Get the best of both worlds

Universities — both public and private — continue to soar in QS Rankings each year as the government introduces specialised and innovative courses to empower future generations

Education is one of the UAE government’s top priorities in its endeavour to develop its human capital and a diversified knowledge-based economy. This priority is reflected in the UAE’s current strategic education plan for 2017–2021, which seeks to raise the upper-secondary graduation rate to 98 per cent (from 96.7 per cent in 2016). The government’s National Higher Education Strategy 2030 seeks to strengthen accreditation standards, increase research output, establish a qualifications framework, and develop curricula more geared toward employment in consultation with the business sector.

The UAE also pursues a highly effective internationalisation strategy and has become one of the preeminent transnational education hubs in the world. In a recent comparative study of 38 education systems worldwide, the British Council ranked the UAE highly favourably in terms of regulatory frameworks for student mobility, openness to transnational education, and recognition procedures for foreign degrees.

Employment opportunities for highly skilled workers in its diversifying economy make the UAE an attractive study destination for students from other countries. Also, turning the UAE into a magnet for foreign students is the country’s number of high-quality universities included in international rankings, such as Ajman University, University of South Wales Dubai and Middlesex University.

This puts the UAE in a good position to accommodate excess demand for education in youth-bulging countries in the Middle East, many of which are currently suffering from high youth unemployment rates. The UAE is now the top study destination of international students from countries like Egypt, Jordan and Oman.

This trend persists despite the fact that the UAE is anything but a low-cost study destination. Mindful of this, the government seeks to attract students by offering generous visa policies. Since 2016, foreign students have been allowed to work part time for designated employers. In 2018, the government also drastically extended its one-year residency visa for foreign university graduates: Exceptionally talented students will now be eligible for a 10year residency, while other students can get a five-year visa, and dependents of guest workers will receive a visa extension to help them get started on their career after graduating. Universities and government institutions also offer an increasing variety of scholarships for international students.

Transnational education

The UAE is a major hub for transnational education (TNE). Most of these campuses are located in free zones like the Dubai International Academic City and the Dubai Knowledge Village. As of 2017, Dubai alone had 10 free zones with 39 institutions, including 24 foreign branch campuses from 12 different countries. The latest foreign university to open a campus in a Dubai free zone was the British University of Birmingham in 2018.

The majority of students at TNE institutions are expatriates and international students. Fully 40 per cent of Dubai’s international students study at branch campuses in free zones. That said, the number of Emiratis studying at these institutions is also growing — more than 30 per cent of students enrolled at institutions in Dubai’s free zones were Emiratis in 2017. The fact that degrees from KHDA-authorised institutions in free zones have been treated as recognised academic qualifications in Dubai since 2012 has greatly increased the utility of these degrees for Emiratis.

Bachelor’s Degree

Studying for a bachelor’s degree in a standard academic discipline takes four years to complete (between 120 and 140+ credits, depending on the major). A bachelor’s in engineering and architecture, on the other hand, takes five years. Curricula feature a mandatory general education component, along with core courses and electives specific to the major. Some programs include internships. Common credentials awarded by universities include the BA and BSc. Admissions requirements vary by institution, but usually include at least the General Secondary Education Certificate and proof of English language competency.

Master’s Degree

Master’s degree programmes are usually research-oriented. Typically offered at universities, they take one to two years of study (30 to 48 credits). To be admitted to the federal UAE and Zayed universities, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and demonstrated language skills. Master’s curricula are generally specialised and may involve writing a thesis or completing a research project, although purely course work-based programmes also exist. In addition to offering master’s programmes, some universities offer shorter term, one-year courses of study that lead to a postgraduate or graduate diploma. These qualifications are usually more employment-geared and are awarded mostly in professional disciplines. In some instances, credits earned in these courses can be transferred to related master’s programmes.

The higher education system in the UAE, while fairly young, has expanded dramatically in recent years. This focus on tertiary education has been designed to complement the UAE’s knowledge-based economy, which is among the world’s fastest growing.

Some of the reasons to consider a higher education degree in the UAE include:

• International outlook: The UAE is home to international branches of many universities. The Dubai International Academic City has 25 university campuses run by institutions from nine different countries.

• Cultural diversity: The UAE is formed of seven emirates, each with their own traditions and culture. Studying in the UAE will give you the chance to experience this diversity first-hand.