Introduction
   Please accept our congratulations for your successful completion of your secondary school studies. We welcome you at the threshold of your college education. Also, we would like to announce the launch of the online admission application submission system through which applications can be submitted by prospective students of one or two Kuwaiti parentage, GCC citizens, and undetermined Nationality students that are graduates of Kuwait Unified secondary school system, the Institute of Religion, the American education based schools, and the British education based schools. The online admission system can be accessed through the following link, during the announced dates to be determined by the office of admissions and registrations:

Admission Application Process
   Application forms should be submitted, within the announced dates. Applicants should prioritize their academic preferences within the disciplines they are eligible to. Any alterations to the application form will not be allowed after the end of the submission period.
Prospective students expecting to graduate from British education based schools during the summer semester and fulfill the minimum admission requirements should apply online during the dates set by the Deanship of Admission and Registration. Then, they must present their original secondary school diploma within a two-day period to be determined appropriately.

Students with (TOEFL), (TOEFL IBT) or (IELTS) have to submit the results in the admission and registration hall, before the end of the submission period.
Application forms will not be accepted in Kuwait University after the end of the announced dates by the Office of Admission and Registrations.

All submitted application forms and supporting documents are deemed the property of Kuwait University, and none shall be returned to the student when denied entry or graduated from the University or when his/her application is withdrawal.  Decision on Admissions
Decision on admission at Kuwait University will be announced using the latest means of communication and publishing. Also, announcing the minimum admission percentage for Kuwaiti students and children of Kuwaiti women in each college, so each student will know the bases for his admission. Students will be informed of the date of submitting the required original documents to complete their admission and registration for courses by the following means:

1. Applicants that have submitted their applications electronically can view the following site: Admissions …

2. Applicants that have submitted their applications directly in the Admission and Registration Hall can view the following site: Registrations …

3. All applicants will be notified by their personal e-mail mentioned in the application.

General Admission Regulations for Kuwait University

1. The term “Kuwaiti applicants” in all admission and transfer regulations refers to students with one or two Kuwaiti parentage, whereas the term “non-Kuwaiti” includes applicants from other categories who are allowed to join the university, according to the rules set.

2. Admission at Kuwait University and transfer to it occurs twice every academic year, according to the general regulations of admission and admission dates announced by the Deanship of Admission and Regulation. Admission to College of Law, Center for Medical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, College of Allied Health Sciences, and Architecture are limited to the fall semester only.

3. The university board sets the minimum percentage of admission, the general admission regulations of the university, and admission regulations for non-Kuwaiti students’ category.

4. Admission to the following colleges (College of Science, College of the Center for Medical Science, College of Pharmacy, College of Engineering and Petroleum, College of Allied Health Sciences, College of Education / Science Majors, College of Life Sciences, College of Architecture, College of Computer Science and Engineering) is limited to secondary school graduates with a science major.

5. Admission to the following colleges (College of Law, College of Arts, College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, College of Social Sciences) is available to secondary school graduates with a liberal arts major, as well as graduates with a science major provided that they satisfy the minimum percentage required from liberal arts major graduates, except in the College of Education/Liberal Arts Major in which admission requires that the applicant be a graduate with liberal arts major, or its equivalent.

6. Secondary school graduates with the science major and the liberal arts major both are accepted in the College of Business Administration; however graduates from the Institution of Religion are not accepted.

7. Application forms should be submitted within the announced dates, in accordance to the specific mechanism set by the Deanship of Admission and Registration. With the importance of prioritizing all the academic preferences in the form within the disciplines they are eligible to. Incomplete applications will not be accepted, nor will any alteration to the application form be allowed after the end of the submission period.

8. Applicants are accepted at college levels. The Deanship of Admission and Registration determines the sub-majors for students once they meet the major’s conditions as devised by the concerned university committee.

9. Kuwaiti applicants whose secondary school percentage or equivalent grade-point average is equal to or higher than the minimum percentage for immediate admission set by the Deanship of Admission and Registration, upon receipt of the application form, are accepted immediately in the college or the group of majors indicated as their first choice in the application form.

10. Applicants who do not meet the minimum percentage for immediate admission will be considered for admission after the end of the admission period, where students are distributed to colleges based on the available seats in various specializations according to the mechanism of the distributed seats in the colleges.

11. In applying to the spring semester, students from the Kuwaiti category will have one choice only since he/she fulfills the minimum percentage for the admission in it, and will be admitted immediately.

