University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD): Australian Degree, Dubai Campus
Fees, entry grades by curriculum, English scores, visa costs and housing at UOWD, with the limits other guides skip.
The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) is the Dubai branch campus of the University of Wollongong (UOW), an Australian university that also runs campuses in Hong Kong and Malaysia. It opened in 1993 as the first international Australian university in the UAE. Graduates receive a degree awarded by UOW Australia, and the campus sits in Dubai Knowledge Park.
UOWD suits students who want an Australian degree in business, IT, engineering, media or psychology without moving to Australia, including expat families in the GCC. Strong school-leavers gain the most: high grades open a 3-year bachelor's and merit scholarships of up to 50%.
It is a weaker fit if 63,449 AED a year in tuition is beyond your budget, or if you want medicine, which is not on UOWD's fee lists. Students with WAEC/NECO or a CIS school certificate can only take the 4-year path.
| Key fact | UOWD |
|---|---|
Parent university | University of Wollongong, Australia |
In Dubai since | 1993 |
Campus | Dubai Knowledge Park; building opened in 2020 for 5,000 students |
Degree | Awarded by UOW Australia |
UAE status | Degrees accredited by the CAA; licensed by KHDA |
Ranking of UOW | THE World University Rankings: 201–250 |
Intakes | September (Autumn), January (Winter), April (Spring) |
Bachelor's tuition |
University of Wollongong in Dubai tuition fees
UOWD charges per subject, and you pay each trimester for the subjects you take. The yearly figures below assume a full load. The fee pages name no academic year: these are the current rates, and rates for the next academic year are not published yet.
| Program | Tuition (current rates, AED, VAT incl.) | Length | Approximate total (our estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
Bachelor's: Business, BBA, Computer Science, Business Information Systems, Communication & Media, Psychological Science | 63,449 a year | 3 years (24 subjects) or 4 years (32 subjects) | about 190,000 / about 254,000 |
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | 68,909 a year | 4 years (32 subjects) | depends on your subject plan |
Nursing (Conversion), for registered nurses | 42,466 a year | 2 years | depends on your subject plan |
You can pay each trimester in full or use the UOWD Payment Plan: 50% before the trimester, 25% in the second month and 25% in the third. If UOWD sponsors your visa, the first trimester must be paid in full. Refunds are tiered (100%, 75%, 50%, then none), with cut-off dates in each trimester's calendar.
Scholarships for new bachelor's students
The Academic Merit Scholarship is open to any nationality: 15, 25 or 50% off on the 4-year path, or 10, 15 or 25% on the 3-year path. Places are limited and awarded first-come, first-served. Thresholds for the 4-year path:
| Curriculum | 50% | 25% | 15% |
|---|---|---|---|
CBSE and Indian State Boards | 95% | 85% | 80% |
Thanaweya Amma (incl. Egypt) | 98% | 90% | 85% |
IB | 40 | 35 | 30 |
A-levels | AAA | two A grades |
To keep the award, take at least 3 subjects each trimester and hold a weighted average (WAM) of 75, 65 or 55 respectively, with no fails; otherwise the percentage drops. The scholarship does not transfer to Australia. Pakistani HSSC is not listed separately, so we confirm eligibility with the university.
A year at UOWD
AED per year on a full load, current rates, 5% VAT included
- Bachelor's: Business, CS, Media, Psychology63,449 AED
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)68,909 AED
- Nursing (Conversion)42,466 AED
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Programs and the degree you receive
UOWD teaches bachelor's degrees in Business (including the BBA), Computer Science, Business Information Systems, Communication & Media and Psychological Science. The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) has five majors: Civil, Computer & Autonomous Systems, Electrical & Electronics, Mechanical and Mechatronic. Master's options include the MBA, Engineering Management and Educational Studies; compare them in our guide to master's and MBA programs in Dubai.
Every graduate receives a degree awarded by UOW Australia. The bachelor's has two routes. Advanced Entry takes 3 years (24 subjects). Direct Entry adds an Integrated Freshman Year and takes 4 years (32 subjects), with lower grade requirements. If you meet neither, the NCUK International Foundation Year gives a guaranteed place at UOWD or an NCUK university once you meet its requirements.
You can also transfer with credit to UOW campuses in Wollongong or Sydney. The terms are set by the university Registry, so check them before planning around a move.
