A guide to Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University – HBMSU
The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University is a flagship project set to redefine the future of education in the UAE. This project holds an important place in the development of the region’s education sector as it is the first e-learning institute in the Arab world. The university offers a smart education system with result-oriented strategies.
HBMSU caters to a range of academic disciplines with a focus on business, healthcare, human resource, quality management, environment and education.
Overview
Established in 2002, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University in UAE is named after His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai who is also the president of HBMSU. Within a short duration, the renowned e-university has built a strong reputation as one of the top educational institutes in the UAE.
This project has been led by Dr Mansoor Al Awar, the Chancellor of HBMSU, right from its conception to the implementation of a fully-functional e-learning system. The university has been accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research.
- Leadership: Dr Mansoor Al Awar (Chancellor)
- Location: Dubai Academic City, Dubai
- Contact: +971-4-424-1111 | +971-8-003-333-000
- Fees: AED 42,000 to AED 252,800
The vision of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University
The vision of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University is to build a progressive Arab society and a strong educational system for a better future. The innovative virtual learning centre will help to improve organisational set-ups and ultimately help in the advancement of society.
Courses at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University
With a campus at Dubai’s leading educational hub Academic City, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University is the first university in the Gulf Cooperation Council to acquire the coveted membership to the International Council for Open Education and Distance Education. The virtual university offers different programs for students across the UAE along with an extensive library and other learning resources at its Smart Campus. Learners can access the library virtually by logging in to the official website.
While the educational programs mainly focus on subjects that can practically play a part in improving the infrastructure of the Arab society, key elements of Arabic Studies and Islamic Culture are also integrated into these modules to develop a strong understanding of Arab culture among the city’s youth.
Students can apply for undergraduate, masters, PhD courses as well as diploma programs at the institute.
Undergraduate Programs
Hamdan bin Mohammed University Undergraduate Programs include an array of academic disciplines with practical applications in different industries. Here is the list of undergraduate programs offered at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University.
- Bachelor of Business in Accounting
- Bachelor of Business and Quality Management
- Bachelor in Business and Human Resource Management
- Bachelor of Science in Health Administration
Fees structure for undergraduate programs at HBMSU are as follows:
Course Title | Credit Hours | Tuition Fees inclusive of VAT (AED) |
|---|---|---|
Course Title Bachelor of Business in Accounting | Credit Hours 123 | Tuition Fees inclusive of VAT (AED) 97,416 |
Course Title Bachelor in Business and Human Resource Management | Credit Hours 129 | Tuition Fees inclusive of VAT (AED) 102,168 |
Course Title Bachelor of Business and Quality Management | Credit Hours 123 | Tuition Fees inclusive of VAT (AED) 120,540 |
Course Title Bachelor of Science in Health Administration | Credit Hours 123 | Tuition Fees inclusive of VAT (AED) 97,416 |
Masters Programs
Those working in the professional industries may feel the need to acquire a specialisation in their respective discipline to grow professionally. Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University caters to the needs of learners belonging to different backgrounds. The virtual educational system ensures a learning program that can adjust to the pace of each individual learner and bring productive outcomes. Here is the list of disciplines for which the Hamdan Bin Mohammed University offers postgraduate degrees.
List of Masters Degree Programs in Business and Management Sciences:
Here is the list of postgraduate programs in Business and Management Science along with the fee structure.
Course Title | Credit Hours | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) |
|---|---|---|
Course Title Master of Science in Innovation and Change Management | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 84,960 |
Course Title Master of Science in Organizational Excellence | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 84,960 |
Course Title Master of Project Management | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 84,960 |
Course Title Master of Management in Entrepreneurial Leadership | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 72,000 |
Course Title Master in Islamic Banking and Finance | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 72,000 |
Course Title Master in Human Resource Management | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 72,000 |
Course Title Executive MBA in Islamic Banking and Finance | Credit Hours 30 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 42,000 |
List of Master Degree Programs in Health Sciences:
Here is the list of postgraduate programs in Health Sciences along with the fee structure.
