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Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University is abbreviated by PMU (Arabic: جامعة الأمير محمد بن فهد ) is a new private university in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The school is named after Prince Muhammad bin Fahd, governor of the Eastern Province.

General

Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU) is the first private institution of higher learning in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and located in the Al-Khobar region of the Eastern Province. The initiative to establish the university was taken by a group of renowned individuals from the Eastern Province under the auspices of HRH Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Bin Abdulaziz.

PMU adopts the north American model of education and its system (administrative, financial and academic programs) was designed by Texas International Educational Consortium (TIEC). TIEC is a consortium of 32 American universities in Texas.

The PMU is a learning-centered community where the emphasis is on the students, technology infuses the education experience, and students graduate with unique competencies that empower them and enable them to contribute to the Kingdom’s business and industrial community. These qualities make the PMU a unique institution in Saudi Arabia, yet the PMU is unquestionably a Saudi university. It fully embodies the cultural and religious values of the Saudi people.

The university operates under the regulations of the Ministry of Education that pertain to privately operated post-secondary educational institutions in the KSA. It is governed by a Board of Trustees and a University Council according to the regulations of the Ministry regarding the governance of private post-secondary institutions.

The University enrolled its first batch of students in September 2006 and it was officially inaugurated by HRH Crown Prince Sultan Bin AbdulAziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General in October 2008.

Vision and mission

The continuing rapid development of Saudi Arabia and the growth of various new sectors of the Kingdom's economy calls for the substantial number of graduates capable of leadership in the fields of business, engineering, information technology, culture, education, community development and public administration.

The vision of the founders for the university is to be a unique and distinguished higher education institution that participates in:

• Preparing future leaders in various fields of human knowledge and its application.
• Enriching and developing intelligence.
• Exploring innovative methodologies and technologies to achieve its objectives.
• Breaking the barrier between academic and business society.

The university mission is to achieve the following objectives:

• Contribute to advancement of human intelligence and promulgation and development of knowledge.
• Prepare specialized candidates in various fields of human knowledge through utilizing modem technologies in the education process.
• Transform the graduate to play a pioneering and leading role in the community, enabling him or her to take responsibilities and contribute to solving problems through innovative thinking, collective work, reflection and self-development.
• Link academic programs and specializations with actual requirements of the surrounding work environment. This will be undertaken by maintaining effective participation and cooperation between the University and local business firms.
• Guide research activities to create solutions for persistent problems in surrounding communities, through applied research and technical consultation.
• Provide community service through continuous training and education.

Academic focus

The PMU prepares high quality graduates for employment in high demand fields in the Eastern Province and to educating the “whole” person, recognizing that success in the world depends not only on knowledge of a specific academic discipline but also on a broader set of skills and abilities.

Graduate competency profile

PMU graduates will be known by their distinctive competencies. The university has designated six core areas intended to ensure that PMU students also will possess knowledge and abilities to be successful in their chosen fields and to contribute to the development of their community and the Kingdom.

• Communication: the ability to communicate effectively in English and Arabic in professional and social situations.
• Technological competence: the ability to use modern technologies to acquire information, communicate, solve problems, and produce intended results.
• Critical thinking and problem solving: the ability to reason logically and creatively to make informed and responsible decisions and achieve intended goals.
• Professional competence: the ability to perform professional responsibilities effectively in both local and international contexts.
• Teamwork: the ability to work effectively with others to accomplish tasks and achieve group goals.
• Leadership: the ability to be informed, effective, and responsible leaders in family, community, and the Kingdom.

Information technology emphasis

A distinctive characteristic of the PMU is its emphasis on the use of information technology resources throughout the institution, in all academic programs and courses, and in the management of the university. The PMU is known for its pervasive use of state-of-the-art information technologies that enable the university’s distinctive, earning-centered environment. The infusion of technology into the university environment enables students to obtain the information they need, when and where they need it, so they can effectively pursue their goals of academic excellence and professional competencies.

Academic program structure

The structure of PMU academic programs follows the North American model that uses the credit-hour system as a measure of time devoted to each course. An intensive bridge program prepares entering high school graduates for university study. An academic core curriculum forms a common basis for all degree programs. Individual degree majors provide the academic specialization and the name of the degree awarded.

Language of instruction

English is the language of instruction in all degree programs and courses except those devoted to Arabic language and Islamic studies.

