Master’s Scholarship Requirements in Saudi Arabia 2026: Eligibility, IELTS and How to Apply

The requirements for a master’s scholarship under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program begin with the general eligibility conditions, followed by the conditions of the relevant pathway or programme. Among the current strategic pathways, Pioneers (Al Rowad) and Imdad offer master’s-level scholarships, while Wa’ed may announce master’s opportunities with separate requirements. Research and Development focuses on doctoral study. Applicants should therefore meet the general conditions first, then check the pathway, programme and university requirements before applying.

Master’s Scholarship Requirements Under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program

The Ministry of Education divides overseas master’s scholarship requirements into general conditions applicable to all pathways and additional conditions specific to each pathway, as explained on the programme’s official information website.

1. The applicant must be a Saudi citizen.
2. The applicant must be of good conduct and character.
3. The applicant must have an admission offer from an educational institution designated under the conditions of the relevant pathway.
4. The intended major must be among the eligible specialisations for the application year and pathway.
5. The mode of study must comply with the requirements of the chosen pathway.
6. The admitted academic programme must satisfy the regulations adopted for that pathway.
7. Study must be full-time, with residence in the country of scholarship.
8. Applicants must pass the Ministry of Education’s competitive selection, eligibility and capacity-control policies.
9. A student whose current scholarship is still active cannot be awarded another scholarship while it continues, although they may submit an application.

What GPA Is Required for a Master’s Scholarship?

The Ministry of Education does not set one universal GPA for admission to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program. Applicants must meet the general and pathway-specific rules and obtain the required university admission. Some circumstances, however, have explicit GPA thresholds. For example, applicants for a master’s degree in China must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75 out of 4, 3.75 out of 5, or 80 out of 100. Some Wa’ed programmes also establish different GPA thresholds in their individual announcements.

Must Your Master’s Major Be Related to Your Bachelor’s Degree?

As a general rule, the Custodian scholarship programme does not require the master’s major to be a direct continuation of the bachelor’s major. This does not override the university’s admission conditions: an academic programme may require previous coursework or a related academic background. When selecting a major, distinguish between the scholarship programme’s requirements and the university’s admission requirements.

Can Employees Apply for a Master’s Scholarship?

Yes. Government employees and private-sector employees may apply if they meet the scholarship programme’s general conditions and the rules of their selected pathway or programme. There may be additional employment-related procedures or requirements imposed by the employer, but these are not a general eligibility condition published under the scholarship programme itself.

Master’s Scholarship Requirements for the Pioneers (Al Rowad) Pathway

The Pioneers Pathway offers scholarships for bachelor’s and master’s degrees from a programme list of the top 30 educational institutions, subject to the general and pathway-specific conditions.

Mode of study: Full-time attendance and residence in the scholarship country are required. The scholarship does not cover an English-language foundation year in countries where academic study is conducted in English, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The university programme’s admission criteria determine which English-language evidence must be provided.

Mode of study: The Pioneers Pathway supports in-person attendance only. It does not fund an English-language study year in English-speaking countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, so students should meet the university’s required IELTS score before applying.

Master’s Scholarship Requirements for the Imdad Pathway

The Imdad Pathway offers scholarships for bachelor’s and master’s degrees at institutions on a programme list of the top 200 educational institutions. A final, unconditional admission offer from an approved university is required, except for the published case of study in a non-English-speaking country.

University admission: Admission must be from one of the top 200 approved universities on the Imdad Pathway university list. It must be final, unconditional and issued directly by the university admissions and registration office. As with Pioneers, an offer conditional on studying the host country’s language may be accepted if the scholarship country is not English-speaking.

Mode of study: Imdad supports in-person study only and does not cover an English-language foundation year in countries where programmes are taught in English.

Learn more about the Saudi Electricity Company scholarship programme.

Master’s Scholarship Requirements for the Wa’ed Pathway

The Wa’ed Pathway covers scholarships or training offered in cooperation with different employers and sectors. Consequently, not all Wa’ed programmes have the same conditions. Each announcement specifies the academic level, eligible specialisation, university, GPA, language requirements and application period.

Published announcements during 2026 have shown different language thresholds: some programmes required IELTS 5.5, while others required 6.0, 6.5 or 7.0. Some also accepted alternatives such as TOEFL, Duolingo or official evidence of English proficiency. Always review the requirements of the specific programme when applying, rather than relying on a single fixed IELTS score or fixed list of Wa’ed opportunities.

Excellence Pathway for Master’s Degrees: What Is Its Current Status?

The Ministry of Education maintains a separate page for the Excellence Scholarship Pathway for the 2025–2026 academic year, covering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. At the same time, Excellence is not listed among the programme’s four current strategic pathways: Pioneers, Imdad, Research and Development, and Wa’ed.

According to the published Excellence Pathway page, applicants must receive direct, unconditional admission into an approved major and institution. The programme must not be an executive programme or one delivered by a professional college or continuing-education college, and study must be at the institution’s headquarters in its home country rather than at a branch. Because the page refers to a specific academic year, applicants should confirm whether the pathway is accepting applications and what conditions apply for the current year.

University Admission Conditions: Admission Must Be Direct and Unconditional, Not to an Executive Programme or Through a Professional or Continuing-Education College

The published Excellence conditions also require study in the country of the educational institution’s main campus, not at a branch, and complete, accurate application documents.

Additional benefit: The Excellence Pathway allows a scholarship student to add a second major or a minor (Double Major / Minor), provided the extension does not exceed three academic semesters.

Master’s Scholarships in Health Specialisations and Health Agreements

The Ministry of Education currently provides a separate application service for the Health Agreements Pathway through the Qabool platform. However, the scholarship services page detailing requirements for master’s degrees in Nursing and Applied Medical Sciences relates to an intake whose application period began on 15 August 2021.

