The regulations of King Saud University stipulate that all graduate programs shall be administered by the College of Graduate Studies and the relevant Departments. However, because our postgraduate dental education combines a common Master's degree and a Specialty Certificate, the College of Dentistry designed an approved management approach at different levels to facilitate specialty programs implementation. The College established a JOINT GRADUATE PROGRAMS COUNCIL  chaired by the Vice Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research to ".... establish overall policies for graduate studies in the College of Dentistry within the Statutes and Regulations of the College of Graduate Studies of the University." Other members of this Council are the Specialty Program Directors. The Vice Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research therefore functions as the relevant Department for all the specialty programs as far as relationship with the College of Graduate Studies of the University is concerned. Within each Department, there is a Graduate Studies Committee headed by the Chairman of the Department. A Specialty Program Director, appointed by the Dean, is in charge of each specialty program and he is a statutory member of the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee and the Joint Graduate Programs Council. A Specialty Program Director ensures that a registered student accomplishes the standard of performance established for each program and specialty practice. Students are assigned academic advisors upon enrollment to guide them in their studies and assist them in the selection of topics for the research and theses.
The duty of the Council was stated as follows:

The Council's prime responsibility is to coordinate all activities of the different specialty graduate programs with the four Departments of the College of Dentistry.
The Council functions to establish specific overall policies for graduate studies in the College of Dentistry within the Statutes and Regulations of the College of Graduate Studies of the University.