12. Applicants accepted in the spring semester may compete for a seat with applicants applying for admission in the following fall semester for colleges where its admission is once in an academic year. The criterion for competing is the equivalent grade point average. This process is not counted among the number of times that the student may transfer between colleges within the University. When an applicant is accepted at a college, he/she keeps his\her original university ID number along with their student record – except for the college of law.

13. It is possible to substitute the results of (TOEFL), (TOEFL IBT), or (IELTS) for the Academic Aptitude Test, while calculating the equivalent grade-point average, if it was submitted before the end of the submission period. Also, it is possible to use the results to be exempted from remedial courses, if it was submitted before the end of admission period. The equivalent score is calculated between the two tests in accordance with the decisions of the committee of Scientific Affairs.

14. Meeting the admission or transfer requirement does not mean the acceptance of the applicant in the university.

15. The university has the right to rescind the student’s admission upon false data.

16. A graduate from Kuwait University, a student who has discontinued his\her education at university, a student who withdrew after studying several courses, or a student who was expelled from the university may not apply to the University as a new student (secondary school graduate).

17. After being admitted in the University, students cannot change the admission category he/she was admitted upon into another category.

18. An applicant is admitted or transferred with the condition of studying in the semester in which he/ she is admitted in, and the admission offer is canceled if the applicant does not study in that semester. An admitted applicant can postpone their admission once to the following semester, by applying for postponement to his\her college within the period set for considering postponement, in accordance with the rules set by the committee of students› affairs at the university.

19. The student must be present in person to withdraw his admission to the university after announcing the results of admission. Another person can perform this task should he/she has a official general authorization from the student.

 College of Life Sciences Admission Regulations

1. Admission is restricted to the science majored students only.

2. Priority for admission is for students with the highest equivalent grade-point average calculated by the secondary school percentage and the results of aptitude tests as follows:

• 70% for the secondary school percentage.
• 15% for the result of the English Language Test.
• 15% for the result of the Mathematics Test.

 Acceptable Secondary School Certificates
   Kuwait University accepts the following secondary school certificates, in accordance with the set conditions for each certificate:

1. General secondary school certificate (Unified System; science and liberal art majors), or its equivalent.

2. Secondary school certificate of the Institute of Religion: The Institute of Religion graduates are accepted in accordance with the conditions of accepting Liberal Arts Major graduates at the following colleges only: College of Law, College of Arts, College of Education, College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, and College of Social Sciences. Admitted applicants may not transfer to any college other than the colleges mentioned above.

3. General secondary school certificate from abroad: The certificate should be a recognized degree, and it should be evaluated by the Ministry of Education in Kuwait as equivalent to the Kuwaiti general secondary school certificate in liberal arts or science majors. Non-academic courses are excluded while calculating the secondary school percentage. To accept the certificate, it is stipulated that Kuwaiti applicants should have studied all years of secondary school in one country; an exception from this condition are the Kuwaiti applicants whose parents are delegated on an official mission or are on a governmental study grant. Also, exempted from this condition are students of the American secondary school who studied in Kuwait’s schools then continued their studies abroad according to the American system, were the aggregated average for all secondary school years will be calculated.

4. High school percentage for Saudi certificate will be calculated according to the applied system in KSA that student should undergo an aptitude test and attainment test that are offered by the National Center for Assessment in Higher Education in KSA.

