Courses Registration

During the advising week and prior to the registration period, students meet with their academic advisors to plan their schedule for the coming semester according to their Program of Study (POS). Once the students identify the courses they need to take, they should complete the registration process through the Student Information System (SIS)during the registration period specified in the Academic Calendar. Upon closing the registration period of Fall or Spring semester, students are only allowed to register during the first day of classes of the semester and they are subject to pay a late registration fee of (SR 1000 + VAT) at the Accounting Department.

The Registration Unit is responsible for conducting the registration of the below students:

1. New students.
2. Returning students who are placed in the pre-master program.
3. Returning students who completed the pre-master program and promoted to the first year of the master program.

Course Load

Students must maintain the following normal Semester Credit Hours (SCH) load of:

A student cannot register for more than 13 SCH in a Fall or Spring semester unless her Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is 4.50 or above. The approval for an overload will not be granted to any student with a CGPA lower than 4.50 unless justified. During the registration period and until the last day of adding courses, the students may apply to overload credits through completing the "Overload Credits E-From" (available in the Petition System).

Add and Drop Courses

Students may add and drop courses according to the dates specified in the Academic Calendar through the Student Information System (SIS). Students must consult with their academic advisors before adding and dropping courses and maintain the course load limit.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites Waiving

Some courses offered under each academic program, may require pre-requisite or co-requisite courses. Through the help of the academic advisor, students must ensure all pre-requisite or co-requisite courses are taken in the set order in the Program of Study (POS). Any exceptions regarding the waiver of a pre-requisite or co-requisite that is supported by the academic advisor must have a written justification and an approval from the Program Director. Students can apply to waive a course pre-requisite or co-requisite by completing the "Pre-requisite Waiving E-Form" (available in the Petition System).

Repeating Courses

Students may repeat a course to remove a low grade or to meet graduation requirements within the maximum time limit required for graduation after they get the approval of their academic advisor and Program Director. When a course is repeated, only the highest grade earned in the course will be counted when calculating the GPA of the student. However, the old grade will appear on the transcript.

Repeating a Passed Course

Students may repeat a course in which they obtained a grade of "C" or "C+" once by completing the "Repeat Passed Course E-Form" (available in the Petition System).

Repeating a Failed Course

Students may repeat a failed course (a course in which they received a grade of "F", "NF" or "DN") only once within two semesters, the registration for which should be completed through the Student Information System (SIS). Students who fail a course twice are ineligible to continue the program and their record will be deactivated accordingly.

Students who decide to defer their study or to withdraw from a semester or the University must complete the "Student Clearance E-Form" (available in the Petition System), discuss the reasons for deferral of study with the academic advisor and the respective Program Director, and get the latter's approval along with the approval of the Dean of School and the Dean of Students. Scholarship and financial aid students must obtain the approval of the Scholarship Unit prior to the deferral or withdrawal process.

Deferral of Study

Students who completed one semester at Dar Al-Hekma University are permitted to defer their study before the first day of classes of every semester. Students have the right to defer their study for three interrupted or consecutive semesters during their years of study. Taking into consideration that the active time frame of the deferral is one semester, the student must apply for each deferred semester separately. At the end of the deferred semester, students must either rejoin the University in the semester that follows, or apply for another deferral of study, or withdraw from the University. Otherwise, they will be considered as disenrolled. The deferral of study semester will not be counted towards the Maximum Time Frame (MTF).

Semester or University Withdrawal

Students who wishes to withdraw either from a semester or from the University must continue to attend classes until they get all the required approvals on the "Student Clearance E-Form" and ensure that the withdrawal process in the Registration Unit has been completed. The students should inform, then, their course instructors and academic advisors of the withdrawal process and its final status. A student who stops attending classes without formal withdrawal will receive a "DN" grade or the so far earned grade for all the registered courses.

Withdrawal from a Semester

Students have the right to withdraw only during the withdrawal period specified in the Academic Calendar for that semester. Upon the completion of the withdrawal process, the students must rejoin the University in the following semester. If the students fail to rejoin, they must either apply for a deferral of study or withdrawal from the University. Otherwise, they will be considered as disenrolled.

The following will be implemented if a student withdraws from a semester:

1. The student will receive a grade of "W" for all the registered courses.
2. The semester from which the student has withdrawn is counted towards the MTF.

