How UAE universities break down academic silos with interdisciplinary, industry-driven degrees
Interdisciplinary, hands-on learning builds stronger problem-solving and job-ready skills
Universities across the UAE are rethinking how degrees are developed and delivered. As careers and roles diversify, institutions are moving away from traditional subject silos and towards interdisciplinary programmes that prepare graduates for cross-functional, fast-changing careers. The move reflects what employers now demand – graduates who can analyse data, use technology, understand business realities, adapt to emerging tools, and solve problems across sectors.
This change is also shaping a new educational mindset in the country. Programmes are being redesigned with practical outcomes at the centre, and rigid disciplinary boundaries are being pushed aside. From engineering and management to medicine and healthcare, universities are embedding real-world problem-solving, resilience and critical thinking into coursework.
Blending disciplines
Engineering programmes are undergoing some of the fastest change. Institutions are integrating business, sustainability, economics, workplace ethics, design and computing elements into engineering pathways to help students understand the wider systems they will work in.
At BITS Pilani Dubai Campus, industry integration continues to define how engineering programmes evolve. Through the institute’s Practice School model, students take on extended internships that expose them to workplace realities well before they graduate. The emphasis is on ensuring engineering students experience live projects, company culture and real problem-solving.
“The university also updates its curriculum with constant input from employers in high-growth areas such as AI, robotics, and sustainability,” says Prof. Swarnalatha Rajaguru, Associate Dean, Admissions and Marketing, BITS Pilani Dubai.
“Final-year students also undergo a targeted readiness programme that sharpens practical skills and confidence. Together, these elements ensure graduates step into the job market well-prepared, grounded in theory, and equipped for real-world demands.”
BITS Pilani Dubai has several degrees that blend engineering with business, sustainability, and design. Prof. Rajaguru points out. “B.E. Chemical Engineering with a specialisation in Energy, Environment & Sustainability, for example, brings together engineering fundamentals with environmental management. B.E. Architectural & Urban Engineering integrates design, planning, and technology. On the business side, B.E. Robotics & Industrial Automation and B.E. Computer Science complement well with the BBA (Hons.) and postgraduate options like MBA and MBA in Business Analytics, give students a strong mix of technical and managerial skills.”
The UAE’s another prestigious institution, RIT Dubai has a structured, future-facing approach to engineering education. Dr Khalid Khawaja, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, outlines three major initiatives that guide this transformation.
The first is the Programme-Specific AI Story. “An AI map is meticulously crafted for every academic programme. This map ensures that all graduates possess the required AI skills relevant to their specific domain. Crucially, the map also provides a clear framework for when the use of AI tools is disallowed, ensuring students first master foundational skills.”
He adds that this ensures graduates enter an AI-driven workforce with clarity and technological fluency.
The second initiative focuses on building creative thinking and entrepreneurial ability. “The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Journey is integrated across all academic years. By dissecting elements that contribute to teaching innovation and infusing them into key courses, the university actively fosters a mindset of creative problem-solving.”
The third pillar involves adopting CALMS Transformation Pillars – Culture, Automation, Lean, Measurement and Sharing – which are widely used by leading technology companies. “It magnifies effective feedback loops through measurement and actively breaks silos for knowledge sharing and learning,” explains Dr Khawaja.
Interdisciplinary projects form a major part of the engineering pathway as well. RIT’s Multidisciplinary Senior Design (MSD) projects bring together students from electrical, mechanical, industrial and computing fields to solve real-world problems, such as sustainable systems and smart technologies.
“These efforts are further strengthened through collaboration with niche master’s programmes, including the Master of Science in Professional Studies: Smart Cities and the Master of Science in Professional Studies: Future Foresight and Planning, which open doors to future-focused domains.”
Innovating medical learning
The push towards real-world training is not limited to engineering or technical fields. Healthcare education is also undergoing a rapid transition, with universities integrating simulation labs, AI, case-based training, and industry-led practical modules as standard.
Gulf Medical University (GMU) has strategically redesigned its medical and health sciences curriculum to include AI-enabled learning.
“GMU has created an entire AI ecosystem, including a dedicated Thumbay College of Management and AI in Healthcare, which offers a BSc. in Applied AI in Healthcare and MSc. in AI and Health Informatics programmes. We have established a Thumbay Lab for AI in Healthcare with high-performing computers and have partnered with the industry to start an AI clinic powered by Zoom and HP Poly,” says Prof. Manda Venkatramana, Chancellor, Gulf Medical University, and Professor & Consultant Surgeon, Thumbay Hospital.
Interdisciplinary training is a core part of this strategy. “GMU has integrated cross-college modules that allow medical, pharmacy, health sciences, nursing, and healthcare management students to learn collaboratively. We believe in interprofessional education with the motto ‘Learning together for working together’. This shared learning environment mirrors real healthcare teams and prepares graduates to step into more complex roles,” says Prof. Venkatramana.
Blending strategy, people and technology
Meanwhile, business education is also being reshaped as digital systems become central to how organisations operate. Universities are integrating analytics, automation, psychology, sustainability and design thinking into business programmes to produce leaders who understand both people and technology.
Meghavi Banerjee, Head of Academics & Strategic Alliances at Lincoln University of Business & Management (LUBM), says the shift starts with recognising that technology is no longer separate from business. “Today, technology is no longer a separate domain; it has become the environment within which all businesses operate,” she says.
LUBM has integrated artificial intelligence, data analytics, digital transformation and digital marketing directly into core MBA pathways. “This ensures that learners develop managerial confidence alongside the digital fluency demanded by today’s organisations.”
The university also embeds interdisciplinary elements into business education. Banerjee explains, “Our programmes now combine business fundamentals with digitisation, analytics, innovation, behavioral insights, and sustainability.”
This approach is supported by faculty who bring industry expertise, giving learners exposure to real challenges shaping the regional business landscape.
Building creative and technical skills together
Another growing focus is on integrating technical and creative skills within programmes. “In today’s AI-driven world, success belongs to graduates who merge technical expertise with creative thinking,” says Poonam Heryani, Head of Education Programmes at DeMont Institute of Management and Technology.
She cites a 2025 UAE study, which calls creativity a catalyst for innovation, and highlights the World Economic Forum’s ranking of analytical and creative thinking among the most in-demand skills.
Students at DeMont strengthen these abilities through internships, bootcamps, workshops, student council initiatives, and participation in coding and tech challenges.
“This fusion of logic, curiosity and imagination prepares learners to thrive and lead in a knowledge-based economy aligned with the UAE Vision 2031,” says Heryani.
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