How much does Heriot-Watt Dubai cost per year?

Bachelor's fees for the January and September intakes are 78,650 AED per year for management and 82,264 AED for engineering and computing. The Foundation year costs 56,280 AED. Your first-year fee stays the same until you graduate.

Is the Heriot-Watt Dubai degree the same as in the UK?

Yes. Graduates receive the same Heriot-Watt University degree as students in Scotland. The Dubai programs are also accredited by the UAE's CAA.

What CBSE percentage do I need?

Management and design need 65%. Engineering needs 65% plus 60% in math and physics or chemistry, and psychology needs 70%. With 50%, you can start with Foundation.

Does Heriot-Watt Dubai offer scholarships for Indian and Pakistani students?

Yes. The Undergraduate Merit Scholarship gives 30–50% off the first-year fee, spread across all years, for CBSE or FBISE scores of 80%, 85% or 90% and above. You keep it by scoring at least a C each year.

Can I transfer to Edinburgh or Malaysia?

Yes, through Go Global, if your program runs on that campus. You need to complete Year 1 in full and pass all exams. We confirm fee terms for the transfer period with you.

When are the intakes?

Bachelor's programs start in January and September; master's also start in May. Classes for the January intake begin on 18 January. Some programs, such as Electrical & Electronic Engineering, start only in September.

Heriot-Watt University Dubai: Fees, Entry Requirements and Visa

A Scottish university campus in Dubai Knowledge Park: published fees, entry grades by curriculum, visa costs and the limits to know before you apply.

Heriot-Watt University Dubai is the Dubai campus of Heriot-Watt University, founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1821. Students here graduate with the same Heriot-Watt degree as students in the UK. The campus opened in 2005 as the first British university campus in Dubai and has been in Dubai Knowledge Park since 2021.

It suits students who want a UK degree in English, two intakes a year, a fixed tuition fee and the option to study for a time in the UK or Malaysia.

It suits you less if your tuition budget is below about 78,000 AED a year, or if your grades send you to Foundation first (see the limits below).

Key fact	Heriot-Watt Dubai
Parent university	Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland (founded 1821)
In Dubai since	2005
Campus	Dubai Knowledge Park (since 2021)
UAE status	MoHESR institutional licensure (2023); all 71 bachelor's and master's programs accredited by CAA (February 2025)
Dubai regulator	KHDA, five-star ratings
Degree	Heriot-Watt University degree, same as in the UK
Levels

Tuition fees at Heriot-Watt University Dubai

Fees for the January and September intakes are published on each program page. International and UAE students pay the same rate.

Program (example)	Fee	Intake on the price list
Foundation (Degree Entry Programme, e.g. Design Studies), 1 year	56,280 AED	January and September intakes
Bachelor's, management (e.g. MA (Hons) International Business Management)	78,650 AED per year	January and September intakes
Bachelor's, engineering and computing (e.g. BEng Electrical & Electronic Engineering, BSc Computer Systems)	82,264 AED per year	January and September intakes
Master's (e.g. MSc International Business Management with Marketing, full-time)	99,528 AED for the program	January and September intakes

Program pages state these fees include VAT, while the general fees page says they exclude it, so we check the exact figure for your program. MBA fees we confirm for your case.

Your first-year fee stays the same every year until you graduate, if your fee status does not change. Payment:

300 AED non-refundable application fee.
On accepting the offer: 10% of the first-year fee plus a refundable 1,000 AED security deposit.
The rest: in full or in 4 equal installments per year; 25% of the annual fee is due before the visa application.

Scholarships. The Undergraduate Merit Scholarship gives 30%, 40% or 50% off the net first-year fee, spread equally across all years of study. Thresholds: CBSE or Pakistan FBISE HSSC 80%, 85% or 90%+; A-levels BBB, ABB or AAB; IB 28, 33 or 37+; American curriculum 85%, 90% or 95%. You keep it by scoring at least a C each year. WAEC and CIS certificates are not listed, so we ask the university about your case.

A year at Heriot-Watt Dubai

AED per year, January and September intakes

Foundation (Degree Entry Programme)56,280 AED
Bachelor's, management78,650 AED
Bachelor's, engineering and computing82,264 AED

Fees from program pages. The master's is priced per program: MSc International Business Management with Marketing costs 99,528 AED.

Programs and the degree you receive

Subjects: business, finance, engineering, computing and AI, data science, psychology, architecture and design, and construction.

Foundation (Degree Entry Programme) — 1 year, if your grades do not meet Year 1 entry.
Bachelor's — 3–4 years, awarded as MA, BSc or BEng (Hons).
Master's and MBA — the MBA is delivered by Edinburgh Business School.

