Why you need to tell your students about Qatar
Qatar hosts satellite campuses for several US universities, allowing students to obtain a degree from a competitive university – but with far less competition
Kristen Allen
Having worked in Qatar as a school counsellor for two years, I would like to share information about applying to university in this small country on the Persian Gulf.
As well as having it’s own universities, Qatar is also home to a range of satellite campuses, largely of US universities.
Satellite campuses outside of the global North are untapped ways that students can obtain a competitive US degree at an academically and financially accessible international campus.
Many of these satellite campuses were created in Qatar under the Qatar Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation where research and education programmes from around the world are encouraged to create a presence in Qatar.
Qatar: where to study for a US degree
There are six universities under the Qatar Foundation (QF) that award US-accredited bachelor’s degrees or undergraduate-entry MD degrees:
Carnegie Mellon University Qatar
Tuition: $64,596 a year
- Biological sciences
- Information systems
- Business administration
- Computer science
Georgetown University Qatar
Tuition: $65,000 a year
- Culture and politics
- International economics
- International politics
- International history
- Arabic (minor)
- Africana studies (minor)
- Indian Ocean world studies (minor)
- American studies (certificate)
- Energy studies (certificate)
- Arab and regional studies (certificate)
- Media and politics (certificate)
Texas A&M University Qatar
Tuition: $52,500 a year
- Chemical engineering
- Electrical and computer engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Petroleum engineering
- Analysis, design and management of energy conversion systems (minor)
- Chemical engineering (minor)
- Chemistry (minor)
- Control of mechanical systems (minor)
- Design and simulation of mechanical systems (minor)
- Electrical engineering (minor)
- Entrepreneurship (minor)
- Geology (minor)
- Mathematics (minor)
- Petroleum engineering (minor)
- Physics (minor)
Northwestern University Qatar
Tuition: $64,887 a year
- Communication
- Journalism and strategic communication
- Africana studies (minor)
- Film and design (minor)
- Media and politics (minor)
- Middle East studies (minor)
- Strategic communication (minor)
Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar
Tuition: $67,400 a year
- Six-year medical programme (MD)
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts in Qatar
Tuition: $32,000 a year
- Art history
- Graphic design
- Interior design
- Painting and printmaking
- Kinetic imaging
- Film and design (minor)
- Islamic art history (minor)
Note that admission to the medical programme at Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar is limited to Qatari nationals and residents of Qatar.
Application process
Students apply directly on each university’s website. If admitted, students will have to have their diploma legalised by their local Ministry of Foreign Affairs (US State Department) and then legalised by the Qatar Embassy.
Academic qualifications that have been authenticated by the Ministry of Education of the country where the documents were issued may be admissible for certain countries. It is recommended that international students contact the university’s admissions or international student office for detailed information and assistance with the legalisation process.
Benefits of applying to a Qatar Foundation university
Diplomas will list the name of the university and not the location.
Except for Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar and the biology course at Carnegie Mellon University Qatar, the overall admission rate tends to be higher for QF universities compared with their main campuses in the US. Students who, for example, want a degree from Georgetown but are unlikely to be admitted to the main campus will have a higher chance of admission to the Qatar campus.
Most QF universities are either test-optional or test-flexible. For example, Georgetown University Qatar is test-flexible.
Scholarships at Qatar Foundation universities
Apply after receiving an offer of admission. Some very competitive students may be awarded a scholarship with their offer letter.
More information is available .
Visas
Universities in Qatar typically help international students obtain the necessary visas to study in the country. The specific procedure for obtaining a student visa may vary depending on the university and the student’s nationality.
In general, universities will provide guidance and support to students throughout the visa-application process, including issuing the necessary documents required for the visa application. It is recommended that international students reach out to the university’s admissions or international-student office for detailed information and assistance with the visa process.
Is Qatar the right fit?
It is important to consider all the factors that go into what is the best fit for a student, such as location, climate and outside community, not just programme and reputation. For example, some of my Muslim students want to get more in touch with their faith, so Qatar may be a better option than the main campuses in the US.
As counsellors, we should encourage school senior leadership to allow us to take students on tours of universities in nonconventional locations, to understand what different campuses, cities and countries are like, and to mitigate negative stereotypes about certain regions.