Bioengineering PhD Program

Program Mission:
The Bioengineering Program seeks to educate and inspire scientists and engineers who can bridge biology and technology to advance human health and sustainability. Our mission is to integrate engineering principles with life sciences to develop transformative tools, materials, and systems that address global challenges in medicine, environment, and biotechnology. Through interdisciplinary research and innovation, the program prepares graduates to become leaders across academia and industry.

Program Goals:
The PhD in Bioengineering program aims to:
1. Advance the frontiers of bioengineering research through original, high-impact scientific contributions.
2. Train independent researchers and innovators capable of integrating engineering and biological sciences to solve complex problems in medicine, environment, and sustainability.
3. Promote leadership in interdisciplinary collaboration, spanning materials science, bioinformatics, medicine, and environmental systems.
4. Cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and ethical responsibility in the conduct and communication of scientific research.
5. Prepare graduates for leadership roles in academia, research institutions, industry, and translational enterprises driving innovations in interdisciplinary biotechnologies.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Knowledge and Understanding:
· K1: Demonstrate advanced, in-depth knowledge of bioengineering theories, methodologies, and emerging research areas across diverse fields
· K2: Critically evaluate the current state of knowledge and identify open research challenges and technological gaps within specialized subfields
· K3: Integrate concepts from multiple disciplines to formulate new hypotheses
· K4: Understand the ethical, regulatory, and translational dimensions of conducting bioengineering research.

Skills:
• S1: Design and execute original, independent research contributing to the advancement of knowledge in bioengineering subarea of focus.
• S2: Expertise and familiarity with a broad range of advanced experimental or computational methods to investigate biological systems.
• S3: Communicate research findings effectively through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and professional networks.
• S4: Ability to work in interdisciplinary teams

Values, Autonomy, and Responsibility:
• V1: Uphold the highest standards of scientific integrity, research ethics, and professional conduct.
• V2: Demonstrate leadership and initiative in interdisciplinary research environments.
• V3: Contribute to advancing the field through innovation and knowledge dissemination.
• V4: Recognize and address the broader societal, environmental, and ethical implications of bioengineering research.

PhD Course Requirements

Students entering the PhD Program must complete the requirements below.

At least two 300-level courses (6 credits)
Graduate seminar (non-credit)
Winter Enrichment Program (non-credit)

The Academic Advisor may request the completion of additional courses. Courses taken while pursuing the KAUST MS degree cannot be counted towards the PhD course requirements. Courses must be technical courses and cannot be substituted with Research, Internship, or Broadening Courses to fulfill degree requirements.

Graduate Seminars (non-credit)

All students must register for BESE 398 and receive a receive a Satisfactory grade for a minimum of five Semesters. However it is recommended students register for Seminars every Semester. For more details about BESE Seminars please contact your GPSA.

Winter Enrichment Program (non-credit)

All students must complete the Winter Enrichment Program (WE 100) for credit at least once during their studies at KAUST. Students who have previously completed WEP will be exempt from this requirement in their future studies.

PhD Candidacy

In addition to the coursework requirements, students must successfully complete the required PhD candidacy milestones to progress toward PhD candidate status. These milestones are as follows:

A subject-based qualifier - The Pre-Proposal Committee Meeting
PhD Proposal Defense

Once students have advanced to candidacy, students are designated as PhD or Doctoral Candidates.

Qualifying Exam

The qualifier known in the program as 'The Pre-Proposal Committee Meeting' is a research update meeting to determine progress and readiness toward the PhD Proposal Defense. Students must pass the Pre-Proposal Committee Meeting by the end of the third semester after commencing the PhD degree. Students who complete their Proposal Defense within three Semesters do not have to complete the Pre-Proposal Committee Meeting.

Membership of the Pre-Proposal Committee must consist of 2 Faculty from within the program (Dissertation Advisor + 1 other) and 1 from outside of the program. Although not required, the membership of this Committee could be retained for the Proposal Defense Committee.

Expectations for the Qualifier (Pre-Proposal Meeting):

The suggested time of the meeting is 45-60 minutes.
Student is evaluated on their overall progress during the last academic year, focusing on the status of research, research milestones, and plans for the following academic year. It is expected that a broad topic has been determined by this stage.
The student will provide a short (<30 minutes; 8-12 slides) presentation on the state of their research, i.e., what is the research question they are answering (the knowledge gap), how they will do this (the approach), what remains to be done (the activity).
The presentation will be followed by a brief Q&A from the Committee (10 min).
The Committee will then meet separately with the Dissertation Advisor r (i.e., the student will be excused) to discuss the student's progress, performance, and expectations (optional, 5 min).
The Committee will meet separately with the student (i.e., the Dissertation Advisor will be excused) to inquire about the relationship between the student and Dissertation Advisor (project feedback; project support; discussion of expectations; etc.) (optional, 5 min).

The student will be given verbal and written feedback (10 mins) regarding the following:

Research topic
Methodology and plan
Overall performance

The outcome of the meeting will result in a committee recommendation (Pass/Pass with conditions/Fail). If substantial issues are identified, the Committee will determine a course of action for the student to follow. This may be placing the student on academic sanction (probation/dismissal) with an associated action plan or any other recommendation (up to and including that no action be taken).

Dissertation

For more details on the Qualifying Exam results, Dissertation Proposal Defense and committee formation, Proposal Defense results, Petition to Defend the Dissertation and committee formation, Dissertation Defense results, Dissertation document, and Dissertation archiving, please refer to the Policy page.