6 Best Public PhD Universities in the United Arab Emirates

University of Sharjah tops our list of 6 Public PhD universities in the United Arab Emirates at #328 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Next come Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) (#11 in United Arab Emirates) and British University in Dubai (#14 in United Arab Emirates). Across the whole list there are 28 courses to choose from.

Subject

Level

University type

Location

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Universities 6 Programs 28 Scholarships 0

6 universities · ranked best first

how we rank

1Best overall

QS World #328 #5 in United Arab Emirates Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

University of Sharjah

Public University · 9 courses in PhD

All 9 courses →

AED 43,500 – AED 59,000/yrTuition (indicative)

1997Founded

17,000Students

4,000International

Admissions open

#328 QS World University Rankings 2026

#5 in United Arab Emirates

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2Top pick

#11 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)

Public University · 8 courses in PhD

All 8 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#11 in United Arab Emirates · by research impact

130,125 citations · h-index 155

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3Top pick

#14 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

British University in Dubai

Public University · 7 courses in PhD

All 7 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#14 in United Arab Emirates · by research impact

65,569 citations · h-index 110

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4Ranked

#17 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

Rak Medical & Health Sciences University

Public University · 2 courses in PhD

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#17 in United Arab Emirates · by research impact

48,653 citations · h-index 82

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5Ranked

#18 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

University of Wollongong - Dubai Campus

Public University · 1 course in PhD

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)PhD / Doctorate

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#18 in United Arab Emirates · by research impact

37,321 citations · h-index 85

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6Ranked

#21 in United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

American University in the Emirates

Public University · 1 course in PhD

Doctorate in Business AdministrationPhD / Doctorate

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#21 in United Arab Emirates · by research impact

29,135 citations · h-index 73

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Universities at other levels

Bachelor's Universities Master's Universities Professional Universities

Popular collections

Public Universities Bachelor's Universities Public Bachelor's Universities Computer Science & IT Universities Public Computer Science & IT Universities Business & Management Universities Medicine & Health Sciences Universities Public Business & Management Universities Public Medicine & Health Sciences Universities Bachelor's Computer Science & IT Universities

How these universities are ranked

Only one university here holds a QS World position — University of Sharjah at #328 — so it heads the list. The rest are ordered by research impact. University of Sharjah has the largest research record in this group, with 1,078,210 citations and an h-index of 319.

Public, private and where they are

The split is 6 public to 0 private institutions. By location, Sharjah (1) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is University of Sharjah, founded in 1997. University of Sharjah is the largest, with 17,000 students.

What the courses look like

The most common subjects are Computer Science & IT (6), Medicine & Health Sciences (5), Engineering (4) and Business & Management (4). The usual length is 4–6 years and 3 years. 100% are full-time. Start dates lean to Fall (84% of courses with a stated intake). University of Sharjah offers the widest choice, with 9 of these courses.

Frequently asked questions

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

University of Sharjah (QS World #328), Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) (#11 in United Arab Emirates) and British University in Dubai (#14 in United Arab Emirates) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

How many public universities offer Public PhD in the United Arab Emirates?

6 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

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

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

When do Public PhD courses start in the United Arab Emirates?

Fall is the main intake — 84% of courses with a stated start date begin then.

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

University of Sharjah, with 9, ahead of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) (8).

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