Academic Program Feasibility Studies: Practical Foundations and Applied Implementation
The Deanship of Development and Quality held a workshop on Sunday, 09-11-1447 AH (corresponding to April 26, 2026), at the Deanship’s Training Hall, entitled:
“Academic Program Feasibility Studies: Practical Foundations and Applied Implementation.”
The workshop was delivered by Dr. Waleed Sayed, Associate Professor and former Head of the Department of Business Administration, and was attended by approximately 20 participants from the University’s staff.
The workshop aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of the fundamental concepts of academic program feasibility studies, including analyzing internal and external environments, identifying labor market needs, and assessing the gap between supply and demand. This contributes to evidence-based academic decision-making. The workshop also addressed mechanisms for designing new academic programs and evaluating their academic and economic feasibility, in addition to reviewing relevant academic accreditation and quality assurance requirements.
The workshop covered several key themes, most notably:
Introduction to Academic Program Feasibility Studies
Needs and Market Analysis
Strategic Alignment
Preliminary Academic Design
Operational Feasibility
Financial Feasibility
Risk Analysis
The workshop further included practical activities and interactive discussions based on real-life cases, such as calculating supply and demand indicators, assessing demand gaps, estimating risks, developing risk mitigation scenarios, and applying operational and financial cost calculations, including break-even analysis for academic programs.
At the conclusion of the workshop, the presenter emphasized that adopting a structured feasibility study methodology ensures the design of academic programs that address genuine needs, enhances graduate preparedness and competencies, and enables universities—such as King Khalid University—to offer high-quality and distinguished programs. This, in turn, contributes to building a strong academic reputation both locally and internationally.
This workshop is part of the ongoing efforts of the Deanship of Development and Quality to support academic programs, promote a culture of quality, and empower university staff to implement best practices in quality assurance and accreditation.
