The purpose of the Bridging Program (BP) is to prepare students who hold a diploma from a two-year Technical College to pursue a Bachelor Degree at FBSU. Students who pass the BP can then study the last two years of a desired program and graduate with a Bachelor Degree from the University. The duration of the BP is a minimum of one academic year. For a diploma holder, in addition to the two years s/he had spent at the Technical College, s/he needs to study three years at FBSU, the bridging year plus the third and fourth years of a major, in order to get a Bachelor
Degree in the respective major.
The Bridging Program will be offered in the following majors:
• College of Computing: Computer Science and Computer Engineering;
• College of Business and Management: Accounting and Marketing;
• College of Engineering: Electrical and Civil Engineering.
Admission
Admission of a Diploma graduate to a bridging program must:
• Satisfy University admission criteria; see “University admission criteria’’.
• Be a graduate of a KSA-accredited academic organization;
• Have passed the official technical exam administered by the relevant governmental authority in case the Diploma was issued by a private Technical College
• Have a Scientific High School degree in the case of admission to the Colleges of Computing or Engineering
A student applying to the BP may first be admitted to the Foundation Program which may take up to one year to complete based on his/her performance in the English Entrance Exam.
Structure
The bridging program consists of two components that are covered in one academic year. The first component covers intensive instruction in English and basic sciences (mainly Math) for the purpose of raising the students’ skills level in these subjects and enhance their conditions for
success. Competency in English is essential because all courses at FBSU are taught in English and strong Math skills are also necessary, especially for computing and engineering majors. The second component is designed to give students intensive modules on various topics the student is deemed to have deficiency in. These modules are custom designed to remediate specific deficiencies and bridge the knowledge gap in core competencies that were not covered in the Diploma curriculumin the major they choose. This is very important because all third and four year courses in a given major are essentially major courses and require proper prerequisites for the students to take and successfully pass them. Needless to say that a course taken at a technical college may not have the same focus, depth, and intensity as a similar course offered at FBSU despite the fact that they may seem similar.
Duration of the Bridging Program
The program could be completed in two semesters or more depending on the entry level of the student, his skills, and the sought program of study.
