Academic Policies & Regulations

  • The BSc. degree has a duration of four years (eight semesters) while the BEng. degrees have a duration of four and a half years (nine semesters).
  • While a nominal duration of each program will be specified, a student may have to spend one or two semesters on Foundation courses.
  • A student may opt to take a lighter load, and thereby complete the graduation requirements in more than the nominal duration.
  • Although it may be difficult, a student will be allowed to complete the graduation requirements in less than the nominal duration.
  • A student may be allowed leave of absence for up to two semesters to work in the industry, provided the work experience is considered to be relevant to his/her program of study.
  • In no case would a student be allowed to continue in a BSc. or BEng. program beyond seven years including leave of absence and time spent on Foundation courses.

The academic year of the University is from September to August each year.

The academic calendar is determined by the Registrar in the consultation with respective Deans and approved by the President. The approved academic calendar is circulated to students and published on the College website and intranet at least 3 months before the start of a new academic year.

Each academic year consists of two semesters (Fall semester and Spring Semester) and a summer term.

  • The Fall semester and the Spring semester will typically be of 16- week duration each, and will consist of:
    • 14 weeks (70 working days) of instruction,
    • 2 weeks set aside for a mid-term exam and a final exam,
  • The Summer term is of 8 weeks, suitably divided into:
    • 7 weeks of instruction at twice the pace of that in a normal Semester,
    • 1 week set aside for a mid-term exam and a final exam.

An LTH structure specifies for each course:

  • The manner in which a course is expected to be taught
  • The associated credits
  • The number of hours a student is expected to devote each week

Each course has an associated credit and a LTH structure. The credit assigned for a course is determined by the LTH structure specified for that course.

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Mode of Instruction Associated Credits Additional number of hours to be spent at home
L Largely in lecture mode 1 credit per hour of lecture 2 hours per lecture hour
T Tutorial in interactive mode, and in small groups 0 credit per hour of tutorial session 0 hours per tutorial hour
H Hands-on activity or project 1 credit per 2 hours of hands-on or project activity 2 hours for every 2 hours of hands-on activity

An example:

  • A course with an LTH of 2-1-2 will have 3 credits, and will typically require a student to spend 11 hours/week,
  • A course with an LTH of 3-0-0 will have 3 credits, and will typically require a student to spend 9 hours/week,
  • A course with an LTH of 3-0-2 will have 4 credits, and will typically require a student to spend 13 hours/week.
LECTURES, INTERACTIVE AND HANDS-ON SESSIONS
  • A lecture is the traditional delivery by the instructor, while adequate opportunity for students to ask questions, raise doubts or react to instructor's points is also provided. The extent of interaction will depend upon the instructor, the class size, and on the subject being taught.
  • A tutorial session is wholly devoted to resolving doubts, helping students to solve problems, or in some cases discussing case studies. Students are expected to contribute to the discussion in a significant way. Each session will involve no more than 20 students.
  • Hands-on activity takes place in a laboratory at appointed dates/times, where the student is expected to successfully complete an assigned hands-on experiment, or successfully design/assemble/build an assigned sub-system, under supervision of an instructor, and submit a report before a specified deadline.
  • Core courses are compulsory courses and students are required to successfully complete them as part of graduation requirements. Core courses are offered as per a fixed schedule that will be specified for each program and discipline.
  • Students are expected to earn additional credits by taking and successfully completing elective courses in specific areas. This is part of the credit requirements for each program. The University will publish the list of elective courses offered for each semester.
  • One or more elective courses may be offered each semester. The set of elective courses that are offered will depend upon a) the need for students to take elective courses b) available expertise amongst faculty. Students, on their part, may opt for those courses that help satisfy the credit requirements and are of interest to them.
  • The college will make every effort to offer as many elective courses as possible under various categories and in various disciplines so that students are able to complete their credit requirements within the stipulated duration of the program.
  • Passing grades are "A," "B," "C," and "D" . The qualities of performance associated with the different grades are explained in the table below.
  • A student will be given credit only once for any course passed at KCST and counting toward their degree or in the calculation of their GPA. Repeated courses will be marked in order to distinguish them from other courses.
  • The grading system is based on the following definitions:
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GPA Letter grade Percentage approximation Letter grade description
4.00 A 95-100 Outstanding. An "A" grade reflects outstanding performance in exams, assignments, and projects, as well as attendance and conduct.
3.67 A- 90-94 Excellent
3.33 B+ 87-89 Very Good
3.00 B 83-86 Good. A "B" grade represents good achievement, demonstrating an understanding of concepts and a presentation of work with high standards.
2.67 B- 80-82
2.30 C+ 77-79 Satisfactory. A "C" grade represents satisfactory work, demonstrating a basic comprehension of the material and the basic achievement of the proposed learning outcomes.
2.00 C 73-76
1.67 C- 70-72
1.33 D+ 66-69 Pass
1.00 D 60-65 A"D" grade represents a marginal pass.
0.00 F Below 60 An "F" grade represents failing performance.
OTHER CODES APPEARING IN THE TRANSCRIPT
CODE DESCRIPTION
DF Deferment accepted
FA Failure due to lack of class attendance
I Incomplete grade (missing components from the grade)
R Repeat course
S Satisfactory Completion (for extramural optional courses)
T Transfer grade
W Withdrawal from the course
Earning Credits
  • A student is deemed to have earned the corresponding number of credits once he/she successfully completes a course with a letter grade of “D” or higher. A student needs to repeat a course if he/she is given a grade of “F”, and he/she has to successfully complete the same course before he/she can use the credits towards graduation requirements.
  • Cumulative earned credits are simply the total number of credits earned by a student in a given semester or summer term or his/her entire program.
(A) Improvement of Grades
  • Students may opt to repeat courses for improvement of grade, but only in cases where they have obtained a grade of C- or lower.
  • Students will register and pay the fee for the course he/she is repeating. Regular attendance is required.
  • The new grade the student scores will replace the old one even if it is lower.
  • A course can be repeated only three times for grade improvement.
  • Courses may not be repeated outside KCST
(B) Failed (F) courses
  • A student is considered to have passed a course when he/she has received a grade point of 1 and above, i.e. a letter grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+ or D.
  • If a student fails a course, no re-examination is permitted. It is recommended that a failed course be repeated at the next semester in which the course is offered.
Other
  • The total time of study must not exceed seven years.
  • Any exception to this rule can be granted only once for the whole study by the President.
  • Students funded by PUC or other organisations must follow the guidelines of the respective sponsors.
  • The cost of any additional repeated course must be covered by the students themselves.
  • A failed course may not be repeated outside KCST, and transferred courses will not replace failed courses at KCST.

