Middlesex University Dubai: Fees, Admission and Student Life
A UK degree from Middlesex University London, earned in Dubai. Here is what it costs, who gets direct entry, and who starts with Foundation.
Middlesex University Dubai is the first overseas campus of Middlesex University London. It has taught in Dubai since 2005, and graduates receive the same Middlesex University London degree as students in the UK. The university offers 90+ programs, from a one-year International Foundation Programme to bachelor's, master's, MBA and LLM degrees.
It suits students who want a UK degree taught in English and families already living in the UAE or the Gulf. Applicants with A-levels, IB, American diplomas or strong Indian board results can usually enter the first year directly.
It suits you less if you hold a Pakistani FSc/HSSC, a Nigerian WAEC/NECO or a school certificate from Russia or Central Asia. You then normally start with the Foundation year, which adds a year and 50,301 AED to the cost. It is also not the right fit if you need on-campus dormitories: the university uses partner residences.
For the full country overview, see our Study in UAE guide.
Parent university | Middlesex University London (UK); Dubai is its first overseas campus |
Degree awarded | Middlesex University London degree, under the same academic regulations as the UK campus |
In Dubai since | 2005 |
Campuses | Dubai Knowledge Park (main), Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Media City Study Hub (from January 2026) |
UAE licensing | CAA/MoHESR institutional licence (January 2025); all current programs accredited by CAA; KHDA recognition |
KHDA rating | 5 stars |
Programs | 90+: Foundation, bachelor's (Honours), master's, MBA / Executive MBA, LLM |
Bachelor's fee (current) | 64,557 AED per year |
IELTS for bachelor's | 6.0 overall, no band below 5.5 |
Parent university ranking | THE World University Rankings: 501–600 |
Tuition fees at Middlesex University Dubai
Fees below are the university's official current price list, in AED and including VAT. Prices for the next academic year have not been published yet. Before you pay anything, we confirm the current figure for your program.
| Program | Fee (AED, incl. VAT) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
Bachelor's (Honours) | 64,557 (about $17,578) | per year; 193,671 for 3 years |
International Foundation Programme | 50,301 (about $13,696) | whole program |
MSc | 76,491–94,101 | whole program |
LLM | 76,491–98,345 | whole program |
MBA | 84,872 | whole program |
Executive MBA | 117,548 | whole program |
The bachelor's fee is a flat rate for up to 120 credits a year. For returning students, the fee net of taxes stays the same for the normal length of the program; only a VAT change is passed on to you. For reference, the previous year's bachelor's fee was 62,982 AED, so the rate rose about 2.5% in one year.
If you enter through the Foundation year, budget for four years of tuition: 50,301 + 3 × 64,557 = about 243,972 AED at current prices. A resit costs 500 AED plus VAT; repeating a whole module is charged separately. To accept an offer, you pay a 3,000 AED deposit.
Scholarships at Middlesex Dubai are tuition discounts, not cash payments. The Academic Excellence Scholarship of 10–50% is open only to applicants from the UAE. International applicants are considered for the International Study Grant, but the university does not publish its amount. Other grants include 25% for Middlesex alumni, 20–25% for teachers, and 3,000 AED for GEMS school graduates.
Program fees at Middlesex Dubai
AED for the whole program incl. VAT, current price list
- International Foundation Programme50,301 AED
- Bachelor's (Honours), 3 years193,671 AED
- MSc76,491–94,101 AED
- LLM76,491–98,345 AED
- MBA84,872 AED
- Executive MBA117,548 AED
Programs and the degree you receive
Middlesex Dubai teaches 90+ programs across foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Bachelor's degrees are three-year Honours programs. At master's level, there are MSc programs, an MBA, an Executive MBA and an LLM.
Your degree is awarded by Middlesex University London under the same regulations and quality assurance as the UK campus. In the UAE, all current programs are accredited by the CAA. This matters if you plan to work in the UAE public sector or continue studying at a CAA-licensed university.
Students can also move to London or another Middlesex campus, such as Mauritius, during their second year through the Overseas Campus Transfer. Fees then follow the destination campus, Dubai grants do not transfer, and you need a student visa for the new country.
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Admission requirements for international students
Entry rules depend on your school system and may vary by program; the thresholds below come from the BSc IT, BSc Business Information Systems and Foundation pages. With a complete document set, the offer letter is usually generated within two working days.
How to apply: step by step
1
Check your route by school system. India (CBSE, ISC, NIOS, State Boards): direct first-year entry with 65% overall; IT and Business Information Systems also require 70% in Grade 12 mathematics. Pakistan (FSc/HSSC): the Foundation programme with at least 60%; direct entry only after one year at a university or college. Nigeria and West Africa (WAEC, WASSCE, NECO): Foundation only, with at least C6 in five academic subjects. Russia and Central Asia: Foundation only.
