Program Overview

The study for a Master’s degree includes compulsory and elective courses that follow the academic advancement in the student’s field of specialization. The program concludes with the preparation of a thesis, which must be approved by the examination committee. The thesis is assigned a number of credit hours determined by the relevant department. The minimum duration to obtain the degree is two years from the date of registration.

Registration Requirements for the Master’s Degree

To register for a Master’s degree in Arts, the student must meet the following conditions:

1. The student must hold a Bachelor’s degree in the field of specialization or a related field, with an overall grade of at least C.
2. The student must have a Bachelor’s degree from an Egyptian university or an equivalent foreign university with a cumulative grade of at least C+, and a grade of B- in the specialization. The department may recommend supplementary courses for international students, provided they achieve at least C in these courses. These supplementary courses are not counted toward the cumulative GPA.
3. The student’s file is referred to the relevant department for academic guidance and the appointment of a thesis supervisor.
4. Based on the Department Council’s recommendation and Faculty Council approval, a student may register for a Master’s degree in a field different from their Bachelor’s specialization, provided they complete at least 12 credit hours of supplementary courses (maximum of 8 courses) with a minimum cumulative grade of C+ before starting the Master’s courses. These supplementary courses are not counted in the Master’s program or GPA.
5. The Department Council forms a supervisory committee for the Master’s thesis. The academic advisor may be one of the committee members. The principal supervisor acts as the main academic mentor.
6. If a foreign supervisor (not from an Egyptian university) participates, they must hold a PhD, provide a CV, and justify their role in supervising the thesis. This must be approved by the Department Council, the Graduate Studies and Research Committee, and the Faculty Council.
7. Students may register for thesis credit hours with the approval of the principal supervisor even if they have not completed all required courses.
8. Students who have a pass grade in their Bachelor’s degree and have completed a specialized diploma with C+ may register for the Master’s degree according to faculty regulations.

Conditions for Awarding the Master’s Degree

1. The student must pass all Master’s courses with a minimum grade of C+.
2. The student must complete the required credit hours specified by the department for their program.
3. The student must conduct research on a topic approved by the Graduate Studies and Research Committee and the Faculty Council, based on the Department Council’s recommendation. Credit hours are assigned for the research, and the student must defend their thesis before a committee, which announces its acceptance.
4. If the student does not obtain the degree within five years from registration, they must study additional courses to replace courses completed more than five years ago before completing the thesis and forming the examination committee.
5. The student must submit:
   • A certificate of English proficiency (TOEFL level)
   • A certificate of Arabic language course completion
   • A certificate of ICDL computer skills from a university center or equivalent
     These must be valid at the time of the thesis defense, according to Faculty and University Council regulations.
6. The degree is awarded to students who successfully defend their thesis and complete all required courses, with a cumulative GPA of at least C+. Otherwise, the student must take additional courses or retake courses to improve their GPA.

Course Requirements

1. Table (4) lists the courses for Master’s and PhD programs by department, following the Faculty and Department course codes.
2. Students must complete at least 40 credit hours, approved by the Faculty Council based on the Supervisory Committee’s recommendation and the Department Council’s approval.
3. Reference materials for each course are determined by the department.
4. Written exams are 2 hours per course, with a maximum of 100 points.
5. Thesis credit hours are evaluated based on a progress report approved by two supervisory committee members each semester.
6. Courses are graded according to Table (2).
7. Students failing to achieve a cumulative GPA of C+ may retake courses or study additional courses to reach the required grade, with a maximum of two attempts to improve the GPA.
8. The Supervisory Committee submits a report to the Department Council confirming the thesis is ready for defense. This report is then reviewed by the Graduate Studies and Research Committee and the Faculty Council.

Thesis Defense Committee

1. The committee consists of three members, including one supervisor with a rank of Professor or Associate Professor (all supervisors may participate with a single vote).
2. Two additional members are Professors or Associate Professors, at least one from another faculty.
3. The defense is public and is attended only by the members who are in the country at the time. Members abroad just provide individual reports.
4. Relatives up to the fourth degree are excluded from supervisory and defense committees.
5. Each member writes a detailed report on the thesis. A collective report is submitted to the Department Council, the Graduate Studies and Research Committee, and the Faculty Council, then forwarded to the University Council. The date of University Council approval is considered the date the degree is awarded.
6. The committee may require the student to make corrections or additions within three months of the defense before awarding the degree.