Study and Research Opportunities in United Arab Emirates

Long and short-term academic programs are available in the United Arab Emirates across many universities and educational centers. International students and researchers may apply to BA, MA, Ph.D., and postdoctoral research programs in the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, summer schools and conferences are other excellent academic activities that make the United Arab Emirates an attractive destination for scholars and scientists. Many programs also come with fully-funded scholarships and fellowships as well as travel grants and financial aid, thus every student, researcher, and professor can always find a suitable program in the United Arab Emirates and apply.

Scholarships in the United Arab Emirates

Fellowships in the United Arab Emirates

Summer Schools in the United Arab Emirates

Grants & Awards in the United Arab Emirates

First of all the AUE opportunities that interest students are what study opportunities they have in Dubai. Though the United Arab Emirates’ capital is Abu Dhabi, Dubai is traditionally more attractive both for students and tourists worldwide. 

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the most expensive Emirates. Still, there are no many opportunities for international students in less expensive Emirates, as most educational institutions are located there. 

Emirates admire the world with their business and economic organization. It is the global scientific, business, and education hub, the majority of the progress of which is the achievement of human efforts and a brilliant managemental approach. UAE has more than a 95% of literacy rate. The vast majority of the country speaks English, and here you can meet many qualified people from different nationalities who came to construct a successful career. 

Read about your opportunities in the country as an international student below. 

Universities in UAE

United Arab Emirates have internationally ranked universities, included in the lists of best in Gulf region according to QS ranking.

The first University in the country was founded by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan AI Nayhan, who founded the UAE. United Arab Emirates University started its operation in 1976 and provided education in the five areas: education, business & economics, science, humanities, social science. Currently, the University offers additional courses, including IT, medicine, law, engineering, agriculture, etc. UAEU is included among the globally ranked Emirate universities. 

The majority of the UAE universities are private. The ratio of state-funded to private universities in the country is 3/50. Private universities are significantly less strict in admission requirements for international students. 

The three state-funded universities include the above-mentioned United Arab Emirates University, Zayed University, and Higher Colleges of Technology. Their main campuses and that of most UAE universities’ are located in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with their smaller branches located in other Emirates. 

Higher Colleges of Technology is the largest University in UAE. It has 17 campuses in different Emirates. You can study Business, Computer Information Science, Education, Health Sciences, Applied Media, and other programs you can explore here.

Zayed University is one of the internationally ranked Emirates’ universities. It offers education for the spheres of Arts, Business, Communication, Humanities & Social Sciences, Technological Innovation, etc. You may explore all the offered programs here.

QS ranking includes eight universities from UAE. Besides the above-mentioned ones, there are also:

Studying the Arabic language will be beneficial for your convenience in communication with locals. However, it’s not much required for academic purposes, as many universities provide English academic programs.

International student expenses in UAE

The United Arab Emirates consists of 7 Emirates, which have a certain degree of independence and individual policies. The same is for education, so tuition fees can vary significantly based on where students choose to receive the education. 

In the most expensive cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the undergraduate tuition fees can start at around 10,000$ and reach around 20,000 $ for graduate degree programs. 

It would be much more affordable to organize your stay in the United Arab Emirates in the University’s provided dormitories. However, not all the universities there support this opportunity. Therefore, it is essential to organize the staying process in advance before moving to the country. Otherwise, you should expect to allocate around 800-1100 $ of your monthly budget to private accommodation renting

Working Opportunities

International students are allowed to work in the United Arab Emirates only if they hold a work permit. Local students are free of that obligation. They are allowed to work up to 6 hours a day in parallel with their studies. In both cases, as a working international or domestic student, you can’t have more than one job in the country. If you do and get caught, there might be a negative consequence of a fine equalling one of your workplaces’ salaries. The worst scenario is that this can result in the cancellation of your student visa, and you might lose your opportunity to continue studying in the Emirates. 

As in every country, in the UAE as well, there are options to work on-campus. The working hour limits are set for up to 15 hours a week during sessions and up to 40 hours during breaks. Note that it’s essential to have an above-average GPA (usually more than 2.2) and enrollment in a full-time academic program to have the opportunity to work within the University. 

If you have plans to continue your career path in Emirates after your studies, there is a good opportunity to communicate with your host university and organize an internship offer. If there is an internship offer for the student, they can work in Dubai as an intern. 

More than 4500 companies operating in the United Arab Emirates can become your potential employment opportunity after graduating from your studies. To stay and work in Dubai after graduation from academic degrees, you will need an employment visa. In its turn, an employment visa is accessible if students fit for a number of factors, including the successful graduation from UAE University and the offer for a permanent full-time job from the country’s employers. Therefore, if you plan to utilize post-graduate opportunities in UAE, do your best to cooperate with university career centers or internship providers to have a permanent job offer after studies. 

We hope this section of ARMACAD will bring you closer to your dream education and career in UAE.