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CURRENT STUDENTS FAQs


How do I know who my advisor is? Can I change my advisor?

​For M.S. students, your advisor when you are admitted to KAUST is the Program Chair. For Ph.D. students, your advisor is your PI (supervisor) whose lab you have been accepted in to. 

Yes, you can change your advisor. M.S. students are advised to do so if/when they begin their thesis or directed research.  Ph.D. students do have the ability to change advisors, but the overall impact to the Ph.D. project, as well as the time left to finish the Ph.D., could be significant.  This will have to be taken into account before approval.

​M.S. students need 36 credits (combination of courses and research is specific to your program). 

Ph.D. students need 6 credits of 300-level coursework and will earn dissertation research credit each semester until they defend (no minimum credits established, although there is a minimum residency requirement of 2.5 years).

​During your final M.S. semester at KAUST, you will be eligible to submit a “rollover” application.  You will be contacted by the Admissions Office for this.  You must have a confirmed supervisor in order for the application to be approved.

​M.S. students get all university holidays (Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, Spring break).  

Ph.D. students get university holidays and three weeks of annual/vacation leave per calendar year to be taken in agreement with your PI.

​Mandatory, core and elective courses are listed in the program guide. The program guides for all BESE programs can be found here 
​“Time Extension to Complete M.S. Thesis” application request can be submitted by the 9th week of your final Fall semester.  See application for required approvals here .
​No.  Only once during your time here at KAUST.  If “WE Courses” appears on your KAUST transcript, that means you have met this requirement.​
​Yes, both M.S. and Ph.D. in all BESE programs must register, attend, and receive an S grade for the graduate seminar each semester (Spring and Fall, NOT summer).

​Yes. Drop and Add deadlines are on the academic calendar.

​Your GPC can help you request these from the Registrar’s Office, or you can contact them directly at  RegistrarHelpDesk@KAUST.EDU.SA​​ 

Latest Events


Structural and functional investigations of strigolactone perception in plants

Abstract:
Strigolactones (SLs) are a group of phytohormones that regulate various aspects of plant growth and development, but can also trigger the germination of parasitic plants such as Striga hermonthica. Striga attaches itself to the root of the plant and syphons its nutrients causing severe crop damage. SLs are perceived by the D14/HTL receptors that associate through an adaptor protein to an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex to target specific gene repressors for ubiquitination. The mechanistic link between SL perception by D14/HTL and substrate recognition by the E3 remains unclear. For my doctoral research, I studied the SL induced signalling complex using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and biochemical methods. This project generated the first structure of an E3–HTL–substrate complex leading to valuable findings which advance our understanding of how E3 ligases in plants translate hormone perception into genetic adaptations.

Bio:
Alex is a PhD candidate in Bioscience specialising in structural biology under the supervision of Prof. Stefan Arold. Her research focuses on characterising plant signalling complexes using cryo-electron microscopy and biochemical methods. Prior to her PhD, she obtained an MS in Bioscience from KAUST, after completing her BS in (Bio)Chemical Engineering from the Babes-Bolyai University in Romania.

Speakers

Alexandra Vancea

​LIFE AT KAUST