2
Check other qualifications. A-levels: two or three subjects, with grades from AA to BBC. IB Diploma: 24–28 points. American diploma: GPA 2.8 plus SAT 1100 (at least 550 per section), or ACT 23, or two AP exams at 3 or higher.
3
Prove your English. IELTS Academic 6.0 for bachelor's (no band below 5.5), 5.5 for Foundation, 6.5 for master's. TOEFL iBT 72 for bachelor's, 65 for Foundation, 87 for master's. PTE Academic 51 for Foundation and bachelor's, 58 for master's. CBSE/ISC students may use 65% in English (not for Gujarat, Haryana or Punjab boards); WAEC/WASSCE students may use C6 in English. Offer holders can also take the internal MDX English Test.
4
Prepare and legalize documents. The UAE is not part of the Apostille Convention, so an apostille is not enough. The usual chain is: school or education authority and notary, then your foreign ministry, then the UAE embassy, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your school certificate also needs equivalency from the UAE Ministry of Education.
5
Apply and accept the offer. Applications are rolling, with no fixed deadline on the university's site. You accept by paying the 3,000 AED deposit.
6
Plan your timeline. The main intakes are usually September and January. Exact dates for the January and September intakes are published by the university closer to the intake. Apply early enough to leave several weeks for the visa after your offer.
What to know before you apply
Many international applicants start with Foundation, not the first year. This surprises many families from Pakistan, Nigeria and Central Asia. We check your certificate first, so you see the full four-year budget before you apply.
The large scholarships are not for international students. The 10–50% scholarship is for UAE applicants only, and the International Study Grant amount is decided per applicant. Plan your budget on the full fee and treat any grant as a bonus.
Living costs are the second big budget line. Without tuition, a student in Dubai needs roughly 5,500–9,000 AED per month, including a residence, food, transport and personal costs. The 50% student Nol card discount on public transport applies only up to age 23.
Recognition at home depends on your country. Check the procedure with your home country's authority, especially for regulated professions. After graduation, the UAE has no UK-style post-study work visa: graduates usually move to an employer's work visa.
The regional situation changed several times in 2026. The UK FCDO does not advise against travel to the UAE but warns of regional risks and flight disruption. Check your government's advice before you fly.
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Rankings and accreditation
The parent university, Middlesex University, is placed 501–600 in the THE World University Rankings. In Dubai, KHDA rates the university 5 stars and has named it the largest UK university in Dubai for the fifth year in a row.
The UAE has two levels of regulation: KHDA for Dubai free-zone universities, and the federal MoHESR with its Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA). Middlesex Dubai holds both: a CAA institutional licence since January 2025, and CAA accreditation for all its programs, announced in February 2026.
Housing and student life
Middlesex Dubai has no dormitories of its own. Instead, it works with partner student residences, where furniture, Wi-Fi and utilities are included. Prices below are current and depend on contract length.
| Residence | Monthly rent (AED) | Deposit (AED) |
|---|---|---|
The Myriad (Academic City) | 3,050 (double) to 7,450 (studio) | 3,500 |
KSK Homes | from 2,850; single 4,999–6,550 | 3,000 |
ESAW | 2,200 (triple) to 4,300 (private) | 3,000 |
Yugo Dubailand | from 3,500 (waiting list) | not stated |
According to the university, more than 7,100 students from over 120 nationalities study at its Dubai campuses. Students under 23 can get a Nol student card for 70 AED, which halves fares on the metro, tram, buses and water transport.
Student visa
The university sponsors your student residence visa. The visa package costs 5,555.22 AED if you apply from abroad, or 7,235.22 AED if you are already in the UAE; it covers the visa, Emirates ID and medical insurance. You also pay a 2,500 AED visa deposit, returned after the visa is cancelled, minus fees.
Before the visa application, you pay 25% of the annual tuition. Your passport must be a regular passport valid for at least one year, and applicants under 18 need notarized parental consent. The visa is usually issued for one year and renewed annually. Students with UAE-resident parents can instead be sponsored by them. The full process is on our UAE student visa page.
Other options
If the Foundation route or the budget does not fit, compare other branch campuses: University of Wollongong in Dubai, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, Curtin University Dubai and University of Birmingham Dubai. See all universities in Dubai, the cost of studying in Dubai and master's and MBA programs 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
Other universities in UAE
Compare the terms: fees, language of instruction and entry requirements differ.
Curtin University Dubai
Heriot-Watt University Dubai
University of Wollongong in Dubai
Send us your school certificate, transcripts and English test results. We will check them against Middlesex Dubai's requirements for your program, tell you whether you qualify for direct entry or Foundation, and compare two or three alternatives in Dubai with their full cost. The first consultation is free. Write to us through the contact form, WhatsApp or Telegram.