2. A student who had his re-enrollment cancelled before six semesters or less can study some of the courses that would be specified by the councils of the department and college and approved by the Postgraduate Studies Deanship Council. The units that he studied would be counted as part of his cumulative GPA after he resumes study, and the duration he had spent before the cancelation would be counted as part of the maximum period for obtaining the degree.

The re-enrollment should be as follows:

1. A student who had his enrollment cancelled would apply to the head of the department concerned for re-enrollment. The cancellation document and evidence of the compelling circumstances he had should be attached to the request.
2. Regular procedures should be processed in line with original article provisions unless one or more conditions - set by Articles 15 and 16 of the postgraduate studies regulation and their executive and regulatory rules – were not fulfilled.

Additional opportunity to improve GPA if it dropped below Very Good:

In exception to Clause 5 of Article 26 of postgraduate studies regulation, a student may have an additional opportunity for one or two semesters at maximum to improve his GPA,  based on a recommendation by the councils of the department and college and the approval of Deanship of Postgraduate Studies. The following aspects should be taken into consideration:

1. The student registration would be suspended if his GPA dropped below Very Good over two consecutive semesters or an academic year.
2. The academic advisor presents a detailed report to the head of the department concerned on the student whose registration was suspended.
3. The department council may recommend giving the student an opportunity to improve his GPA to Very Good in a period that does not exceed two semesters.
4. The student may re-study courses in which he obtained Good grade in order to improve his cumulative GPA to Very Good.
5. The recommendation along with the advisor's report and the student's academic record should be forwarded to the college council so that it can review it and make the proper recommendation.
6. The college council's recommendation should be presented to the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies so that it can take the right decision.

Additional opportunity to complete the thesis:

In exception to Clause 10 of Article 26 of postgraduate studies regulation, a student may have an additional opportunity to complete his thesis in a duration that does not exceed two semesters, based on a report by the supervisor and a recommendation by the councils of the department and college as well as the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies and the approval of the university's council. The following aspects should be taken into consideration:

1. The student would file a request to the supervisor for an additional opportunity to fulfill the requirements to obtain the degree.
2. The supervisor presents a detailed report on the student's progress, recommending a duration for the additional opportunity.
3. Based on the supervisor's recommendation, the department council may recommend giving the student an additional opportunity for a period that does not exceed two semesters.
4. The college council makes its recommendation as it deems appropriate regarding the case.
5. The college council's recommendation should be forwarded to the Postgraduate Studies Deanship Council so that it can take the proper recommendation.
6. The Postgraduate Studies Deanship Council's recommendation should be then presented to the university's council after having the authorization of the university's manager so that it can take the right decision.

External transfer:

A student may transfer to the university from another accredited university upon the recommendation by the councils of the department and college and the approval of Postgraduate Studies Deanship Council. . The following aspects should be taken into consideration:

1. The student should fulfill admission requirements and any necessary conditions set by the department.
2. The student should not be expelled from the university he is transferring from for any reason.
3. The units the student studied in the university that would confer on him the degree should not be less than 70 percent of the required units. The full thesis writing process should also be conducted under its supervision.   
4. The number of study units he had studied should be counted as follows:

• The student should not enroll for transfer is over six semesters had passed since he studied the equivalent units.
• These units should be in consistence in terms of subject with the requirements of the program he is transferring to.
•   These units should not exceed 30 percent of the units of the program he is transferring to.
• His grade in the re-studied units should not be less than Very Good.
• The equivalent units would not be counted as part of the cumulative GPA.
• The equivalency should be carried out upon the recommendation of the department council and the approval of the college council and the Deanship of the Postgraduate Studies.

The transfer should be in accordance with the following:

1. Students should submit the Transfer Request Letter to the Dean of the Postgraduate Studies Section. The letter should be attached to an attested statement detailing the units the student has studied at his original university, as well as an authorized and detailed description of the curriculum he learnt therein.
2. The request and attachments thereto should be passed to the dean of the relevant faculty in order to be referred to the boards of the department and the faculty.
3. Recommendations by the board of the faculty should be referred to the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies Section in order to take the appropriate decision.
4. The relevant departments should be briefed about the curriculum the student had studied – if his Transfer Request Letter was accepted – for equivalency in accordance with the paragraph (4) above.
5. Equivalency should be achieved upon a recommendation made by the board of the relevant department and after the approval of the relevant College Board.
6. The case should be referred to the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies Section to take the appropriate decision.
7. The after-equivalency units should be integrated into the student’s record book and the department he/she moved to should be briefed about the accounted-for units.

