This track deals with studying all issues related to graduate studies, since it’s considered as a main aspect of the university education system activities, which contributes efficiently in the graduates rehabilitation process in order to increase the level of external satisfaction. In addition, throughout this study, it will be able to discuss its relation with the scientific research in terms of its contribution (i.e. the contribution of the scientific research preformed via higher studies) in the academic aspects related to that educational activity.
This study is significant because it helps in identifying the reality and trends of the graduate studies in the university educational institutes in the Kingdom, its situation, available possibilities, and its available modern technologies. In addition, it helps in identifying the organizational and administrative aspects, role in the educational operation, reaction towards the developmental demands and job market, and identifying the best methods for solving any aspects of weakness in the graduate studies as well, all to enhance its external quality at the end.
This study in general, aims at evaluating the graduate studies programs in the higher education institutes, and its contribution and reaction towards the educational process demands in those institutes, and its compliance towards the job market demands and various developmental aspects. In addition, this study should achieve a number of additional objectives, represented in the following:
Evaluating the situation of graduate studies and the scientific research as well in the university educational institutes, and identifying the areas of strength and weakness, challenges, and related issues. In addition, revising and inventing the human abilities, and policies, rules, processes, and organizational and administrative procedures, and its impact on the higher education in terms of quality and quantity.
Predicting the need and demand for graduate studies in terms of the number of students and kinds of majors.
Suggesting methods for developing the administrative methods and rules, curriculum, and study plans for the graduate studies programs, as well as the related scientific research.
Suggesting a strategy to develop the graduate studies and enhance its efficiency in order to be able to contribute efficiently in the quality of the higher educational process, and to improve the quality of the rehabilitation of the graduates’ studies graduates for achieving a high-quality satisfaction.
The scope of this study and its aspects comprise at least the following:
Identifying the qualitative and quantitative developments happening to the graduate studies, locally and internationally, the graduate studies role and level, and doing comparisons via using the international referent indicators, as well as identifying the foundations and aspects of success, and knowing the quality and quantity of challenges facing it.
Identifying the quality of majors included in the graduate studies, its variety, and the related academic scientific research. Moreover, the contribution of both the studies and the scientific research in the practical training process for both students and contributors in that activity, as well as helping in the curriculum’s capacity for developing the basic skills, and coming over the gap between its reality and what’s expected from it.
Revising and evaluating the graduate studies’ policies, graduation requirements, and all academic programs, referents, and foundations which the course’s academic programs and plans are derived from.
Predicting the impact of the technical education, and the compliance of the majors, curriculums, and acquired skills via graduate studies, as well as the required abilities to meet the job market demands, futuristic developmental trends, and the demands of the unstableness of the globalization era.
Revising and evaluating the policies and procedures related to book adoption, curriculum, study load, and educational material, and the criteria and characteristics of test levels, outreaches, and rehabilitation both locally and internationally.
Revising and evaluating the rules and methods of selecting students, staff, supervisors, curriculum, and the study plans, their contents, and their outcomes on the rehabilitation process.
Revising the methods of joining the graduate studies’ programs such as, the part-time or full-time, and suggesting methods for improvement.
Evaluating the teaching quality, academic advising and supervising, and indicating the level of deficiency (failure, penetration, and graduation delay, etc.) as well.
Revising the methods of textbook selection and translation, and the availability of information, references, and other related aspects such as necessary equipment and facilities for executing the research projects in terms of the graduate studies’ courses.
Improving the methods and objectives of the graduate studies and the scientific research for educational service, and the educational process, and the community welfare as well.
Evaluating the students’ relations with the academic staff, how do they deal with the academic staff, and do that students behave and act with the staff.
Revising the policies, rules, and procedures of the scholarships programs, pointing out to the affected challenges and obstacles, and its reaction and compliance towards the job market demands, developmental trends, its quality, and criteria, scholarships programs, and evaluating their outputs.
Coordination among local and international educational institutes, labor sector, and the cooperative programs in the graduate studies’ scope and the related scientific research.
Developing the methods of the graduate studies academic and technical evaluation and credential, and the academic grades’ transfer.
The information used for the study should be complete and authorized. In addition, the study needs the contribution of both stakeholders and the audience via convening seminars, workshops, and intensive brainstorming meetings.
A qualified and skillful team should be formed, and the team shall consult international experts -when needed- in order to complete the study as requested. Moreover, the established scientific procedures should be used in satisfying the needs of the study.
The study’s perspective for the future should comprise the duration of the plan for the coming 25 years (i.e. until the year 2032).
