Dubai: Students willing to join higher educational institutions in the UAE are advised to check the list of institutions licensed and approved by the Ministry of Education.

Students are also advised to make sure that the specialisation they are willing to pursue is accredited so that they can get their certificates attested at the time of their graduation.

“Having attested certificates is an essential requirement for working in federal government institutions and most of local employment bodies or for receiving a promotion as part of the career ladder or even for getting scholarships to pursue higher education abroad,” the Ministry of Education said on Saturday.

The Ministry’s Commission for Academic Accreditation is responsible for licensing educational institutions and regularly evaluating educational programmes to ensure their safety and compliance with the international standards.

Dr. Mohammad Ebrahim Al Mualla, Undersecretary for Academic Affairs for Higher Education, warned students against getting certificates that may be offered online for a price, saying that such qualifications are fake and will not be attested or endorsed by the ministry. Those looking to obtain these qualifications will have to bear adverse legal consequences in addition to the financial implications, he added.

“Recently, there have been lots of meetings on social media platforms for officials from UAE-based higher educational institutions which operate without getting the ministry’s licence. Although those officials reaffirm that their institutions issue higher education certificates from the mother institution in Europe, US and other countries, such qualifications will not be recognised in the UAE without the ministry’s licence, Al Mualla said.

He further said that students who wish to pursue their education abroad have to obtain a no-objection letter form the ministry so that they ensure the equivalency of their certificate in the UAE when they graduate.

Accrediting educational programmes by the ministry is subject to a number of scientific criteria including the objectives of the programme, educational outputs, study plan, contents of courses, educational environment, educational facilities, and sources of learning and qualifications of faculty members as well as their scientific levels among others, Al Mualla noted.

 

The licenced higher educational institutions include:

1. Abu Dhabi Polytechnic

2. Abu Dhabi School of Management

3. Abu Dhabi University

4. Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute

5. Ajman University of

6. Al Ain University of Science and Technology

7. Al Dar University College

8. Al Falah University

9. Al Ghurair University

10. Al Khawarizmi International College

11. Al Qasimia University

12. American College of Dubai

13. American University in Dubai

14. American University in the Emirates

15. American University in Ras Al Khaimah

16. American University of Sharjah

17. British University in Dubai

18. Canadian University in Dubai

19. City University College of Ajman

20. Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation

21. Dubai Medical College for Girls

22. Dubai Pharmacy College

23. Dubai Police Academy

24. Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management

25. Emirates Aviation University

26. Emirates University College

27. Emirates University College

28. Emirates College of Technology

29. Emirates College for Advanced Educational

30. Emirates Diplomacy Academy

31. Emirates Institute for Banking and Financing Studies

32. Emirates Institute of Naturalisation and Residency

33. European International College

34. European University College

35. Fatima College of Health Sciences

36. Gulf Medical University

37. Hamdan Bin Mohammad Smart University

38. Higher Colleges of Technology

39. Imam Malik College for Islamic Shariah and Law

40. Business School of the World (INSEAD) - Abu Dhabi

41. Institute of Management Technology (IMT) in Dubai

42. College of Islamic and Arab Studies in Dubai

43. Khalifa University of Science and Technology

44. Jumeria University

45. MENA College of Management

46. The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government

47. Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences

48. Mohammed V University Agdal - Abu Dhabi

49. National Defense College

50. New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)

51. New York University Abu Dhabi,

52. Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (PSUAD)

53. Police College - Abu Dhabi

54. Sharjah Police Academy

55. Rabdan Academy

56. RAK Medical & Health Sciences University

57. Rochester Institute of Technology

58. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

59. Saint Joseph’s University

60. Skyline University College

61. Syscoms College

62. The College of Fashion and Design

63. UAE University

64. University College of Mother & Family Sciences

65. University of Balamand in Dubai

66. University of Dubai

67. University of Fujairah

68. University of Sharjah

69. University of Strathclyde Business School Abu Dhabi

70. University of Wollongong in Dubai

71. Zayed II Military College

71. Zayed University