Medical Universities in UAE and Health Degrees in Dubai

Medical universities in UAE: the list

These institutions offer a medical degree. Programme names (MD, MBBS, MBChB) differ, but all lead to the same licensing route.

How to study medicine in UAE: entry requirements

Since the EmSAT was cancelled as a Grade 12 requirement in November 2024, each university sets its own criteria. The ministry's decision said that for medicine, grades in the science subjects count more than the overall Grade 12 percentage. In practice expect:

• High grades in biology and chemistry (and often physics and maths). UAE University asks for a 90% average for its College of Medicine and Health Sciences.
• English: IELTS or TOEFL, or a university's own test.
• An admission test and interview: Khaleej Times reported that Gulf Medical University uses its own admission test plus Grade 12 marks and science-subject requirements.
• Fixed application windows: MBRU's MD window for its latest intake ran from 13 October 2025 to 9 January 2026, with no late applications.

Graduate-entry MD programmes (Khalifa, GMU, RAKMHSU) need a relevant bachelor's degree. See EMSAT exam status and undergraduate admission requirements.

Medical college fees in UAE (published 2026-27)

GMU states its fees include 5% VAT and exclude other service charges. Add housing, visa, insurance and books. For visa costs see UAE student visa; for funding see UAE scholarships.

Nursing courses in Dubai and the UAE

To work as a registered nurse in the UAE, the unified Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) ask for a bachelor's degree in nursing of at least three years full-time, a valid licence and Basic Life Support certification. Degree options with published fees include:

• Gulf Medical University: BSN (AED 44,400 a year), RN-to-BSN bridge for registered nurses (AED 38,000), and MSc programmes in neonatal critical care, adult critical care and renal and dialysis nursing (AED 63,000) (GMU fee page, Oct 2026).
• RAKMHSU: BSN (AED 19,500 a semester), BSc Midwifery, MSc Nursing and a Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing (RAKMHSU fee page, Oct 2026).
• MBRU: Hind Bint Maktoum College of Nursing and Midwifery in Dubai.
• University of Sharjah: bachelor's in nursing through its College of Health Sciences.

Short nursing courses in Dubai do not lead to a nursing licence on their own. Short courses such as BLS or ACLS are useful for licensed nurses and for meeting licensing paperwork. See first aid and safety courses and short courses in Dubai.

Healthcare courses in Dubai: allied health, speech therapy and more

Beyond medicine and nursing, GMU's 2026-27 fee list shows the range of health degrees available in the UAE:

For speech therapy, a degree in speech and language pathology is the route to professional practice; short workshops do not qualify you to practise. Biomedical engineering is taught in engineering colleges rather than medical universities; see engineering courses in Dubai. For management roles see healthcare management courses.

Licensing after graduation: DHA, DOH and MOHAP

A medical degree does not by itself let you practise. Licensing is handled by the health authority of the emirate where you will work: the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH), the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) for the northern emirates, and the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA). They share one framework, the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR, third version, 2022). At a high level, a physician needs:

• a degree from a recognised, accredited medical school;
• a 12-month internship after graduation (or two extra years of experience if there is no internship evidence);
• a pass in the authority's licensing exam, held in English;
• a current licence and a good standing certificate, where previously registered.

Registered nurses need a nursing bachelor's of at least three years, a valid licence and BLS. Specialist titles have further rules on postgraduate training and experience. Always read the current PQR on the DOH or DHA site before you choose a programme abroad or in the UAE.

How to choose a medical university in UAE

• Accreditation: check that the programme is licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and accredited by the CAA.
• Clinical training: ask which hospitals students rotate in and whether the internship year is arranged by the university.
• Total cost: six years at AED 155,000 is AED 930,000 in tuition alone at GMU's 2026-27 rate, before housing (GMU fee page, Oct 2026).
• Entry tests and deadlines: some close in January for September entry.
• Where you will work: if you plan to practise abroad, check how that country's regulator treats UAE medical degrees.
• Programme status: confirm the programme is still admitting students, especially in Abu Dhabi after the 2023 MD centralisation decision.