 Internal transfer

A student can shift from one area of specialization to another within the university upon the recommendation of the boards of the department he is moving to and the relevant college, as well as the board of the Deanship of the Postgraduate Studies section. The following aspects should be taken into consideration:

1. The student should fulfill admission requirements and any necessary conditions set by the department.
2. The units the student had studied in the university may be accounted for if the department sees those units compatible with the program he/she wants to move to and are included in the accumulative marks of the program.
3. The student’s enrolment should have not been cancelled before as a result of the application of article 26 of the bylaw of Postgraduate Studies Section.
4. The time the student spent within the program he is moving from should be an integral part of the maximum time set for getting the degree.
5. A student may move from one program to another for one time only during the entire period set for getting the degree.
6. The student should have spent at least one academic term in his college, not to include the academic terms of revocation.

The transfer should be in accordance with the following:

1. The student should fill the relevant transfer form with the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies Section.
2. The student should be then referred to the dean of the relevant college and an attested statement showing the units he studied in his original department should be submitted as well for review by the boards of the college and the department.
3. The recommendation by the board of the college should be forwarded to the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies Section to take the appropriate decision.
4. If the transfer was approved the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies Section would complete the procedures required for the transfer.
5. The student’s new department should define the study units that could be accounted for from among the material student has studied in his original department and include the marks thereof within the accumulative marks, whereas the unaccounted-for marks should remain in the student’s records and not be added to his accumulative marks.

Duration of study:

• The period prescribed to get the master's degree is a minimum of four academic terms and a maximum of eight academic terms. Summer terms are not included.
• The period prescribed to get the PhD is a minimum of six academic terms and a maximum of ten academic terms. Summer terms are not included.

The aforementioned is detailed as follows:

1. The average duration for getting the master's is six terms – three academic years – in the light of which the high rankings of the students are being calculated: paragraph (B) of Article 30 of the bylaw of studying and exams for the university grades refers to that duration as “average period.”
2. The average duration for getting the PhD is eight terms – four academic years – in the light of which the high rankings of the students are being calculated: paragraph (B) of Article 30 of the bylaw of studying and exams for the university grades refer to that duration as “average period.”
3. The maximum duration for getting the degree is from the start of the academic term until the date of approval of the printing permit issued by the deanship of postgraduate studies.

Graduation:

• The student should not graduate unless he completes the requirements of the degree with accumulative rating “Very Good.”
• Master's and PhD students should be granted a graduation certificate written in both English and Arabic languages. The certificate should carry the student’s full name with his/her rating, the accumulative marks, the department name, the specialization and the signatures of the dean of Postgraduate Studies Section and HH the Director of the University integrated therein.

The bylaw of studying and exams:

• The board of the department that teaches the curriculum may – upon a recommendation by the teacher of a specific subject – allow the student to complete the requirements of any curriculum in the next academic term and assign to him the IC (Incomplete) rating. The marks of the term as well as the accumulative marks should include only the marks he got after the fulfillment of the requirements of that curriculum. And if one academic term passed and the student’s IC rating still did not change in his/her records, the rating should become F (Failed) and integrated in the academic term marks as well as the accumulative marks.
• If the researches required need more than one term to complete, the students should get IP (In Process) rating. After the student completes the curriculum he should get the rating he collected; and if he did not complete the curriculum on time, the board of the relevant department may assign to him the IC rating and the student could do the registration.
• The ratings per subject should be as follows:

Percentage	Rating	Rating Code	Rating value
100-95	Excellent+	A+	4.0
90 to -95	Excellent	A	3.75
85 to -90	Very Good+	B+	3.5
80 to -85	Very Good	B	3.0
75 to - 80	Good+	C+	2.5
70 to -75	Good	C	2.0
Less than 70	Failed	D	0

 

The general rating of the accumulative marks on graduation should be as follows:

• A: If the value of the accumulative marks is not less than (3.5).
• B: If the value of the accumulative marks ranges between (2.75) and (3.5-).
• C: If the value of the accumulative marks ranges between (2.0) and (2.75-).
• The first degree of honor should be granted to the students who got accumulative marks value that ranges between 3.75 and 4.00 on graduation. The second degree of honor should be granted to the students who got accumulative marks value that ranges between 3.25 and 3.75- on graduation. The following conditions are a prerequisite for the student to be granted the first or the second degree of honor:

A – The student should not have failed the exams of any of the subjects he studied in the university or any other university.