That older page specifies a bachelor’s GPA of at least 2.75 out of 4 or equivalent, IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 46, graduation no more than five years earlier and study exclusively in clinical master’s programmes. These figures should be treated as the latest detailed conditions published on that particular page; applicants must check the current Health Agreements announcement before relying on them.

For specific guidance, see the health-specialisation scholarship guide.

Read Also: A Comprehensive Guide to Tourism Scholarships

Read the comprehensive guide to tourism scholarships.

University Admission Requirements for a Master’s Scholarship

When applying for a master’s scholarship, your university admission must satisfy three main criteria.

1. University ranking according to the pathway

• Pioneers: Admission must come from one of the top 30 educational institutions on its designated list.
• Imdad: Admission must come from one of the top 200 educational institutions on its designated list.

To learn how to check the appropriate university for each pathway, consult the approved scholarship universities guide.

• Admission type and issuer

1. For Pioneers and Imdad, admission must be final and unconditional and issued by the approved university’s admissions and registration office, with the published exception for non-English-speaking countries.
2. The programme’s current general conditions allow admission to executive programmes at all pathways and academic levels.
3. Admission must not come from a professional or continuing-education college, except under Wa’ed and Imdad (training), in accordance with current conditions.
4. If you apply to a separate service or pathway, such as Excellence, check its independent rules rather than assuming those of the four current strategic pathways automatically apply.

1. Language conditions according to the country of scholarship

Read also: a comprehensive guide to medicine scholarships.

Is a Language Test Required for a Master’s Scholarship?

There is no single IELTS score for every master’s scholarship case. The language requirement depends on the pathway or programme, the university and the country. You therefore need to consider both the scholarship requirements and the university admission requirements.

To compare the IELTS bands required by institutions and scholarship pathways, see the IELTS score requirements for Saudi scholarships.

Find out more about Chinese-language scholarships.

How to Apply for an Overseas Master’s Scholarship

The Ministry of Education’s current service page states that scholarship applications are submitted through the Qabool platform. Sign in using the Saudi National Access service or unified login, review your personal details, enter the required language and international test results, then start and track your application through the platform. The current Health Agreements service also directs applicants to Qabool.

The programme policy permits an applicant to submit more than one admission offer covering different pathways, universities or majors, but only one application will be selected according to competitive selection results or available places.

To begin, access the Qabool platform through the official Ministry of Education service page.

Read also: scholarship conditions at King Abdulaziz University.

How Long Does a Master’s Scholarship Last?

The Ministry of Education determines the scholarship period according to the educational institution’s study system, up to a maximum of two years. This is the published duration for master’s study. Do not automatically add an English-language year for countries where study is conducted in English, because this is not covered under that circumstance.

Conditions for Adding Self-Funded Master’s Students to the Scholarship Programme

If you are studying abroad for a master’s degree at your own expense and want to request inclusion in the scholarship programme, the Ministry of Education lists separate conditions for this service. Before considering the university or your GPA, you must have the Ministry’s approval to study at your own expense, be of good character and medically fit, not have been dismissed from a previous scholarship or Saudi university, and not have already received or been sponsored for the same degree level. Your preceding qualification must meet applicable rules and be officially recognised or equivalenced if awarded abroad.

You must also be legally resident in your country of study and fully dedicated to studying. The academic major at the university must be recommended, must not be suspended due to overcrowding or otherwise closed, and the intended country must be one of the approved scholarship destinations.

First: Student Requirements

1. Obtain the Ministry of Education’s approval to study at your own expense.
2. You must not have previously been dismissed from a scholarship or a Saudi university.
3. You must not have already obtained or previously been sponsored for the same academic degree level.

Second: University Requirements

1. The university must rank among the top 50 in the specialisation or among the top 100 universities under the Ministry’s classification.
2. As an exception for Medicine and distinctive Engineering and Science specialisations, a university ranked among the top 200 may be accepted.

Third: Academic Performance Requirements

1. Complete nine academic credit units under the semester system, or 14 credit hours under the quarter system.
2. Maintain a current GPA of at least 3.3 out of 4.
3. Have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.3 out of 4, or at least 3.0 out of 4 for designated specialisations.

Note: Places are limited and candidates are selected competitively. Applicants must comply with any additional requirements imposed by the Ministry.

To understand the difference between self-funded overseas study and government scholarships, see the guide to studying abroad at your own expense.

The Difference Between Master’s Scholarship Programme Requirements and University Scholarships

Many students confuse the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program with grants offered by overseas universities. The two differ fundamentally in funding sources, eligibility requirements and obligations.

How to Prepare for IELTS Before Applying for Your Master’s Scholarship

Start by confirming the actual IELTS score required by the university or programme you intend to apply for; master’s scholarships do not have one uniform score in every situation. Next, take a practice test to identify strengths and weaknesses in the four skills. Focus your preparation time on the skills where you are furthest from the score you need.

You can try a free IELTS mock test before booking the official exam, then compare the result with the requirements of your target university or scholarship programme.

About the Content Team at GoIELTS

GoIELTS creates specialized content for IELTS with contributions from writers experienced in education and test preparation.

We follow clear editorial standards for accuracy and quality — read our Editorial Policy

✍️ Mohamed Saeed

Educational content specialist with extensive experience in IELTS preparation. I currently write for GoIELTS, where I create in-depth educational content and advanced strategies to help students perform at their best on the IELTS test. Through this work, I contribute to creating content that helps students develop their skills across all sections of the test, improving their chances of achieving high band scores.

View all articles by Mohamed Saeed

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