The student counsellor is providing individual counseling sessions on improving academic and studying skills and helps the students achieve smart goals to overcome academic challenges and to get out of the probation.

GPA Warning

Students must maintain a Cumulative GPA >=2.00 at all times during their study at KCST.

  • Any student with a cumulative GPA falling below 2.00 in any regular semester (Fall or Spring) after registering more than 15 credits will receive an academic Warning (GPA Warning 1)
  • The second consecutive regular semester with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.00 shall result in a second warning letter. (GPA Warning 2)
  • In the third consecutive regular semester with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.00, a notice of academic probation will be sent to the student, explaining the consequences of continued low performance. (GPA Warning 3). In the case of sponsored students, sponsoring organisation will be informed for the appropriate action as per their rules.
  • If the student’s GPA continues to be below 2.00 for four consecutive regular semesters, he/she will be dismissed from the college.
  • If, at the end of any semester on Warning or Probation, the cumulative GPA rises above 2.00, the student returns to normal.
  • Results obtained in the Summer term will not trigger either GPA Warnings or Probation status, but if the GPA rises above 2.00 as a result of the Summer term, the student will return to normal.

During a prescribed period at the beginning of each semester session and the summer term, students shall register for a set of courses consistent with:

  • His/her standing as indicated by credits earned thus far, past performance and interest.
  • List of electives on offer.
  • Advice tendered by his/her advisor.

The University encourages each student to take a full load of courses as required by their academic program. However, credit hours in excess of 18 during a regular semester are not recommended and will be carefully monitored by the academic Advisor, who may consult with other University personnel concerning the student’s prognosis for success the student can register for more than 18 credits if his/her GPA >=3.67 or he/she expected to graduate at that semester.

In the Summer term, a student may not register for more than ten credit hours.

The University will permit a student to register for fewer courses. Students applying for or holding a scholarship from the Private Universities Council (PUC), must register for a minimum of 12 credits in the Fall and Spring semesters.

KCST has a clear and transparent policy for changing programs within KCST:

Policy on Changing Major Programs within KCST

Students are only permitted to change their degree program once throughout their years of study at KCST. Students must follow the following criteria:

Changing into Engineering Programs:
  • Approval on the change program request is determined upon the availability of seats in the selected program according to the capacity.
  • The total number of successfully passed credit hours in the enrolled program must be at least 24 and no more than 75. (transferred credits are excluded).
  • The minimum CGPA should be 2.67 for self-funded and sponsored students.
  • Sponsored students are not permitted to change program before the official approval of the sponsor.
  • Sponsored students must pay the fees of the courses that are not in the study plan of the desired program.
  • Students who are granted KCST scholarship are not permitted to change program.
  • In case the student has transferred credits from a previous institution (college/university), the transferred credits shall be reviewed and modified by the Transfer Credit Committee in KCST.
  • Note: Applying for change program is through the student portal and according to KCST Academic Calendar.