Student teams that demonstrate exceptional progress in their venture project courses (TIE 295 and TIE 296) may be eligible for an extension of up to one additional semester to further advance venture development. Decisions regarding such extensions will be made by the TIE Program Chair, in consultation with the TIE Program Committee, based on defined criteria that include demonstrated maturity in both Technology Readiness Level (TRL > 4) and Entrepreneurship Readiness Level (ELR > 4), as well as evidence of meaningful external traction with customers, industry partners, government entities, investors, or other relevant stakeholders.
MS Course Requirements
MS students must complete the following requirements:
- Core Courses (12 credits)
- Elective Courses (12 credits)
- Summer Internship (6 credits)
- Directed Product Development (12 credits)
- Graduate Seminar (non-credit)
- Bootcamps and Enrichment Activities (non-credit)
Core and Elective Courses must be technical courses and cannot be substituted with Research, Internship, or Broadening Courses to fulfill degree requirements.
Core Courses (12 credits)
Students must complete 12 credits by registering in 4 of the following core classes with the approval of their academic advisor.
| TIE 201 | IoT Systems and Edge Computing | 3 |
| TIE 203 | Systems Design Studio | 3 |
| TIE 204 | MVP Studio | 3 |
| TIE 211 | Launching Innovation: From idea to Viable Business | 3 |
| TIE 212 | From Concept to Early Stage Startup | 3 |
Elective Courses (12 credits)
Elective Courses allow students to tailor their educational experience to meet individual research and educational objectives with the permission of the Academic Advisor.
Group A (6 credits)
Students must complete 6 credits by registering in two 200 or 300 Level classes offered by KAUST. These classes are designed to expand the students’ knowledge and provide critical support for their entrepreneurship journey within the TIE program. The selection of these courses must be approved by their academic advisor.
Group B (6 credits)
Students must complete 6 credits by registering in two classes from the following list.
| TIE 231 | Innovation Navigation: From Idea to Impact | 3 |
| TIE 232 | Innovative Strategies for Entrepreneurial Success | 3 |
| TIE 241 | Product Design and Digital Manufacturing | 3 |
| TIE 242 | Biodesign in Digital Health: A Comprehensive Exploration | 3 |
| TIE 251 | Product Innovation and Prototyping | 3 |
| TIE 294 A | Managing High-tech Ventures | 3 |
| TIE 294 B | Special Topics in TIE | 3 |
Summer Internship (6 credits)
To be eligible for Summer Internship (
TIE 295), students must have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students will spend the Summer session to further develop their project ideas and accelerate the process of iterative prototyping. They will engage potential customers to work on commercially relevant products. The students will be given well-defined objectives that they will have to meet by the end of the summer session. The students will receive an S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory) grade for their Summer Internship work.
Directed Product Development (12 credits)
Directed Product Development (
TIE 296) represents a scientific approach to product development and innovation. This course immerses students in a systematic exploration of the entire product development lifecycle, emphasizing ideation, design, prototyping, and testing. It encourages iterative development and fosters a culture of experimentation and adaptation, applying the scientific methods to expedite the creation of fit-for-use products. Throughout this process, students are expected to apply empirical research methods and techniques. This enables to students to adopt an iterative approach to their product development that is based on empirical evidence. By requiring students to create a business plan alongside product development,
TIE 296 bridges the scientific and entrepreneurial disciplines that focus on evidence-based decision-making in product design and commercialization. Through each prototype iteration, students engage in a systematic process of data-driven decision-making, embodying the principles of empirical research. The assessment of this course integrates empirical feedback, data-driven decision-making, and a comprehensive understanding of the scientific and engineering principles underpinning product development and innovations for the market. This course thus represents a significant integration of research principles within the domains of product development, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The aim is to have a minimally viable product (MVP) by the end of the Fall semester. The students will present their work at a product showcase event before the Fall Commencement Ceremony. The students will receive Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) grade for
TIE 296.
Innovation Hub Placement
TIE 295 and
TIE 296 represent the practical culmination of the TIE MS degree. This experiential component is carried out at an Innovation Hub — either at a local hub (e.g., KAUST, Riyadh) or at an international hub (e.g., in China, the UK, or the USA). The placement of student teams in a specific Innovation Hub is determined by several factors, including the fit of the venture project with the hub’s focus areas, hub capacity, team performance and dynamics, professional conduct, customer discovery progress, business plan maturity, and stage of product development. Final decisions on hub placement are made by the TIE Program Committee during the second semester.
Bootcamps and Enrichment Activities (non-credit)
All students must attend TIE organized bootcamp and activities
Graduate Seminars (non-credit)
Students must register for two Graduate Seminar Courses (
TIE 298) and must receive a Satisfactory (S) grade in both. Students must attend a minimum of nine Graduate Seminars, with the flexibility to choose from seminars in the CS, ECE, or ME programs, or specialized seminars offered by the TIE program. Out of the nine seminars, TIE students are required to attend at least six TIE-specific seminars.