What is the KAUST scholarship and who funds it?
KAUST is a graduate research university on the Red Sea coast at Thuwal in Saudi Arabia. It awards MS and PhD degrees across 17 STEM disciplines and runs its own funding package, the KAUST Fellowship, for admitted graduate students. There is no separate scholarship application to submit: you apply for admission and the fellowship is part of the offer.
The university describes the package as full tuition support, a monthly stipend, housing, medical coverage and relocation assistance, and states that over 90% of admitted students receive full tuition support. The official admissions pages carry the current figures for the stipend and any charges, so check them before you budget.
What the fellowship is not
It is not a stand-alone grant you can hold at another university, and it is not open to undergraduate degree seekers. KAUST teaches at graduate level, with short courses and research internships as the routes for undergraduates.
KAUST Fellowship at a glance
| Item | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Provider | King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia |
| Levels funded | MS, MS/PhD pathway, PhD |
| Disciplines | 17 STEM disciplines across four divisions |
| Cover | Full tuition, monthly stipend, housing, medical coverage, relocation assistance |
| Intakes | MS for Fall entry; PhD for Spring and Fall |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 on a 4-point scale (or equivalent) |
| English requirement | Official TOEFL or IELTS score, with limited exemptions |
| How to apply | Online graduate application through the KAUST admissions site |
Applications are made on the KAUST admissions portal at admissions.kaust.edu.sa. The portal shows the open intake and the deadline for the round you are entering.
Which KAUST degrees and divisions can you apply for?
KAUST groups its programmes into four divisions: Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE), Physical Science and Engineering (PSE), and the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TIE) master's. Each division runs several named programmes.
- BESE: Environmental Science and Engineering (EnSE), Marine Science (MarS), Plant Science (PS), Life Sciences and Bioengineering
- CEMSE: Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences (AMCS), Computer Science (CS) with six tracks, Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Statistics (STAT)
- PSE: Chemical Engineering (CE), Chemistry, Earth System Science and Engineering (ESSE), Materials Science and Engineering and Applied Physics (MSEAP), Mechanical Engineering (ME)
- TIE: the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship master's
MS, MS/PhD or PhD
The MS is a taught and research master's for Fall entry, and many disciplines offer an integrated MS/PhD pathway where you can begin the PhD straight after the master's. PhD applications are open for Spring and Fall intakes. Read the programme page for your discipline before you choose a route, because not every programme offers every option.
Who qualifies for the KAUST Fellowship?
Admission is competitive and the fellowship follows admission. The official FAQ gives the clearest picture of the academic bar and the documents required.
- GPA: the minimum permitted GPA is 3.0 on a 4-point scale or equivalent. Typically 90% of admitted applicants have a GPA above 3.3 and 75% above 3.5.
- Grading scales: if your grades are not on a 4.0 scale, submit your transcripts in their original format and admissions staff will evaluate them.
- English: an official English language test score is required even if your previous studies were in English. The exemption applies only to degrees from accredited institutions in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand, or a previous degree taken at KAUST's campus in Thuwal.
- Degree status: you can apply while finishing your current degree and submit a partial transcript.
- GRE: the FAQ addresses GRE and PGAT scores directly, so check it for your programme before you book a test.
There is no age limit stated in the official material, and no separate nationality quota: the campus community represents well over 100 nationalities.
What the fellowship pays for and what it does not
The funding package is designed to remove financial barriers so students can focus on research. In the university's own words it includes a generous stipend, tuition support, health insurance and access to facilities. The admissions pages add housing and relocation assistance to the list.
Living costs on campus
All students live in University-provided residential accommodation on campus, usually in units with private bedrooms and a shared common area and kitchen, with family accommodation for students who are married or have children with them. A free bus network connects housing, labs and teaching buildings. The FAQ section on fees and funding answers what studying and living at KAUST cost, so use it for the current position on any charges.
Other funding you may hold
The FAQ covers whether a student who already holds a scholarship from another source is eligible for the KAUST Fellowship, and whether current graduate students seeking a second master's can receive it. The answers change with policy, so read them on the official site rather than relying on forum posts.
How to apply to KAUST step by step
- Choose your programme and route. Pick the discipline and decide between MS, MS/PhD and PhD, checking which intakes that programme offers.
- Check the intake dates. MS programmes take Fall entry; PhD programmes take Spring and Fall. The application page lists the open intake for each programme.
- Prepare your transcripts. Submit academic records in their original grading format, with English translations where the FAQ requires them.
