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All universities in United Arab Emirates Public universities36
Computer Science & IT15 Business & Management14 Engineering12 Medicine & Health Sciences11
Bachelor's universities20 Master's universities13 Bachelor's programs218 Master's programs153 PhD programs37
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37 Best PhD Programs in the United Arab Emirates

There are 37 PhD programs in the United Arab Emirates, spread across 8 universities — most run 4–6 years. The list starts with courses at New York University, Abu Dhabi, American University of Sharjah and University of Sharjah.

1PhD / Doctorate
NY New York University, Abu Dhabi logo
QS World #38 #1 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Global PhD Programs

New York University, Abu Dhabi — Global PhD Programs at New York University Abu Dhabi focus on Engineering and Science. The programs are started at the New York campus and completed at the NYU Abu Dhabi...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
1–2 years coursework in New York City before research and thDuration
Full TimeMode
fall intakeIntake
View program → About the university
2PhD / Doctorate
NY New York University, Abu Dhabi logo
QS World #38 #1 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Graduate and PhD

New York University, Abu Dhabi — NYU Abu Dhabi offers a set of graduate and PhD options, including MFA Art and Media, MSc in Interdisciplinary Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, MBA and EMBA, plus...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
—Duration
Full TimeMode
—Intake
View program → About the university
3PhD / Doctorate
NY New York University, Abu Dhabi logo
QS World #38 #1 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

PhD Fellow Ayoola Brimmo

New York University, Abu Dhabi — The Global PhD Fellow in Mechanical Engineering, Ayoola T. Brimmo, works as part of a team using 3D printing to create cost-effective microfluidic probes at the Advanced...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
—Duration
Full TimeMode
—Intake
View program → About the university
4PhD / Doctorate
NY New York University, Abu Dhabi logo
QS World #38 #1 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

PhD Fellow Nasser Zalmout

New York University, Abu Dhabi — PhD Fellow Nasser Zalmout in Computer Science at New York University Abu Dhabi works in a natural language processing team that aims to develop tools to address the Arabi...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
—Duration
Full TimeMode
—Intake
View program → About the university
5PhD / Doctorate
AU American University of Sharjah logo
QS World #272 #4 in United Arab Emirates Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

PhD in Biosciences and Bioengineering

American University of Sharjah — The PhD in Biosciences and Bioengineering at American University of Sharjah is an advanced multidisciplinary program in biosciences and bioengineering. Students study cor...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
—Duration
Full TimeMode
—Intake
Engineering
View program → About the university
6PhD / Doctorate
AU American University of Sharjah logo
QS World #272 #4 in United Arab Emirates Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering

American University of Sharjah — The PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering (PhD-CEE) is a doctoral program focused on conducting research in civil and environmental engineering areas, including sust...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
—Duration
Full TimeMode
—Intake
Environmental Engineering
View program → About the university
11PhD / Doctorate
UO University of Sharjah logo
QS World #328 #5 in United Arab Emirates Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Doctor of Pharmacy Pharm D Program At

University of Sharjah — The University of Sharjah offers a Postgraduate Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program in the College of Pharmacy. The program includes didactic and clinical components focu...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
2 yearsDuration
Mode
Spring semesterIntake
Pharmacy
View program → About the university
18PhD / Doctorate
KU Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research logo
#9 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering

Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research — The Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (Ph.D. in Engineering) awards candidates who complete taught courses and research components. Students complete advanced courses i...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
—Duration
Full TimeMode
—Intake
Engineering
View program → About the university
19PhD / Doctorate
MB Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) logo
#11 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Doctor of Philosophy in Computational Biology

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) — The Doctor of Philosophy in Computational Biology at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is designed to equip students with advanced knowledg...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
4–6 yearsDuration
Full TimeMode
2026Intake
Biology
View program → About the university
20PhD / Doctorate
MB Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) logo
#11 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) — The Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is designed for students who are passionate about advanci...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
4–6 yearsDuration
Full TimeMode
FallIntake
Computer Science
View program → About the university
21PhD / Doctorate
MB Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) logo
#11 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Vision

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) — The Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Vision at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence is a rigorous research-oriented program designed for scholars aspir...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
4–6 yearsDuration
Full TimeMode
FallIntake
Computer Vision
View program → About the university
22PhD / Doctorate
MB Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) logo
#11 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Doctor of Philosophy in Human-Computer Interaction

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) — The Doctor of Philosophy in Human-Computer Interaction at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is an advanced research degree program that exp...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
4–6 yearsDuration
Full TimeMode
2026Intake
Human-Computer Interaction
View program → About the university
23PhD / Doctorate
MB Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) logo
#11 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Doctor of Philosophy in Machine Learning

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) — The Doctor of Philosophy in Machine Learning at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is designed to cultivate advanced knowledge and research...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
4–6 yearsDuration
Full TimeMode
FallIntake
Machine Learning
View program → About the university
24PhD / Doctorate
MB Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) logo
#11 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Language Processing

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) — The Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Language Processing (NLP) at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) delves deep into the computational model...

PhD / DoctorateLevel
4–6 yearsDuration
Full TimeMode
FallIntake
Languages & Linguistics
View program → About the university

Keep looking

in United Arab Emirates

How these courses are ranked

3 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #38 (New York University, Abu Dhabi) to #328 (University of Sharjah); they are listed first, in that order. The rest are ordered by research impact. Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research has the largest research record in this group, with 1,119,393 citations and an h-index of 286.

Levels, lengths and start dates

The most common subjects are Engineering (6), Pharmacy (3), Languages & Linguistics (2) and Medicine & Health Sciences (2). The usual length is 4–6 years and 3 years. 100% are full-time. Start dates lean to Fall (81% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (5% of courses with a stated intake). University of Sharjah offers the widest choice, with 10 of these courses.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best university in the United Arab Emirates for PhD?

New York University, Abu Dhabi (QS World #38), American University of Sharjah (QS World #272) and University of Sharjah (QS World #328) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

Which is the cheapest university for PhD in the United Arab Emirates?

Of those with published fees, University of Sharjah is the least expensive at about USD 14,000 a year. Fees are indicative — confirm on the university's site.

How long does a PhD course take in the United Arab Emirates?

Most listed courses run 4–6 years, with 3 years the next most common.

When do PhD courses start in the United Arab Emirates?

Fall is the main intake — 81% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Which university has the most PhD courses in the United Arab Emirates?

University of Sharjah, with 10, ahead of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) (8).

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