Criteria and Guidelines of Joining Institutions of Higher Education outside Bahrain

Part I: General Criteria and Guidelines:

1. Both the institution and the academic program must be licensed and approved by the higher education and accreditation bodies in its home country.

2. The institution must have a campus on the country of study.

3. In case the certificate is issued by an institution in a country is in collaboration with another institution in another country, both institutions should be accredited.

4. The institution admission policy must compromise with the common admission policies.

5. The teaching language used in the institution must be the official language of the country of study or one of the international languages around the world.

6. Admission terms, guidelines, the content and methodology adopted in the institution during the years of study should be the same as those applicable to the citizen students in the country of study.

7. The higher education institution and the academic program must be enlisted on the e-Government platform Recommended Universities outside Bahrain through this link (http://Bahrain.bh/RUe).

8. The academic program should be closely related to the granted academic degree.

9. For the bachelors degree, study must be on regular attendance basis in a university campus in the country of study and should stay regularly there. However, Master and PhD degree students may register as part-time students on condition of receiving academic supervision except for medical, engineering, health and scientific specialties, where study must be full time.

10. The academic sequence conditions for academic qualifications should be fulfilled. In the sense that, the general secondary education certificate (GEC) or its equivalent is a requirement for Bachelor degree or lower degree, and the Bachelor degree or its equivalent is a requirement for Master and PhD degrees.

11. The student cannot skip foundation year unless he is a holder of A-Level or IB Certificate.

12. Transferring from an institution to another, a student must finish not less than 30% of the graduation requirements from the original institution.

13. Transferring from an institution to another, a student must finish at least 75% of the academic degree requirements recommended.

Part II: Criteria and Guidelines for some Specialties:

- Medical Specialties:

1. A student wishing to study medicine needs to have a cumulative GPA of no less than 90% in the General Secondary Education Certificate (GSEC) or its equivalent (science track – unified track sciences and math group).

2. The period of study required to obtain the first university degree (Bachelor) in medicine and dentistry has to be at least 5 academic years (for both universities which apply the system of school years and those which apply the system of credit hours.

3. The institution has to implement evaluation systems in Mid-Year exams, final exams and practical training.

4. Ending an internship period (often referred to as a "residency period") in one of the government hospitals approved by the institution.

- Engineering Specialties:

A student wishing to get the first institution degree (Bachelor) in one of the engineering specialties in the United Kingdom, has to meet the Honours Degree requirements.

Part III: Criteria and Guidelines for Academic Degrees:

- The Diploma Degree:

1. It must be preceded by the General Secondary Education School Certificate (GSEC) or equivalent.

2. The period of study to get the diploma must not be less than one academic year or 30 hours per semester (or equivalent).

- The First University Degree (Bachelor):

1. It must be preceded by the General Secondary Education School Certificate (GSEC) or equivalent.

2. The period of study (together with requirements such as the Foundation Year) must be at least 4 academic years or accredited 120 semester system hours (or possibly 180 quarter system ones or any equivalent).

- The Higher Diploma Degree:

1. It must be preceded by the first institution degree (Bachelor or equivalent).

2. The period required to obtain the diploma must be not less than one academic year or 30 semester system hours or equivalent.

- The Second University Degree (Master):

1. It must be preceded bythe first institution degree.

2. The period of study required to obtain must not be less than one academic year.

3. Passing examinations in a number of specialty curricula covering no less than 24 semester system hours or their equivalent and presenting a research (Master Thesis) or studying a number of curricula covering at least 30 approved semester system hours. That could also be possibly done only through research.

4. The topic of the master thesis has to be related to the students specialty -or at least a similar field of study- during the first stage of their institution studies. Otherwise, in case of choosing a different specialty the student has to pass sufficient "bridging courses".

- The Third University Degree (Doctorate, PhD):

1. It must be preceded by either the first institution degree or according to the institution system.

2. The period of study required to obtain it, must not be less than 2 academic years if it is preceded by the second institution degree (Master) and 3 years if it is preceded by the first one (Bachelor).

3. The topic of PhD studies must be related to the students specialty either in the first or second degree of institution studies, or in a similar topic. Otherwise, in case of choosing a different specialty the student has to pass sufficient "bridging courses".