Course Title | Credit Hours | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) |
|---|---|---|
Course Title Master of Science: Excellence in Environmental Management | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 72,000 |
Course Title Master of Science in Public Health | Credit Hours 45 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 90,000 |
Course Title Master of Science in Hospital Management | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 72,000 |
List of Master Degree Programs in E-Education:
Here is the list of postgraduate programs in E-education along with the fee structure.
Course Title | Credit Hours | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) |
|---|---|---|
Course Title Master of Science in Interactive Educational Technologies | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 72,000 |
Course Title Master of Arts in Online Education Leadership and Management | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 72,000 |
Course Title Master of Arts in Online Curriculum and Instruction | Credit Hours 36 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 72,000 |
Doctorate Programs
Those who want to earn a PhD degree in order to develop an in-depth understanding of Quality Management, healthcare or education can enrol in the following doctorate programs at Hamdan Bin Mohammed University, UAE.
- Doctor of Philosophy (Total Quality Management)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Healthcare Management)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Leadership)
Here is the fee structure for available courses:
Course Title | Credit Hours | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) |
|---|---|---|
Course Title Doctor of Philosophy (Total Quality Management) | Credit Hours 79 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 252,800 |
Course Title Doctor of Philosophy (Healthcare Management) | Credit Hours 79 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 252,800 |
Course Title Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Leadership) | Credit Hours 79 | Tuition Fees Inclusive of VAT (AED) 252,800 |
Diploma Programs
HBMSU offers an array of applied diploma course in Business, Health Administration and Project Management. Visit the official website for further information about the diploma programs.
Admission Criteria at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University
All undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate programs at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University have an admission criterion. For the undergraduate and postgraduate programs, the e-university has two types of admission criteria: regular admission and conditional admission. Here are the details of admission requirements for different programs at HBMSU.
Eligibility for Regular and Conditional Admission for Undergraduate Programs at HBMSU
Academic requirement for regular admission:
- Students who hold a high school certification or its equivalent with a minimum overall score of 70% can apply. Students from humanities, commerce or science backgrounds are accepted.
- Students who hold a technical high school certificate or its equivalent with at least 75% overall percentage can apply. This is applicable to the students from technical, industrial or commerce background on secondary education level.
Academic requirement for conditional admission:
- Applicants with a minimum 60% score in high school with a literary or science background and 70% result in industrial secondary education can get accepted conditionally.
Academic requirement for diploma holders:
- Students with MOHESR accredited higher diploma degrees or diploma degrees from any renowned institute are eligible for regular admissions. They are exempted from the aforementioned high school average.
- As per the HBMSU’s credit transfer policies, diploma holders who have a 50% or above in secondary school can apply for credit transfer for successfully completed courses. This applies to higher diploma holders as well.
Academic requirement for applicants with British and US high school certificates:
For students from British Curriculum (IGCSE):
- An O-Level or two levels (O level, A level or AS level) combined with at least 7 subjects is the criteria for eligibility.
- Students must have a C grade result in O level, a grade D in AS level or a grade E in A level.
- It is compulsory to have any of the four subjects from the following five covered in IGCSE: Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Humanities, Languages and Arts and Design.
For students from American Curriculum schools:
- Applicants with an American Diploma are needed to provide certifications to prove that they have passed grade 10, 11 and 12 along with a certificate of completing 12 years of school.
- They are also required to provide an equivalency certificate issued by MOE.
Proficiency in the English Language for Bachelor’s Program
All undergraduate programs necessitate proficiency in the English language. The requirement includes TOEFL certificate with at least a 500 score in the paper-based exam, a score of 173 in the computer-based exam or a score of 61 in the internet-based exam (IBT). A score of 5 or above in IELTS or a score of 1100 – 1225 in Emirates Standardized Test (EmSAT) English Achieved are also accepted as equivalent results for proficiency in the English Language.
