UAE: Is your degree recognised? Students advised to check ministry updates

Students in the UAE planning to pursue higher education or online courses, either in the country or outside, must stay informed about the UAE’s evolving accreditation rules so as to avoid setbacks, said education consultants in the country.

The word of advice comes in the wake of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) recently introducing new conditions for recognition of various degrees.

While some distance learning and online programmes may now receive conditional approval, certain vocational certificates and specialised training programmes remain unrecognised.

Urging students to keep themselves informed, Varun Jain, Founder and CEO, UniHawk, said, “Regularly consult official Ministry communications and updates to remain abreast of policy changes and accreditation standards. Verify accreditation to ensure that foreign institutions are recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education to facilitate smoother degree recognition processes. Utilise authorised agencies for degree verification, engage with the Ministry’s approved agencies—Dataflow and QuadraBay—to expedite the recognition process.”

He also suggested , “Consider enrolling in programmes that offer blended learning options, combining online and on-campus experiences to enrich educational outcomes. Prioritise degrees from institutions with strong reputations and high international rankings to meet the Ministry’s recognition criteria.”

However, education experts also stressed that while students learning remotely can access more affordable and flexible options, they might miss out on the broader international exposure and experiences that physical campuses and in-person interactions typically offer.

“International exposure can play a crucial role in building diverse perspectives, networking with peers from different backgrounds, and engaging in hands-on learning experiences, which are often pivotal in certain fields. Balancing both the flexibility of online degrees and the benefits of international exposure could be an area for future consideration as the higher education landscape continues to evolve,” added Jain.

Some vocational certificates not recognised

Notably, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) emphasised that the recognition committee does not review applications for vocational certificates that are not linked to formal academic study. This includes certificates from short-term training programmes, academic documents that are part of a larger study programme, degrees awarded through programmes meant exclusively for specific student groups (like international student-only programmes), and any other cases that do not meet the ministry’s established criteria.

Rema Menon Vellat, Director, Counselling Point Training and Development stressed that these new ministerial guidelines need to be paid attention to.

“Dissemination of information should be done through all channels. It is also imperative that education bodies like KHDA, ADEK, SPEA, School Management systems and all such authorities send out information on this to all their stakeholders.”

Menon added, “In a few months the next cohort of students will be getting ready to pursue higher education. Should they take up courses that do not get equivalency, their effort will be in vain. It must be mandatory for consultants, counsellors and educational entities to become aware of the repercussions of taking up such programmes.”

Renewed accreditation of programmes by CAA

Starting this year, a few universities in the country have secured renewed accreditation of its long-standing undergraduate programmes by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) at MOHESR.

The CAA is the UAE federal government’s quality assurance agency for higher education and is designed to ensure that licensed institutions and their programmes meet levels of academic quality consistent with current international practice.

Dr Sameera Al Mulla, Acting Director of CAA at MOHESR, said, “As the UAE propels its knowledge economy forward, it’s increasingly important that the standards of our higher education institutions align with the ambitions of the nation. At CAA, it’s our mission to keep enabling and supporting all higher education institutions to be more agile and competitive, ensuring they can equip more graduates with the capabilities needed to excel in the workforce of the future.”