Withdrawal from the University

A student has the right to withdraw from the University prior, during, or after the withdrawal period specified in the Academic Calendar; however, the following consequences apply:

1. Prior to the withdrawal period: the Registration Unit will drop all of the student's courses.
2. During the withdrawal period: the Registration Unit will assign a "W" grade to all the student's courses, and the semester from which the student withdrew will be counted towards the MTF. The withdrawal from the University will be effectively on the student's record the following semester
3. After the withdrawal period: the student will receive a grade of "DN" or the so-far-earned grade for each course. The withdrawal from the University will be effectively on the student's record from the following semester.

The Registration Unit will deactivates the record of the students who permanently withdraw from the University. Students have the right to reactivate their records within six semesters.

Disenrollment

A student who fails to rejoin the University after the first day of classes of the semester, or fails to either apply for a deferral of study or a withdrawal from the University, will be disenrolled for that semester only. The student has the right to rejoin the University in the following semester.

The Registration Unit deactivates the students' record if they fail to rejoin the University after the disenrolled semester from which they have been dropped. However, they have the right to apply for a reactivation of record or readmission at a later stage.

Reactivation of Student Record

Students whose records are deactivated have the right to apply for reactivation of records by completing the "Re-activation / Re-admission Form" (available at the Registration Unit) within six semesters starting from the deactivated semester until the first day of classes of the requested semester. Upon the approval of the Dean of Students, the student must pay a non-refundable reactivation fee of (SR 200 + VAT) at the Accounting Department. Students are allowed to reactivate their records only once. Students who were enrolled in another higher education institution and are applying for a reactivation must submit their transcripts. Upon reactivation of records, students will follow the active Program of Study (POS) of their respective majors.

The following students do not have the right to apply for reactivation:

1. Those who have academic or disciplinary dismissal from Dar Al-Hekma University.
2. Those who have disciplinary dismissal from other higher education institutions. The University has the right to cancel a reactivation application, if it was identified that the student was disciplinarily dismissed.

Readmission to the University

Students have to apply for readmission and not reactivation by completing the "Re-activation / Re-admission Form" (available at the Registration Unit) in the following cases:

1. If the application date is six semesters past the deactivated semester.
2. If the applicant exceeded the reactivation attempt allowed.
3. If the applicant had an academic dismissal.

Students who wish to apply for readmission must submit their application one week before the beginning of the requested semester. Upon the approval of the Dean of Students, applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee of (SR 1000 + VAT) at the Accounting Department.

Applicants must meet the admission criteria in the requested readmission semester except for those who did not exceed the six semesters' time limit. Any related admission criteria are studied on a case-by-case basis.

Students who have received a disciplinary dismissal from Dar Al-Hekma University or from other higher education institutions, do not have the right to apply for readmission. The University has the right to reject a readmission application, if the student has been identified to have received a disciplinary dismissal.

Transfer from Other Higher Education Institutions to Dar Al-Hekma University

Categories of Transfer Students

1. New Transfer Students

New transfer students must meet all the graduate admission criteria specified for new applicants. Students transferring from other higher education institutions, where English is the medium of instruction, may not be required to take the English proficiency test upon entrance to Dar Al-Hekma University. New transfer students can apply for transfer of credits by completing the "Transfer of Credits Request Form"(available at the Registration Unit).

2. Dar Al-Hekma Former Students Rejoining the University

Former students who intend to re-join the University, have the right to apply for transfer of credits from other higher education institutions following their reactivation or readmission, and meeting the transfer of credits eligibility requirements.

3. Dar Al-Hekma University Students Visiting Other Higher Education Institutions During Their Years of Study

Dar Al-Hekma University students visiting other higher education institutions during their years of study must obtain the approval of their respective Program Director prior to applying to the other higher education institution by completing the "Transfer of Credits Permission Form" (available at the Registration Unit). During the summer session, the University refrains from transferring credits for students who intend to visit other higher education institutions in Jeddah if the course in question is offered at Dar Al-Hekma University.

Required Documents

Transfer students must submit the following documents to the Registration Unit one week before the first day of classes of the semester at the latest:

Eligibility Requirements

Transfer students are eligible to transfer their credits upon fulfilling the requirements below:

1. The higher education institutions from which the student is transferring must be recognized by the Ministry of Education (MOE). Please visit the URL (https://ru.moe.gov.sa/Search).
2. The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) must be equivalent to 3.75 or above on a 5 point scale during the last semester in the higher education institution from which the student is transferring.
3. Transfer students must not have been dismissed from the previous higher education institution for disciplinary reasons.

