RIYADH — The higher administration of Prince Sultan University decided to continue with its two-semester academic program, instead of the three-semester approved by the Ministry of Education. The university announced this in a statement in which it cited the reasons for rejecting the newly introduced three-semester system. The university's decision is based on the outcome of a study carried out by its Research Center, as well as the opinions of the academic staff and students, Al-Watan newspaper reported. The university noted that its higher administration discussed the academic calendar for the next year. It emphasized that 90 percent of the American universities follow the two-semester system. "Since the Prince Sultan University program allows students to study two semesters in universities outside the Kingdom, especially in the United States of America, which usually requires equivalence of the subjects they study in universities, and taking into account the requirements of the students' academic interest, the university's higher administration decided to continue studies as per the two-semester system," the university statement said while reiterating its commitment to abide by all the vacations approved by the Ministry of Education in the university's academic calendar for the next year. It was also decided to assign the research center at the university to continue monitoring and evaluating the experience of local universities that adopt the three-semester system and to submit periodic reports to the university administration to do what is required to serve the interests of the educational process at the university. According to the new academic calendar, students in all academic stages of public education have resumed their studies in the third semester of their academic year on May 8, 2022, after the Eid Al-Fitr holidays. Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al-Sheikh announced earlier that the new academic year would be divided into three semesters, and each will consist of 13 weeks, with a one-week break after each semester.
