Qatar is a sovereign country in Southwest Asia, known worldwide mainly for its great oil and gas reserves that had placed it in the top of the richest states in the world.
In Qatar, you can pursue a degree, benefit of a completely safe environment and immerse in the Arabic culture. In recent years, Qatar has been involved in building a national strategy for helping the education system grow and evolve. According to Qatar’s Permanent Constitution, education is a basic foundation for the progress of society.
Students who speak Arabic or who want to improve their Arabic skills will find Qatar an interesting study abroad destination. However, Qatar has been registering many international students due to the country’s partnerships with many American universities, thus offering a huge palette and variety in terms of English taught programmes. From arts and design to science and technology, you can follow your dream study in any field you want.
The education system in Qatar is managed by the Supreme Education Council (SEC) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) at all levels. These institutions have set the following strategies for developing higher education: optimize student talents and capabilities, develop student knowledge and skills that are according to labour market demands, and support the needs and aspirations of the society. Universities are also enhancing scientific research in order to keep aligned with other international universities worldwide.
The academic year starts in September and lasts until June. Some courses are offered in the summer as well. The higher educational institutions use the American system for grading and awarding credit hours.
Usually universities in Qatar have an easy application system that allows candidates to register for an application form online.
Here is a list of the most common requirements for the application process:
*Extra documents based on the student's status may be required, according to each university’s policy, so always check with the university you want to enrol.
In Qatar, you can find two public and national universities and several universities established in partnerships with universities from U.S. The famous "Education City" is located in Doha and includes branches of American universities. University offerings includes a wide range of programmes in fields like: art, design, media studies, engineering, science and technology, business, law, medicine, Sharia & Islamic Studies. Studies are available for both undergraduate and graduate degree.
International students that are not proficient in Arabic can find plenty of study options in English, as this language is considered the second language in Qatar. English-taught programmes are available for Bachelor’s degree, but especially for Master and PhD programmes. For example, all science and engineering courses are instructed in English.
Regarding the language requirements, students who want to enrol in Arabic-taught courses should first pass the Arabic Placement Test or provide a certificate of ALPT (Arabic Language Proficiency Test). For the English language entry requirements, IELTS or TOEFL are commonly accepted.
English language preparation for studying in Qatar
Develop your academic English language skills in order to meet the English language requirements at Qatari universities offering degree studies for international students. Choose an English language school anywhere in the world and pick your preferred English exam preparation course from diverse language course options.
- In Qatar, the cost of tuition fees range between 8,500 and 16,000 USD/year.
- The cost of living in Qatar is very high, usually an average student would need a minimum amount of 1,000 USD/month for its expenses (without accommodation).
- The student visa does not allow you to work in Qatar, except for on-campus jobs; you can only engage in a work opportunity after the end of your studies.
- The currency of Qatar is the Qatari riyal.
- Due to the fact that Qatar is a socially conservative Muslim country, the consumption of alcohol is strictly controlled and you are also advised to dress modestly when going out.
- An event that is not to be missed in Qatar is the traditional camel race that is held in Al Shahaniya every winter.
- Weekends in Qatar fall on Friday and Saturday and most shopping stores are usually closed on Friday mornings until the afternoon prayer.
- Karak tea is one of the most popular beverages in Qatar.
- The famous media company Al Jazeera is based in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
- The most part of Qatar’s population from today is, or originated from, Bedu tribes. The word Bedu means inhabitant of the desert.
Qatar, or officially the State of Qatar is a sovereign country located in Southwest Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the north-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar is bordered with Saudi Arabia to the south, while the rest of its territory is surrounded by the Persian Gulf.
On 3 September 1971, Qatar officially gained its independence from the United Kingdom and became an independent sovereign state.
Qatar's monarchy is the Al Thani family, which has been ruling Qatar since the family house was established in 1825. There is no independent legislature, and political parties are forbidden. Sharia law is the main source of Qatari legislation according to Qatar's Constitution.
Qatar has experienced a moderate degree of liberalisation, including the launch of the Al Jazeera television station, giving women the right to vote in municipal elections and the draft of the country’s first written constitution.
Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the world since 2012, relying mainly on foreign labour to grow its economy, as migrant workers make around 90% of the workforce.
Qatar is a high income economy backed by the world's third largest natural gas reserves and oil reserves. The oil reserves and gas fields that account for over 10% of the global resource, making Qatar the richest state per-capita in the world.
Qatar has a warm weather throughout the whole year, with really hot summers. The rainfall season occurs between December and March.
Popular traditional sports include Arabian horse racing, camel racing, and falconry, all rooted in the country's nomadic past.
Recent international policies promote international university cooperation and student exchange between countries worldwide. High-quality study and PhD degrees are made more available to students in order to create a global educational network, achievable through student and staff mobility. Career and research oriented programmes support international student development.
University cooperation enables students study worldwide, for instance in Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States and provides ways of recognizing previous degrees. Different study options offer appropriate alternatives to students, depending on their preferred mode of study.
Many study programmes in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America are English-taught. The most popular international student destinations include the following countries: Australia, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, the United States, and more. However, these are not the only countries offering English-taught education. The rest of the world is full of endless study choices, from highly ranked to smaller, more specialized, universities.
If you want further education beyond the undergraduate level or if you want more personal development or a career in academia, you could obtain a PhD degree. PhD degrees are postgraduate programmes that usually follow a Master's, MPhil or MRes, but there might be additional requirements depending on the university. Students are required to do their own research in a chosen topic. With the help of a supervisor, you develop knowledge and analytical skills in a specific or multidisciplinary field and you carry out independent research. The duration of a PhD degree differs per country and institution. Sometimes your own research is accompanied by work for the department such as giving seminars or small group teaching.
PhD students are required to study on campus under close supervision, but there are universities that accept students enrolled into a part-time distance education PhD degree. Studying on campus can also be full-time as well as part-time, in which case the part-time variant is normally twice as long as the full-time study.
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