Admissions Based on Different Situations
Early Admission
The early admission procedure is designed to assist final-year high school students in completing the registration formalities well ahead of the start of the semester they are applying for. High school students should submit an official record of scholastic achievement (transcript) during their last year of high school. This transcript should provide all information related to courses studied and grades achieved for the prior three years of their high school study.
Early admission students are not accepted at GUST until they have taken the GUST placement tests in English and Mathematics and their transcript for the final year showing the results of all courses studied has been reviewed by GUST’s Office of Admissions along with their official secondary school graduation certificate. Applicants in this category are not permitted to start classes until all admission requirements have been completed and all documentation submitted.
International Students
Students from foreign countries are admitted to GUST if they meet the GUST admission requirements and submit required documentation. International students are subject to Kuwait visa requirements. After accepting students, GUST can assist them in obtaining Kuwaiti residency. Visas will be granted upon full payment of the full fees for an academic year (two semesters). International students can apply through the University website:
Transfer Students
Students wishing to transfer to GUST from another university approved by the Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education must meet the following requirements:
- Students may transfer from universities that are accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education, provided they have passed 24 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above. If the language of instruction of the prior institution was exclusively English, All students are required to take the GUST English placement test (AccuplacerTM) or the IBT TOEFL or International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- GUST may accept up to 60 transfer credits from other accredited institutions. However, GUST policy with regard to acceptance of credits for courses taken at other approved institutions is on a course-by-course basis. Course content must be similar to that of the equivalent GUST course in terms of degree of difficulty, length, and depth of study, content covered, type of evaluation and rigor of assignments and class/project activities. In order to earn a degree from GUST, a minimum of 60 credits must be taken in residence, of these, 18 must be completed in the student’s major
- GUST will not accept for transfer credit any course fulfilling GUST’s General Education Requirement older than 10 years. In the case of courses in the Major field the limit is five years
Transfer Credits From Colleges Granting Diplomas or Associate Degrees
Students may transfer from colleges such as the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), ACK, ACM, Boxhill and other community or junior colleges provided they take the iBT TOEFL or sit for the GUST English and Mathematics Placement Tests (Accuplacer™) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). GUST’s policy with respect to transfer credits varies according to the particular programs offered by the colleges.
There are three general cases:
- Students must have completed their diploma at the college and credits are transferred on course by course basis, e.g., Students transferring from PAAET must have a graduation diploma from the College of Business Studies
- Students must have completed their diploma with a GPA decided by the Ministry of Higher Education which then is evaluated holistically and a fixed number of credits are given e.g., transfers from ACK and Boxhill College
- Students not falling in the two cases above follow the rules of university transfer students
Non-Degree Seeking Applicants
An individual wishing to enroll in GUST credit course(s) who is either not seeking a degree or has not determined an appropriate degree major, may apply to the University as a non-degree-seeking student. Non-degree-seeking students may study at GUST at either the non-credit or credit course level. Non-degree students must meet the regular admission requirements of GUST for the particular program/course, and admission approval is granted with a limit of one calendar year of non-degree status. Regular course fees apply.
