Higher Education in Qatar

Qatar is committed to a v​ibrant, growing higher education community. In the 2018/19 academic year, Qatar had 29 colleges and universities. More than 34,000 students attended them in 2017/18. These post-secondary institutions offer an expanding number of degrees, fields of study, and specializations– from medicine to business and technology to liberal arts.

Colleges and universities in Qatar serve not only its own citizens. Qatar is a regional hub, attracting students from all over the world, particularly the Gulf.

Public Higher Education Institutions​

Qatar Foundation Universities
Alongside Qatar University, there are branches of world-renowned higher education institutions, supported by Qatar Foundation. They include:

Private Higher Education Institutions

1. ​Stenden Qatar - University of Applied Sciences
2. Doha Institute for Graduate Studies    
   
3. AFG College with the University of Aberdeen
4. University Foundation College
5. City University ​College
6. Oryx Universal College with Liverpool John Moores University​
7. Lusail University
8. Rule of Law & Anti-Corruption Center (ROLACC)
9.  Indian State University Savitribai Phule Pune

Higher education institutions offer 290 educational programs for the academic year 2019-2020. Qatar University, Community College of Qatar, The North Atlantic College, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University offer more than 66% of these programs. ​

Please visit the link below to view the higher education institutions and accredited academic programs in Qatar.

Application for Government Sholarships

Registration for government scholarships is now open for the academic year 2020/21. Starting July 7th, students can apply online for the undergraduate or graduate programs as per the dates announced by the Ministry for the fall and spring semesters. For information about the application dates, click here .

To register for the scholarship, please visit the Government Scholarship Program portal.

The required documents for undergraduate applications include:

• Passport-size photo
• Copy of Qatari ID (both sides)
• Passport copy
• Copy of parent/sponsor's ID (both sides)
• Recent salary certificate, retirement certificate (not exceeding 3 months) or valid commercial register
• Statement from the National Service Academy (for males)
• Unconditional acceptance letter issued by any of the accredited universities or colleges
• Student's bank account number (IBAN) certificate addressed To Whom It May Concern
• General secondary certificate, or equivalent, for no more than three previous years (2017-2020)

The required documents to apply for undergraduate scholarships for non-fresh high school graduates:

• A non-registration letter from Qatar University
• An unemployment letter from the ADLSA addressed To Whom it May Concern
  

The required documents for graduate applications include:

• Passport-size photo
• ID copy
• Passport copy
• Salary certificate from the employer
• Previous degree (and equivalent or graduation certificate)
• Student's bank account number (IBAN) certificate addressed To Whom It May Concern
• Unconditional acceptance letter issued by any of the accredited universities or colleges
• Nomination letter from the employer
• No objection letter from the Ministry of Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs

The complete details about the admission requirements, Amiri scholarship universities, required documents, approved universities and available majors can be found on the Government Scholarship Program portal, or read more the frequently asked questions.

For more information, please contact us at Registration.Admission@edu.gov.qa

Licensing Higher Education Institution

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education is concerned with supervising the higher education, granting licenses to establish private higher education institutions and considering relevant applications submitted by different parties. Therefore, it sets a number of academic procedures and standards to make it easy for those wishing to establish higher education institutions in the State of Qatar.

The Ministry has developed a handbook on the procedures for licensing higher education institutions and a handbook on the standards for licensing higher education institutions and programs to simplify the procedures and address difficulties that may face those wishing to establish higher education institutions.

To this end, the Ministry provides advice and guidance during the initial stages of the projects, as well as continuous support throughout the different stages of establishing higher education institutions.

The purposes of establishing such procedure and standard handbooks are to set a clear system for those wishing to start higher education institutions, simplify licensing procedures and address the difficulties they may encounter. This shall, in no way, affect the provision and management of high-quality academic programs, which produce high academic and practical outputs and, thus, contribute towards the advancement of the Qatari society.
Through the adoption of these standards, the Ministry further aims at promoting investment and increasing the number of private higher education institutions. This will help to diversify the higher education fields nationwide and increase the higher education enrollment rates to serve all community members. It will further expand partnership between the public and private sectors.

Interested parties can view the Handbook on Procedures for Licensing Higher Education Institutions and the Handbook on Standards for Licensing Higher Education Institutions. You can also contact the Higher Education Institutions Affairs Department over the phone: (+974) 44044940 or via email at s.alsayed@edu.gov.qa