B- The student should have fulfilled the requirements of graduation in a period of which maximum is the median of the maximum and the minimum periods of his stay in the college.

C- The student should not take exams in more than two curricula in one day – the board of the university could pass an exception.

D- The students should not be allowed to start the final exam after 30 minutes of the beginning thereof. The students may only be allowed to leave the exam after no less than 30 minutes of its beginning.

E- Students should be held accountable for cheating or attempts to do so, as well as the violation of the rules of taking exams and relevant instructions in line with established disciplinary punishments issued by the board of the university.

First: exams and ratings:

1. The students have the right to take the final exams in all subjects; they should be notified of the date and time of the exam at the beginning of the academic term or academic year – or at least two weeks in advance – unless the nature of the curriculum necessitates scientific research and lab experimentation within the framework of the studying plan of the program endorsed by the university board.
2. Activities marks for the academic term should be not less than 30% and not more than 60% of the total final mark, taking into consideration the regulations set by Article 26 of the studies and exams bylaw for the university grades.
3. Any student should be deprived of the right to continue studying the curriculum and to take the final exam if his absence exceeded 25% of the total lectures and field lessons—this includes both excused and unexcused absence. Accordingly, the deprived student should be considered have failed the exam.
4. The teacher should at instant notify the student of the deprivation and submit a report thereabout to the relevant HOD detailing the dates of absence.
5. The HOD should notify the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies Section and the HOD of the student’s department – if the latter belongs to another department—of the deprivation decision.
6. The board of the relevant college or the individual authorized thereby may –upon a report submitted by the HOD of the relevant department—end the deprivation if the student made an excuse to the HOD and the board of the college accepted that excuse. The absence, however, should not be more than 40% of the total lectures and field studies.
7. If the student could not manage to attend the final exam in any of the subjects of the academic term as a result of a compelling excuse, the board of the college may – in the case of extreme necessity – accept his excuse and allow him to take another exam within a period that does not stretch beyond the next academic term. The student should get the rating that he would get after taking the new exam.
8. The student may retake for only one time the exam in any of the subjects he failed the exam thereof and the two results should be accounted for in the accumulative marks.
9. The conditions of getting the first and second degrees of honor should also include the study of at least 85% of the requirements of graduation from the university.

Second: the final exam

1. If the student cheated – or attempted to do so – or violated the rules and the instructions of taking the exam the following should be done:
   • The teacher or the exam observer should cancel his exam and file a report detailing the incident. The report should be referred to the HOD of the relevant department.
   • The HOD should report the violation incident to the dean of the faculty. The entire case should be then referred to a committee that has to be formed by the board of the college with the dean of Postgraduate Studies Section among its members.
   • The marks the student gets in the relevant subject should be suspended until the committee makes its decision and he/she should get the rating “Q” at that point.
   • The relevant departments should be notified of the committee’s decision to put it into effect.
   • Answer sheets should be revaluated (as mentioned in Article 39 of the Studying and Exams bylaw for university grades) upon a recommendation by the board of the department if; this should happen if there is a kind of immoral indulgence or prejudice regarding the rights of the student if he filed a grievance to the HOD. The student should be referred to the committee mentioned in Item B of the aforementioned paragraph if his grievance proved to be untrue.

Third: The comprehensive exam:

• 12- The Comprehensive Exam Committee should convene at the beginning of every academic year upon a decision by the board of the department; it should comprise at least three members who meet the conditions of supervision and discussion. The committee should be chaired by a professor if it is a PhD exam.
• 13- Each department should announce the date of the comprehensive exam, giving enough time prior.
• 14- The comprehensive exam should be phased as follows:
  • A written exam in the principal specialization.
  • A written exam in the branch specialization, if present.
  • A written exam in research skills, if present.
  • An oral exam.

Success in each phase is a prerequisite to moving to the next one.