Processing Transfer of Credits

The Registration Unit needs 10 to 15 working days to process any transfer of credits for any student. The transfer of credits process is conducted based on the following:

1. The course should have been completed within the 3 years preceding the application of transfer of credits. Courses older than 3 years are considered on a case-by-case basis.
2. The course is not completed through distance learning.
1. The grade earned for a course studied at other higher education institution must be "B" (equivalent to 80%) or higher.
3. The course must match 80% of the content of a similar course offered at Dar Al-Hekma University.
4. Transfer students do not earn grade points for the transferred courses. The Registration Unit considers the credits taken for the transferred courses only and designates the grade of "No grade – Pass" (NP) for each transferred course.

Limitation on the Number of Credits Allowed to be Transferred from Other Universities

Dar Al-Hekma University allows students to transfer a maximum of 30% of the total credit hours required for their graduation at the University. No credits will be transferred if they exceed the Program of the Study (POS) requirements.

Change of Major

Initially, a student specifies the intended academic major on the Admission Application Form. However, students have the right to change the major they applied to. The decision to change an academic major is a matter of great significance and should be pursued only after thoughtful deliberation. Students who change majors must meet all requirements of the new major. A change of major may consequently lead to a time extension beyond the typical semesters of academic study.

Students can apply to change their majors through completing the "Change of Major From" (available at the Registration Unit) within the time limit defined for a change of major. On the application the student should:

1. Explain the reason for changing the major.
2. Consider the completed courses that will not be counted towards graduation.
3. Verify the need to withdraw courses that will not be counted towards the new major and, hence, graduation. The withdrawal from these courses must be completed before the deadline specified in the Academic Calendar while taking into consideration the course load limit.

Upon the change of major, the student will be assigned a new academic advisor from within the new major.

Grading System

The following grading system is followed at Dar Al-Hekma University:

Definition of Grades

• A+: Exceptional

Equivalent to a numerical grade of 95-100% and indicates an outstanding achievement of distinction.

• A: Excellent

Equivalent to a numerical grade of 90-94% and indicates a superior achievement of distinction.

• B+: Very Good

Equivalent to a numerical grade of 85-89% and indicates very good extensive achievement.

• B: Good

Equivalent to a numerical grade of 80-84 % and indicates good extensive achievement.

• C+: Above Average

Equivalent to a numerical grade of 75-79% and indicates an above average achievement.

• C: Average

Equivalent to a numerical grade of 70-74% and indicates satisfactory achievement.

• F: Fail

Equivalent to a numerical grade of less than 70% and indicates inadequate achievement and the course must be repeated to secure credit hours.

• DN: Denial

Indicates that a student was administratively dropped from a course due to exceeding the allowed absence limit, which is more than 20% of the classes.

• IP: In Progress

Is given only for research-based courses which require more than one semester for completion. Upon completion, the "IP" grade is replaced with the new earned grade.

• IC: Incomplete

Is given to students who completed a minimum of 60% of the course work requirements and passed them but are not able to take the final exam or complete the final project on the due date for a valid reason submitted ahead of time.

• AF: Absence Failure

Is a temporary grade assigned to students who completed a minimum of 60% of the course work requirements and passed them but failed to attend the final exam or submit the final project on the due date and time without previous notice.

• W: Withdrawal

Indicates that the student withdrew from a course within the allowed period.

• NP: No grade – Pass

Is assigned for Pass/Fail-based courses and is equivalent to a numerical grade of 70% and above. A grade of "NP" is also assigned to courses transferred from other higher education institutions.

• NF: No grade – Fail

Is assigned for Pass/Fail-based courses only and is equivalent to a numerical grade of less than 70%.

Grade Point Average

Dar Al-Hekma University uses a five-point grade system for calculating the Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA is calculated as the total number of grade points earned per credit hour divided by the total number of Semester Credit Hours (SCH) attempted. Semester grade symbols have the following values:

• A+ = 5.00 points
• A = 4.75 points
• B+ = 4.50 points
• B = 4.00 points
• C+ = 3.50 points
• C = 3.00 points
• D+ = 2.50 points
• D = 2.00 points
• F or DN = 1.00 point

The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is the grade point average for all credit hours taken at the University. Only grades earned at Dar Al-Hekma University are used to calculate a student's GPA. Grades of transferred courses from other higher education institutions are not used to calculate a student's GPA at the University.

The grades of "IP," "IC," "AF", and "W" receive no quality points, and therefore, do not impact the calculation of CGPA. Dar Al-Hekma University considers these courses to be attempted, but not successfully completed, and therefore, will decrease the overall successful course completion percentage. The grades of "NP" and "NF" are used for Pass/Fail-based courses and transfer credits ("NP" only) and bear no quality points, and therefore, do not influence the calculation of CGPA.

Grading Operations

Dar Al-Hekma University follows the policies below in grading operations.