Preparation year program

To meet the high admissions standards for the degree programs, the PMU offers a one-year, non-credit year of study for students who need preparation in the English language, mathematics, and study skills and learning strategies.

Academic core curriculum

All degree programs include a core of academic subjects. These subjects are distributed among five principal areas: PMU competencies, written and oral communication, mathematics, natural and physical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences. In addition, all students complete the PMU Assessment Capstone Series of courses, in which they demonstrate their abilities to assimilate and apply the knowledge and skills they have learned. The content of the capstone series varies according to major.

Undergraduate degree programs

The academic degree programs offered by the PMU are organized into three colleges as follows:

College of Engineering

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering (Male)
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Male)
• B.S. in Civil Engineering (Male)
• B.S. in Interior Design (Female)

College of Information Technology

• B.S. in Information Technology
• B.S. in Computer Science
• B.S. in Computer Engineering

College of Business Administration

• B.S. in Accounting
• B.S. in Business Administration
• B.S. in Finance
• B.S. in Management Information Systems

Graduate degree program

The initial graduate program offered by PMU to male and female students is an Executive Masters in Business Administration.

Learning modes

Consistent with the commitment to developing student learning outcomes and competencies, the PMU emphasizes student-oriented teaching and learning methodologies throughout all academic programs. Courses use independent learning tasks, group- and team-based projects, and capstone projects, among other techniques. Information technology based resources and methods are an important part of the learning process.

Learning Resources Center

The PMU Learning Resources Center encompasses more than a traditional library. Consistent with the emphasis on information technology, the PMU LRC offers extensive access to electronic-based resources. In support of student independent learning strategies, the facility provides spaces for students to collaborate in teams on group projects, or to meet with faculty and staff for tutorials and/or small group activities.

Instruction and Research Emphasis

The initial focus of the PMU is placed on the development of high quality instructional programs. Research is also important to maintaining a creative environment for faculty, staff, and students. Consequently, the academic programs and staff recruiting plans emphasize maintaining excellence as a teaching institution along with a strong program of research and service activities.

Center for Research Development and Continuing Education

The PMU staffs a center for supporting external research and services activities and for the delivery of instructional services to clients and learners off-campus by the means most appropriate to the client. These include distance learning programs or traditional courses offered at locations outside the PMU campus.

Location

The PMU is on Half Moon Bay Road in a developing area near the coast at Al-Khobar. The university’s location in the Eastern Province is particularly appropriate to serving the business, industrial and community needs of the KSA. The Dammam-Dhahran-Al-Khobar triangle has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, developing into a booming industrial region with commercial centers in Al-Khobar and Dammam. The PMU is 100 km from the Jubail Industrial City, one of the new industrial cities recently built in the Kingdom.

Facilities

The university campus has been designed with care to provide facilities for a full range of academic and student services in a manner that recognizes and maintains the cultural and religious values of the Kingdom. The architects have successfully created a university with a distinct and outstanding architectural image. The university design includes buildings that are shaped and located to create pleasant and inviting spaces. Plazas and covered walkways facilitate students’ movement throughout the university. The entire concept is built on the desire to facilitate, encourage, and celebrate the university’s interactive learning environment.

The campus is symmetrically divided to provide facilities for male and female students.

The male campus houses academic facilities for male instruction in the Colleges of Engineering, Business Administration, and Information Technology. It also houses facilities for male instruction in the Preparation Year Program and PMU Core Curriculum.

The university administration building is in the male portion of the campus.

The female campus houses academic facilities for female instruction in the Colleges of Business Administration and Information Technology and the Department of Interior Design. It also houses facilities for female instruction in the Preparation Year Program and PMU Core Curriculum.

At the campus center, male and female students have separate entrances to food service at the university cafeteria. They also have separate entrances to the information available at the PMU Learning Resources Center (LRC). Inside the LRC building, each gender has its own lobby, stacks, circulation/reference desk, and study areas.

The LRC provides an attractive central space that is conducive to reading, reflection, study, and group and individual learning activities. When the university is at full operation, the LRC will accommodate a book collection of approximately 75,000 volumes. The LRC also provides learning enrichment services in mathematics, reading, writing, and study skills to ensure students’ success of the PMU’s learning-centered approach to education.

The main academic campus contains athletic facilities. At a future date, student housing will be constructed on a nearby parcel of land.

References

External links

• Official site of the University

• Universities and colleges in Saudi Arabia