Your high school diploma can get you some jobs. However, if you want a high-paying one with an opportunity to go up the corporate ladder, you’ll surely want to obtain a university education. You’re not alone because the majority of the global population wants to have a better life. You can decide to study at a local university or opt to earn a degree abroad. If you’re thinking of studying overseas, why don’t you go to Qatar?
Qatar is a small state in the Middle East, but it offers many opportunities for higher education. We listed seven cheap universities in Qatar that you can consider. Read on!
Affordable Universities in Qatar for International Students
1. Qatar University
The University of Qatar is a government-funded research university with Arabic as the medium of instruction in the arts, education, and social sciences. However, courses in business, sciences, and engineering are in English. Qatar University is the only public and academic institution for higher learning in the state.
New students go through a “foundation program” where they learn skills in Computer, English, and Math. Aside from offering undergraduate programs, this cheap university in Qatar also has an ocean vessel, research labs, a library with rare manuscripts, and technical equipment. It conducts regional research in the areas of energy and the environment.
2. Al Rayyan International University College (ARIU)
Al Rayyan International University College (ARIU) formerly known as Stenden University was a branch of Stenden University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. It is a joint venture with Al Rayyan Education. It is a small academic institution of higher learning with three undergraduate programs in International Business, Tourism Management, and International Hospitality Management.
In 2021, it changed its former name and terminated its association with Stenden. ARIU made a significant change by partnering with the University of Derby in the UK.
Graduates at this cheap university in Qatar obtain an excellent balance of theory and practice because they need to complete an internship before graduation. Moreover, the mode of instruction is student-centered allowing students to solve problems and reflect on their experiences. Learners work with small groups, and teachers act as facilitators only.
3. Texas A&M University – Qatar
Texas A&M University is a campus of a US-based academic institution of the same name. It offers undergraduate programs in petroleum, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering. In 2011, it began offering a master’s degree in chemical engineering, but the university began operations in 2003 as an agreement with the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development.
To help new students, this low-cost university in Qatar launched Aggie Life as a strategic initiative to connect them with the campus. It already has proven retention and graduation rates, so the emphasis now is on improving the student experience to have graduates with diverse skills. Therefore, Aggie Life introduces and integrates these freshmen not only into the university but into the engineering world as well. It focuses on communication skills, collaborative learning, critical thinking, and the university’s core values.
4. Virginia Commonwealth University of Arts – Qatar
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts is a branch of the US-based institution of the same name. It started in 1998 and was the first school in Education City. The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development funds it along with endowed chairs from its US campus. This cheap university in Qatar offers undergraduate programs in interior design, fashion design, painting & printmaking, and graphic design. Also, it offers a Bachelor of Arts in Art History degree and a Master of Fine Arts in Design degree.
VCU Arts Qatar is a small school. Initially, it only accepted women but started accepting men in 2008. However, the agreement between the university and Qatar Foundation limits the acceptance of international learners to 30% of the student population. The standards for social conduct within the campus are stricter and more conservative because Qatar strictly imposes Wahhabism, a form of Islam.
5. Carnegie Mellon University – Qatar
Like the other universities in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon is only a branch of a US-based Carnegie Mellon University, and the Qatar Foundation funds it. The school started in 2004 and was the fourth US-based university established in the state. Its campus is in Education City, along with the other American and European institutions. This university in Qatar follows the same curriculum and programs as the Pittsburg campus in the US. It offers undergraduate programs in Business Administration, Computer Science, Computational Biology, Information Systems, and Biological Sciences.
6. Northwestern University – Qatar
Northwestern University started in 2008 through a collaboration with Qatar Foundation. It offers undergraduate programs in strategic communication, journalism, and communication. Moreover, it forms partnerships with various media groups locally, so its students have opportunities for employment. It had its first graduates in the spring of 2012. The Qatar campus offers excellent journalism and communication studies that are on par with the best universities in the world.
7. Georgetown University – Qatar
Georgetown University is a US-based academic institution of higher learning with a campus in Qatar. It started in 2002 in collaboration with the Qatar Foundation. This university offers a four-year program in Foreign Service with four majors, such as culture and politics, international history, international economics, and international politics within the degree. Moreover, the university has three certification options in American Studies, Media and Politics, and Arab and Regional Studies.
The Center for International and Regional Studies is also on the campus. It is a research institution focusing on the Middle East and Asian issues. Moreover, it sponsors studies of international and regional significance in the areas of domestic politics, political economy, and international relations.
Education is significant for your success. If you’re searching for a university overseas, why don’t you try the cheap universities in Qatar? Many of these academic institutions are US-based and only have a branch in the state, but they offer the same high-quality education. The cheapest in our list, of course, is the government-funded University of Qatar, and the costliest are Northwestern University and Georgetown University. If budget is an issue, you have many options for schools in Qatar.
We hope that this article on cheap universities in Qatar was helpful. If you are interested in studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students!
