In recent years, the number of international students in the UAE keeps on increasing making it one of the top study destinations, not only in Asia but in the world. UAE's efforts to usher in a modern era of knowledge and empowerment, have established an excellent and diversified higher education system over a very short period. It has consequently witnessed an increase in the number and quality of public and private higher education institutes.
 
Higher Education in UAE
 
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) is in charge of higher education in UAE. The higher education system in the United Arab Emirates consists of both public and private institutions. The public higher education institutions in UAE are administered by the MOHESR. The private higher education institutions in UAE are licensed and accredited by the Ministry's Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA).
 
Higher Education Qualifications
 
Institutions of higher education in the UAE provide courses in the fields of engineering, art, medicine, media, and so on. Following are the higher education qualifications offered in UAE:
  • Bachelor's Degree: This degree program takes 4 years to complete. It requires between 132 and 136 credit hours. The Bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery have 6 years of duration.
  • Master's Degree: A Master's Degree is gained after 1 year of further study beyond the Bachelor's degree in engineering, environmental sciences, and business administration.
  • Doctorate studies: These are also offered by some universities and last for 3 years after the Master's studies. Doctor of business administration and doctor of pharmacy is offered by the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).
The UAE Has Only Three Government Higher Educational institutions (HEI)
 
There are only 3 government institutions of higher education across UAE and the competition to attend is high for international students:
  • UAE University: It is the country's flagship university that offers many internationally accredited programs.
  • Zayed University: It used to be a female-only campus and has now opened to male students.
  • Higher Colleges of Technology: It is the UAE's largest university.
Fortunately, the number of private institutions is high and very sought-after by both international and domestic students due to many of them being internationally accredited. To this is added a great presence of popular international universities, also called global partnerships. This allows students to study in some of the world's finest universities and attain an international education right in the United Arab Emirates.
 
UAE is Home to Various International Universities
 
All over the years, the UAE government, and its Emirates have developed various partnerships with many US institutions to make higher education in the country better. Simultaneously, the partnerships enable exchanges between American and Arab cultures. This also resulted in the establishment of international university campuses or study programs in the UAE. Some major universities that have their campuses in the UAE are the following:
  • New York University in Abu Dhabi
  • The Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubait
  • The Sorbonne in Abu Dhabi
  • Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Requirements to Study in UAE
 
The application deadlines in the United Arab Emirates differ from the university you choose. For the admission application process and document requirements, international students need to check the website of the university to which they want to apply to. Fulfilling the essential eligibility criteria and submitting the documents required will increase their chances of acceptance at the university in the UAE. Here is a list of documents you will need for studying at universities in UAE:
  • Completed application form
  • Application fees
  • Transcripts of previous education
  • Passport-size photo
  • Passport
  • Statement of Purpose
 
If English is not your native language, you might need to appear for an English test like IELTS or TOEFL. Depending on your chosen study program, there might be requirements for other documents or exam scores. Before applying, go through the requirements carefully.
 
You can Study in UAE without learning Arabic
 
Learning Arabic to get into a UAE university is not mandatory. This is because most of the country's Higher Educational Institutions have their own English programs. Although it would be good to learn a new language, Arabic.
 
Also, just like other education systems in the world, the higher education system in the UAE is heavily influenced by western systems, so most people can speak English. When it comes to talking with the locals, like most Emiratis, especially in the city, many can speak English. Plus, the country has a huge ex-pat population. There are more ex-pats in the United Arab Emirates than Emiratis.
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