Eligibility for Regular and Conditional Admission in Post Graduate Programs at HBMSU
Criteria for Regular Admission:
Applicants for master’s degree programs are required to have a bachelor’s degree with at least 3.00 AGPA on a scale of 4.00 or equivalent from a recognised higher education institute. The university has also introduced a Management Appreciation Program (MAP) for students from non-management backgrounds. Students have to complete MAP before starting the first semester of any of the following programs:
- Master of Science in Organizational Excellence
- Master of Science in Hospital Management
- Master of Science in Innovation and Change Management
- Master of Science: Excellence in Environmental Management
- Master in Project Management
- Master in Human Resource Management
- Master in Islamic Banking and Finance
- Master of Management in Entrepreneurial Leadership
Criteria for Conditional Admission:
- Applicants with an AGPA score of 2.5 to 2.9 may get admission in HBMSU if they successfully achieve 3.00 or above AGPA in the first 9 credit hours.
- University may give admission to applicants for a Master’s degree program with a recognized bachelor’s degree along with either of the following standardized English language test results: 1250 score in EmSat, TOEFL with 197 CBT, 71 IBT and 530 PBT or IELTS with 5.5 score bands.
- Applicants with a score of 6 or above for IELTS along with a CGPA score of 2 to 2.49 may also fulfil the criteria for conditional admission in Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University.
Proficiency in English Language for Master’s Program
Candidates applying for a master’s program must acquire a score of 550 PBT or 79 IBT in TOEFL or its equivalent. Scoring 6.0 or above in IELTS or 1400 – 1525 in Emirates Standardized Test (EmSAT) are also considered acceptable criteria for enrolment.
Eligibility for Admission in PhD Programs at HBMSU
Here are the perquisites for admission in a doctorate program at HBMSU:
- A master’s degree in a subject relevant to the doctoral degree you are applying for. Candidates who do not fulfil this criterion must have a master’s degree with distinction in the undergraduate programme with a CGPA of more than 3.5 out of 4.0.
- Candidates must score a GPA of 3.00 or above or equivalent on a scale of 4.00 in their master’s program.
- Applicants must have a minimum score of 80 IBT in TOEFL with at least 24 marks in writing test, or its equivalent IELTS score of 6.0 bands overall with a minimum of 6.5 for writing.
- PhD candidates are also required to pass the evaluation interview before qualifying for the admission in a doctoral program.
Documents required for admission
Documents required for applying in undergraduate and postgraduate programs
Applicants have to submit the following documents for admissions to undergraduate or postgraduate programs via the online application form:
- Certificate of the last exam passed (High School Secondary Certificate/ Bachelor Certificate)
- Official transcripts
- Emirates ID
- Relevant English language test result
- 4 photographs
- Equivalency certificate for foreign bachelor or high school certification from the UAE Ministry of Education
Documents required for applying for PhD programs:
Candidates for PhD programs need to submit the following documents via the online application form available on the official website of HBMSU.
- PhD program application form
- Attested copies of previous qualifications and other academic records
- Attested copies of academic transcripts
- IELTS/TOEFL and other relevant English language test results
- Valid passport with visa
- Emirates ID
- 4 passport sized photographs
- Updated Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of employment (applicable for employed candidates only)
- Two original letters of recommendation
- Letter to intent
- Outline of research interest
Documents that are in any other language should be translated into English and both the translations and originals should be submitted.
That is all for our guide to Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. For more information about programs, courses and other details, you can head to the official website of the university.
The UAE has numerous other educational institutes that offer different degree programs for a variety of disciplines. Learners in Dubai can explore their options by checking out the best colleges and universities in Dubai.
Moreover, those particularly interested in accounts and finances can look into renowned ACCA institutes in Dubai. There are plenty of options for students who desire to build a career in engineering. They can apply at the top-listed engineering colleges and universities in Dubai to earn a professional degree in engineering.
Apart from Dubai, other emirates of the UAE also offer comprehensive institutes for higher education. Residents of Sharjah will find a list of programs to study at colleges and universities in Sharjah. The emirate has developed an educational hub by building several top-tier universities at the University City Sharjah. Similarly, expats and locals living in Ajman can apply for a degree in one of the institutes for higher education in Ajman.
(Please note that cover image for this blog belongs to the Twitter page of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University)
