Qatar is highly ranked on several important indices for students and residents. Some highlights include:
There were 32 Universities in Qatar in 2020, with almost 40,000 students registering for a higher education degree in that year alone. There are four kinds of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Qatar:
1. Public Universities: There are ten such Higher Education Institutions in the country; they include Qatar University, the oldest institution of its kind in Doha. Some public Qatari Universities offer programs in association with prominent foreign Universities, including the University of Sussex.
2. Private Universities: Private HEIs in Qatar are usually less comprehensive than public Universities; some may focus on specialized fields of education and research e.g. the Global Studies Institute, and the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.
3. Military HEIs: Six such colleges are present in Qatar; they are mainly dedicated towards training uniformed services officers of the country, in addition to research and development activities. Two focus on police training, three on army and defense officer training, and the last is a Naval Academy.
4. Local campuses of Foreign Universities: These are overseen by the Qatar Foundation. There are nine such institutions in the country, including branches of Georgetown University, HEC Paris, University College London, and Virginia Commonwealth University. They typically offer most of the programs for which the parent campuses are famous, and the course may also involve one or two exchange semesters, where students visit the main location.
Most public Universities in Qatar offer certification programs; these normally take between three and six months to complete, and some can even be attended virtually. Most students who sign up for these courses are working professionals who take advantage of the Continuing Education program to upgrade their skills. For example, Qatar University offers popular certification programs in Strategic Financial Management, Anti-Money Laundering, Project Management, General Insurance, Six Sigma, and People Management.
Bachelor’s Degree programs in Qatar may last 3, 4, or 6 years depending on the field of study (Humanities, Engineering, or Medicine). Many of them have competitive entry for foreign students, with Qatar University requiring a minimum aggregate of 70% in Standard XII for most Bachelor’s programs. Most students are admitted to a general track (e.g. Engineering) at the time of UG admission, and choose their major during their first year of study.
Universities in Qatar offer multiple Master’s degree programs in advanced fields of study. They are mostly taught in English, though certain programs (e.g. MA in Arabic Language and Literature) have Arabic as the medium of instruction. The admission process is extremely rigorous; undergraduate transcripts and TOEFL scores are carefully scrutinized to ensure that only the best join.
Most Schools and Departments in Qatari Universities offer one or two doctoral programs. PhD students work on original research problems. After a year of courses and training in research techniques, they embark upon research work under the guidance of a doctoral advisor. After three or four years, when there is enough progress to publish the results, PhD students present their work during a thesis defense before 2-4 external panelists. The doctoral degree is awarded after a successful thesis defense.
The country has various universities that offer approximately all the disciplines of study. Some of the popular disciplines available in Qatar are-
Petroleum Engineering | Chemical Engineering | Business Administration |
Sports Management | Risk Management | Nursing |
Physics | Psychology | Computer Science |
Manpower Management | Biomedical Engineering | Arabic History |
Fine Art | Cyber Security | Dentistry |
Here are some popular cities that have the most universities in Qatar.
The name of the city | No. of Universities |
Doha | 14 |
Al Rayyan | 2 |
Al Daayen | 1 |
Undergraduate tuition fees for international students in Qatar are approximately 3,000 Qatari Riyals (INR 600,000 per year), with dental and medical courses being significantly more expensive (over QR 5,000 or INR 1,000,000 per year). Graduate programs have an even higher price point, with the fees per credit hour exceeding 2,000 Qatari Riyals (over INR 40,000), and a lack of state-sponsored graduate scholarships for international students. However, meritorious students who apply for a Graduate Assistantship are likely to receive a stipend that pays the entire amount of the tuition fee, with some left over towards living costs.
International students who opt for on-campus accommodation will spend approximately 900 QR (INR 20,000) per month on rent, which is 80-90% lower than the cost of a private apartment in Doha. Other living costs include food, transportation, and shopping for daily necessities; these are usually on par with the accommodation costs.
Applicants for a long term Qatar Type D Student Visa must satisfy the following conditions: