Dwelling beautifully alongside the Persian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) offers spectacular locations, tall buildings, huge shopping malls, dazzling beaches, and, supposedly, a newly unveiled “Mars Science City.” Now, that’s a city I’d like to hang out in.
It’s almost like going to UAE can be a wonderfully educational experience in itself. But, luckily for you, there are also great universities for you to pursue your Master’s or Bachelor’s degree anywhere in the city. As a foreign student, there are some interesting options to consider, and there is plenty to learn about the history, culture, and politics that make UAE unique.
The population in the UAE has a very high literacy rate — almost 90% — and these days the country has invested tons of money into the improvement of their science and technology institutes.
Joining ranks with other major research and training enterprises, the UAE has formed the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) group, where they’ve been working with major companies around the world to develop nanotechnology, biotechnology, and a major supercomputing centre in South Asia.
Universities in the UAE have started to gain a significant reputation all over the world, and their graduates have gone on to work in science, technology, and politics, making the UAE an excellent choice for higher education. Some of the top-ranked universities in the Emirates are:
While they don't need to worry about language barriers during classes, because there is a substantial number of English-taught degrees, many international students wonder if they'll encounter difficulties while trying to communicate in the Emirates.
But they don't need to! The UAE is among the best Arab countries when it comes to English language proficiency. This is largely due to the positive impact of the finance and tourism sectors.
The Emirates are known for being very ambitious and making use of all their resources to create stunning buildings and infrastructure.
While living there, you can be amazed by the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, the Emirates Palace, the Dubai Mall, the Zayed National Museum, or the artificial Palm Islands created in Dubai.
For adrenaline seekers, the UAE comes with an endless list of activities that will get your heart racing in no time. From sky diving to dune bashing, from camel riding to desert safaris, from kayaking to surfing — these and more await you while living and studying in the Emirates.
In each of the major cities and all over the UAE, you can find plenty of universities and institutions offering Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in lots of subjects. Furthermore, some of those universities even reach some of the top rankings worldwide, giving them a great global reputation.
Here are some universities and institutions we’d highlight:
If you find yourself in the UAE and, especially, in a city like Dubai, you’ll be surrounded by a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, and religions. And, beyond the classroom, you have plenty of places to find on the weekends – beaches, shopping centres, clubs, and giant skyscrapers.
Universities in the UAE have a high standard for academic admission. Students entering have to show high markings on all of their courses. So if you’re a student there, you’ll be alongside some very serious, intelligent students from all over.
Well, it’s quite simple: the UAE is known for their science and technology, so that seems like a good place to start. But, don’t go leaping there so fast. There are other interesting topics and subjects to pursue while you’re enjoying a trip along the beach or tearing up the indoor ski slopes.
Here is a list of some interesting degrees to pursue in the UAE:
What’s the first city that comes to mind when you think of the United Arab Emirates? Is it Dubai?
Of course it is! Dubai has some of the biggest universities, and some of the most spectacular historical and cultural landmarks in the world. You can plenty of information about Dubai, including living costs, places to visit, and information about cultural life.
Each university in the United Arab Emirates has its own system on their website that allows future students to apply for and enrol in their degree programmes. So, once you select the university of your choice, you can go through their application and submit your materials there.
Here are some of the basic requirements you’ll need for every application:
In some universities and regions, students must be Muslims to attend, and at others admission is only available to nationals. However, other, more expansive universities are starting to arise around the region, giving international students opportunities to learn and attend courses.
These kinds of courses enable degree-seeking students to get an extra educational boost just before they start their Master’s degree or other post-graduate degree programmes.
Try a pre-M.B.A., pre-Law, or pre-Medicine programme, as well as any other foundation or preparation courses that will allow you to study in the degree programme of your choice.
If you’re attending a degree programme in the UAE you will need to prove that your language skills are good enough to participate in the classes and understand the lectures. These courses will also prepare you for any of the English-language tests that universities require.
To apply to study in the UAE, you’ll need to provide proof you have a diploma for your English proficiency.
The certificates generally accepted by the universities in the UAE are:
Still, you should always check on your university’s website, just to be sure what the exact requirements are.
Let's take a closer look at tuition and living expenses in the UAE:
The cost of attending universities in the UAE can be quite high. But you can look for scholarship opportunities or choose one of the more affordable study programmes.
On average, international students pay between 5,000 and 27,650 EUR per year at public universities. Tuition fees at private universities go even higher.
Compared to other countries around the world, the UAE can be a relatively expensive place to live. You should budget 1,100–1,700 EUR/month for living costs in the UAE.
Here's a breakdown of average monthly expenses:
The United Arab Emirates, in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, extends along part of the Gulf of Oman and the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. Its neighbours are Saudi Arabia to the west and south, Qatar to the north, and Oman to the east. Most of the land is barren and sandy.
Education initiatives created in the past years greatly encourage university international cooperation and academic exchange attracting Bachelors degree students and staff from all over the world. These policies also facilitate mobility of students, graduates and higher education staff. Specialized institutions help prepare students for their future careers and, most importantly, they offer broad global access to high-quality higher education.
The possibility to study worldwide, for instance in Australia, Asia, Europe or North America, opens up opportunities to see more of the world. Not just because you would have the opportunity to travel, but also because it is becoming increasingly easier to go abroad to follow a semester at a different university. There is a wide range of different study options, and one of them can prove to be your dream Bachelors degree programme.
The number of English-taught Bachelors degrees in the world has increased explosively in the last couple of years. Some of the countries with the most English-taught study programmes include Australia, Belgium, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. However, higher education is often delivered in English in many other countries as well. From highly ranked research universities to smaller, specialised universities, the choices are endless.
A bachelors degree is an academic degree earned for an undergraduate course of study that could range in length of time. This depends on the country, discipline and sometimes the education institution. There is usually a difference between professional and academic bachelor programmes. A professional bachelor?s degree usually takes 4 to 5 years to complete, while an academic bachelor is 3 years long, in most countries. Although this is not always a general rule.
Bachelors degrees exist in almost every country in the world. The study programmes mainly lead to degrees such as: Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Law (LL.B.), Bachelor of Business (B.BA), amongst others.
A one-year honours degree can be achieved after the completion of a regular Bachelors degree in the same field. Sometimes, this means one year of research culminating with a written thesis. It is usually available only to students who achieve high scores in their previous years of undergraduate studies.
At some universities, you have the option of a joint honours degree. This requires at least half of the credits required for each of the respective majors (two subject areas). The subject areas do not have to be highly related, but they usually overlap both faculties and subjects.
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