The System of Study

The university follows the credit hours system in which coursework is counted in standard units called credit hours. In general, one credit hour is earned by attending one lecture hour every week for one semester. Two or more laboratory hours may be counted as one credit hour.
The academic year is divided into two semesters of 16 weeks each. The fall semester usually starts in the third week of September, and the spring semester starts in the third week of February. An eight-week summer session is also available after the second semester.

Graduation Requirements

To be awarded the bachelor’s degree, students must complete the required credit hours in courses which the grades are D or better. The number of credit hours required for graduation in each college is as follows :

1. College of Medicine
254 credit hours + internship (one year).

2. College of Oral and Dental Surgery
210 credit hours + internship (one year).

3. College of Physiotherapy
190 credit hours + internship (one year).

4. College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
180 credit hours + 300 training hours

5. College of Biotechnology
160 credit hours.

6. College of Engineering
200 credit hours + 300 training hours

7. College of Information Technology
140 credit hours.

8. College of Business Administration & Economics
165 / 168 credit hours.

9. College of Mass Media & Communications
150 credit hours.

10. College of Foreign Languages and Translation
150 credit hours.

11. College of Applied Medical Sciences
142/152 credit hours + internship (one year).

12. College of Archaeology and Tourist Guidance
144 – 150 credit hours.

Language of Instruction

English is the language of instruction in all colleges except for the Arabic sections in the colleges of Business, Archaeology and Mass Media, and the specialized language courses in other colleges. All students are expected to demonstrate an acceptable level of English proficiency both in oral and written communication skills. Students with severe deficiencies will have to take remedial non-credit English courses.

Orientation

The Dean of Students’ Affairs, in co-operation with the college deans, organizes and implements orientation programs for new students and their parents to acquaint them with the system of study, the specializations available in each college, the academic regulations and procedures, the instructional support facilities, and the extra-curricular activities. Informal meetings are encouraged between new students and faculty members so as to create a comfortable atmosphere that enables them to develop a clearer understanding of university life.

Academic Advising

It is the university policy that each student is entitled to academic advising.  In each specialization, the dean or department head concerned assigns academic advisors to provide students with pertinent information about their major, and to assist in planning their program of study, and in solving their academic problems. Before each registration, students must consult their advisors and seek their approval of the courses they plan to take each semester. Each advisor should have access to complete and updated copies of the student’s academic records so as to be able to help each student create a personal academic program suited to his/her needs, abilities and the university’s graduation requirements.

Academic Load

The academic load for any student is between a minimum of 12 credit hours and a maximum of 18 credit hours (or the number of credits specified in the college study plan). However, the maximum load depends on the student’s academic record. If the student’s CGPA is less than 1.5 his load will be lowered until he is able to raise it to the accepted standard.

Credit Overload

Students with good academic standing who wish to register in more than the maximum number of credit hours per semester must seek the approval of their academic advisor and the college dean. In case of graduation or moving up to the clinical stage, a student may be allowed to register extra hours after getting the approval of the concerned authorities.

Class Attendance Regulations

Students should attend all classes for which they are registered to obtain maximum educational benefits. Absence or lateness does not excuse students from required courses work. Students whose absence record exceeds 25% of course hours are not allowed to sit in for the final exam and will receive a “failing grade” (F) in that course.

Drop and Add Courses

During the first two weeks at the beginning of each semester, students are allowed to change their registration by adding or dropping courses after consulting their academic advisors—provided they do not exceed the maximum credits or fall bellow the minimum allowed. Check the university calendar for the drop and add period.

Course Withdrawal

Students may withdraw from a particular course (or courses) if they find (through quizzes and mid-term exams) that they will be unable to complete that course successfully. In such case, the student may file a “Withdrawal Form” after consulting the academic advisor and the course instructor.
Courses withdrawn before the deadline for course withdrawal will have a “W” in the grade report. These courses are not counted toward graduation and their credits are not used to compute the GPA.

Withdrawal from a Semester

Semester withdrawal is the formal termination of a student’s complete registration in all courses for the semester. The student must file a petition stating the reason for withdrawal from all courses and seek the approval of the college dean. A ‘withdrawal form’ has to be filed so that these courses may have a “W” in grade report.
A student may be excused for not registering or for withdrawal from all courses registered up to three times during the entire period of his study at MUST provided his excuses are accepted by the dean or college council.

Re-admission

A student in good standing whose study at the university is interrupted for no more than three semesters must submit formal request for readmission to the Office of Admissions and Registration. This must be done before the end of the registration period of the semester for which the student wishes to be re-admitted.

Withdrawal from the University

Students who decide to withdraw from the university must obtain a withdrawal form from the Office of Admissions and Registration, obtain signatures as indicated on the form, and return the completed form to the Office of Admissions and Registration.

Incomplete

If a student faces unanticipated circumstances that would prevent him/her from attending the final examination in a course, he/she may ask for an Incomplete (I) in this course. A petition has to be submitted to the college dean stating reasons for requesting “incomplete” and enclosing supporting evidence. Students who have done unsatisfactory work in quizzes and mid-term examination are not eligible for incomplete.
If after careful scrutiny the petition is accepted, “a Request for an Incomplete Form” has to be filed specifying the requirements the student has to fulfill to complete the course and the date suggested for meeting such requirement. After successful completion of the requirements, the instructor would fill in “a Change of Grade Form”. If the requirements are not completed in due date or before the end of the Drop and Add period of the following semester, an “incomplete” will automatically be changed to an “F”.

Grading System

A student’s academic standing for a semester is expressed by the grade point average (GPA). Semester grades are reported by letter and the corresponding percentage. The grading system is as follows:

1. According to the rules of the Supreme Council of Universities and MUST Council respectively, students enrolled after Fall 2012-2013 must :

(a) earn a CGPA of 2 as minimum
(b) pass each course at 60% as a minimum for graduation requirements.

This grading system for Grade Points 4.

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This grading system for Grade Points 5.

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    * These courses are not counted in the GPA.

Grade Point Average (GPA) and CGPA

Grade point average (GPA) is computed each semester to show the student’s academic standing. It is computed by multiplying each course credits by the grade points corresponding to the grade received, then adding all points earned and dividing the total by the number of credits in the semester. As the student progresses in his study, his transcript will show a grade point average for each semester as well as a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of all courses taken in different semesters.

Repeating Courses

If a student receives a failing grade (F) in a required course, the same course must be repeated until a successful grade is earned. But if an elective course is failed, the student may repeat the same course or choose another elective course with the approval of the academic advisor. If a course is repeated with one (F) the new grade is used in calculating the GPA, but if a course is repeated with several (F’s), only the first (F) and the last passing grade are used in the calculation of the GPA. In all cases, the (F) grades remain in the student’s record.

Repeating Courses to Raise the CGPA

A student may repeat courses with the passing grade of (D) or better, in order to raise the GPA / CGPA under the following conditions :

Academic Warning and Probation

The university is committed to graduating well-qualified individuals who are able to contribute to the progress of their country. Therefore, students who obtain less than 65% in all courses studied, which is equivalent to a CGPA of 1.5 receive an academic warning urging them to raise their CGPA within two semesters. Their academic load may be reduced to enable them to achieve acceptable CGPA.