Grade Submission

Course instructors must submit the final grades of a course to the Registration Unit within 5 working days of the final exam date. The Registration Unit reviews the grades and posts them on the Student Information System (SIS) for the student view.

Changing of a Grade

The allowed period to change a grade is during the semester following the course final exam date. During the allowed period, the course instructor has the right to change a grade of a student if the instructor provides a valid justification for the change approved by the respective Program Director and the Dean of School. The course instructor must apply through the Petition System to change the grade of a student by completing a "Change of Grade E-Form".

Withdrawal from a Course ("W" Grade)

Students may withdraw from a course during the period specified in the Academic Calendar if they are having difficulty in the course; experiencing serious medical problems, not being able to develop the required skills to pass the course, or having other valid reasons. Such a decision needs to be discussed with the academic advisor and approved by the respective Program Director, while taking into consideration the course load limit.

Students must complete a "Course Withdrawal ("W" Grade) E-Form" through the Petition System if they wish to withdraw form a course. A student who stops attending classes without formally withdrawing the course will receive a "DN" grade in that course. If the withdrawn course is a program requirement, it may be repeated once to receive a numerical grade. The student will be allowed to withdraw from the same course only once.

The following will be implemented if the student withdraws from a course:

1. The student will receive a grade of "W" which is not calculated towards the student's CGPA.
2. The student will not earn credit hours for that course.
   
   

Incomplete Grade ("IC" Grade)

Application for an Incomplete Grade

Students have the right to apply for a grade of Incomplete "IC" if they are unable to take the final exam or submit the final project on the due date due to circumstances, including but not limited to, health problems or a death in the family. The students must apply for a grade of "IC" through completing the "Incomplete Request (IC Grade) E-Form" (available in the Petition System) before the due date of the final exam. During the application process, the students must upload the necessary documents to validate the reasons they claim for not being able to complete the course final requirement/s.

The course instructor assigns a grade of "IC" to the student if the following conditions are met:

1. Completing a minimum of 60% of the course work requirements and passing them.
2. Providing sufficient documents that support the application.
3. The course instructor with the Program Director have the right to decline rescheduling a final exam for any student if the latter fails to provide valid reasons and supporting evidence.
4. Students who fail to officially apply for the grade of "IC" and miss a final exam, receive a grade of Absence Failure "AF". Students who fail to show up within one week of the missed final exam date and submit authentic documents to support their absence will receive the so far earned grade in that course. The instructor changes the grade of "AF" to "IC" and reschedules the final exam only for students who show up within the one week period with valid documents to support their absence.

Removal of an Incomplete Grade ("IC")

Students who receive a grade of "IC" must deliver the incomplete work of the course within four weeks after the initial final exam date for that course. If the students fail to deliver the work within the identified period, they receive the so far earned grade of the course. The instructor is rendered responsible for removing the "IC" grade through the "Removal of Incomplete Grade E-Form" (available in the Petition System) within four weeks of the original final exam date. Students who have an 'IC" grade on their transcript will not be able to graduate.

Good Academic Standing

Students are considered in good academic standing if they maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.75 or higher, which is the minimum CGPA required for graduation.

Academic Probation

Academic probation is a serious warning that the quality of the student's work has not met Dar Al-Hekma University minimum standards and that the student's continued enrollment is in jeopardy. The University places students on academic probation if they fail to maintain a CGPA of 3.75. During the probationary period, students must raise the CGPA to the minimum accepted level, and therefore, they must:

1. Repeat the failed program requirement course/s. The academic advisor has the right to ask the students on academic probation to repeat courses of "C" or "C+" grades to help improve their CGPA.
2. Follow up with the academic advisors on their performance and academic load.

Students cannot remain on academic probation for more than one semester, and those who fail to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the end of the probationary semester will be dismissed from the University.

Academic Dismissal

Dar Al-Hekma University dismisses students on probation who fail to show satisfactory academic progress by the end of the probationary semester. The University also dismisses students on probation if it is proven that it is mathematically impossible to reestablish a satisfactory progress at any point during the probationary period. In addition, students who are deemed unable to successfully complete all program requirements prior to the expiration of the Maximum Time Frame (MTF) of eight semesters will be dismissed without benefiting from any probationary period.

Dismissed students are allowed to apply for readmission to Dar Al-Hekma University under a different ID upon the approval of the University President. The applicants must comply with all the published admissions requirements and demonstrate to the Dean of Students and the respective Dean of School the ability and the determination to successfully resume their studies.

