2.3. Assessment and Selection

2.3.1 Admission to Alfaisal University is a competitive process with the University receiving many more applications than it has places available.

2.3.2 In the interests of fairness and transparency, all applications are assessed on their own merits, in competition with each other, and according to the relevant criteria for the program applied to, by designated staff of the University.

2.3.3 Wherever possible, the University aims to acknowledge receipt of applications within 24 hours.

2.3.4 The Deanship of Student Affairs, Admissions and Registration will consider all the information provided on the application form in order to assess the application against the relevant criteria. This assessment will normally include, but not be limited to, existing academic achievements and the context in which they have been achieved, any predicted academic achievements, English language proficiency, and academic/professional references.

2.3.5 The Deanship of Student Affairs, Admissions and Registration may choose to interview candidates, and may also set admissions tests in order further to assess their suitability for the program applied to.

2.3.6 The University permits colleges to recognize credit gained from other institutions and to exempt suitably qualified applicants from courses of study in their chosen program if it is deemed to be of equivalent standard according to University’s Transfer Policy..

2.3.7 The Deanship of Student Affairs, Admissions and Registration staff may, at their discretion and in accordance with the relevant criteria, make a candidate an offer for a different program to the one applied to. Such decisions may be made where it is determined that the applicant would be better suited to the alternative program, or where the applicant has already covered some of the content of the program originally applied to.

2.3.8 Where an applicant is made an offer by the University, the offer will set out clearly if it is conditional upon the applicant achieving a stated academic or other standard, and/or on the provision of suitable references, and/or on evidence demonstrating the applicant has satisfied all non-academic conditions. In all cases, where evidence required by the University to inform its decision whether or not to admit an applicant is written in a language other than English, the applicant will be responsible for providing a notarized translation of the same into English and for arranging the submission of both the original and translated copies to the University.

2.3.9 Applicants made an offer will be informed as to how they should accept or decline the offer, and by when.

2.3.10 Applicants made a conditional offer may not enroll with the University, nor embark upon their program of study, with their program of study, until all conditions have been satisfied in full and the applicant is in receipt of an unconditional offer and not until the stated commencement date of the program of study.

2.3.11 Applicants in possession of an unconditional offer of a place cannot request that it be deferred to the next semester. The decision of The Deanship of Student Affairs, Admissions and Registration in relation to requests to defer is final in relation to requests to defer is final