Let's review your case in a free consultation

We will match a country, university and programme to your documents and budget, and explain deadlines and the visa.

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Admission requirements for international students

Year 1 entry depends on your school curriculum and program. The course director makes the final decision.

Curriculum	Year 1 entry	Foundation entry
India (CBSE, ICSE, State Boards)	Management and design 65%; engineering 65% + 60% in math and physics/chemistry; computer science 65% + 60% math; data science 65% + 65% math; psychology 70%	50%
Pakistan (FBISE HSSC)	70% for management programs	Confirmed on request
Nigeria (WAEC, NECO, WASSCE)	Management, psychology, design: 5 subjects at B2. No direct Year 1 entry to engineering, computer science or data science	5 subjects at C6
UAE (Tawjihiyya)	80% (Elite/Advanced 75%)	68%

Indian students with strong results can join Year 2 directly: 75% for management, 85% (with 80% in math) for engineering and computer science. There is no Year 2 route for WAEC or the CIS Attestat. The university does not publish separate rules for Egypt or Saudi Arabia, so we check them before you apply.

How to apply

Check your grades — compare your results with the table above and pick Year 1, Year 2 or Foundation.

Prepare English — IELTS Academic 6.0 (no band below 5.5), IELTS Online accepted, or Duolingo 120 (min 110) or PTE 50–57. Foundation needs IELTS 5.5 or Duolingo 100. Citizens of countries UKVI treats as English-speaking are exempt.

Collect documents — passport, school certificate and transcript. The UAE does not accept an apostille: documents need legalization at home, by your Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE embassy, then the UAE MoFA.

Apply and pay the 300 AED fee — then receive your offer.

Accept the offer — pay 10% of the first-year fee and the 1,000 AED deposit.

Start the visa — pay 25% of the annual fee plus visa charges; processing usually takes 15–20 working days.

For the January intake, Welcome Week runs 11–15 January and classes start on 18 January. Deadlines are not published, and some programs, such as Electrical & Electronic Engineering and Data Sciences, start only in September.

What to know before you apply

CIS certificates need top grades. A Russian or Kazakh Attestat needs a 5 in every subject plus IELTS 6.0 for Year 1. Otherwise Foundation adds a year and 56,280 AED.
WAEC closes direct entry to engineering and computing. Nigerian applicants go through Foundation for these subjects. Management, psychology and design accept WAEC for Year 1.
Equivalency is a real deadline. Without it within one semester, the university may withdraw you. Start legalization at home before you fly; we prepare the document chain with you.

Rankings and accreditation

Heriot-Watt University is ranked 401–500 in the THE World University Rankings. The Dubai campus received MoHESR institutional licensure in 2023, and on 6 February 2025 all 71 bachelor's and master's programs received initial CAA accreditation. It holds KHDA five-star ratings, starting with the first KHDA rating in 2019. According to the university, it has over 5,000 students.

Housing and student life

There are no university dorms. Partner residences give Heriot-Watt students a discount, and a shuttle runs to campus:

Residence	Price per month (AED)
ESAW	from 2,150 (shared)
KSK	2,999–3,999
The Myriad	3,200–5,400
Yugo	3,300–5,500
Al Sufouh Suites (3.7 km from campus)	3,750–7,500
Mercure (apartments)	3,750–5,000 per person

Outside tuition, plan on roughly 5,500–9,000 AED per month in total. Students aged 23 or under get 50% off public transport with a student Nol card. See our cost of studying in Dubai guide.

Student visa

The university sponsors your visa after a signed unconditional offer and payment of 25% of the annual fee. Your passport must be valid for 6+ months. Current charges, which may change:

New visa from abroad: 3,315 AED (express 4,828 AED).
Change of status inside the UAE: 5,200 AED.
Refundable deposit: 3,000 AED.

Other options

If the budget or grades don't fit, compare Middlesex University Dubai (lower bachelor's fees), University of Wollongong in Dubai and Curtin University Dubai (Australian degrees), or University of Birmingham Dubai, a higher-cost UK option. See all universities in Dubai on our study in the UAE hub, and master's and MBA in Dubai.

14 questions to ask before you pay the deposit

Deposits are almost never refundable. Ask these by email before paying — and keep the university's answer on record.

What to ask about the programme, accreditation and the degree
What tuition does not include and when a deposit is refunded
Who files the visa application — you or the university
Five red flags that mean you should not pay

Send us your transcript and English score. We will check them against Heriot-Watt University Dubai's requirements for your program, tell you whether you qualify for Year 1, Year 2 or Foundation, and compare 2–3 alternatives in Dubai. The first consultation is free. Reach us via the form, WhatsApp or Telegram.