Purpose and Vision

COMPASS modernizes academic advising by connecting students, advisors, and academic coordinators in a unified, data-driven environment. It replaces traditional manual processes with a smart digital system that enhances transparency, efficiency, and academic quality.
 
Core Objectives
Streamline academic advising and approval workflows.
Eliminate paper-based forms and minimize manual correspondence.
Automate data validation and ensure compliance with departmental and accreditation standards.
Empower advisors and students through real-time analytics and personalized academic insights.
Key Services
Academic Schedule Management
Smart course planning, automated schedule validation, and digital approval workflows.
Academic Profile & Training Records Automatic track certificate calculation and verification based on completed courses.
Centralized student profiles integrating academic, training, and certification data.
Graduation Project Management
Group formation, supervisor assignment, progress tracking, and milestone monitoring.
Forms and Academic Approvals Full automation of ABET-required academic forms for compliance and audit readiness.
Secure, paperless processing of all academic approvals.
Graduation Confirmation System
Automatic verification of student eligibility for graduation, ensuring completion of degree, track, and training requirements before final approval.
Support and Communication
Built-in messaging tools for advisor–student interaction, supported by COMPASS-Bot, the AI academic assistant.
Figure 1 Interface of the COMPASS platform showing the Student Basic Form
COMPASS-Bot: Intelligent Academic Assistant
The COMPASS-Bot provides personalized academic guidance and instant support, helping students with:
Course and prerequisite planning.
Academic pathway and graduation readiness checks.
Career insights aligned with the computer science discipline.
Figure 2 COMPASS-Bot, the intelligent academic advisor for Computer Science students at KAU.
Impact and Benefits
Efficiency: Reduces advising time and administrative workload through automation.
Accuracy: Ensures compliance with ABET standards and academic regulations.
Satisfaction: Enhances the advising experience for both students and faculty.
Readiness: Provides real-time visibility into student progress toward graduation.
Strategic Alignment: Advances the department’s digital transformation objectives in line with Vision 2030.
Conclusion
COMPASS represents a pivotal step toward a data-intelligent, student-centered academic ecosystem. By integrating academic advising, graduation tracking, and ABET compliance into one platform powered by automation and AI, COMPASS strengthens academic integrity, operational efficiency, and innovation within the Computer Science Department at King Abdulaziz University, positioning it as a national leader in intelligent academic systems.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Department of Computer Science  

The Department of Computer Science (CS) was established in 1985 to advance research, knowledge, and innovation in computing. It launched again in 1427 A.H. (2006) as a part of the faculty with a more specialized role that spans the range from theoretical algorithmic foundations to scientifically-grounded application areas in computing systems, network computing, programming systems, intelligent systems, computer graphics, high performance computing, and software engineering. The department offers a modern accredited bachelor’s degree program, a mature, second-generation research-based master’s program, and a Ph.D. program. These programs are supported by experienced faculty members and state-of-the-art specialized labs. 

Department Vision 

A strong academic environment recognized nationally and internationally in delivering excellent computer science education and conducting distinct research addressing needs of the community we serve. 

Department Mission  

Provide superior educational experiences and distinguished research in areas related to computer science at both graduate and undergraduate levels to address and serve the needs of the community. 

The Computer Science Program 

Demand for computing professionals with scientific backgrounds has grown in the past decade as a result of increased demand for sophisticated computing environments, applications, and scientific research inside and outside of academia. 

The Department of Computer Science offers a five-year academic program that provides a balanced mix of strong theory, application, and practice. The program aims to graduate well-rounded computing professionals who are capable of designing and developing effective software systems and algorithmic applications, as well as being prepared to pursue graduate studies and professional development. The CS program offers a range of programming and problem-solving skills for future CS professionals who will work in academia or industry, serving business and government organizations. 

This program builds on a set of university-required courses comprising Islamic studies, Arabic and English language, as well as a full academic First Year that covers general mathematical and science foundational concepts. The program also shares a number of college-required fundamental computing courses with other computing programs in the college. 

Program Mission 

To equip software and computing specialists with in-depth theoretical knowledge and versatile technical and professional skills that enable them to master, improve and efficiently work in a wide range of scientific and technical settings. 

Program Educational Objectives 

PEO-1: Have a successful career in the practice of computer science and related applications built on their understanding of formal and applied methods for problem-solving, design of secure and dependable computer systems, and development of effective software systems and algorithmic applications. 

PEO-2: Advance in responsibility and leadership and contribute as active partners in the economic growth and the sustainable development of Saudi society. 

PEO-3: Engage in professional development and/or graduate studies to pursue flexible career paths amid future technological changes. 

Student Outcomes 

In addition to the common student outcomes SO-1 to SO-5, listed under Program Outcomes on page 9, the CS program addresses this specific outcome: 

SO-6: Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions. 

Program Degree Plan 

*Subject to approval by department and academic advisor + General ethics 

Program Courses 

It is worth noting that course codes consist of two parts: the first two letters (CP) represent the faculty code and the second two letters represent the department code (CS). The following table lists topic areas indicated by the middle digits in course numbers: 

Required Course List 

*Must include lab component subject to approval by department and academic advisor.  

+ The Mathematics department has reduced the course MATH-202 from 4 to 3 credit hours. Students must compensate for this 1 credit according to the department resolution number 81019 dated 7/6/1434H 

Elective Course List 

*With department approval.