University of Europe for Applied Sciences (Dubai)

University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE) is a private, state-recognised German university of applied sciences with several German campuses, including Berlin, Hamburg and Iserlohn, plus a campus in Dubai; it is part of the Global University Systems network. The Dubai campus operates under a licence from KHDA, Dubai’s education regulator, and its programmes rest on German accreditation (state of Brandenburg). Everything in Dubai is taught in English, and the standard bachelor’s rate is $16,580 (AED 60,882) a year.

Good fit: students who want a German university degree while living and interning in Dubai, with four intakes a year on business programmes and a moderate budget for a private UAE institution. It also suits those who may later transfer to a German UE campus.

Check in advance: if you plan public-sector work in the UAE or a regulated profession after graduating, confirm what recognition procedure a degree from a KHDA-licensed campus will need.

UE is a private university of applied sciences recognised by the German state; the university says it is one of the few private institutions in Germany with system accreditation, meaning its internal programme quality system itself is audited. In Dubai it awards the same German degree and describes it as the first German degree available in the city.

For work in the UAE, the KHDA licence is what matters legally, since KHDA regulates Dubai’s private institutions, including international branch campuses. For work in Europe and a master’s in Germany, UE’s German status counts, and each receiving university decides on admission and credit transfer.

A young campus is better judged by its curriculum, internships and industry partners than by general rankings.

The campus is in the One Central complex in the Dubai World Trade Centre district, which UE places within the Dubai Future District. World Trade Centre metro station is about eight minutes’ walk away; the university provides no transport, so students use the metro, Careem or Uber taxis, or hourly parking in the building.

According to the university, more than 3,000 students from over 90 countries study across the UE network. The academic year opens with a mandatory orientation week for first-year students.

The management bachelor’s adds modules such as Start-Up Management, Big Data Management and Digital Transformation to the core, with specialisations in marketing, digital business, entrepreneurship and international management. UE’s curriculum includes two internships of several weeks, and students can earn extra industry certificates from partners such as IBM and Amazon.

Business and Digital Business & Data Science also come with a Pre-Course option, whose cost is credited toward the final bachelor’s semester.

Depending on their school curriculum, some non-EU applicants sit an entrance test: a short essay on the chosen programme and, for some programmes, a maths section. UE says no special preparation is needed.

1. 4–6 months before the start. Choose a programme and the nearest intake and take the English test.
2. Application. Form, transcript, certificate, CV and passport; the entrance test if required.
3. Enrolment. After the admission decision you receive an offer; with original documents and translations you register, sign the KHDA form and the payment contract.
4. Student visa. After entering on an entry permit, you file visa documents through the university’s student services.

For enrolment in Dubai, UE asks for originals with English translations:

• school certificate or degree;
• passport and entry permit;
• the KHDA enrolment acknowledgement form;
• UAE health insurance, if already arranged;
• post-dated cheques in line with the payment plan, or an undertaking letter instead.

For the visa, student services ask for a completed form, a colour passport copy, a police clearance certificate via the foreign ministry (MOFA) and the entry permit stamped at the airport. Translations and attestation usually take the longest, so start with them.

UE quotes a standard annual rate in dirhams for Dubai. At the UAE Central Bank’s fixed peg, $1 equals AED 3.6725.

Payment can be spread: UE accepts post-dated cheques or an undertaking letter and considers instalment requests through its service centre. Savings are set case by case, including academic merit reductions based on grade average and a referral scheme of €500 for the referrer and €500 for the new student.

Living costs. UE estimates that a student in Dubai spends AED 4,750–8,000 ($1,290–2,180) a month including rent. In rented housing, utilities such as electricity, water, air conditioning and internet are often billed separately.

The campus has no dormitory of its own: UE lists hotel and apartment options at different price points, and their staff often help students find roommates. The contract is signed with the property.

For a wider view of studying and living in Dubai, see our guide to studying in Dubai as an international student.

The Dubai campus focuses on technology, business and design, fields with a large job market in the city. Internships, partner projects and industry certificates are the main way to gain experience before graduating. If you later want to study in Europe, UE lets students continue on its German campuses; confirm the transfer terms with the university.

Common mistakes:

• choosing a programme by name without checking whether it starts in January and July or only in March and September;
• comparing the Dubai annual rate with the euro prices for German campuses, which are separate price lists;
• leaving document attestation until after admission;
• budgeting without utilities and the rental deposit.

Under an agreement with StudyU we compare UE Dubai with other UAE institutions, check documents and English, and prepare the application and student visa file. UE decides admission, UAE immigration authorities decide the student visa, and the landlord or hotel confirms housing. If UE Dubai is on your list, write to us via the consultation page.