Appeal for Dismissal

Students have the right to appeal to the Dean of Students when they have received a dismissal notification as a result of the application of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students who appeal must complete the "Dismissal Waving Request Form" (available at the Registration Unit) and provide evidence to prove their ability to maintain satisfactory academic progress during the remaining years of study. Students must provide solid evidence of any exceptional circumstances that negatively affected their academic performance. Students who successfully wave a dismissal notification for unsatisfactory academic performance will be considered on probation for the subsequent semester.

Application for Graduation

Students are considered as expected to graduate in a semester if the total remaining Semester Credit Hours (SCH) is less than 21 SCH. Accordingly, students who are expected to graduate must complete a "Request for Graduation Form" (available at the Registration Unit). This form should be submitted to the Registration Unit one semester prior to the expected graduation semester and during the declaration of graduation period specified in the Academic Calendar. During the declaration process, the students must arrange a meeting with their academic advisors to:

1. Review the graduation requirements, including the remaining courses and credit hours as per the Program of Study (POS), Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) and the Maximum Time Frame (MTF).
2. Plan the distribution of the remaining courses over the expected graduation semester (i.e. courses to be taken in the current semester, the expected graduation semester and the Summer session, if applicable).
3. Confirm the eligibility to graduate in the expected graduation semester.

Expected graduates who apply within the specified period must pay a non-refundable graduation processing fee of (SR 500 + VAT) at the Accounting Department. Late submission of the "Request for Graduation Form" will incur an additional fee of (SR 100 + VAT) as per Dar Al-Hekma University fee structure.

Students are rendered responsible for providing the Admissions Unit with a copy of their recent passport, for the student's name on the graduation certificate should match the student's name in the passport. If students do not have a passport, they must provide any applicable official document such as the national identification or Iqama.

Graduation Requirements

Students will graduate upon meeting all the following graduation requirements:

1. A complete application for the graduation process;
2. A minimum CGPA of 3.75;
3. Graduation within the MTF;
4. A successful completion of all the courses and credit hours as specified in the POS.

Failing to meet any of the graduation requirements leads to the suspension of the student's graduation. Students who do not attain a CGPA up to 3.75 or more, must repeat a number of "C" or "C+" courses to improve their CGPA. In addition, students who fail to graduate within the MTF of their POS will be dismissed as per the academic probation and dismissal policy.

Graduation Status

Students will graduate under the following status based on their CGPA:

• Excellent: 4.50 – 5.00
• Very Good: 3.75 – 4.49

Graduation with Honor

Dar Al-Hekma University awards an honor status to students with CGPA between 4.80 – 5.00 only if they did not earn any grades of "F", "NF" or DN" during their study at the University.

Commencement

Dar Al-Hekma University conducts one Commencement Ceremony annually during or towards the end of the Spring semester. Students who have completed the graduation requirements are required to attend the Commencement Ceremony. Students who are left with a maximum of 6 SCH to complete after the Spring semester of a certain academic year and planning to finish in the Summer session are permitted to join the Commencement Ceremony of that year as "Expected to Graduate" students. If graduating students wish to excuse themselves from attending the Commencement Ceremony, they must obtain the approval of the Dean of Students.

Issuing and Reissuing Graduation Certificates

Graduation certificates are issued for students from the Registration Unit within 6-8 working weeks after the end of the graduation semester provided that the students have completed the "Graduation Clearance E-Form" (available in the Petition System). The graduation certificates are authenticated by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

If students change their name, or their certificate were damaged, lost or destroyed, they have the right to request for a reissue of their graduation certificate. Students who would like to have a reissue of their graduation certificate must follow the steps below:

1. Submitting the original certificate to the Registration Unit in case the name was changed, or the graduation certificate was damaged;
2. Bringing the national identification or Iqama with a copy of the passport;
3. Completing a "Request to Reissue Graduation Certificate Form" (available at the Registration Unit);
4. Paying a non-refundable fee of (SR 250 + VAT) at the Accounting Department.

The Registration Unit must stamp the reissued certificate indicating that the certificate is reissued. A reissued certificate requires 6 to 8 working weeks to be processed.

New Students Package

All new students who registered at Dar Al-Hekma University have to pass by the Registration Unit in order to receive their registration packages upon payment at the Accounting Department. These packages are prepared by the Registration Unit and provided to all new students only at their first semester in the University.

Issuing Official Letters and Transcripts

Official letters such as Acknowledgment Letter, English Proficiency Letter, Graduation Acknowledgment Letter, and Certificate of Good Conduct are issued for students from the Registration Unit provided that students have paid a non-refundable of (SR 20 + VAT) for a letter and (SR 30 + VAT) for a transcript at the Accounting Department and submit the receipt to the Registration Unit. Scholarship students must seek the approval of Scholarship Unit before issuing transcripts.