Higher Education
Higher education is provided by both public and private universities that are all
accredited by the ministry of higher education, the Institute of Public
Administration, teachers? colleges, and girls? colleges. The Higher Education
Council makes proposals relative to the overall policy of higher education and
supervises the application of the state policy in scientific research. The Prime
Minister is the president of the Council. The Ministry of Higher Education
supervises the execution of the Kingdom?s policy in the field of higher education,
and it supervises the universities through a University Council. Most universities
accept both men and women but the University of Petroleum and Minerals and
the Islamic University admit men only. English is used as the medium of
instruction in technological and science fields and all other subjects are taught in
Arabic. (See list of universities & colleges).
Stages of Higher Education
University Level:
- The Bachelor’s Degree is conferred after four years, except in pharmacy
and medicine (four years plus hospital training) and engineering and
veterinary medicine (five years each).
- The Master’s Degree is conferred after two years following the Bachelor’s
Degree. It requires course work and a dissertation.
- The Ph.D. is generally granted after three years’ study following the
Master’s Degree and requires course work and dissertation.
Teacher Education
Elementary school teachers (pre-primary and primary education) must hold at
least Secondary School Diploma. They are trained in junior colleges for two years
and are awarded the Diploma for Junior College Training for Teachers. Students
who pass with at least a B average can qualify for university entry and receive
credit towards undergraduate courses.
Secondary school teachers who teach at the intermediate and secondary levels
either study for a Bachelor’s of Education at university or complete a Bachelor’s
degree course followed by a one-year Higher Diploma in Education or study
abroad.
There are two types of Higher Diploma courses: The first trains new graduates to
become intermediate or secondary level teachers.
The second trains practicing (graduate) teachers in administrative techniques to
become headmasters of intermediate or secondary schools.
Women who have completed a Diploma for Junior College Training for Teachers
are qualified to teach in intermediate schools. Colleges of Education provide four year
courses leading to a Bachelor’s of Arts (BA.) or Bachelor’s of Science (B.S.)
in Education. Graduates are qualified to teach in secondary schools. Some
colleges provide post- graduate training for women interested in a specialization.
Science and mathematics teachers at the intermediate level are trained or
retrained in teacher’s colleges. Trainees must be holders of the High School
Diploma or Secondary Teacher Training Institute Diploma. Completion of the
three-year course leads to the award of the Teacher Proficiency Certificate and
entitles holders to teach in intermediate schools.