• 15- Every committee should set the scope, the goals and the procedures of every type of the phases of the exam that the student has to take a comprehensive exam therein. Secrecy should be respected in the entire phases and the board of the department should set the general framework of the procedures required from the committee.
• 16- References and sources of the research, as well as necessary writings, should be set upon recommendations from the committee of the comprehensive exam and the endorsement of the board of the department; these should be the main focus of the exam.
• 17- The exam should be presented at least once every academic year and every department should set the date of that exam at least one academic term in advance.
• 18- Success in any of the exam phases should be based on the average of the marks given to the student. In order to succeed, the student’s mark should be at least 70% of the total mark in every phase of those mentioned in Paragraph 14.
• 19- Results of the exam should be announced after being endorsed by the department within a maximum of one month after the last phase. A copy of the results should be handed over to the Deanship of the Postgraduate Studies Section once released (whether it is a success or not). 
• 20- If a student failed to pass any of the phases of the comprehensive exam, he should be given another opportunity to retake the exam within a maximum of two academic terms and for one time only.

Guidance:

A science guide should be assigned to each student at the beginning of his admission to the program; he should provide study guidance to the student and help him to choose the subject of his thesis and draft the research plan in accordance with the rules endorsed by the board of the university upon the recommendation of the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies.

Guidance should be in accordance with the following procedure:

1. The boards of the departments should distribute guidance tasks to the members of the teaching panel within a maximum of four weeks from the beginning of the academic year; a copy of the distributions lists should be sent to the Deanship of the Postgraduate Study.
2. The guide should provide the student with guidance on preparing the study schedule; he should follow up the registration procedure as well.
3. The guide should provide the relevant HOD with a detailed report about the progress made by the student at the end of every academic term; a copy of the report should be sent to the dean of the Postgraduate Studies Section.
4. The guide should preferably be the one who oversees the study after the registration thereof unless this contradicts with the guide’s area of specialization and articles 45 and 48 of the postgraduate studies bylaw.

Registration of thesis:

• The postgraduate student should present to the department the draft thesis – if present – after he/she fulfills all the requirements of admission and completes at least 50% of the curricula with accumulative rating that should not be less than Very Good. And whenever a recommendation to approve the draft thesis is issued, the department board should name a candidate supervisor and assistant supervisor – if present – or the members of the supervisory committee and its chair. The candidacies should then be reported to the board of the college and the board of the deanship of the postgraduate studies to approve them after getting the endorsement from the board of the college.

 

Registration of the thesis should be in line with the following procedures:

 

• 1- In order for the student to present the draft thesis (the research plan), the following procedures should be followed:
  • The student should have completed at least 50% of the curricula or passed the comprehensive exam (if if is a prerequisite to the registration).
  • The draft thesis presented by the student should be written in a sound standard scientific language and should include the main elements of the research plan.
  • The draft thesis should be presented to the science guide of the postgraduate study to approve it in preparation for review in a seminar.
  • The student should preferably present his thesis in a seminar before proposing it to the board of the faculty or before his thesis is endorsed by a subject-matter committee decided by the department.
  • The student should submit his thesis to the board of the department; and if approved, a member should be appointed as a supervisor and another as assistant supervisor, if present.
  • The case should then be referred to the board of the faculty to endorse the department’s decision or have a say thereon.
  • The subject of the thesis, as well as the supervisory, should be then submitted to the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies to get the approval thereof.
  • The subject of a master degree study should be serious and genuine; the subject of PhDs should be innovative and should effectively contribute to improving knowledge in the student’s field of study.
  • Scrutiny of heritage books of scientific value in the field of specialization may be accepted as a subject of the thesis provided that a serious study is conducted; this applies to master's and PhDs.
  • Translation of heritage books of scientific value in the field of specialization may be accepted as a subject of the thesis provided that a serious study is conducted; this applies to master's and PhDs.
  • The PhD study should not exceed a thousand pages and the master's should not be in more than 500 pages; this should be taken into consideration on deciding the theme of the study.
  • PhD and master's studies should be written in Arabic; it could be written in other languages in specific areas of specialization upon a decision from the board the university based on the recommendation of the boards of the department and the college, as well as the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies. In this case the study should be provided with a comprehensive summary in Arabic.
• Warning:
• If a report by the supervisor showed that the student proves to be unserious in his study, or if he/she violated any of his academic duties thereof, the student should be formally warned in a letter from the relevant department. And if the student received two warnings and did not avoid the causes thereof, the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies would have the right to revoke his enrolment upon the recommendation of the board of the department.