- Book your English test early. An official TOEFL or IELTS score is required unless you qualify for the narrow exemption, and a score cannot be added after submission if the round closes.
- Line up your references. The entry requirements page explains how references are submitted through the application.
- Complete the online application. Create your account on the KAUST admissions portal, upload documents and pay any application fee the portal shows.
- Track your status. KAUST releases results as soon as a final decision is made and does not publish a decision release schedule, so check the portal rather than emailing for a date.
- Respond to the offer. If you are admitted, the fellowship terms arrive with the offer and you confirm your place and start date with admissions.
For a general walkthrough of application mechanics that applies to any scholarship, see our guide on how to apply for a scholarship.
Documents you need for a KAUST application
| Document | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Academic transcripts | Records for your current and previous degrees, in the original grading format, with English versions where required |
| English test score | Official TOEFL or IELTS result, unless you hold a degree from an exempt country or from KAUST Thuwal |
| References | Submitted as part of the application; the entry requirements page explains the process |
| Application fee | Any fee shown in the portal at the time you submit |
| Programme-specific items | Check your discipline's page; some programmes ask for extra material |
A strong scholarship motivation letter and well-briefed referees do real work in a research application, even where the form does not call the statement by that name.
KAUST internship and VSRP research internships
KAUST runs research internships for students who are not yet ready for a graduate application. The admissions site describes internships across over 100 faculty-led projects, open to students pursuing a master's degree or in their final or second-to-last year of undergraduate study, with flexible start dates and durations. The partnerships page adds that the research internship covers on-campus housing, airfare, health insurance and a monthly living allowance.
What VSRP means
VSRP is the name students use for the KAUST Visiting Student Research Program, the internship route that brings undergraduates and master's students to Thuwal for a faculty project. If you search for KAUST VSRP or VSRP KAUST, treat it as the same internship family described on the admissions site, and confirm the current project list, eligibility and dates on the official internship pages, which carry the live details.
Short courses
KAUST also offers short courses in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science for undergraduate students and early career professionals. These are training, not funded degree places.
KAUST postdoctoral fellowship and jobs
The KAUST postdoctoral fellowship is a separate route from the graduate fellowship. Postdocs are hired by individual faculty and research centres rather than through the graduate admissions portal, so the search terms jobs KAUST and KAUST postdoctoral fellowship lead to the university's employment pages, not to the MS and PhD application.
If you want a funded PhD instead, apply through graduate admissions and let the fellowship follow the offer. If you are comparing postdoc funding across countries, our list of postdoctoral fellowships shows what other schemes cover.
How KAUST selects candidates
Admissions staff read applications against the programme's academic bar and the fit between your background and the research done in the division. The GPA figures in the FAQ show how high the typical admitted profile sits, but they are a description of past cohorts, not a cut-off that guarantees a decision either way.
What strengthens an application
- Research experience or a final-year project close to the programme's strengths
- Referees who can describe your lab work specifically
- A clear reason for choosing that division and programme
- English scores submitted well before the round closes
What does not help
Emailing faculty before applying is a common habit, but the FAQ answers directly whether you need a faculty advisor or should contact faculty members first. Read that answer before you send anything.
Common mistakes KAUST applicants make
- Assuming a separate scholarship form exists. The fellowship comes with admission, so a missing scholarship application is not the problem; a weak admission file is.
- Skipping the English test because your degree was taught in English. The exemption is limited to specific countries and to KAUST Thuwal degrees.
- Converting your GPA yourself. Submit transcripts in their original format and let admissions evaluate them.
- Applying to the wrong intake. MS programmes run Fall entry while PhD programmes take Spring and Fall.
- Confusing the internship with the degree. VSRP and other internships are research placements, not funded MS or PhD places.
- Waiting for a decision date. KAUST does not publish a release schedule, so plan around the portal rather than an expected email.
Who the KAUST Fellowship suits and who should look elsewhere
It suits graduates in science, engineering and computing who want a fully funded research degree, a campus-based international community and a supervisor-led project in a well-equipped lab. It also suits strong undergraduates and master's students who want a research internship before committing to a PhD.
Look elsewhere if you want an undergraduate degree, a taught master's in humanities, business or law, or a programme in a city rather than a campus. If you need funding for a master's in Europe, compare the Erasmus Mundus scholarship, the DAAD scholarship in Germany or the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship. For research degrees in the UK, see PhD scholarships in the UK, and browse engineering scholarships and computer science scholarships for subject-specific options. Our scholarship finder and scholarship deadlines page help you line up alternatives.