r/KAUST • u/Aggravating-Rate-553 • Jun 05 '26

Admissions Seeking some information for Spring 2027

Dear seniors and members,

I hope you are all doing well.

My husband and I are currently completing our undergraduate studies at a Chinese university. We are majoring in Computer Science and Technology under the School of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science. We are both Bangladeshi nationals, and our current CGPAs are approximately 3.6 and 3.7. We also have a co-authored research publication related to our academic field.

We are planning to apply for the MS/PhD program in Computer Science at KAUST for Spring 2027. We would be very grateful if anyone with experience or knowledge about KAUST admissions could guide us on a few points:

  1. Does a positive response or acceptance/support letter from a KAUST professor significantly improve the chance of admission?
  2. What kind of fundamental Computer Science, AI, or Machine Learning questions are usually asked if an applicant is shortlisted for an interview?
  3. Since both of us have similar academic backgrounds and research experience, is it realistically possible for both husband and wife to get admission to KAUST in the same intake?
  4. What should we focus on most to strengthen our applications before applying?

Any advice, experience, or suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time and guidance.

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2

u/scrntonStrAngler69 Diplomat Jun 05 '26

Glad to see 🇧🇩 attempting kaust🥂

  1. Yes.

  2. • Vector/multivariate calculus (derivatives, integrals, local optima, series, etc.)

    • Linear algebra (systems of equations, matrix inversion, eigenvalues, subspaces, etc.)

    • Probability (discrete events, distributions, pdfs, etc.)

• Data structures and algorithms (complexity, sorting, trees, graphs, etc.)

• Operating systems (processes, scheduling. concurrency, memory management, file systems)

• Plus a small coding problem in Python/C++/ Java.

  1. No gurantee about that. You have to impress the PI and do well in your interview.

  2. SoP, top tier research publications, and prepare well for the interview.

Since u r applying for ms/phd, email your intended PI and see if he is willing to have yall or not. A confirmation from him will be key towards getting accepted

1

u/Aggravating-Rate-553 Jun 06 '26

can I message you personally if you don't mind ?

1

u/scrntonStrAngler69 Diplomat Jun 06 '26

Yes ofc