5. English Secondary School (G.C.E., G.C.S.E., I.G.C.S.E.) or its equivalent:

 Applicants with the above certificates are accepted according to the following conditions:
A. Passing eight subjects at least, two of which (or more) are from the A/S – I A/S Level or A-Level, and the rest are from regular level I.G.C.S.E. Courses with a “C” average or higher are   counted, while only one course with a “D” average can be counted. The applicant’s percentage should not be less than the minimum required percentage for admission in the university. These certificates should be equalized by the concerned department in the Ministry of Education before applying to the university.
B. To admit the applicant to the university, he/she should pass all subjects in 36 months at the most. Otherwise, the applicant is required to study and pass courses which are taken more than three years ago.
C. To be qualified as a Science Major, an applicant should pass the following subjects: Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and another A/S or I A/S Level scientific course. Otherwise, an applicant will not be classified as science majored if he/she did not pass all of the above subjects.
D. An Applicant may submit an application to evaluate the A-Level Course which he/she passed with the equivalent 100-level courses offered by the university if his/her grade was “C” or higher, and for three courses at most. These courses will not count towards the courses required by the university, nor in the GPA at the university.
E. An A-Level course may not be considered equivalent to university courses if it was included in the eight required subjects.
F. To include Arabic Language & Islamic Education with the required courses, the applicant should pass the exams offered by the Ministry of Education in these courses.
G. Courses with a degrees other than “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” will not count towards the courses required to join the university.
H. Non-Academic courses (Such as; Music, Athletics, Drama, Holy Quran ...etc.) or Arabic for non-native speakers’ courses will not count towards the required courses.
I. The university will, in accordance with the system of non-degree students, conditionally accept the application of an English Secondary School Graduate who meets all the conditions except for one subject, which is needed to qualify as a Science Major Graduate, until he/she passes the subject required within one academic semester from the date of application. Only then, the admission regulations will apply at the date of application in the previous semester. It is possible to exempt the applicant from studying this course if he/she passes it with a grade of “C” or higher. In all cases, the course does not count towards the required percentage for admission, nor in the GPA at the university.
J. The percentage of the certificate is calculated as follows:
 

1. The grades “A*”, “A”, “B”, “C, “D” in I.G.C.S.E. courses are given the following percentages:
2.  A* = 100%, A = 95%, B = 85%, C = 75%, D = 65%
    
3. Ten points are added to the applicant’s evaluation scales in the A-Level, A/S-Level, or I A/S- Level courses on top of the evaluation scales for the I.G.C.S.E. courses.
    
4. The Percentage for the highest eight grades are added up, taking into consideration in the calculation the five required subjects from the science major graduate. The total then is divided by eight (eight courses) in order to calculate the applicant’s percentage. The aggregate percentage must not exceed 100%.
    
5. American Secondary School or its Equivalent:
    

A. Applications will be accepted, provided that the applicant studied all secondary school years in an American School. For applicants who transferred from other school or systems, the Deanship of Admission & Registration will calculate their average grades in the four years prior to graduation. Applicants will be considered as American Secondary School Certificate holders, which is the basis for the process of determining their compulsory and optional courses, and their major. To be considered as a science major, he/she must successfully pass the following one-unit courses:
 

1. Biology
2. Chemistry
    
3. Algebra II
    
4. Physics
    
5. Calculus or Pre-calculus
    

Secondary School grade 9 at least Secondary School grade 10 at least Secondary School grade 10 at least Secondary School grade 11 at least Secondary School grade 11 at least
B. The university will, in accordance with the system of non-degree students, conditionally accept the application of an American Secondary School graduate who meets all the conditions except for one subject that is needed to qualify as a science major, until he/she passes the subject required within one academic semester from the application submission date. Only then, the admission regulations will apply at the date of submitting the application in the previous semester. It is possible to exempt an applicant from studying this course if he/she passes it with a grade of “C” or higher. In all cases, the course does not count towards the required percentage for admission, nor in the GPA at the university.
C. An American Secondary School graduate may request to equalize the AP courses, which the student passed, with the equivalent of a 100-Level courses only offered by the university if the student received “3 points” or higher according to the “15- Scale” approved by the American College Board, provided that he/she submits a certified degree from the board. This process can be applied for three courses at most.
D. An American Secondary School graduate may request to equalize the DP/IB courses, which the student passed, with the equivalent 100-Level courses only offered by Kuwait University if he/she received “6 points” or higher in Standard Level courses, or “5 points” or higher in Higher Level courses, according to the “17- Scale” approved by the International Baccalaureate organization (IBO), provided that he/she submits a certified degree from the organization. This process can be applied for three courses at the most in both levels.
E. When any of the above mentioned courses were equalized with courses at Kuwait University, the applicant’s grade in that course will not count towards the applicant’s GPA at the university; also, the applicant’s grade will be excluded when calculating the applicant’s aggregate average in the American Secondary School Certificate.
F. In all cases, the highest aggregate average that will be accredited for American Secondary School graduates is “4 Points” in the points systems, or 100 % in the percentage system. Any increase above that average will not be considered.
6. French Secondary School or its equivalent: in Liberal Arts or Science Majors, should be evaluated by the Ministry of Education. Admission Categories
Admission in Kuwait University is available for the following categories, in accordance to the general regulation of enrollment or transfer and the process of admitting students in the university. All applicants from the different categories of non-Kuwaiti will compete on the seats allocated for the non- Kuwaitis, unless a clear regulation gives priority to a certain category. It is worth mentiening that the acceptance of the student’s application does not mean his/her admission at the university. The categories are:

First: Kuwaitis
It includes Kuwaiti students and children of Kuwaiti women.
• Additional required documents from children of Kuwaiti women:
1. The student’s original birth certificate.
2. An original valid Civil ID of the mother.
3. An original nationality certificate of the mother.

