Introduction:

Jouf University focuses on providing comprehensive care for its students, striving to deliver high-quality education and closely monitoring their progress and integration throughout their academic journey to ensure they achieve their study objectives efficiently and effectively. Through this policy, the University aims to adopt clear and defined admission, transfer, and course equivalency procedures by setting criteria, conditions, and controls for admission, transfer, and equivalency.

Transfer between Saudi universities is an important option for students who wish to change their current university. Transfer can contribute to broadening students’ academic knowledge and experiences, developing their skills, and enhancing their future job opportunities. This highlights the importance of adopting evidence-based admission, transfer, and equivalency procedures, as well as providing and analyzing information and feedback.

Moreover, the desire to improve admission, transfer, and equivalency procedures obliges the University to adopt transparent and fair procedures for students, ensuring equal opportunities for all who wish to join the University. In other words, the admission, transfer, and equivalency procedures must be clearly and precisely defined, with criteria and conditions that students must meet to secure admission to the University, publicly announced to ensure transparency and clarity for prospective students.

Policy:

Jouf University seeks to provide seats for students wishing to study in one of its programs. The University recognizes that clear admission policies and procedures reflect positively on student success and persistence after enrollment; therefore, it refines its admission policies to enhance student success in their subsequent academic journey.

The University is committed to following a competitive admission policy for all academic programs, applying precise criteria for ranking applicants. This includes the weighted percentage for scientific specializations and the equivalent percentage for literary specializations, while taking into account the general and specific conditions of each college and program. This policy aims to select the most deserving students based on their academic performance and competitive abilities.

The University also works to create a distinctive and attractive learning environment that helps attract students to its programs within the specified timeframe. This is known as “transfer to Jouf University”—an academic move by a student wishing to transfer from their current university to another. The University is concerned with best practices to provide seats for accepted and transferred students, such as:

• Equivalency of some courses already studied by the student.
• Facilitating full-time attendance.
• Activities that help students clearly identify key academic and career goals.
• Enabling participation in university student activities.
• Providing suitable majors for students, contributing to a positive perception of the University, faculty members, programs, courses, and academic life.

The University also works to share these practices between the main campus and its branches. Furthermore, it allows its enrolled students to transfer to other programs within the University, according to the controls approved by the University Council or its delegate.

The University adopts a comprehensive strategy to clarify admission, transfer, and equivalency requirements, announcing them at the times specified in the academic calendar to ensure transparency and fairness in admission or rejection procedures. All procedures are conducted electronically, from admission to course equivalency, in alignment with the Kingdom’s vision for digital transformation.

Policy Implementation Procedures:

Many procedures are implemented at several levels, starting from student admission to course equivalency.

First: Procedures at the University Level

General Admission Requirements:

• The applicant must be a Saudi national or the child of a Saudi mother.
• Must hold a General Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent from inside or outside the Kingdom.
• Must have taken the National Center for Assessment tests (Qudrat + Tahsili for scientific, engineering, and health colleges).
• Must be medically fit in accordance with the admission policies of each college.
• Must pass any test or personal interview required by the University Council or College Council.
• Must meet the conditions and criteria for competitive ranking among applicants based on combined averages and available seats for each program:
  • 40% for the Achievement Test (Tahsili)
  • 30% for the Aptitude Test (Qudrat)
  • 30% for High School Percentage
  • 50% for the Aptitude Test (Qudrat)
  • 50% for High School Percentage
• Must meet any other conditions determined by the University Council.
• Must obtain employer approval if employed in any governmental or private entity.
• A student enrolled in another degree program at the same or another university may not be admitted.

Weighted Percentage for Scientific, Health, and Engineering Specializations:

Equivalent Percentage for Literary Specializations:

Transfer Admission Requirements to the University:

• The student must have studied at a local university or college, or a foreign university or college or educational institution licensed by the competent authority in the country of study.
• The student must not have been dismissed from the transferring university for disciplinary reasons.
• Must meet the transfer requirements from outside the University as approved by the College Council to which the student wishes to transfer.
• Must obtain the approval of the Deanship of Admission and Registration according to the transfer controls approved by the University Council.

Specific Transfer Conditions to the University:

• The student must be a Saudi national or the child of a Saudi mother, or a female student who is the mother of a Saudi child.
• Transfer must be to the same major as the previous university.
• Must have completed at least two regular semesters at the previous university with no less than 28 successfully earned credit hours (courses registered during the application semester are not counted toward the required hours).
• Students are admitted competitively based on a composite percentage (50% cumulative GPA, 50% weighted or equivalent percentage) and available seats.
• The student must be a full-time regular student at a university inside the Kingdom or at a Ministry of Education-recognized university outside the Kingdom (private or non-governmental universities are not accepted for health specializations).
• The student must not have been dismissed or withdrawn from their university for any reason. If discovered after admission, the transfer is canceled, and the student must provide proof of the withdrawal reason.
• No less than 60% of the total required credit hours for the bachelor’s degree must be completed at Jouf University.
• No course with a grade below “Good” (C) or 70/100 is counted for equivalency.
• For students transferring from outside the Kingdom, transcripts and all documents must be certified by the Saudi Embassy.
• Must be a full-time student and provide employer approval if employed.
• A student may not receive both a stipend and a salary simultaneously.
• External transfer is based on the latest official transcript (academic record) from the previous university, and no other transcript is considered.
• The cumulative GPA must not be less than 3/5 or 2.5/4, or 85/100 if in percentage format. Transfer is competitive based on each program’s capacity.
• Must be medically fit and able to complete the academic program requirements.
• Must not be currently enrolled at Jouf University.
• Must provide a stamped copy of course descriptions for the courses passed and registered during the application semester.
• Must achieve the weighted or equivalent percentage for the program to which they are transferring, according to the criteria for newly admitted students in the same academic year.
• Must meet the special requirements of the major approved by the College Councils and announced by the Deanship of Admission and Registration.
• Transfer from a lower degree to a higher degree is not allowed.