Admission requirements for international students
Minimum grades depend on your curriculum and path. The table covers bachelor's programs in Business, CS, IT, Media and Social Science.
| Curriculum | 3-year path | 4-year path |
|---|---|---|
India CBSE Grade 12 | 10.5 points* | 7 points* |
India ICSE | 77% | 55% |
Pakistan HSSC | 88% | 65% |
Nigeria WAEC / NECO | not available | 7+ subjects, max. one "Pass" |
CIS school certificate | not available |
*English or Hindi plus your best 4 subjects, from A1 = 4 to D2 = 0.5. Engineering asks for CBSE 10.5, ICSE 77%, HSSC 88%, IB 25 or A-levels CCD, plus a math and physics placement test; below 60%, you take remedial subjects first.
How to apply to UOWD
1
Match your grades — use the table above to choose the 3-year or 4-year path, and check the scholarship thresholds.
2
Take an accepted English test — Business needs IELTS Academic 6.0 (3-year) or 5.0 (4-year), TOEFL iBT 79 / 40 or PTE 54 / 42. CS/IT and Engineering need IELTS 6.0 in every band; Social Sciences and Media need 6.5. IELTS Online and TOEFL Home Edition are not accepted; the Accuplacer English Test at UOWD is an alternative.
3
Legalize your school documents — the UAE does not accept an apostille. The chain: school or education authority and notary, your Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE embassy in your country, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4
Apply for equivalency — if you did not study the UAE curriculum, you need school certificate equivalency from the UAE Ministry of Education. Until then, UOWD can admit you conditionally with a ministry Letter of No Objection.
5
Pick an intake — January, April or September. UOWD publishes exact dates and deadlines closer to each intake; we track them and plan your documents backwards from your start date.
What to know before you apply
- Nigeria and CIS graduates get the 4-year path only. That adds a year of tuition. The engineering table does not list WAEC/NECO or the CIS certificate, so we confirm engineering entry with the university first.
- The yearly price assumes a full load. You pay per subject, so your bill changes with your trimester plan.
- Scholarships are first-come, first-served, and the discount drops if your average falls.
Rankings and accreditation
In the THE World University Rankings, UOW (the parent university) is placed 201–250 worldwide and joint 11th in Australia. The ranking covers UOW as a whole, not the Dubai campus.
UOWD degrees are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), part of the federal Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the campus is licensed by KHDA. Quality is overseen by UOW, which is registered with Australia's regulator TEQSA. All UOW business programs hold AACSB accreditation; Computer Science and Business Information Systems are accredited by the ACS. UOWD also lists CIM, CILT, PMI, a CFA Institute affiliation, ACCA, CIPD, CPA Australia and Engineers Australia.
Housing and student life
UOWD has no dorms of its own. You rent from a partner residence and pay the provider directly; most run transport to campus.
| Partner residence | Monthly rent, AED |
|---|---|
Yugo | 3,300–5,500 |
Makaan | 2,295–4,400 |
KSK | 3,299–5,899 |
ESAW | 2,200–6,500 |
Al Sufouh Suites (3.7 km from campus) | 3,750–7,500 |
The Myriad (DIAC) | ask the provider |
Beyond tuition, expect roughly 5,500–9,000 AED a month for a shared residence, food, transport and personal costs; see our cost of studying in Dubai breakdown. Students up to 23 can get a student Nol card with 50% off public transport.
Student visa
UOWD sponsors your student visa and arranges the entry permit you travel on. The 1-year package costs 8,237 AED from abroad or 9,917 AED from inside the UAE, VAT included. It covers 2,000 AED of insurance, processing, the medical test, Emirates ID and a 2,500 AED Visa Maintenance Charge, whose unused balance is refunded after cancellation.
The entry permit takes 10–15 working days, and the rest usually 7–14 working days, sometimes a month or more. Your passport needs 6+ months of validity. Citizens of Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt generally need a visa to enter. Expat parents in the UAE can sponsor sons up to 25 and unmarried daughters instead. Full steps are in our UAE student visa guide.
Other options
Middlesex University Dubai costs 64,557 AED a year for a bachelor's, and Curtin University Dubai is another Australian branch. Heriot-Watt University Dubai is a UK alternative, while University of Birmingham Dubai costs roughly 129,000–157,000 AED a year. See all universities in Dubai or start from study in the UAE.
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
Not sure which UOWD path or intake fits your grades? Send us your transcripts and English score. We check them against UOWD's requirements, flag gaps in legalization or equivalency, and compare UOWD with 2–3 alternatives in Dubai. The first consultation is free: reach us via the form, WhatsApp or Telegram on our contacts page.
