Quality and employability in higher education: the case of Saudi Arabia.

Modem higher education is a cooperation of stakeholder s. Its development should be viewed only in terms of curricula quality and graduates employability. Because the Saudi system is relatively new and grows rapidly, while confronted with traditions and difficulties, neither of the above objectives is distinctly accomplished to fully fulfil the ambition of national growth.
This thesis critically investigated the approach of Saudi Universities. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was employed for this purpose. Subjects were from King Saud University, including students, graduates, teaching staff, and academic managers.
Shortage in pertinent information made the research heavily dependent on fieldwork data. The main focus was on factors responsible for defects in quality and employability. The correlation between these two issues provided a better understanding of undergraduate education, including assessment of Student's learning, especially when the latter is taken as an indicator of the former.
The findings suggest a need for change in the Saudi higher education system to bring about Substantive incorporation of packages of general skills, including employability skills, and modularisation in its programmes. However, this approach must not be adopted at the expense of either subject matter or Saudi culture. Integration of the above three elements into study courses is an ideal preference from the participant's Standpoints.
Recommendations were forwarded to aid and improve the introduction of these new thoughts. But their prompt qualification is likely to be a matter of a more definitive decision. In Saudi Arabia, there is a demand for an extra academic provision to accommodate the change besides expected increase in student numbers, institutions expansion and disciplinary diversification. Finally, elimination of gender distinction is a real challenge. This obstacle does not seem to be reconcilable with Islamic principles as well as with the pervading and rapidly changing higher education demands.

A thesis submitted to the Middlesex University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.