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Undergraduate Admissions Policy

Policy 

Admissions policies are clearly articulated so that they can be understood by applicants and implemented consistently by decision makers. Applicant information used for admission decisions should be gathered systematically and used consistently. Admission policies provide all requirements considered in entry decisions and should be accessed and communicated through website and brochures to all during the application process. Admission policies should result in:


  1. A student body that supports the achievement of the UD mission.

  2. Providing clear and specific requirements based on accrediting body’s standards.

  3. Providing established deadlines.

  4. Explaining the process and responsibilities of the Admission Department.

 

Application Documentation Requirements

Application Documentation Requirements

An applicant must provide the following documents for undergraduate admission: 

  1. Completed application form.

  2. Original UAE high school certificate or a certified/attested equivalent (approved by the Ministry of Education). 

  3. Official documentation of minimum English requirements per program as specified in the charts below (section 2). 

  4. Copy of a valid passport and identity card.

  5. Four recent passport-size photographs (in color) or in JPEG format file. 

  6. Receipt for the non-refundable admission fees as per the current fees structure.

  7. If the applicant applies for micro-credentials within the undergraduate program and the micro-credential is: 

    • Offered  directly by UD the applicant must meet the admission requirement of the undergraduate program. 

    • With a partnership university or entity , the student must provide written consent to share their data, personal (passport, visa etc.) and related academic documents (transcripts, grades, certificates etc.) with the external entity  in order to meet any necessary requirements to complete the program.

Admission Criteria

Admission Criteria
Applicants must meet the minimum academic requirements for the program of their choice. The specific requirements for each program are provided below:


Transfer Students

Transfer Students 
UD accepts students coming from other UAE-accredited universities if they satisfy UD regulations (See Policy S 6.3  Transfer Students). If admitted, some courses may be transferred as per policy S 6.3 Transfer Students.  Note: transfer credits from universities accredited by the UAE’s MOE are accepted only if the admission conditions are met. English scores should be valid for transfer students.

Advanced Standing

Advanced Standing 

UD allows academic credit exemption for up to 6 courses (18 CH) for Advanced Placement subjects in the undergraduate programs.  Eligible students can benefit significantly from reduced cost of undergraduate studies and also speed up their graduation in BBA/BS.  For more details, refer to UD Policy S 6.4 on Advanced Standing.


Conditional Probation Admission

Conditional / Probation Admission 

A student is considered a conditional student if they do not meet the regular admission criteria. The duration for conditional admission is up to one long semester, during which the student must sign a declaration stating that they will provide the missing documents. A hold will be placed on the student’s account, and they will be dismissed from the program unless they meet the admission conditions. The student can submit the missing documents at any time during the permitted period. Once the student submits the documents and meets the admission conditions, the hold will be voided  by the Registration Department, and the student will be considered as a student who has fully met admission requirements.

Low English Score 

  1. Applicants who do not meet the minimum required English exam scores will have to take the UD English Placement Test. Based on the result the student obtains from the  placement test, the student will be placed in either English I course or English remedial course. After taking the respective course the student must retest and provide the required minimum English score stated in the admissions criteria in order to continue.  Students have up to one long semester  to complete this requirement after taking the remedial course.

  2. These students may be allowed to register in up to 12 credits (or equivalent) of appropriate General Education course work to contribute towards their undergraduate degree.

  3. Students not in a remedial English course have only one long semester to meet the minimum English exam score requirements.

 

Low Math Score

  1. Applicants who do not meet the required minimums for Math will be required to take and pass the math course associated with their major of choice (Pre-Math, Math 1 for Business/Science and Pre-Calculus and Calculus 1 for Engineering).    


Low High School Score

  1. Applicants with a score of 65-69.9% in their High School Certificate may be considered for conditional admission under the condition that the student has to achieve a minimum grade of C in the registered math course.

  2. Applicants who do not meet the required minimums for Science will be required to take and pass pre-Physics.    

  3. If admitted, the students will have to achieve a minimum CGPA of 2.0 upon completing 30 credit hours at UD. 

  4. Students failing to achieve this CGPA score will be given one additional semester to remedy the deficiency provided that his/her CGPA was at least 1.8, or be dismissed. During this period, the student can repeat courses but shall not be allowed to register new courses.


Placement Tests

General Admission Regulations

General Admission Regulations 

The following admission regulations are followed:

  1. Applications for admission will be accepted until the announced deadline, which must normally be 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. Applicants will be informed about the admission decision including their eligibility for transfer credits, or the date for any required placement tests, if applicable, within a week from application date.

  2. Admission decisions of students into UD are normally valid for only one semester. Students who fail to register will lose their admission status and must resubmit their application as a new applicant.

  3. If the student requests to postpone his admission for the following semester on reasonable grounds, the student will not have to repay the non-refundable registration fees.  

  4. Applicants should make sure that they have all required documents submitted to  finalize their admission  before course registration begins. 

  5. The names of UD students on all university documents are spelled in English exactly as they appear on their passports or identity cards. If the name on a passport or an identity card does not appear in English, it will be spelled according to the applicant’s preference.

  6. Applicants, who were denied admission to UD, may file a petition for admission on a conditional basis. These applicants will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for approval by the VPAA. 

  7. Students granted conditional admission will be considered At-Risk, and will accordingly be closely monitored by their assigned faculty advisor. 

  8. A student status report for conditionally admitted students will be issued at the end of each semester and a hard copy will be archived in the student’s file.

  9. Admissions standards for various undergraduate programs are normally assessed every 3 years as part of continuous improvement and enrollment planning, except when need arises.