The basic components of this study should be indicated accurately, and studied in terms of the various changes, indicators, and both local and international criteria, in addition to the Kingdom’s development including the economical, social, demographic, technical, and scientific aspects, as well as the requirements of consecutive national development plans.
Literature, theoretical concepts, international experience, and best practices should be reviewed for not fewer than five higher education information technology experiences from different countries of varying development records. The characteristics of those experiences, the reasons for their positive and negative outcomes in the study, as well as the possibility and the way of applying their positive outcomes, and dealing with the findings in the Kingdom effectively, all should be previewed.
The current situation should be studied by reviewing the different aspects of this study, such as challenges and problems, different phenomena, supply and demand, and the effects of different operations in higher education institutes that are related to the study.
The conditions of higher education institutes in the Kingdom should be compared and contrasted within the framework of this study locally, and then compared with international experiences and against educational standards.
Various aspects of the current situations should be analyzed, and the efficiency of related policies and methods should be estimated. In addition, the vital methods required for developing the higher education system should be identified in order to achieve synchronization with the developmental needs and various issues according to their importance and changes both for now and in the future.
A comprehensive strategic analysis for the subject of this study should be performed and should indicate the related issues, aims and future objectives. The analysis should reflect on the challenges and opportunities, obstacles, and the areas of strength and weakness (through comparative and gap studies), then the needs of the stakeholders should be addressed. Indicating the basis of success, drawing the expected scenarios, analyzing the strategic options and their applicability, all help in achieving the real objectives of that long-term plan.
All the changes mentioned in this study should be linked so as to enable deriving comprehensive conclusions. Achieving this might -as needed- demand designing mathematical models to represent interactions between various reciprocating relationships such as components and variables related to the scope of this study. That will provide the tool required to forecast the future behavior of these variables and to conduct reliability analyses for the coming 25 years, .i.e. until the year 2032.
The most effective factors in this study should be the subject of prognostic studies that should be compiled and supported whenever applicable by graphical representation.
The methods and best practices should be presented, and the requirements for achieving the objectives of the study should be proposed.
The study should introduce total quality methods and mechanisms that shall achieve close and harmonic coordination among the parameters of the study and the recommended practices so that their application fits labor market demands, international changes, and the current and future local needs.
Determining the results and giving recommendation
Specific Requirements
The methods of improving the quality and internal and external satisfaction of the graduate studies should be discussed, ass well as suggesting the best mechanisms for high quality.
The methods of building experience and information accumulation should be discussed, as well as suggesting the best methods for preserving, developing, and improving it, and the best usage of the scientific developmental service in the Kingdom.
The methods of evaluation and academic and technical credential should be designed and suggested in order to enhance the methods of developing the role of graduate studies and its level, which enables it to contribute efficiently in achieving the required scientific and technical development.
A seminar, workshops, and meetings with focus groups should be held in order to conceive and take note of different opinions that help in giving recommendations.
All the activities done in these brainstorming meetings, the seminar and the workshops should be documented and presented to the Supervising Committee of Aafaq.
This study should present a comprehensive report that includes the following:
An executive summary of the study.
A documentation of all reference information included in the study.
An analysis of the scientific and the objective outcomes of the study including the results of the current situation analysis study, comparative studies, prognostic studies, and the needs of development plans ,and the graduate studies’ relation with the national plans, developmental plans, the community’s issues and problems, the quality of the experience and informal accumulation, the successful and failed international experiences, and the results of the quality and efficiency evaluation.
Highlights of the outcomes of meetings with focus groups, general seminars, brainstorming seminars, workshops, etc.
A comprehensive analysis of the study’s outcomes in order to be able to give various recommendations related to the best and most capable method for improving the graduate studies in the higher education institutes.
Comparing the internal capability of the graduate studies, and evaluating it relying on international criteria.
The studying of the different scenarios of the aspects of the graduate studies such as, curriculum, geographic distribution, rehabilitation and outreaching, the scholarships plan, and the academic and technical evaluation and credential.
Indicating the issues according to their importance, and the strategic options and the possibility and manner of their application.
Predicting the need and demand on graduate studies in terms of the number of students and the kinds of majors.
Suggesting the methods, plans, trends, and the best criteria and mechanisms to improve the graduate studies.
Determining the needed methods of execution, budgets, temporal plan, execution responsibilities, training requirements, changing demands, and other technical parameters that affect the performance of the admission and capacity operation.
Defining a monitoring and control system, benchmarks, measuring criteria, and standardized indicators.