Second: Non-Kuwaitis
Which includes the following categories:
A. Kuwaiti Spouses (50 seats):
Applicants in this category compete for admission in all university colleges for the allocated seats, in accordance to the admission conditions for non-Kuwaiti applicants.
• Additional required documents:
 

1. An original and a copy of the marriage certificate.
2. An original and a copy of the spouse valid Civil ID.
    
3. An Original and a copy of the spouse national certificate.
    

B. GCC Citizens
It is obligatory for the acceptance of the students application that he/she should have passed all years of secondary school at Kuwait’s schools. Moreover, the acceptance of these students depends on the available seats and according to the percentage of seats given to the citizens of each country.
• Additional required documents:
 

• Certificate stating that the applicant has studied all secondary school years in Kuwait.

C. Children and Spouses of Faculty Members in the university:
It is obligatory to submit a letter from the Department of Faculty Members and Language Teachers Affairs, which states that the parent or the spouse is a faculty member at the university.
D. Children and Spouses of Diplomats:
Children and Spouses of workers in certified diplomatic missions of the State of Kuwait with which Kuwait has bilateral diplomatic representation with it. Applicant should provide a letter from Kuwait’s ministry of Foreign Affairs (Protocol Department) Stating the above.
E. Children of Martyrs
Children of non-Kuwaitis and undetermined nationality martyrs are admitted, provided that the applicants have studied all Secondary School years at Kuwait’s Schools.
Additional Required Documents:
 

1.  A certificate indicating that the applicant has studied all Secondary School years in Kuwait.
2. An Official letter from the Martyrs’ office stating that the applicant is a son/daughter of a martyr.
    

F. Children and Spouses of Members of the Academic Support Staff and Language Teachers (25 Seats)
The applicant should have a minimum Secondary School percentage of 75% (for Science Major), and 80% (for Liberal Arts Major). Applicant should provide a letter from the Department of Academic Affairs which states that the parent or the spouse is a member of the academic support staff or language teachers in the university.
G. Children and Spouses of University staff (25 Seats)
Applicants of children and Spouses of university staff should have a minimum percentage of 75% (for Science Major), and 80% (for Liberal Arts Major) in the Secondary School certificate. The applicant should provide a letter from the Academic Staff Administrative Affairs indicating that the applicant’s guardian or spouse is currently employed at the university.
H. Rector of Kuwait University’s Grant (50 Seats)
The applicant should have studied in Kuwait’s schools within a minimum percentage of 75% (for Science Major), and 80% (for Liberal Arts Major) in the secondary school certificate.
I. Top Students Grants (15 Seats)
The university allocates 15 seats for top non-Kuwaiti Secondary School graduates (Unified System), ten of these seats go for Science Major top applicants only and five for the liberal arts major top applicants only.
J. Cultural Grants
Kuwait University offers a number of Cultural Grants for brotherly and friendly states provided that the applicant’s secondary school percentage is no less than 75% for Science Major and 80% for Liberal Arts Major. The admitted applicant should register and study in the fall semester he/she is accepted in; otherwise, his/her admission will be canceled, unless the applicant or the nominating party submits an application to postpone the admission to the following semester during the set period. Otherwise, the grant will be repealed for the nominating party or state, in which case it may not nominate another applicant for the grant in the following semester, unless it applies to withdraw the application of the applicant within the first six weeks of study. All nomination must adhere to the colleges specified by the Grants Committee. In case the applicant does not satisfy the required Equivalent Grade-Point Average of the college nominated for, the nomination is cancelled. The student may not transfer to another college, unless seats are available for the nominating country.
K. Undetermined Nationality (100 Seats)
Applicants of undetermined nationality which are children of non- Kuwaiti Women will be admitted with the following conditions:
 

1. Providing a valid security ID at the time of admission.
2. A GPA no less than 90% for both Science and Liberal Arts Majors in the secondary school certificate.
    
3. Allow those who have adjusted their conditions from this category to apply to the university after providing a statement of that from the Central Agency for Illegal Residents. A priority for admission will be given to them with the same conditions of the undetermined nationality.

 

Admissions and Registrations

Admissions and Transfer Regulations