Registration Requirements for Ph.D. Degree

To register for a Ph.D. in Arts, the student must meet the following conditions:

1. The student must hold a Master’s degree in Arts from an Egyptian university or an equivalent degree from a recognized faculty or scientific institute, with a minimum cumulative grade of C+ in the Master’s courses.
2. The student must have a Bachelor’s degree in the specialization from an Egyptian or equivalent foreign university, with a cumulative grade of at least C+ overall and 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 must obtain approval from their employer to enroll in postgraduate studies.
4. The student’s file is referred to the relevant department to review the application and assign an academic supervisor.
5. The student prepares an innovative research proposal representing a new academic contribution, in accordance with Article (178) of the Universities Regulation Law. This proposal is presented in a public seminar in the relevant department.
6. The Department Council forms a PhD supervisory committee, and the principal supervisor acts as the academic advisor. The formation must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, Faculty Council, and University Council.
7. If a foreign supervisor participates, their participation must be justified, a CV submitted, and their role in supervising the thesis clearly explained. Approval must be obtained from the Department Council, Graduate Studies and Research Committee, and Faculty Council.
8. The date of Faculty Council approval is considered the official date of registration, after approval by the Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research.

Requirements for Awarding the PhD Degree

1. The student must complete 50–60 credit hours.
2. After completing any required coursework, the student must pass a written qualifying exam, administered by a committee proposed by the Department Council and approved by the Faculty Council. The cumulative grade for passing is C+. If the student fails, they may retake the exam once after at least three months. The exam must be taken within one year of completing the last required course.
3. The student may register for thesis credit hours as a “PhD Candidate.”
4. The student must pursue research for at least three years from the date of registration.
5. The student must conduct innovative research approved by the Faculty Council, based on the Department Council’s recommendation. With departmental approval, part of the research may be conducted in another recognized institute. Thesis credit hours are registered after passing the qualifying exam.
6. After successfully completing coursework with a minimum grade of B-, the student submits the dissertation to the examination committee for evaluation. The committee assigns a number of credit hours for the dissertation proportional to its scientific value.
7. If the student does not obtain the PhD within seven years from registration, they must study additional courses to update and enhance their knowledge. Courses older than seven years must be replaced. The student must also provide updated English proficiency (TOEFL level) and ICDL certification before forming the dissertation examination committee.

Coursework

• Table (4) lists courses for Master’s and PhD programs by department, following Faculty and Department codes.
• Students must complete at least 40 credit hours, approved by the Faculty Council based on the Supervisory Committee and Department Council recommendations.
• References for each course are selected by the department.
• Written exams are 2 hours per course, with a maximum of 100 points.
• Dissertation credit hours are evaluated based on a progress report approved by two supervisory committee members each semester.
• Courses are graded according to Table (2).
• Students failing to achieve a cumulative GPA of C+ must retake courses or study additional courses, with a maximum of two attempts to improve the GPA.

Dissertation Defense and Examination Committee

1. The examination committee consists of three members, including one supervisor with the rank of Professor or Associate Professor (all supervisors may participate with one vote).
2. The other two members are Professors or Associate Professors, at least one from another faculty.
3. The defense is public, attended by members within the country. External members provide individual reports.
4. Relatives up to the fourth degree are excluded from supervisory and examination committees.
5. Each member writes a detailed academic report on the dissertation. The committee also submits a collective report, which is reviewed by the Department Council, Graduate Studies and Research Committee, and Faculty Council, then forwarded to the University Council. The date of University Council approval is the official date of awarding the degree.
6. The examination committee may require the student to make corrections or additions within three months of the defense before awarding the degree.