 

• The aforementioned applies in the following scenarios:

 

1. If the student’s instances of excused and unexcused absence surpassed 25% of the total supervision hours decided for every academic term.
2. If the student did not comply with the supervisor’s directives.
3. If the student did not manage to write in an academic manner that suits his grade.

• Discussion:
• In order to form a discussion panel, the PhD student should pass the comprehensive exam.
• The board of the relevant department should propose the member of the discussion panel and they have the right to propose an extra or two extra members.
• The College Board should recommend the formation of the panel in the light of the information it receives from the department; if the board concluded that some of the members of the panel or all of them need to be changed, the case should go back to the board of the department.
• The recommendations of the College Board should be referred to the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies to take the necessary decision.
• The copies of the study should only be distributed to the members of the discussion panel after the university director endorses the decision of the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies.
• Every member of the discussion board should submit to the dean of the relevant faculty a detailed report about the study in accordance with the form designed for that purpose. The period from the date of sending the copy to the suggested date of discussion should not exceed two months for the master's and three months for the PhD.
• If one of the members of the committee, or all of them, delayed in submitting the report after the deadline, the issue should be referred to the board of the relevant department to make an appropriate decision.

 

• The master's degree discussion panel should fulfill the following requirements:

 

1- The number of members should be an odd number and the supervisor should be the rapporteur of the panel.

2- It should comprise at least three members of the teaching panel; the supervisor and the assistant supervisor – if present – should not represent a majority in the panel.

3- Members should meet the conditions of the supervision of studies.

4- The membership should include a professor or – at least – an associate professor.

5- In order to pass, a decision should get the approval of at least two thirds of the panel’s membership.

 

• The PhD discussion panel should meet the following requirements:

 

1- The number of members should be an odd number and the supervisor should be the rapporteur of the panel.

2- The membership should be restricted to professors and associate professors and the supervisor and the assistant supervisor – if present – should not represent a majority in the panel.

3- The panel membership should comprise at least one professor.

4- At least one of the members should be from outside the university.

5- In order to pass, a decision should get the approval of at least two thirds of the panel’s membership.

The following should be taken into consideration:

1- The member discusser member should not have been assigned to two studies and did not discuss one of them.

2- The outsider member should be a discusser.

3- The discussion should be announced at the department, the college and on the website of the university within at least one week from the discussion; a copy of the announcement should be presented to the Secretary of the Deanship of the Postgraduate Studies for the Academic Affairs at least one week prior to the discussion.

 

• The discussion panel should prepare a report that has to be signed by all the members thereof; that report should be presented to the HOD within a week of the date of discussion and should include one of the recommendations below:

 

1- Acceptance of the study and a recommendation to grant a degree.

2- Acceptance of the thesis with the introduction of some amendments but with no need to discuss it again; one of the discussion panel should be authorized to grant a degree after making sure that the amendments have been introduced; this should be done within a period of no more than three months from the date of discussion. The board of the university has the right to make this excepted.

3- To eliminate the shortcomings and re-discuss the study within the period set by the board of postgraduate studies upon the recommendation of the board of the relevant department; the period should not exceed a year from the date of the discussion.

4- To reject the study.

 

• Duration of the study:
  1. The duration of discussing the study should be as follows:
     • Half an hour for the supervisor and the student to introduce his thesis.
     • Half an hour for every member of the discussion panel, whether it comprises three or five members.
     • The rapporteur, the supervisor and the assistant supervisor – if present—should watch adherence to the timetable.
     • If the first discusser did not consume the entire hour dedicated to him, the rapporteur may give the remaining minutes to the next discusser.
  2. The panel’s report should be in accordance with a form prepared by the board of the Deanship of the Postgraduate Studies.
  3. In order to publish the study at the expense of the university, the panel should unanimously agree to the relevant recommendation.
  4. The total final mark is 100; the acceptance thereof should be in accordance with the recommendations in paragraphs 1&2 above, and the student’s rating should be based on the average of the marks given by the members of the panel.
  5. The period during which the shortcomings should be eliminated must not exceed a year and the supervisor should – as much as possible – follow up the student’s work.
  6. The study’s final mark should be 80 if accepted in accordance with paragraph 3 above; announcement of the acceptance of the study should be enough if it was accepted after being re-discussed.
  7. If one of the panel members has had reservations, these should be reported to the board of the department within two weeks of the date receipt by the HOD in order to make the appropriate recommendations.
  8. The decision taken the board of the department should be referred to the board of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies to take the appropriate decision.