Documents Required to Upload on the Electronic Portal:

• National ID.
• High School Certificate.
• An official, certified, and up-to-date academic transcript from the transferring university, showing the latest cumulative GPA and the number of earned credit hours (online student copies are not accepted).
• Copy of results from the National Center for Assessment.
• Proof of regular attendance from the transferring university (stamped).
• Statement of the last stipend received at the transferring university.
• Approved course descriptions from the transferring university.

Internal Transfer Requirements within the University:

• Transfer periods are based on the schedule issued by the Deanship of Admission and Registration.
• Changing majors must be based on the latest curriculum plans only.
• No more than two academic years (four semesters) under the two-semester system or six semesters under the three-semester system must have elapsed.
• A student may not have changed majors previously. Transfer is limited to once during the student’s study, except with an approved exception.
• Exceptions are submitted to the Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs via the Dean of the transferring college, with justifications.
• The student must meet the department’s approved specialization criteria.
• The Permanent Committee for Academic Affairs of Students studies the exception request and submits recommendations to the Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs.
• The student must meet the minimum criteria for changing majors as approved by the College Councils or the Executive Council of the Applied College.
• Programs determine the minimum GPA for transfer according to the lowest GPA accepted that year.
• Admission depends on the number of available seats in the new program.
• Priority is given to students with higher GPAs.
• The student must complete at least 14 credit hours.
• Transfer from diploma to bachelor’s degree is not allowed.
• Departments must adhere to admission policies regarding increases or decreases in program enrollments.
• Competitive ranking is based on the composite percentage (40% cumulative GPA, 40% admission percentage, 20% completed credit hours per course weight).
• Competitive ranking for changing majors also uses the weighted percentage for scientific specializations and the equivalent percentage for literary specializations, depending on available seats and the student’s preference.
• Transfer is limited to programs offered in the same or next academic year.
• Courses previously taken and approved for equivalency are recorded in the student’s academic record per University Council regulations.

Second: Procedures at the Department/College Level for Students Transferring from Outside the University:

• Courses are taught by specialized faculty members.
• Course equivalency for a student is based on the approval of the Department and College Councils.
• The course to be equated must have a grade not less than “Good” (C) or 70/100.
• Course content similarity must not be less than 70%.
• Equated courses appear on the student’s record but are not counted in the cumulative GPA.
• Courses studied by a visiting student at Jouf University before admission are counted in the student’s cumulative GPA.
• No more than 40% of the study plan may be equated.
• Transfer procedures are handled by the Deanships of Admission and Registration at both universities in coordination with the relevant colleges.
• Transfer is from full-time to full-time study only.
• Transfer from a lower degree to a higher degree is not allowed.
• The course must have been studied within the last two years (exceptions are possible by the Permanent Committee for Academic Affairs of Students).

Third: Procedures at the Department/College Level for Students Transferring Within the University:

• Courses are taught by specialized faculty members.
• Course equivalency is based on the approval of the Department and College Councils.
• The course passed by the transferring student must be equivalent in content and credit hours.
• Courses previously studied for the same academic level are recorded in the student’s academic record and included in the cumulative GPA.
• Courses studied by a visiting student at one of Jouf University’s branches are counted in the student’s cumulative GPA.
• Transfer is from full-time to full-time study only.
• Transfer from a lower degree to a higher degree is not allowed.

Fourth: Procedures at the Deanship of Admission and Registration:

• Provide multiple channels for direct communication regarding admission, transfer, and equivalency inquiries.
• Announce general and specific admission requirements for each program as approved by the relevant department councils.
• Provide introductory guides for programs, majors, and course descriptions.
• Provide statistical data on students and their cumulative GPAs for each program and college at the main campus and branches for both males and females.
• Announce internal and external transfer dates according to the approved academic calendar.

Important Notes:

• Submitting a transfer application to the University does not mean approval until the transfer committee consents.
• Submitting a transfer application within University departments/colleges does not mean approval until the committee consents.
• If you have not successfully completed the required credit hours at your current university at the time of application, or you are transferring to Jouf University in a non-compatible major, you may apply as a new student under the new-student admission regulations via the electronic admission portal during the designated period.
• The applicant must not withdraw from their current university until receiving official transfer approval from the Deanship of Admission and Registration at Jouf University.

Descriptive Data Model

Approval by Authorized Person:

Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs

Dr. Alaa bin Saleh Al-Arjan